Even the most casual fan of college wrestling understands the importance of the rivalry between Iowa and Penn State. But at what point does a rivalry devolve into something counterproductive, something hateful? I'd argue we've already reached that point of no return and the results have been disastrous for our sport's unity. The RTC transfers, the negative college recruiting, the animus in the crowds, the bad blood between athletes and fans alike. It's gone too far.
In today's polarized political climate everything is "us versus them", but it doesn't have to be that way. This is why I'm proposing a solution designed to bring the college wrestling community back together: the creation of a Unity team that will teach people no matter if they're black and gold or blue and white we're ultimately all one race– the human race.
Here are some Pro's to a Unity team:
-By combining the Penn State and Iowa rosters the Unity team would be an automatic favorite to win the NCAA team title in 2022. If the Hawkeye and Nittany Lion fanbases could win a title together through teamwork they might realize how much they share in common. Namely, a love of college wrestling.
-An incredible opportunity for wrestle-offs. Because these teams (team) have the #1 or #2 ranked wrestler at a few weights (133, 141, 174, etc.) watching these squads determine who would represent the Unity team would be like watching the NCAA finals before the season even started! Sign me up for a front row seat.
-Improving parity in the sport. What might appear to be a downside in benching the loser of these wrestle offs is actually an upside for every other team competing next year. By eliminating a top 10 wrestler at every weight so he can be the practice partner for the starting wrestler on the Unity team, you greatly improve the chances of historically under-represented teams to be given a chance to All American. This will lead to fewer programs being cut as we've seen in recent years.
-Ending hate between the fanbases once and for all. Why stop at creating a Unity team for just the athletes? Fans are the backbone of the wrestling fanbase, and what the success of the Unity team will prove is that Unity works everywhere. A Unity fanbase would mean "foregn exchange trips" where children and even wives could be swapped out to learn about what the opposing cultures in Iowa City and Happy Valley are all about. When you're here, you're family and when it comes to Unity, "here" means everywhere!
In today's polarized political climate everything is "us versus them", but it doesn't have to be that way. This is why I'm proposing a solution designed to bring the college wrestling community back together: the creation of a Unity team that will teach people no matter if they're black and gold or blue and white we're ultimately all one race– the human race.
Here are some Pro's to a Unity team:
-By combining the Penn State and Iowa rosters the Unity team would be an automatic favorite to win the NCAA team title in 2022. If the Hawkeye and Nittany Lion fanbases could win a title together through teamwork they might realize how much they share in common. Namely, a love of college wrestling.
-An incredible opportunity for wrestle-offs. Because these teams (team) have the #1 or #2 ranked wrestler at a few weights (133, 141, 174, etc.) watching these squads determine who would represent the Unity team would be like watching the NCAA finals before the season even started! Sign me up for a front row seat.
-Improving parity in the sport. What might appear to be a downside in benching the loser of these wrestle offs is actually an upside for every other team competing next year. By eliminating a top 10 wrestler at every weight so he can be the practice partner for the starting wrestler on the Unity team, you greatly improve the chances of historically under-represented teams to be given a chance to All American. This will lead to fewer programs being cut as we've seen in recent years.
-Ending hate between the fanbases once and for all. Why stop at creating a Unity team for just the athletes? Fans are the backbone of the wrestling fanbase, and what the success of the Unity team will prove is that Unity works everywhere. A Unity fanbase would mean "foregn exchange trips" where children and even wives could be swapped out to learn about what the opposing cultures in Iowa City and Happy Valley are all about. When you're here, you're family and when it comes to Unity, "here" means everywhere!
