Since you brought it up though, do Iowa fans - students in particular - take advantage of the no. 1 ranked wrestling team when they host a dual?
- Multiple ranked athletes in the nation competing
- Entertaining coaching staff
- Free admission for students
You'd think that would be enough. The unranked Iowa men's basketball team, who is 3-10 in the conference, has been selling tickets for $10 to get fans to come. And somehow they manage to lure more students to Carver than the wrestling team that is 22-0.
I think most students don't have the knowledge of the sport - and without that I don't think you can really appreciate the accomplishments of both the individuals and the team as a whole.
I suppose if you're high school didn't have a wrestling program, you might not have any reason to be into it. But Iowa high schools especially, thrive on wrestling.
Everybody went to state wrestling when I was in high school. Speaking of which, it's going on right now. I wonder how many champions will end up as Hawkeyes next year.
If you're interested in the IHSSA State Wrestling Tournament click here.
Any other thoughts on why students would rather attend a 3-10 basketball team over a 22-0 wrestling team?
Photo courtesy of www.skyscrapercity.com.
I think it has everything to do with basketball being much more popular than wrestling. Even at Iowa, wrestling ranks a distant third behind football and men's basketball in the pecking order of most popular sports.
ReplyDeleteHonestly, I find it quite amazing how well the state supports its wrestling program. As Gary Barta was quoted in the Cedar Rapids Gazette, "Our attendance in wrestling, you can't compare it to any place in America."
Thus, it shows how low Iowa basketball is right now that its attendance figures are not a whole lot greater than that of Iowa wrestling. Having said that, I think every UI student owes it to him/herself to check out a wrestling meet. They're actually pretty fun, and, as you mentioned, they're free. (But I think you're right about students not having knowledge of the sport).
Just curious, where did you go to high school? Was wrestling really big there? I went to high school in Iowa, too, and it wasn't all that hyped.
Yeah, to touch on Knabel's point, I went to Hoover in Des Moines and wrestling wasn't huge there - mostly because our team was combined with North High and Hoover was a basketball school (26-0 with a state title in '06? I think you smell what I'm cooking).
ReplyDeleteOddly enough, I was thinking about this in my car after work. I came onto the beat last year not knowing anything about wrestling - zero. Now, I am fascinated by it, but I don't think I would appreciate the sport if Gable and Brands didn't inform me that Iowa is known for its wrestling. When your state is famous for something, you can't no get behind it.
Really though, this debate is as old as wrestling itself. kids from Illinois don't understand Iowan's love for wrestling, kids from Minnesota wanna know why we don't have hockey. It's just a niche sport, but wrestling communities love their teams - AKA bringing back Arizona State last year.
I went to a school in rural Iowa - Benton Community - which is comprised of a bunch of small towns separated by fields, farms and gravel roads.
ReplyDeleteWe had a great wrestling program with dedicated individuals, intense coaches, and like I mentioned before - all fans went to state.
I would say wrestling was probably bigger than our basketball program - because at least in wrestling you always had at least one person go to state, whereas basketball I'm not sure they've gotten past the first round of playoffs in years.
I kind of think that in the small communities you get those hard working farm kids who have that work ethic mentality that's needed to be a wrestler.