Smooth34

Agreed that the combat speeds were the best, especially like the black and red ones. Always enjoyed seeing the turquoise ones as well. Does anyone remember the Nike Freeks?

Lost, But Not Least: Wrestling at the Olympics Posted on February 25, 2013by harvardsportsanalysis By Anthony Zonfrelli The worldwide wrestling community was shaken last week when the IOC ruled that it would remove the sport from the 2020 Olympics. This decision left many in disbelief—after foot racing, wrestling, added in 708 B.C., is the oldest sport in the history of the Olympics. Over the years, it has provided us with some iconic Olympic moments, including USA Heavyweight Rulon Gardner’s upset of Russia’s seemingly invincible Aleksandr Karelin in the Greco-Roman Gold Medal Match at the 2000 Olympics. What would Milo of Croton, a fabled Greek wrestler so feared that he won one set of Olympic Games when nobody dared to challenge him, have to say about this? One explanation given for wrestling’s recent removal from the Olympic docket is its recent decline in public popularity. That seemed strange to me, as I was sure that many other Olympic sports (especially those with less of a storied tradition) are still not as popular as wrestling. To analyze my hunch, I looked at Google Trends data during the past three Olympics and compared the internet traffic of several of the other more obscure Olympic sports: equestrian, fencing, handball, archery, rowing, sailing, judo, and taekwondo. Here are the results: (go to http://harvardsportsanalysis.wordpress.com/2013/02/25/lost-but-not-least-wrestling-at-the-olympics/) for results Obviously, the search volume peaked for each sport during the summers in which the Olympics were held. Out of the nine sports in this sample, not only was Olympic wrestling never among the least popular searches in any of the last three Olympics, but it was the most popular each time. Though its Google Index has been decreasing over time, it is nowhere near as low as several of the other sports have consistently been. If any of these sports suffers from lack of popularity, it would undoubtedly be taekwondo, which was far and away the least searched sport in the sample each year. Olympic fencing and judo also showed signs of a systematic decrease in popularity over the last three Olympics. For some reason, Olympic rowing jumped up in popularity by 15 index points at the last Olympics, though this sudden internet popularity spike may be attributable to a certain American bronze medal winner, whose all-too-revealing photo received a healthy amount of publicity. While the motives of people googling Olympic rowing may be murky, one thing can be said with certainty: wrestling is in no way the least popular Olympic sport. Milo of Croton rolls over in his tomb.

What was the criteria? Just coaches vote?

Yes, I was very shocked by this as well. I really don't get it. I know Fitch and Dana have had their differences, but to cut one of the top guys in your division is just terrible. If Dana doesn't like that style, I guess GSP better hope he doesn't lose any time soon.

http://www.caelsanderson.com/blog/no-to-national-duals/

Donald Rumsfeld: Enough with the Kumbaya Olympics. Let’s keep wrestling. By Donald Rumsfeld, Donald Rumsfeld served as secretary of defense under Presidents Gerald Ford and George W. Bush. He is the author of “Known and Unknown: A Memoir” and of the forthcoming “Rumsfeld’s Rules.” The International Olympic Committee issued a surprise decision on Tuesday to exclude wrestling from the 2020 Olympic Games. For a number of years, the committee has drawn fire for its lack of transparency. With its secret vote to remove one of the original Olympic sports — one that dates back 21 / 2 millennia to the first games in ancient Greece — it has added another decision that deserves scrutiny. Let me suggest that when advocates of wrestling make their case for readmission, the committee pay special attention to the case for this proud sport, which once was a favorite of Abraham Lincoln’s. I am not without bias when it comes to the sport. I was a wrestler for 10 years — in high school, at Princeton University and as an officer in the Navy, where I competed for a spot in the 1956 Olympics (unsuccessfully, as it turned out). Wrestling’s Olympic legacy is unmatched. It is one of the oldest contact sports and was an important part of the first Olympic Games, which historians date to 776 BC. The first modern Olympics, in 1896, included wrestling as a marquee event. The sport has missed only one Olympics since then, in 1900. For those counting, that is 26 straight Games over a span of 112 years. Wrestling is a universal sport. To compete, all that is needed is an opponent and a flat surface. Anyone can participate, regardless of geography, weather, race, gender, culture or economic background. It doesn’t require a golf course, a swimming pool or a horse. More than 170 nations from all over the globe have competed. In the 1996 Olympics alone, 75 countries were represented on the mat. Athletes from a great number of nations have won medals — countries as diverse as Iran, South Korea, Sweden, Cuba and Hungary. Indeed, more countries have been represented on the winners’ podium for wrestling than for nearly any other sport. Wrestling uniquely encapsulates the Olympic spirit, even though it harkens back to older and more martial virtues, rather than the arts festival and Kumbaya session that some may prefer the modern Games to be. Few other sports are so directly aggressive: It is you vs. one other person. There is nothing to hide behind; there are no time-outs. It is all up to you. Yet, precisely because of those conditions, few other sports create such remarkable camaraderie among their participants. In response to the Olympic committee’s decision, members of the international wrestling community have been reaching out to one another. They are finding common purpose to create a compelling argument for readmission. While I have tremendous respect for athletes of every Olympic sport, it is difficult to understand why wrestling was singled out for exclusion. I would imagine that it has at least as many fans across the globe as ribbon twirling, trampoline and speed-walking. No wonder the decision has been met with bafflement in many quarters. U.S. Olympic Committee chief executive Scott Blackmun was among those who were surprised, “given the history and tradition of wrestling, and its popularity and universality.” To exclude wrestling from the Olympics would be a tragedy for the sport, for the athletes and for the proud tradition of the Games. Over thousands of years, wrestling has spread to every continent. It is practiced in hundreds of countries and expressed through a multiplicity of cultures. It has thrived through war, depression, social changes and globalization. But the Olympic committee panel didn’t see fit to include it in the 2020 Games. Something is wrong with that picture. Over my eight decades, I’ve collected a list of maxims and life lessons that I’ve found meaningful and instructive. These eventually became dubbed “Rumsfeld’s Rules.” One of the more recent additions comes from one of the most successful wrestlers in the world, Dan Gable, who won the gold medal in the 1972 Olympics without giving up a single point. “Once you’ve wrestled,” he said, “everything else in life is easy.” Indeed, it’s hard to imagine many other sports that require such focus, discipline and second-by-second attention to the movements of an opponent. My firsthand experience gives me a greater appreciation for the sport. Wrestling had a positive impact on my teammates, my opponents and me. The sport develops self-reliance, discipline, perseverance and strategic thinking. But it also encourages civility, integrity and self-restraint. These qualities certainly reflect the proud tradition of the Olympic Games, which is why I fervently hope the committee will reconsider its unfortunate decision.

106 Stevan Micic DEC Chad Red (Team score 3-0 2012) 113 Jarred Brooks DEC Steven Micic (Team score 6-0 2012) 120 Paul Petrov DEC Deondre Wilson (Team score 9-0 2012) 126 Kyle Ayersman DEC Nick Crume (Team score 12-0 2012) 132 Jared McKinley DEC Cody Lecount (Team score 15-0 2012) 138 Devon Jackson DEC Tommy Forte (Team score 18-0 2012) 145 Jason Tsirtsis MAJ Neal Molloy (Team score 22-0 2012) 152 Josh Farrell DEC Isaiah Bradley (Team score 22-3 2012) 160 Brian Harvey DEC Riley McClurg (Team score 25-3 2012) 170 Sean Mappes DEC Bobby Steveson (Team score 28-3 2012) 182 Tanner Lynde DEC Matt Hurford (Team score 31-3 2012) 195 Mitch Sliga DEC Mitch Sliga (Team score 31-6 2012) 220 Gelen Robinson DEC Tyler (Team score 31-9 2012) 285 Abraham Hall DEC Donte Winfield (Team score 34-9 2012) 2013 could hang around. They wouldn't get blown out in many of the individual matches, but 2012 had a lot of studs. They run away with this dual.

I'll only give 2013 three wins -- 152, 195, 220

The quarter bracket with McCloskey, Hughes, and Kreich is brutal. Most loaded weight class I can remember: 2009 -- 103lb weight class: Kyle Ayersman (3x champ) Jared McKinley (2x champ) Cody Phillips (2x champ) Mason Todd (1x champ) Brian Harvey (1x champ) Todd Batt (State runner-up last year) Not to mention a lot of other tough guys. I think these are correct...off the top of the head.

Like the preview, but seems like the author made picks primarily based on records.

I agree that the current system stinks. We have to determine a team champion somehow and this is what we've been given. Might as well celebrate the team that wins; not tell them they don't deserve it. Mishawaka shouldn't celebrate their team title in 91, LN in 92-93, or Bellmont in 94 before the team format was in place?

Congrats! Well done!

Agreed. So what's the solution? No IHSAA Team Champion this year? So the team that wins, shouldn't celebrate?

How can any team say they are Team State Champions this season with anything else? You can't use a regular season tournament (IHSWCA Duals) to declare an IHSAA Team State Champion. This is the hand we have been dealt and will have to deal with it....for now. Obviously the old, team-format was better. We need to work to get that back. I am hopeful that the IHSWCA Duals is a success and helps bring back the Team State tournament.

I highly doubt FW gets zero champs. Possible champs: 106: Lee (not the favorite but very good) 120: Phillips (definitely the favorite) 126: Crume (looked nasty at SS) 138: Carroll (toss-up between him, Forte, and Blanton) 152: Bradley (defending champ) 170: Lefever (he is wrecking opponents right now) 285: Hemmelgarn (outperformed Bernard and Winfield last year at state)

Bingo. From a Josh Gross article in 2010: UFC president Dana White has yet to fundraise for wrestling at that level, but he did donate money to the team at Bishop Gorman high school in Las Vegas -- where he went to school and became friends with Lorenzo Fertitta, who purchased the UFC in 2001. White said if need be, he would put the weight of the UFC, MMA's top promoter, behind money-raising efforts to help D-I wrestling. Why the concern? It's an easy link considering each of the 47 Americans on the UFC roster has some collegiate wrestling experience. As money and recognition continue to rise in MMA, there's no reason to expect that decorated D-I wrestlers will stop jumping into the sport. Earlier this month, Bellator Fighting Championships announced the signing of Eric Larkin, who won the Dan Hodge Trophy (wrestling's Heisman) in 2003, the same year he captured a national championship at 149 pounds for Arizona State. The migration of top amateur wrestlers to MMA has some people concerned about the long-term impact on USA Wrestling, which oversees the sport at the international and Olympic level. But the organization, said spokesman Gary Abbott, believes the "success, publicity and popularity of mixed martial arts has given people a new perspective on the sport of wrestling." Said Moyer: "To protect our future, we're going to need an association with MMA." Read More: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2010/writers/josh_gross/08/18/college.wrestling/index.html#ixzz2KhErZsSY

138 is a good weight class. I think the champion comes from the trio of Blanton, Forte, and Caroll. You also have Hupp, Loe, McHugh, Bova. Fun weight class.

Sliga is a lock at 195. I would be stunned if Micic didn't win at 113, LeCount didn't win at 132, and Molloy didn't win at 145 10 out of 14 weights are toss-ups though. Should be a heck of a tournament.

Let's keep a bunch of ridiculous sports and get rid of one of the oldest and best.

106-Red 113-Micic 120-Phillips 126-Crume 132-LeCount 138-Forte 145-Molloy 152-Bradley 160-McCloskey 170-Stevenson 182-Massengale 195-Sliga 220-Robinson 285-Winfield

Using the IHSAA in an argumeny about wrestling...thats funny. Do they know anything about wrestling? You can have your exciting semifinals match, and I'll take the ones actually under the lights

I guess your interpretation is different from my interpretation.

Not a finals match.

Definitely one of the most exciting matches I can remember.

Well done sir!