I was at the AWL on Friday. I was disappointed in the smaller then expected turnout. Maybe 2000??? ANy idea why so small. The matches were great as was the set-up.
Lets Talk Iowa Wrestling
- Thread starter MSeil
- Start date
Someone on the Iowa board estimated 750-1000, plus they felt the ticket prices were part to blame. $30 per person when you can stay home and watch for $15 total was a big nut to crack. Though someone did say kids tickets were only $10.
They said they knew people way more into wrestling than they are who stayed home due to cost.
the sad reality, unfortunately, seems to be that the interest just does not exist for this type of event. Freestyle wrestling doesn't drive the needle in the United States. IMO, wrestling popularity peaks and the NCAA D1 level, and only a handful of schools really draw fans.
Diceman’s post got me thinking too about PSU excitement pre-2011... for me it was the ‘87 & ‘88 seasons, most specifically ‘87 when we had both OK St and Iowa St. come into a packed Rec Hall for what I remember as being a tie & Lion victory respectively... I think both coming down to the final bouts of the evening! (Some of the board historians may need to correct my feeble memory if I got any of my facts mixed up.
)Ever since, just cemented my loved college-level wrestling... and after Penn State, I have no trouble also appreciating good wrestlers regardless of the colors of their singlet... as long as they respect the sport and their opponents.
The main question is: If they had set the price at $20 instead of $30, would adult attendance have increased by at least 50%?
(If not, then they’d need more nebulous justifications for, say, a $20 price, such as growing the audience, long-term benefits, etc.)
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They also beat Iowa first match that year. Wrestled Okie St. to a tie and beat Iowa St. Okie St. gave them thier only loss later that year.Diceman’s post got me thinking too about PSU excitement pre-2011... for me it was the ‘87 & ‘88 seasons, most specifically ‘87 when we had both OK St and Iowa St. come into a packed Rec Hall for what I remember as being a tie & Lion victory respectively... I think both coming down to the final bouts of the evening! (Some of the board historians may need to correct my feeble memory if I got any of my facts mixed up.
Ever since, just cemented my loved college-level wrestling... and after Penn State, I have no trouble also appreciating good wrestlers regardless of the colors of their singlet... as long as they respect the sport and their opponents.
Didn’t we talk before about me visiting you to do some pheasant and deer hunting ?Since they can NOT win on the mat they might just win the deer contest
Thanks for the reminder Horray, that’s right, that was their 1-loss season, convenient how I forgot to remember the loss
of that away match. Then again, that was way back in the 1900s in the Medieval Pre-Internet days when you could not stream away duals... this is why I am so happy & grateful (even with occasional hiccups) of today’s streaming options. All the more so for those of us who cannot regularly attend home duals either. 
Today is a great time to follow wrestling with the streaming. The match with Iowa in Dec 86 was the 1st I attended and after I followed the team best I could. I was only 12 at the time so I clipped newspaper articles of the results. I have about 4 years worth in a scrap book.
Isn’t that funny, I think 86-87 was my second season of fandom, and the win against Iowa cemented it for me. Here’s the season on PSWC:
https://www.pennstatewrestlingclub.org/history/index.php?view=seasonduals&season=1987
One of the most electric moments in hawk history when stoll disobeyed tommy and bravely took the mat, instead of watching, and laid a regular decision beat down on his unranked opponent.Can't be too picky about great moments since the invention of wrestling in PA.
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One of the most electric moments in hawk history when stoll disobeyed tommy and bravely took the mat, instead of watching, and laid a regular decision beat down on his unranked opponent.
Nerf, thanks for sharing that link! Brings back lots of memories! I always forget what a terrific historical resource the PSWC site is (sorry Roar...
). You still based local to State College or do you have to rely on streaming as well?
I’m still local. Lucked into access to a season ticket recently, was all SRO or whatever was available outside Rec before.Nerf, thanks for sharing that link! Brings back lots of memories! I always forget what a terrific historical resource the PSWC site is (sorry Roar...
One and the same. Don’t remember him as much as Chertow, Martin, and Mayo though. I was 8 though.
Back to the mat to finish some unfinished bitness......
Some props for Frank Gotch.
And his coach, fellow Iowan Martin "Farmer" Burns.
And his coach, fellow Iowan Martin "Farmer" Burns.
125 was so tough for him to make last year that I'd be shocked if he goes 125 for it. I could even see him going 141, but probably not.
However, and even if he did, I think I recall that a collegiate loss to a non-collegiate wrestler doesn't count against one's record, but I could be wrong on that.
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Yeah, good point. I thought maybe he specifically entered to face Spencer again, but maybe not. You're right the loss wouldn't go on his record, but that doesn't mean the Hodge voters would see it that way.
Kind of like an all star loss doesn't count, except to those watching.
Interesting that we wrestled teams more than once in a season. Was that common? Also note the many ties on the records, what were the rules at the time that allowed thay happen?
1/9 and 1/10 was the Virginia Duals tournament (a tourney of dual meets). Penn State won that year, against a pretty loaded field too. They already had Bloomsburg and Oklahoma State on the schedule for regular dual meets later.
I don't recall when the NCAA added the rideout tiebreakers to matches--but it was definitely after this. Correct me if I'm wrong (I was only a kid), but I think that you had the SV tiebreaker, and then it was just scored a tie afterward.
Well, just an historical note: my last year of collegiate wrestling was 1965 when they still had 3 —3 minute periods (total of nine—hello college, goodbye high school!!) And a tie match was decided by “referee decision “.
What is Iowa's future lineup looking like for the next year or two?
Based on a quick look, they could be a better version of the Minny team that almost took home the title the year Gwiz knocked off Nelson
March 2020:
125- We know about Lee. Bonus and Title
133- DeSanto...AA, probably 5-8th
141- Murin will be interesting to watch progress this year, fringe AA shot
149- Lugo, I'd say similar to DeSanto but something is off early on this year
157- Nelson Brands...do not know much about him, but he will likely be tough
165- Marinelli will be in the title hunt for sure
174- Kemmerer, AA assuming he can come back from the injury
184- Wilke, fringe AA
197- Warner should be a title contender next year
Hwy- AA guy from what we've read, but not sure yet
So I mean, they could have 7-10 AA which combined with Lee and Marinelli should put them right in the hunt.
Based on a quick look, they could be a better version of the Minny team that almost took home the title the year Gwiz knocked off Nelson
March 2020:
125- We know about Lee. Bonus and Title
133- DeSanto...AA, probably 5-8th
141- Murin will be interesting to watch progress this year, fringe AA shot
149- Lugo, I'd say similar to DeSanto but something is off early on this year
157- Nelson Brands...do not know much about him, but he will likely be tough
165- Marinelli will be in the title hunt for sure
174- Kemmerer, AA assuming he can come back from the injury
184- Wilke, fringe AA
197- Warner should be a title contender next year
Hwy- AA guy from what we've read, but not sure yet
So I mean, they could have 7-10 AA which combined with Lee and Marinelli should put them right in the hunt.
True, everything since the Flo video announcing Spencer's choice of Iowa has been trending to #2020.
However, IF and its a big IF Cassar and Rasheed get 6th years it will go from Iowas to lose to a dog fight to the finish.
125 Spencer
133 RBY or AD - all depends
141 NLee > Murin
149 Lugo > Verk
157 Berge > Young/Brands but boy watch out. I like the path Nelson is on.
165 Cenzo > Bull
174 Hall > Kemdawg
184 Rasheed > Wilke
197 Warner > Beard
Hwt Cassar > Big Cass. Again, big cass is must watch TV (for 30 secs) Love his path too.
So based on that its 6 to 3 with a wait to see with one (133) weight. That said if Rasheed doesnt come back, I think Brooks is #next and would not be surprised if he starts his career better than wilke finishes his.
#2021
#alwaysnextyear
#notiowastime
I think you were being charitable at the end re: Wilke/AB - if I may be so presumptuous.
To paraphrase Jules from Pulp Fiction - AB and Wilke ain’t in the same effin ballpark
I have archery hunted in Iowa in the past, Iowa has it going on when it comes to whitetails! bow hunting paradise! unfortunately out of state tags prices are crazy high now and the draw system is now 3 to 5 years before you get a draw.
It is traditional to wait until April to proclaim Iowa a ten AA team with multiple champs and 150 to 180 team points.
Just pointing out some sacred wrestling rituals.
The guy leading that charge this past April was one of their big donors (bnicolls). He has too much stroke for anyone to tell him he was insaneIt is traditional to wait until April to proclaim Iowa a ten AA team with multiple champs and 150 to 180 team points.
Just pointing out some sacred wrestling rituals.
Just checked out the Flo pieces on Alex Marinelli. A bunch of interviews with Bader. All very good. But if you going to check out any of them, watch/listen to the one about Eli Stickley. Heart wrenching stuff.
There’s also one about how his family life was dysfunctional and moved in with another family in 8th grade and really doesn’t talk to his family much.
Kids been through a lot. Really opened up in these interviews.
New found respect for this young man
There’s also one about how his family life was dysfunctional and moved in with another family in 8th grade and really doesn’t talk to his family much.
Kids been through a lot. Really opened up in these interviews.
New found respect for this young man
