To "pig"tail on Roar's thoughts - maybe on topic, maybe slightly off - just wanted to post some post tournament thoughts about the college wrestling community as a whole, of which nationals is a microcosm.
As someone who has followed wrestling for many years at all levels, but your primary focus moves to your children's age group as they grow up (which is the case for everyone), it is interesting to see the evolution of fans/people involved in the sport as you move up levels. First the youth level, where it seems that >50% may just be out of their minds (but somewhat understandably as I always say you have to give parents a few years to learn how to be parents of athletes) and dealings with opponents can often range from downright rude to borderline criminal. In HS, most fans/parents seem to get it more, start to enjoy the camaraderie of the sport, but rivalries can still fierce and standoffish.
For the most part, the jingoism disappears in college. Rivalries and competitiveness still exist, but are tempered with respect. Something like an attitude of everyone being on the same team - college wrestling - while still competing fiercely against one another.
Just some examples that may tell the story better than my pithy (hahahaha) writing style may:
Standing with the parents of a young man during EIWAs both days and our guys took similar underdog paths to NCAA berths - both of us being superstitious, it felt like it would be bad juju for us to part ways. The truly mixed emotions when both of them faced a member of our respective squads and the classy way of dealing with it.
The wrestler he knocked out in the match for the NCAA berth making it a point to seek out our guy after the tournament and wishing him well at nationals. True grace in the wake of a heartbreaking defeat. An eye opening experience for Zack and something that will stay with him. Similarly an earlier opponent who he had knocked out congratulating his mother and I as he left the tournament and wishing him good luck. I guess West Point and Harvard might put out some high character kids occasionally.
Reconnecting with a group of Brown fans who I have been connecting with at nationals for years now. Truly an amazing and FUN group of fans/ex-Brown wrestlers who are wild in their support of the Brown Bears and really, really get what it's all about.
After arriving well over an hour early for the Thursday morning session and being amazed that they had a security cluster f**k once again going on (I don't think that gates opened until after 11:20), meeting Mr & Mrs Lugo and son (other son, not Pat) in line and being rescued by Mr. Lugo leading us through the crowd to will call, as Zack was bout #2. Thank you, Mr. Lugo! Your son has at least one PSU fan!!!!
@johnstownsteel - Pat Lugo is now off limits for any of your grade A HR trolling or you'll have to deal with me, lol.
Having an impromptu post-semis midnight meal (and cocktails, of course) with a couple of ardent RU wrestling supporters and being genuinely moved by the enthusiasm and excitement that this year's tournament brought for them.
@matter7172 would probably be writing a mea culpa on the RU wrestling board right now had he spent the evening with us. Fix has always been a favorite of mine (except for Round 1), but I found myself rooting for Suriano and Ashnault the next night. As an aside, one of Cenzo's best friends happened to be at the table with us that night and he shared an unsurprising Cenzo story that is one of the reasons Cenzo is an all-time favorite of mine and always will be. Old school.
On Thursday, sitting next to a wrestling mom with more wrestling knowledge than any mom I've ever met - my SO excluded, she's the GOAT and already in the HOF when it comes to that - and being thoroughly entertained all day by the conversation. There are now about a half dozen or so Long Island wrestlers that I will root for regardless of team affiliation (but not half as ardently as she rooted for them). Shak is one I was already rooting for, lol.
And, yes, meeting an IOWA fan sitting at the bar with his buddy in-between sessions on Thursday who - unbelievably - had a different take than mine on the Stoll-Parris fiasco that had just taken place. I still shared my program with him. It probably helped that the OK State, RU, Drexel, Brown and Penn fans that surrounded all agreed with me. Joking aside, the point of this is that unlike the conversation that may have taken place on an anonymous message board by two guys that were sitting home, this conversation was punctuated by slaps on the back and good humor. And a beer or two. Still didn't get him to come around, though. If only he was as open minded as
@WildTurk
I'm sure many of you have more of these type of stories - many more than I do (I'm old, but some of you geezers would fit right in with the Cornell and Lehigh gangs). To me they sum up the seamless camaraderie at this event. Don't get me wrong - I love rivalries, ribbing, even some good-hearted face mushing from time-to-time. But any post or reaction to one that contains the real venom or attacks I've seen exhibited here, and obviously other places, is just a sign of having no clue and these guys just aren't really college wrestling fans, despite the claims to the contrary. I'd expect the clowns to ramp it up this off season on all sites, just remember:
Over 83% of the wrestlers, coaches, family and supporters deserve and have earned it.
