For those who know me, I’ve never shied away from sharing my perspective on subjects. Some of you seem to love my unfiltered openness, others not so much. But it seems I’m the only man in the arena right now to quote a partial line from Teddy Roosevelt. For this blog, as you read How … How Wrestling Wins
This will be, or could be, the most important rule change the sport has ever adopted, or rejected, and it’s so logical that it’s beyond comprehension how we could have overlooked it. The current system of receiving 3 team points for a decision, 4 points for a major, 5 points for a tech, and 6 … #1 A Point Earned, is a Point Scored
We should take a close look at allowing athletes to “Double Up” 3 times a year; but only if we want to create more heroes and legends like baseball did with Babe Ruth, boxing with Mohammad Ali and basketball with Michael Jordan. We need super stars who are just as well-known in our sport as … #2 Doubling Up
I love this idea by the way. It makes Doubling Up; doubly exciting, doubly interesting and doubly strategic. Here’s how it works. The sport still has a flip of a coin before the match with the winning coach selecting the first weight class to be contested. But after that, with jumbling weight classes the other … #3 Jumbling Weight Classes
Next up, the rules committee should immediately embrace is a rule that states a wrestler cannot be saved by the bell (buzzer) if he’s on his back. The name of the game is pinning, it’s what everyone wants to see. The take’m down and cut’m loose style of wrestling is okay for a while but … #4 Can’t Be Saved by The Bell
So how do we get to sustainability? One of the first things wrestling should consider is returning to being a Dual Meet Centric sport. The why is simple; spectators and audiences only engage in activities that, on average, requires 2 hours to complete. So why does wrestling believe so religiously that Tri’s, Quad’s and Tournaments are the … #5 Dual Meet Centric
That needs to be accomplished two ways. The first, we need to move our season from being a Winter sport, to becoming a Winter-Spring hybrid . . . where we start training in December, begin competing in January and space our national events out so they occur before and after the men’s and women’s NCAA … #6 Redefine The Wrestling Season
Over the years there has been plenty of arguments regarding which martial art is the oldest, and the father of all the others? With a little research, I believe you’ll find the answers here. Three to four million years ago Homo sapiens appeared on earth . . . naked, hungry and in constant danger. Survival … The History of Wrestling, Part I
Lifetime of Achievement Award Amateur wrestling has its share of national awards, but when we compare our numbers to other organizations and sports, we need to do better. Especially at the elementary and middle school levels where we have so many outstanding coaches, mentors, and administrators who play pivotal roles in our children’s development. At … Lifetime of Achievement Award
Nothing I’ve read in the past two weeks has mentioned Rich Bender’s name and his contributions to our successes in Tokyo. There’s no question our athletes did an amazing job. Greco, not so much, but that pretty much follows a trend. More on that later. As for Rich, he’s America’s CEO when we talk about … Tokyo Olympics
For this edition of How Wrestling Wins, I will attempt to put an end to the pandemic of forfeits, and then offer a suggestion regarding how we can improve wrestling’s pinning percentages. I hope you’re sitting down . . . To begin, I believe everyone would agree that we can’t allow forfeits to continue, they … Solving the Problem of Forfeits
I would like to begin this blog by expressing my extreme gratitude to all of you who have been so supportive of my musings. The last five years have been more than enjoyable, while being equally as frustrating. I have tried to make a difference, and maybe I have, but it seems little has changed. … Doubling Up and Jumbling Weight Classes
Over the years, individual collegiate sports have been classified as either revenue or non-revenue; with wrestling being the latter. It’s been that way for over 100 years, and we still can’t figure out how to make a profit. What an embarrassment. And, if I were to guess, I’d say that at least 80% of all … A Point Earned, is a Point Scored
The NCAA’s are this week and I’m so glad that most schools are back on the mats. COVID has been a terrible experience for the country in so many ways. Good luck to all, and may the sport once again, demonstrate to all those in attendance, just how amazing wrestling is. . . . In … Remove Regional Training Centers from College Campuses
Friends, I’m struggling. I know what we need to do as a sport, but to say what needs saying only upsets many of those that I consider friends. But I love wrestling for all the same reasons as you do, or you wouldn’t be reading these words. However, I’ve come to the conclusion that the … Change, It Isn’t Easy
After you read the following, if you agree with me, or have found what I wrote was interesting, may I ask you to share it with others? InterMat this past two weeks, did 21 stories on dual meets and triangulars, and listed the results on their home page. But only two of the articles mentioned … Attendance is Survival
I think it’s time for a list; they’re always popular. This one isn’t that long, but for those I mention here are the most iconic wrestlers in the history of the sport. This group of greats, are yes, at the very least, legends of the sport. But more than that, they were the most exciting, … The Juggernauts
Another wrestling season is here and a lot has happened since August. I’d like to begin by paying tribute to the many legends of the sport who have sadly passed away in the last 12 months. Without a doubt, these gentlemen left their mark on the sport; and in our hearts. May each of these … COVID-19
Wrestling, and those who are in charge have, once again, stepped in it. I could be wrong, but either I’m operating on 70 years of experience, or, I’ve severely overestimated what I learned during those 70 years? Recently, both the leadership of the EIWA and the NWCA have come out with statements relative to coronavirus … Another Opportunity Blown
For this year’s wrestling season, it’s sad to say, Iowa isn’t going to win a dual meet and Clarion is going to go undefeated. No, that’s not a Golden Eagle fan wishing for the best. It’s just that there isn’t going to be a wrestling season so both of my predictions are correct. And, by … Sad Predictions
Given the state that wrestling is in with coronavirus, and our leadership being all too happy with status quo remaining quo; plus, athletic administrators who regard non-revenue sports as, well, philanthropic endeavors; to say we need help would be understating the issue. Somehow, you, me, we, need to find ways to energize the sports leadership … Passing Up Opportunities
I’m afraid, the orbit of non-revenue sports around the financial sun, and quite possibly, the nation’s athletic departments, is about to go sub-zero. But, certainly, the beginning of an ice age for non-revenue sports, especially wrestling, is here, and it’s called COVID-19. Financially, colleges and universities are in deep trouble. Too many incoming freshmen and … The Danger of Coronavirus
I’m not sure I agree with most of the posts on Facebook that would like to see an extra year of wrestling given to those who were denied the final weekend of the season. I certainly understand everyone’s frustration, but this isn’t the first-time something like this has happened. There were no championships in 1943, … The Lost NCAA Tournament
Was Pat Smith the first 4-time NCAA Champion; absolutely! What he accomplished was certainly akin to what Roger Banister did in 1954, shattering the track and field myth that said, a sub four-minute mile was impossible. Pat wasn’t the first wrestler to ever set 4 titles as a goal, but he was the first one … Pat Smith, One of the Greatest
It appears there’s a strong possibility that collegiate athletics are about to see some major changes. The California State Assembly voted 73-0 in favor of State Bill 206, also known as the Fair Pay to Play Act, which is a proposed law that would allow college athletes to profit from their name, image and likeness, … Wrestling Beware
Dake v. Deiringer For those who attended the Final X competition between Kyle Dake and Alex Deiringer, the entry fee of $10.00 was $9.50 more than it should have been. To be clear, what I’m about to write, has nothing to do with the quality, skill, intelligence or level of sportsmanship regarding either of these … Final X Matches
Jim Phillips Rest in Peace my dear friend; was not only what my heart said when I heard of Jim’s passing, but also the opinion of everyone who knew Coach Phillips. The mark of greatness, for any human being, is his or her ability to make others smile, and feel fortunate for having known the … Jim Phillips; and Weight Classes
The city of Pittsburgh did a wonderful job hosting the event. From friendly, helpful airport greeters to welcome banners hanging on seemingly every lamp post in the city. Everything Pittsburgh did said, “welcome, and thank you for visiting,” and the Steel City did us right. The arena where we wrestled and the Penguins play, was … The NCAA Championships
Before I cover the next two “must do’s” in order to make the sport fun to watch, by those who don’t attend, here’s another item that chafes my posterior. How can we grow and become mainstream, without being smart enough to see that which is poisoning our water? Instead of writing a feel-good blog about … Where We Fail, Part II
