Chicks Heart Fights

Mark from Rev Wrestling pointed out an interesting trend to me-wrestling has more coverage from the media than it has in the past. Well, it seems so. I have no empirical data to support this claim, but there have been many great profiles of wrestlers in large publications, including:

• T.C. Dantzler in the Sun-Times
• Jake Deitchler in USA Today
• Henry Cejudo in the Arizona Republic
• A visit by Cejudo and Deitchler to the offices of ESPN the Magazine
• Steve Mocco in USA Today
• Dremiel Byers in the Charlotte Observer
• Ali Bernard in the Pioneer Press
• Randi Miller in the Kansas City Star
• Best of all, you can download  Doug Schwab wallpapers at the  Des Moines Register.

I can’t explain the uptick in coverage, but I am not going to question it. Increased coverage for the sport can only be good for it.

In anticipation of the Olympics, Forbes.com has a story where some of the world’s top athletes discuss who is the perfect athlete , and many picked Tiger Woods or Michael Jordan. Though they wouldn’t be my choice, they are reasonable choices, as they are two of the most dominant forces in their sports. As I read the story, I couldn’t help but be peeved that the no wrestlers or mixed martial artists made the story. I’m used to it, though, my favorite sports are often forgotten.

As I thought about it, I realized that perfection is not really possible in wrestling and MMA, because both sports require mastery of a person, not a course, apparatus, or any other unchanging object. A gymnast can garner a perfect score when she executes her routine flawlessly-no breaks in form, no steps, no mistakes. A pitcher has a perfect game when he doesn’t allow anyone to reach base. No matter how much baseball or gymnastics change over the years, perfection is attainable because the goal does not change. Make it through a mistake-free routine. Prevent 27 batters from reaching base. Hit that mark, and you reach perfection.

In MMA and wrestling, you are aiming to dominate a person. People are no static objects; instead, they are constantly working to get better, and to learn the strengths and weaknesses of their opponents. When Steve Mocco beat Tommy Rowlands at the Olympic Trials, it was because the pair had wrestled each other many times, and Steve was ready for what Tommy was bringing to the mat. Mastering a dynamic human opponent is quite different than mastering a balance beam, which will not change.

Wrestlers usually let their actions speak for themselves. They’re not likely to call press conferences, or release news to the media, or even make cases for themselves in matters such as wild card berths and seeding. For this reason, the way a wrestler signals his retirement is both powerful and befitting of the sport. At the Olympic Trials, several wrestlers sat down after their last match, untied their shoes, and walked off in their socks. Each time this was done, the crowd gave the wrestler a standing ovation, and tears welled up in my eyes. The wrestlers - Stephan Abas, Harry Lester, Jeff Funicello to name a few - usually just gave a humble wave and put their head down as they headed off the mat. The humility of this action, and the support of the wrestling community, are just two of the reasons why the wrestling family is so special.

I greatly apologize for not posting over the weekend. Right now, I am sitting in the Phoenix airport, eternally grateful for their free wi-fi. The schedule did not allow me as much time as I thought it would, but here is complete coverage from the Mat . The team that was made is very different from the team I thought we would have, but it’s a very good team. Here are my random observations from watching the Trials over the past few days.

• The rules stink. Plain old stink. They don’t reward the wrestler who pushes the pace and tries to create scoring opportunities. Even more egregiously, the rules reward luck. Coin flips decided far too many matches. What is wrong with letting wrestlers wrestle to decide the winner of a match? Isn’t that the point?
• Ben Askren is the first wrestling Olympian from the University of Missouri. I held back tears as the seconds ticked away in Ben’s second match, as I was a Tiger for a little bit of the pre-Brian Smith era. I can’t believe I’m going to get to watch one of my own in the Olympics.
• There was music played for the duration of the tournament, and the song choices were bizarre. With the exception of Rob Koll, who exactly gets pumped up to wrestle by listening to “Dancing Queen?” They also clearly did not vet the music before playing it. When I heard the beginning beats of “Closer,” by Nine Inch Nails, I myself nearly ran down to the announcer’s table to get the song turned off before Trent Reznor screamed “I wanna f### you like an animal!” Thankfully, someone else realized the error and turned that song off.
• The addition of Judo was fantastic. I learned more about a sport I had not seen before, and the Judo fans were clearly happy to be joined by the large wrestling contingent.
• Cary Kolat was one of my favorite wrestlers to watch. His return to the national scene has been a welcome one, and I hope he keeps at it.
• Someone please correct me if I’m wrong, but Sunday saw no wrestlers leave their shoes on the mat. Many wrestlers announced their retirement on Saturday, including, most shockingly in my opinion. Harry Lester. His loss to Jake Deicthler was a huge upset, and an amazing win for the 18 year old Deicthler, but I never would have guessed that this would be the last we would see of Lester. We will miss you, Harry!
• Is it me, or does T.C. Dantzler have a head wound in every match?
• One of the best moments of the weekend was when the 1980 Olympic team was honored. Regardless of the politics, it’s a shame that these men didn’t have a chance to take the mat that year. Granted, some of them had opportunities in other Games, but they were in the minority. Like many other fans, I appreciated having the opportunity to give them a round of applause.
• As usual, the wrestling world showed how we are a true family this weekend. I made new friends , reconnected with old ones, shared cabs with tons of random cauliflower-eared folk and was reminded why I love this sport so much.
• Two celebrities in the crowd: Dan Henderson and Ashton Kutcher
• Finally, as of today, Mike Zadick is FS 60 kg Trials champion. I have heard that he may receive a wildcard and get to compete in the Olympics. Keep your fingers crossed!

That’s all for now. I promise to have much, much more after I have had more than 45 minutes of sleep. It is so true that time has no meaning in Las Vegas!

Last year’s Greco-Roman team won the World Championship on the backs of Dremiel Byers, Brad Vering and Harry Lester. Though the team has gone through some setbacks, they have the talent and the opportunity to come home from Beijing with some serious hardware. Of course, they have to make the team first. (more…)

As I begin to pack my suitcase for the Olympic Trials in Las Vegas this weekend, my mind wanders to my last trip to the Olympic Trials. I mentioned this over at Fourth Place Medal , but it’s worth bringing up again - go to the trials. During the 2004 Trials, I saw wrestlers who had knee surgery three days before the tournament hobble their way to the mat. I watched guys who had long retired come back out for one more chance. In one of the best ceremonies of all sports, I saw many wrestlers who I have respected for years announce their retirement by leaving their shoes on the mat. Best of all, I saw our Olympic team: eighteen young men and women who grabbed their chance to represent the United States in Athens. In August of 2004, I cried when the US wrestlers won medals, not only because I was proud of them as American wrestlers, but also because I had just watched all of the people who were left home.

This weekend, I can’t wait to see all this drama unfold again in Las Vegas. During this week, Chicks Heart Fights will have a preview of weight classes in each discipline. First up, men’s freestyle.

(more…)

It’s 6:40, and my couch is so comfy. Alas. I do have to go to work, but before I head in, I wanted to share some links with you.

• Jason Bryant of Intermat has moved his blog to a free site. Check it out for daily musings on the wrestling world.
• U.S. Senior Nationals are this weekend in Vegas, and they will have a bearing on the Olympic Trials. The Mat provides a preview of freestyle.
• Sadly, my man Mike Zadick did not qualify the US for the Olympics at 60 kg. He has one more chance on the first weekend of May.
• Chuck Liddell has been forced to drop out of UFC 85 due to a hamstring injury. Dana White is going to have to do some fast wheeling and dealing, because without Liddell-Evans, that card is pretty weak.
• Kalib Starnes was cut from the UFC yesterday. This is hardly a surprise, considering Starnes’ embarrassing performance at UFC 83 this weekend. In a sport where almost anything goes, the one thing that does not go is ducking a fight. I doubt any other large fighting organization will sign him. It will be interesting to see where he lands.
• Dana White says that Serra-Hughes is still a possibility.
• Finally, the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review has an excellent profile of the Cornell wrestler who is fighting cancer, Adam Frey.

You’re our only hope! With the Olympics just a few months away - I heard something about a torch run - the US is down to one of our final shots at qualifying the 60 kg freestyle weight class. Every other weight class has already qualified, through the Pan-Ams, Worlds, or various other tournaments. However, Mike Zadick has the mission of qualifying 60 kg for the United States at a tournament in Switzerland next weekend.

Going into the tournament, Zadick already has a distraction. He was publicly warned by the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency after he tested positive for a banned drug. The drug was prescribed by a doctor, but the proper paperwork was not filled out ahead of time, so he gets the slap on the wrist.

As for the tournament in Sweden Switzerland, he will have some tough competition. Iran, with a former World Champion in Sayed Mohammedi, and Cuba, with 2004 Olympic champion Yandro Quintana, have also not qualified at 60 kg. According to my sources-the guys who really know the international wrestling scene at the Wrestling Talk-this is a winnable tournament for Zadick. If he is wrestling like he did when he won a silver medal at the 2006 Worlds, we should be smooth sailing. If he wrestles like he did at the Chicago Cup (the last time I saw him wrestle,) we’re in trouble. Hopefully he is inspired by the dominant performance of his Hawkeyes just a few weeks ago, and the qualifying monkey will be off his back.

Though I was there live, and watched the broadcast with some friends a few nights ago, I am finally sitting down by myself to watch the finals on ESPN. Our announcers are Tim Johnson (yay), Jeff Blatnick (yay) and some dude who clearly knows nothing about wrestling. Quint Kessenich is the matside reporter, and I feel like I’m going to betray the sisterhood here, but why on earth don’t they have a woman doing this job? The guys are just walking away from Kessenich and not listening to a word he says. If they had a relatively attractive woman in this role, the reporter might have a fighting chance. Match by match analysis, after the jump:

(more…)

I’m finally back home in Chicago, after days of fun, wrestling, and Easter egg hunts. As usual, it takes me a little bit of time to go back to being a normal citizen after devoting three days to nothing but wrestling. You mean, not all men have cauliflower ear?

Tomorrow, I will give a rundown of finals, and a rundown of do’s and don’ts of the NCAAs. Tonight, I just wanted to mention a few of the highlights from the whole weekend while they are still fresh in my mind.

- Brent Metcalf - WOW. He is an old fashioned Iowa wrestler; no wonder Brands loves him so much. He drives hard and does not give up at any point in the match.

- Nick Marable - what a great surprise for the Mizzou faithful! Nick, a sophomore from Collierville, Tennessee, was one questionable call from the finals, and will definitely be back for more. He and the other Tiger All-Americans made a statement by winning all of their medal matches on Saturday -Mizzou isn’t going anywhere.

- Jordan Leen, the Iowa Hawkeyes and Mike Poeta - all people I told you to watch out for!

- The Wrestling Family - The best part about the NCAAs is that the entire wrestling family gets together for it. I made new friends, and reconnected with old friends. It was good to see you all, and I look forward to seeing you again.

(Photos from Danielle Hobeika, Amateur Wrestling Photos)