Popularity of the sport

[delaWarr]

gopher15, The topic specifies "Popularity of the sport" and I've tried to understand just what you were asking by re-reading your initial post? Is the question: Why do x# of schools treat the sport with secondary consideration? Why do more athletes not get involved with the sport? Or, Why do more people in general (fan base) not get involved? Clarify.

[bopper1]

 

If you enjoy watching the WWE, good. I wish I could turn the TV on twice a week and watch: UTC, Iowa, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Illinios, ...

Why do you distance yourself from the thing that can bring you r sport the popularity it wants? if i was you i'd welcome all the attention i could get

This is not the kind of attention they need for this sport... Because this not how it works. No! they do not slam people in high school, or put opponents in choke holds, or make each other bleed ferociously from hits in the face! All I'm saying is this is not what they want for their sport Raider, nor do I want it for this sport either.

[texas23]

Please.....anytime someone mentions the WWE and high school wrestling in the fashion that it promotes the sport is only baiting you guys to come on here and defend the high school wrestlers.

[gopher15]

gopher15, The topic specifies "Popularity of the sport" and I've tried to understand just what you were asking by re-reading your initial post? Is the question: Why do x# of schools treat the sport with secondary consideration? Why do more athletes not get involved with the sport? Or, Why do more people in general (fan base) not get involved? Clarify.

Yes to all of the above. I think that they all have to be interrelated somehow, just wanted opinions on what everyone thought. I guess it is hard to get a really unbiased opinion since most people who don't like wrestling won't be on this board anyhow.

[gopher15]

gopher no one was saying they i or anybody works harder than other wrestlers just other sports and at my school it scares the other kids walk the halls they will tell you.

pretty much all wrestlers work this hard. and most of the other kids in my area on other teams tell me its that way at there school. i know i do not work any harder than most others .

ok dream 2 achieve- you are saying that you don't work harder than other wrestlers but wrestlers work harder than everyone in other sports. In my opinion all sports are inherently the same. I would bet that for every wreslter that works hard at his sport I can find someone in any other sport who works just as hard. I, like Eddie don't see this as a reason for the sports unpopularity.

[LAUDERDALE]

The Blount County, Maryville City, and Alcoa City schools have a cable channel that replays some their athletic events.

 

Do other school systems in the state of Tennessee have the same opportunity?

We do not have it here for the Sevier County Schools.

 

Isn't it the Iowa Public Television netwok that televises so many college matches? WHat do we need to do to get the PBS Networks on our area to do the same? I know it would come down to $, but couldn't they televise the same matches that the Iowa stations do, and throughout the program ask for donations for the station?

 

Now there is a thought! What a great way to help market our sport!

[Eddie Van Halen]

I guess it is hard to get a really unbiased opinion since most people who don't like wrestling won't be on this board anyhow.

I don't like wrestling, so I'll give you my unbiased opinion. What else are message boards for?!?!?!?!?

 

Actually I do like wrestling, and I like wrestlers, but what I don't like is inferiority complexes. The tone on this thread has often been, "We work harder than anyone." Well, if you do indeed work harder than anyone then that satisfaction ought to speak volumes and on its own. Telling the world you work harder than other sports is almost as bad as telling everyone how humble you are.

 

Somebody on this thread said it well: "You don't need to run down other sports to build yours up." A successful old coach once said, "You can't build your program [sport] by putting someone else down." I've never heard a basketball player say, "Well I was going to play basketball, but now that I see that derogatory shirt I'm going to go out for wrestling!"

[63raider]

The Blount County, Maryville City, and Alcoa City schools have a cable channel that replays some their athletic events.

 

Do other school systems in the state of Tennessee have the same opportunity?

We do not have it here for the Sevier County Schools.

 

Isn't it the Iowa Public Television netwok that televises so many college matches? WHat do we need to do to get the PBS Networks on our area to do the same? I know it would come down to $, but couldn't they televise the same matches that the Iowa stations do, and throughout the program ask for donations for the station?

 

Now there is a thought! What a great way to help market our sport!

I hear that WWE gives out grants for the promotion of its sport among high school athletics. Visit their website to get info on this.

[Red81KPsmash]

I think the sport requires too much dedication for a lot of today's children. To run, lift, and sweat is not in the vocabulary of many of the students today. Also, there is no "glory" in the sport. Not many cheerleaders attend wrestling matches. So they kids play basketball or nothing at all.

[eddie haskell]

I don't like wrestling, so I'll give you my unbiased opinion. What else are message boards for?!?!?!?!?

 

Actually I do like wrestling, and I like wrestlers, but what I don't like is inferiority complexes. The tone on this thread has often been, "We work harder than anyone." Well, if you do indeed work harder than anyone then that satisfaction ought to speak volumes and on its own. Telling the world you work harder than other sports is almost as bad as telling everyone how humble you are.

 

Somebody on this thread said it well: "You don't need to run down other sports to build yours up." A successful old coach once said, "You can't build your program [sport] by putting someone else down." I've never heard a basketball player say, "Well I was going to play basketball, but now that I see that derogatory shirt I'm going to go out for wrestling!"

Eddie- I love your name!! I also think you are correct on this issue. I have been saying all along that Our sport is too tough for normal people is a lame argument. I just want someone else to tell me another reason why people don't like wrestling.

[eddie haskell]

I think the sport requires too much dedication for a lot of today's children. To run, lift, and sweat is not in the vocabulary of many of the students today. Also, there is no "glory" in the sport. Not many cheerleaders attend wrestling matches. So they kids play basketball or nothing at all.

Ok- "too much dedication is the same dumb argument everyone else has been making" But I do agree that the glory thing might be true. There are not as many people and cheerleaders at wrestling matches. But there aren't any other sports where you get the individual attention that you get in wrestling. So maybe they do get the glory. Think about it: when it is your turn to wrestle you have everyone's attention, and what is more glory than getting your hand raised in victory after a match?

[LAUDERDALE]

Hey Jacketman, I just read your post on here about why more kids don't wrestle. I have heard the same reasons you have listed. These are issues that need to be addressed.

 

I have heard the reason "I don't want to wear the uniform" more this year than in any year that I can remember. Now this reason has ben used for some time, event back in the early 80's when I was in HS.

 

Some of my wrestlers came across some of our old high school singlets. I walked into practice and several of them had on the singlets we used back in 1980. Man I just cracked up. The guys started calling them "nut huggers." This was one of the reasons why they came out with the "Jam" cut singlets.

 

I am a football coach also. It makes NO SENSE TO ME WHY FOOTBALL COACHES DO NOT PROMOTE OUR SPORT AND ENCOURAGE FOOTBALL PLAYERS TO WRESTLE! Can you imagine a football team made up of or a great % of them wrestlers!!? UNTOUCHABLE!

 

Red81KPsmash, I agree. wrestling does demand dedication. This sport, really more than any other sport that I have coached, is as much a lifestyle as it is a sport. I mean no disrespect to any other sport but it is true.

Edited December 16, 2003 by LAUDERDALE