Jim Brown's Wrestling Blog

The view from section GG

Musings and opinions on amateur wrestling from a fan's standpoint.

Monday, August 16, 2010

Still living the dream

Shawn Johnson, Michael Phelps and Shaun White are all millionaires. Mike Zadick, Dremiel Byers and Kristie Davis are not. All six have worked tirelessly to be the best America has to offer in their respective sports and all have won medals in world championship competition. There’s really only one difference – Johnson, Phelps and White excel at sports embraced by the American television viewing public. Zadick, Byers and Davis wrestle.

No American wrestling in the three international styles is doing so to get rich. They are driven by the competition – by the quest for excellence. To be able to continue their careers they become assistant collegiate coaches, run camps or take on other jobs. The best of the best receive small stipends from USA Wrestling. For many of our wrestlers the lure of potential big earnings in the Mixed Martial Arts octagon is too great and they forego world level freestyle and Greco Roman careers.

Last year USA Wrestling and a small group of wrestling’s biggest supporters – people like Michael Novogratz, Dave Barry, Art Martori and Al Bevilacqua – created the Living the Dream Fund. The concept behind the fund is simple – it’s only right that we financially reward these hard working athletes for success on the world and Olympic stage. Under the plan, world champions will receive a check for $50,000. Silver medallists earn $25,000 and bronze winners receive $15,000. The stakes are higher in the London Olympics in 2012, where a Gold Medal will be worth $250,000, a silver will bring $50,000 and a bronze $25,000. In the program’s first year freestylers Jake Herbert and Tervel Dlagnev, and Greco Roman wrestler, Dremiel Byers, all received checks from the Living the Dream Fund.

It’s wrestling supporting wrestling. We’re not waiting for help from the government or anyone else – you and I and our friends in the wrestling community are doing it. Olympic heroes like Gable, Smith, Sanderson and Baumgartner have donated to the fund. Coaches, wrestlers, wrestling business owners, wrestling media and – yes - you “nameless” denizens of the internet have given to the fund. We’ve made progress, but there is much more to do.

This Friday, August 20th you’ll have the chance to join an elite group – those who step up and act to support the “world’s oldest and greatest sport”. The leaders of the Living the Dream Fund will be holding an online telethon and benefit. You’ll be able to call in your pledges or bid on several auction items including 2 tickets to that big football game in Dallas next February whose name I can’t mention without fear of lawsuit (hint – it will have XLV after the name). Air fare and hotel room are included in that package. The telethon will run from 7:00 to 9:00 PM Mountain Time and will originate from the USOC in Colorado Springs. You can watch on either www.themat.com or www.flowrestling.com.

Special guest will be former University of Missouri All-American wrestler, Greg Warren. Greg is one of the funniest stand up comedians working today and several of his routines feature his days as a Tiger wrestler and being the son of a high school wrestling coach. If you’ve never seen Greg, be prepared to laugh.

If for some reason you have to miss the webcast, just go right now to the Living the Dream site and make your contribution.

 

Greg Warren will be the feature comedian at the Inaugural Telethon & Benefit

Living The Dream Medal Fund Benefit Telethon Webcast will feature comedian Greg Warren on August 20

Greg Warren, one of comedy’s rising young stars, and a former NCAA Div. I All American wrestler for the University of Missouri, will join the entire 2010 U.S. World Wrestling Teams in Colorado Springs, on Friday, August 20 for the inaugural Living The Dream Medal Fund Benefit Telethon Webcast.

 

The telethon will be from 9:00 p.m. – 11:00 p.m. ET and will give wrestling fans the opportunity to call in and talk to a World Team Athlete or Coach and get “On The List” by making a donation.

 

Greg Warren hails from St. Louis, Mo. He captured NCAA Division 1 All-American honors while competing for the University of Missouri. His father was a high school wrestling coach and his mother made him play clarinet in the band. Greg has captivated audiences with anecdotes about the conflict inherent in meshing two high school identities - varsity wrestler and band geek.

 

Warren has appeared on the Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson, Comedy Central, BET, CMT, The Last Comic Standing and is a favorite on the Bob and Tom Comedy All-Stars Tour.

 

Flowrestling will join TheMat.com in presenting the Telethon “live” on Flowrestling.com!

 

The Living The Dream Medal Fund was established to substantially increase the financial rewards for U.S. wrestlers who win Olympic and World medals during this four-year Olympic cycle.

The Living The Dream Medal Fund Telethon & Webcast is a first for USA Wrestling, and is a unique opportunity within the U.S. Olympic family. Once again, the wrestling community is showing its leadership in finding new ways to enhance the sport and support its athletes.

More information on the The Living The Dream Medal Fund Telethon & Benefit Webcast will be posted regularly on TheMat.com, Flowrestling.com and through other wrestling media outlets.

Mark your calendar for Friday, August 20 and join our nation’s World Team members as they greet the wrestling community directly and thank them for their support.

 

2010 Living the Dream Medal Fund Inaugural Telethon & Benefit

Living The Dream Medal Fund Telethon & Benefit Webcast set for August 20 from Olympic Training Center
By Gary Abbott USA Wrestling 07/23/2010 With a first-of-its-kind event, the American wrestling community will come together on Friday, August 20 to celebrate the sport and raise funds for our nation’s elite Olympic hopefuls. The Living The Dream Medal Fund Telethon & Benefit Webcast will be broadcast on TheMat.com live from the U.S. Olympic Training Center from 9:00 p.m. – 11:00 p.m. Eastern time. The U.S. World Team members in all three Olympic styles and their coaches will take calls from supporters of the fund, after a day of intense training as they prepare for the 2010 World Wrestling Championships in Moscow, Russia. The event will be hosted by USA Wrestling broadcast host Jason Bryant, along with Al Bevilacqua, chairman of the Living the Dream Medal Fund project. Wrestling fans will have the opportunity to “Get on the List” by making a donation, and can call a 1-800 number and talk with a 2010 U.S. World Team athlete or coach. This gives fans a way to directly connect with the athletes and coaches that will represent them in Moscow and support their Olympic dreams with a donation. There will be numerous wrestling celebrities and special guests who will be part of the entertaining program for the evening. Among the wrestling celebrities who are anticipated to join the event include Olympic champions Cael Sanderson, Henry Cejudo and Rulon Gardner, plus former wrestler and successful comedian Greg Warren. The U.S. Men’s Freestyle Team includes athletes Obe Blanc (55 kg), Mike Zadick (60 kg), Brent Metcalf (66 kg), Travis Paulson (74 kg), Jake Herbert (84 kg), J.D. Bergman (96 kg) and Les Sigman (120 kg) plus coaches Zeke Jones, Brandon Slay, Terry Brands and John Smith and others. The U.S. Women’s Freestyle Team includes athletes Alyssa Lampe (48 kg), Jessica Medina (51 kg), Tatiana Padilla (55 kg), Kelsey Campbell (59 kg), Elena Pirozhkova (63 kg), Kristie Davis (67 kg) and Stephany Lee (72 kg), plus coaches Terry Steiner, Izzy Izboinikov, Keith Wilson, Link Davis and others. The U.S. Greco-Roman Team includes athletes Spenser Mango (55 kg), Jeremiah Davis (60 kg), Faruk Sahin (66 kg), Jake Fisher (74 kg), Jake Clark (84 kg), Justin Ruiz (96 kg) and Dremiel Byers, plus coaches Steve Fraser, Momir Petkovic, Rob Hermann, Dan Hicks and others. Among the celebrity guests invited are the Living the Dream Medal Fund Stewards Mike Novogratz, Dave Barry, Stan Dziedzic, Richard Tavoso, Joe Alpert and Kim Martori-Wickey. As part of the evening, there will be auctions available for wrestling fans to bid on, including the opportunity to have lunch with a wrestling celebrity at a wrestling event. Another major auction item will be two tickets to the 2011 Super Bowl in Cowboy Stadium in Dallas, Texas. The number to call will be 1-800-999-8531. Credit cards accepted include VISA or Mastercard. The Living the Dream Medal Fund was established to substantially increase the financial rewards for U.S. wrestlers who win Olympic and World medals during this four-year Olympic cycle. Any U.S. wrestler who wins a gold medal at the 2012 Olympic Games in London, England will receive a quarter-million dollars ($250,000). Silver medalists in London will earn $50,000 and bronze medalists in London will receive $25,000. The payout for a World Championships medal in 2009, 2010 and 2011 will be $50,000 for a gold, $25,000 for a silver and $15,000 for a bronze. Three wrestlers earned Living the Dream Medal Funds bonuses by capturing medals at the 2009 World Championships, silver medalists Jake Herbert and Dremiel Byers and bronze medalist Tervel Dlagnev. The Living The Dream Medal Fund Telethon & Webcast is a first for USA Wrestling, and is a unique opportunity within the U.S. Olympic family. Once again, the wrestling community is showing its leadership in finding new ways to enhance the sport and support its athletes. More information on the The Living The Dream Medal Fund Telethon & Benefit Webcast will be posted regularly on TheMat.com and through other wrestling media outlets. Mark your calendar for Friday, August 20 and join our nation’s World Team members as they greet the wrestling community directly and thank them for their support.

 

 

2010 Living the Dream Medal Fund Telethon & Benefit

 

 

Living The Dream Medal Fund Telethon & Benefit Webcast set for August 20 from Olympic Training Center

 

With a first-of-its-kind event, the American wrestling community will come together on Friday, August 20 to celebrate the sport and raise funds for our nation’s elite Olympic hopefuls.

 

The Living The Dream Medal Fund Telethon & Webcast will be broadcast on TheMat.com live from the U.S. Olympic Training Center from 9:00 p.m. – 11:00 p.m. Eastern time.

 

The U.S. World Team members in all three Olympic styles and their coaches will take calls from supporters of the fund, after a day of intense training as they prepare for the 2010 World Wrestling Championships in Moscow, Russia.

 

The event will be hosted by USA Wrestling broadcast host Jason Bryant, along with Al Bevilacqua, chairman of the Living the Dream Medal Fund project.

 

Wrestling fans will have the opportunity to “Get on the List” by making a donation, and can call a 1-800 number and talk with a 2010 U.S. World Team athlete or coach. This gives fans a way to directly connect with the athletes and coaches that will represent them in Moscow and support their Olympic dreams with a donation.

 

There will be numerous wrestling celebrities and special guests who will be part of the entertaining program for the evening.

 

Among the wrestling celebrities who are anticipated to join the event include Olympic champions Cael Sanderson, Henry Cejudo and Rulon Gardner, plus former wrestler and successful comedian Greg Warren.

 

The U.S. Men’s Freestyle Team includes athletes Obe Blanc (55 kg), Mike Zadick (60 kg), Brent Metcalf (66 kg), Travis Paulson (74 kg), Jake Herbert (84 kg), J.D. Bergman (96 kg) and Les Sigman (120 kg) plus coaches Zeke Jones, Brandon Slay, Terry Brands and John Smith and others.

 

The U.S. Women’s Freestyle Team includes athletes Alyssa Lampe (48 kg), Jessica Medina (51 kg), Tatiana Padilla (55 kg), Kelsey Campbell (59 kg), Elena Pirozhkova (63 kg), Kristie Davis (67 kg) and Stephany Lee (72 kg), plus coaches Terry Steiner, Izzy Izboinikov, Keith Wilson, Link Davis and others.

 

The U.S. Greco-Roman Team includes athletes Spenser Mango (55 kg), Jeremiah Davis (60 kg), Faruk Sahin (66 kg), Jake Fisher (74 kg), Jake Clark (84 kg), Justin Ruiz (96 kg) and Dremiel Byers, plus coaches Steve Fraser, Momir Petkovic, Rob Hermann, Dan Hicks and others.

 

Among the celebrity guests invited are the Living the Dream Medal Fund Stewards Mike Novogratz, Dave Barry, Stan Dziedzic, Richard Tavoso, Joe Alpert and Kim Martori-Wickey.

 

As part of the evening, there will be auctions available for wrestling fans to bid on, including the opportunity to have lunch with a wrestling celebrity at a wrestling event. Another major auction item will be two tickets to the 2011 Super Bowl in Cowboy Stadium in Dallas, Texas.

 

The number to call will be 1-800-999-8531. Credit cards accepted include VISA or Mastercard.

 

The Living the Dream Medal Fund was established to substantially increase the financial rewards for U.S. wrestlers who win Olympic and World medals during this four-year Olympic cycle.

 

Any U.S. wrestler who wins a gold medal at the 2012 Olympic Games in London, England will receive a quarter-million dollars ($250,000). Silver medalists in London will earn $50,000 and bronze medalists in London will receive $25,000. The payout for a World Championships medal in 2009, 2010 and 2011 will be $50,000 for a gold, $25,000 for a silver and $15,000 for a bronze.

 

Three wrestlers earned Living the Dream Medal Funds bonuses by capturing medals at the 2009 World Championships, silver medalists Jake Herbert and Dremiel Byers and bronze medalist Tervel Dlagnev.

 

The Living The Dream Medal Fund Telethon & Benefit Webcast is a first for USA Wrestling, and is a unique opportunity within the U.S. Olympic family. Once again, the wrestling community is showing its leadership in finding new ways to enhance the sport and support its athletes.

 

More information on the Living The Dream Medal Fund Telethon & Benefit Webcast will be posted regularly on TheMat.com and through other wrestling media outlets.

 

Mark your calendar for Friday, August 20 and join our nation’s World Team members as they greet the wrestling community directly and thank them for their support.

 

Please make every effort to log on and view for yourself the amazing talents our wrestlers have outside of their wrestling skills.

 

Please consider calling in and we will provide a “shout out” to all who have contributed last year and hopefully, if possible, this year as well.

 

Sincerely,

 

Al Bevilacqua

Marketing Chairman

Wanted- tough people

The view from section GG

Musings and opinions on amateur wrestling from a fan's standpoint.

Jim Brown Blog

Cedar Rapids, IA

Founder and owner of Direct Marketing Solutions, a direct marketing consulting firm in Cedar Rapids, IA. We've been serving direct marketers since 1990. Proud father and grandfather. Fan of all types and levels of amateur wrestling.

 

Wanted - tough people

 

They took one of the "toughest" actions in world history. In July 1776, 56 men signed the Declaration of Independence. They were merchants, farmers, lawyers and doctors. One was a minister. Seventeen fought in the Revolutionary war and five were captured by the British. Eleven had their property destroyed and two gave their entire fortunes to fund the war. These were tough guys – and when they needed a military leader – they called upon a wrestler.

At age 18 George Washington won a county-wide championship in the "collar-and-elbow" style of wrestling that was popular at the time. At another time, Washington witnessed a wrestling-match. The champion of the day challenged him, in sport, to wrestle. Washington did not stop to take off his coat, but grasped the "strong man of Virginia.'' It was all over in a moment, for, said the wrestler, "In Washington's lion like grasp I became powerless, and was hurled to the ground with a force that seemed to jar the very marrow in my bones.'' At age 47, while commander of the Continental Armies, Washington consecutively defeated seven challengers from the Massachusetts Volunteers.

Throughout history – from Milo of Croton, to Abraham Lincoln, to Dr. Norman Borlaug – when toughness was needed – a wrestler stepped up. Knowing that, it is hard to understand why American intercollegiate wrestling continues to be assaulted by outside forces. It is short-sighted thinking.

We need "tough" scientists who can solve the alarming number of environmental challenges facing the world. We need "tough" business people who can lead us to economic recovery. We need "tough" educators to stop the American slide into mediocrity. Yet – when I peruse college catalogs, I never see "Toughness 101" listed. It's our college wrestling coaches who teach that course.

Since the time of Socrates, athletic competition – especially wrestling – has been considered an integral part of educating the whole person. There are things learned on the mat that just simply can't be taught elsewhere. Thousands of today's college wrestlers are going to go on to teach our kids, start new businesses, heal our sick and lead our communities. Don't we want them to be fully prepared?

Our Founding Fathers were far from perfect. When Jefferson wrote, "all men are created equal" he actually meant "all white, male property owners are created equal". It would take a wrestler to free African-Americans from the horrors of slavery 87 years later.

Hundreds of years of second-class status for women is another dark part of American history. Unfortunately, American wrestling still treats girls and women as an afterthought. The first World Championships in women's freestyle wrestling were held in 1987. It became an Olympic sport in 2004 and 85 countries have Olympic qualifying competitions.

A year ago America's only three women's freestyle Olympic medalists, Patricia Miranda, Sara McMann and Randi Miller filed a grievance with USA Wrestling and The US Olympic Committee alleging that USAW violated the Ted Stevens Olympic and Amateur Sports Act by not providing "equitable support and encouragement for participation by women".

On January 29th of this year USA Wrestling and the three complainants issued a joint statement that the grievance had been successfully resolved. This seems to indicate that progress is being made at the upper levels of the sport. But what about elsewhere – with our kids programs, interscholastic and collegiate athletes? Are we providing enough opportunities? Are we encouraging young girls to try the sport?

In 46 states we still place a major roadblock in front of high school girls who want to wrestle – we make them wrestle almost exclusively against boys. How many other sports do this? When I discuss this dilemma with girl's sports advocates or wrestling leaders, I get a Catch 22 argument – we need grass roots interest to expand girl's high school wrestling, but we need more girl's high school wrestling opportunities to grow grass roots interest. So – what's the answer? Like so many things in this sport, someone has to step up and take a leadership role – at the local level, at the state level and nationally. Where are those people?

Slowly, intercollegiate wrestling opportunities for women are expanding. Another encouraging sign is that more women are becoming college head coaches. I frequently read online comments that suggest we should continue to expand women's college wrestling as a tool to fight Title IX attrition. That argument misses the mark.

If we truly value what wrestling teaches – why deny those lessons to half of the population? If your daughter grows up to be an attorney why shouldn't she be equipped with a toughness learned on the mat? If your sister becomes the CEO of a troubled corporation shouldn't she know the resiliency taught by wrestling? When the woman researcher is trying to find the cure for your cancer wouldn't you want her to have the perseverance Dr. Borlaug attributed to his wrestling experience?

We will always need "Toughness 101" in our colleges – but let's be sure it's available for everyone.

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Takedown Wrestling Media announces Distribution Deal with Time Warner Sports, bringing weekly amateur wrestling TV show to Eastern U.S.

For immediate release Contact: Scott Casber, Takedown Wrestling Media: (515) 707-8657

Des Moines, Iowa Takedown Wrestling Media and Time Warner Sports have established a relationship that will bring the popular TDR TV amateur wrestling program to over 700,000 homes in the eastern United States.

The first broadcast of TDR TV on Time Warner Cable NY will be Saturday, July 3, on Channel 813 throughout the CNY Division. (Check your local listings for availability on additional channels.)

TDR TV is a 30-minute weekly TV show that covers all aspects of amateur wrestling in the U.S. Host Scott Casber updates viewers on the latest developments in high school, college and international wrestling, conducts insightful interviews with the sport’s top wrestlers and coaches, and shares his passion for the “oldest and greatest sport” in a fun, fast-paced show. TDR TV is already available on the Mediacom cable TV system serving six Midwestern states, and can be viewed online at www.TakedownRadio.com and at over thirty other affiliated amateur wrestling websites.

“Central New York is a hotbed for championship wrestling on both the high school and collegiate levels,” said Time Warner Cable Sports Director Doug Logan. “We are pleased to be adding Takedown Wrestling Media’s news program, TDR TV, for all of our subscribers who appreciate this outstanding and demanding sport.”

Casber, founder of Takedown Wrestling Media, said, “This is an important step forward for the athletes, coaches and fans of wrestling across the country. Time Warner Sports is a respected name around the country. They understand wrestling fans and the need for promotion of the sport in order to continue its positive growth. This is a special opportunity to partner with Time Warner Cable in the distribution of TDR TV. We understand the responsibility we have in this undertaking and will do our best to present wrestling in a positive manner.”

“Time Warner Sports will present our weekly TV program throughout the prime wrestling hotbeds in the eastern U.S., where collegiate wrestling got its start more than a century ago, and is home to a number of great programs at Cornell, Buffalo and Binghamton,” said Casber. “In addition, we’ll be now seen in the part of the country that features some of the best high school wrestling programs in the nation.”

About Takedown Wrestling Media

Takedown Wrestling Media was started 13 year ago as a single one-hour radio program broadcast from Clear Channel's KXNO studios in Des Moines. TDR quickly added Internet distribution of its audio format and over time began to broadcast live events along with its weekly program. Founder Scott Casber is well-known throughout the wrestling community, speaking to wrestling groups around the country and promoting the sport wherever he can. TDR TV was born as an addition to the radio program, initially available only on the Internet, but now available on 31 different web sites, as well as in six Midwest states through its distribution on Mediacom Cable. More information can be found at: Takedownradio.com

About Time Warner Cable

At Time Warner Cable we’re all about connecting people and businesses with information, entertainment and each other. That’s why we bring you the latest innovations for your home—from high-definition television, to Enhanced TV features, to high-speed data and Digital Phone services. We also believe in the power of community, which we show through our signature education programs, countless hours of volunteerism and by contributing cash and in-kind support to benefit the communities where we operate.

~30~

Scott Casber
1460 KXNO in Iowa- XtremeCouture.TV- MediaCom Cable- Super Talk AM 1570 in Michigan- KRRW Minnesota
LiveSportsVideo.Com- IntermatWrestle.Com- Time Warner Cable- KXNO.Com-
Longislandwrestling.org- D1CollegeWrestling.net- AZWrestler.com- GrapplersQuest.com, TheWrestlingtalk.com- TheOpenMat.com- RadioTime.com- Cagefx.com- TheMat.com-
-xtremecouture.tv/PunchDrunkGamer.com-TakedownRadio.Com-
iTunes- Yahoo! Video- Flickr- Mefeedia- Blinkx- Facebook- Twitter- NCWA.net
A Proud Member of the College Wrestling Network
515-707-8657

Olympic & World Champions Coming to the Gala & Benefit

Zeke Jones, Lou Rosselli, Lee Kemp, Jake Herbert, Henry Cejudo, Clarissa Chun, Cael Sanderson, ben Askren, Bruce Baumgartner