Foley is a journalist (with actual journalistic training and pedigree); Saylor is not. Foley was a successful D1 wrestler; Saylor was not. Foley is actually a half decent writer; Saylor is arguably not. (Yes, that is my strong opinion, having seen enough of their respective words and works.)
Here is Foley's final mailbag (for free). And an excerpt below:
intermatwrestle.com
Since many you like to take jabs and pot shots at Foley (because, quite patently, the wrestling community has a general right wing, tribal, and rural orthodoxy as well as an evident bias in this direction), I would submit that these final comments by him are absolutely on target and incontestable:
Less smile-inducing was the comments section. While I avoided reading too many of the notes, plenty of friends would screenshot the best insults from members of the community. The vitriol and conspiracy-minded outlook about the broader world remains my biggest criticism of our community. When I called out a famous club coach for being a Sandy Hook denier, I thought it would be something like a breaking news story and was stunned to find out his conspiracy posts were widely accepted. I was disappointed then, but I have seen now that our community has grown colder and more combative, with a sharp bend towards autocratic leadership, crass language, and a general tone of anger.
Despite the blowback and the pleading of a few readers, I didn't avoid the political side of sport, in part because they weren't separable. The decision of a state legislature to not sanction women's wrestling is one that deserves comment. A prominent wrestling team posing with a presidential candidate known for saying dangerous things about Muslims, women, and immigrants is not something we should ignore -- this is a community. Speaking out against those negative ideas and challenging the norms probably cost me readers, but the ideas discussed in the column were always intended to be more inclusive, and to help inspire a sport that aimed to grow, rather than contract. Sometimes I came up short in explaining my thoughts in a way that would welcome more people to my side of the argument, which was a missed opportunity.
Maybe, just maybe, some of you will miss Foley when he is gone because he gave reasons (not just emotional appeals) for his views; provided arguments and analysis; used literate and literary examples; and was aware and engaged and open about wrestling beyond American borders.
That, I would submit, is precisely what we need more of if the sport is going to survive.
