Popularity of the sport

[texas23]

Eddie,

 

your posts regarding the level of popularity are generally correct. I read your post and could not tell if you were a fan or not. Your baiting these guys.

[kdxdude]

Hey Eddie, Yeah it only lasts 6 minutes but what about the waking up before daylight everyday of your summer break to run between 5-7 miles get on your bike and ride to the weightroom workout then ride your bike to eat a little lunch then ride your bike to the pool to swim some laps then ride your bike home to do your chores then rest all night then get up and do it again. Then pre-season starts, you hit the weights a little longer and harder. Then practice starts, wake up and ride your bike about 10 miles before school starts. After school 2-3 hours of drilling over and over in a hot, stinking wrestling room. All of this to be physically and mentally prepared for as you say " ONLY 6 MINUTES ''. Also, the discipline it takes when you are having to watch your weight or you are cutting weight, to be surrounded in a cafeteria with kids eating pizza and cheeseburgers while you eat light and healthy. All of these commitments in my opinion are things that make this an unpopular sport. The wrestlers who have the will to prepare have success in wrestling.

[3rdchance]

You also posted:

 

"It seems pretty obvious that people don't like wrestling because it makes no sense. In basketball when the ball goes through the net you score, in wrestling you can see one guy do something and another guy do seemingly the same thing and it is scored differently. most people have no idea what the scoring means. Plus there are very few exciting matches. Most meets are one boring match after another with maybe one or two that are even close. Of course this is just my opinion"

 

Edward,

 

Based on a few of your posts YOU have indicated wrestling's lack of popularity is due to:

 

1.  It makes no sense because scoring is hard to understand

2.  Few exciting matches

 

Just as athleticism lies in the eye of the evaluator, so does understanding and excitement.  Others like myself have a differing opinion and no need to get upset or sarcastic young man.

Make a point!!!! What does giving the problems wrestling have to do with me not liking the sport?

Edward, in response to your 2 questions: 1. I did (read post); 2. never said that

[eddie haskell]

Hey Eddie, Yeah it only lasts 6 minutes but what about the waking up before daylight everyday of your summer break to run between 5-7 miles get on your bike and ride to the weightroom workout then ride your bike to eat a little lunch then ride your bike to the pool to swim some laps then ride your bike home to do your chores then rest all night then get up and do it again. Then pre-season starts, you hit the weights a little longer and harder. Then practice starts, wake up and ride your bike about 10 miles before school starts. After school 2-3 hours of drilling over and over in a hot, stinking wrestling room. All of this to be physically and mentally prepared for as you say " ONLY 6 MINUTES ''. Also, the discipline it takes when you are having to watch your weight or you are cutting weight, to be surrounded in a cafeteria with kids eating pizza and cheeseburgers while you eat light and healthy. All of these commitments in my opinion are things that make this an unpopular sport. The wrestlers who have the will to prepare have success in wrestling.

I suppose wrestlers are the only people who train hard for their sport? That is not an argument, the fact that you train hard is a reflection on you not your sport. There are lots of wrestlers who just put in their time just like in every other sport

[kdxdude]

I am not saying that wrestlers are the only ones who train hard. I am saying I think it is unpopular because most don't have the desire to train this way which usually results in poor performances on the mat which in turn creates a feeling of disappointment and failure therefore it is not enjoyable to do.

[gopher15]

OK I guess I got my answer. I figured out that Everyone agrees that the sport is unpopular and it is basically because it is too hard for the average human being too participate in, only a few "dedicated" can handle it. Thanks!! No need to post anything else new on this topic.

[3rdchance]

OK I guess I got my answer. I figured out that Everyone agrees that the sport is unpopular and it is basically because it is too hard for the average human being too participate in, only a few "dedicated" can handle it. Thanks!! No need to post anything else new on this topic.

Edward/Gopher -

 

Do either of you wrestle now or have you ever tried?

 

Are you one and the same person?

[pantherfanatic]

OK- so you are saying that not all football players are good wrestlers

You are an idiot. Steve Goldberg played at the University of Georgia. "The Rock" played at the University of Miami (Go Canes!). Diamon Dallas Page (DDP) played at some small college in Northern Ohio called Mount Union. The list goes on and on.... I would be willing to say that if most football coaches did not make there players wrestler, then there would not be enough grapplers for a team.

 

Glad I came over here to see what was going on.

 

I like wrestling. Every Monday and Thursday night I watch it. I just don't like it when football players are accussed of being non wrestlers.

[LAUDERDALE]

There is not a single reason why our sport is not more popular or as popular as some of the "major sports". Here, in my opinion, is one of the reasons, that I have not seen mentioned

 

Marketing: On a higher level, Pro/College Football, Basketball, Baseball, Golf, Tennis, Bowling, all these sports have major events that are broadcast on TV. Bowl Games, Playoffs, Super Bowl, World Series, College World Series, the Masters, US Open, etc. Millions of parents and children watch these athletes, and many of them aspire to do what those athletes are doing on TV.

 

Not only do they have major events broadcast on TV, look how many non-basketball players still wanted "to be like Mike!" The other sports do a better job of marketing their product.

 

Think about it. ESPN 2 shows the NCAA Finals. Once a year, the Nation can turn on ESPN 2 and watch wrestling. On a good year, we get some bonus Freestyle action, but other than that, nothing more.

 

I mean even Ice Skating, and I mean no disrespect to Ice Skating, does a better job marketing their sport than we do and they have more events broadcast than wrestling.

 

A few years ago we did get a boost when the Abercrombie company used the sport of wrestling in their ad's on TV, Magazines, and in the Mall Windows of their stores.

 

I know Wheaties did honor Cael and our sport by putting him on their box, but these were not available Nation Wide.

 

One other reason why our sport is not more popular to the General Public. There is nothing, more boring, than watching 2 people get on a wrestling mat, lock up with one another, pushing back and forth trying not to lose. People have to sit and watch this for 6 minutes?! I have a few wrestlers who do this and it drives me crazy. Most of the time, its due to inexperience, but it is still boring.

 

Just some thoughts.

[jacketman05]

the following excuses have been given to me, a coach, why high schoolers do not want to wrestle:

 

1. the singlet!!!

2. too much conditioning

3. might get hurt

 

overwhelmingly, the #1 excuse was the singlet. i would be able to field 2 teams if they could wrestle in shorts.

additionally, recently i spoke with 3 different wrestling coaches regarding the lack of participation from football players and they all have the same problem that i have had. face to face, the football coach will tell you that he has no problem with his players wrestling, but when asked to promote the sport to his players, he'll give you a remark such as "i'm not going to require them to wrestle". no ones asking you to require them. we are asking that you make them aware that this sport CAN and WILL make you a better football player.

 

kingston wrestling

[jet]

Great thread!!!!!

 

IMO, wrestling is not nealry as popular as most other sports. The reason is simple: lack of media attention. The liberal media is so stinkin' biased that there's no way they're going to air this hard core sport. I mean this is a sport for men (granted, in tights), not boys. This sport is about life, but these leftists don't want to deal w/ life, they want to show Trista & Ryan's wedding (IMO, way too much pink) or Average Joe Schmo Millionaire or some other garbage. The democrats have really done a number on such. Bush's popularity is very encouraging, and I think his leadership will eventually help w/ things like taxes, the environment and even athletics in general. What we need to do is band together and make sure we turn this ship around. How? you ask. Watch only Fox News - all others are liberal rags. Vote Republican - the only true Americans. Support our troops - the greatest "wrestlers" in the world. Defend our freedoms - down w/ the ACLU.

[BattleBornVolunteer]

You are an idiot. Steve Goldberg played at the University of Georgia. "The Rock" played at the University of Miami (Go Canes!). Diamon Dallas Page (DDP) played at some small college in Northern Ohio called Mount Union. The list goes on and on.... I would be willing to say that if most football coaches did not make there players wrestler, then there would not be enough grapplers for a team.

 

Glad I came over here to see what was going on.

 

I like wrestling. Every Monday and Thursday night I watch it. I just don't like it when football players are accussed of being non wrestlers.

Panther,

 

The wrestling you are talking about is not the wrestling this thread is talking about. More than 75% of that stuff is fake. Most of it is publicity stunts. But there is some of it that is real. Like when Owen Hart died, I know that was real. And yes, they are all great athletes, but that kind of wrestling just isn't the same as highschool and college wrestling. It doesn't need to be compared to it either.