Wrestling, as we know it, is in crisis. Is anyone listening?

Started by TomM, April 06, 2017, 09:34:30 AM

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TomM

This is part of a piece by Wade Schalles. I believe it points to one of the 'tips of the iceberg' ....

http://wadeschalles.com/

NCAA Tickets, Diminishing Numbers

It's probably not a good sign when the NCAA was selling tickets the day before the championships started and the NWCA still had a bunch of lower bowl tickets they needed to dump.

I mention this as a reminder to everyone that our spectator numbers are melting faster than the arctic icepack. So I wonder if and when we need to panic? Or have we already passed that juncture and prefer denial or indifference to the energy that's necessary for change? Either way please don't point to the incredible number of spectators that Penn State is attracting as evidence that all is well with our sport. Any team that's America's best will pack their arena just as Iowa, Oklahoma State, Iowa State and Oklahoma did decades before; but sadly no longer. Our collegiate numbers are so bad that it would take a combined effort by the last three universities I just mentioned to fill a gym for one dual meet. And that still might not get it done.

The fact is wrestling shouldn't point to the flavor of the day as evidence that all is well just as we shouldn't point to the worst institution for the opposite reason. But if there's one thing I know; when consumer numbers drop that's never good for business.

Here are several photos of this year's NCAA tournament that you might find enlightening. Each was taken at the beginning of a new session. Note the empty seats; I hope you find these photographs worth a thousand words.

Pictures listed are in the link above
Second Round Thursday Evening
Friday Evening Semi-Finals
Friday Evening Semi-Finals
Saturday Morning Consolations


What isn't so noticeable is the average age of those in attendance. Now I don't have any evidence to support this but it certainly appeared from walking around the arena that the average age of our fan base is heading north faster than the number of millennials are back-filling our losses.
Seek excellence and truth instead of fame -John Prime
Courage is grace under pressure - Ernest Hemingway
Advocating "matside weigh-in" since 1997
"That's why they wrestle the matches"

Handles II


Ghetto

I read this article, and yes, we have a PR problem. There's no denying that.

NCAAs is a bad place to judge the popularity of the sport. First, he's looking at St. Louis, and there's no home team in St. Louis. The home team is Mizzou, and it has a nice showing of fans that show up. I think it's a good idea to have it in the middle of the country, as traveling to the east or west coast is going to take people out of the equation. They are talking about having it in Las Vegas, and I'm down for that, but it likely takes quite of east coast folks out of consideration.

Of course the people going to the older people who travel to NCAAs. It starts on Thursday and goes through Saturday for one. The cost is prohibitive for a lot of folks to travel, take off of work and stay in hotels for four days. Young people don't have that. Also, tickets are $150 for the set. Nothing about it is cheap.

Things can be tweaked though. While I am a fan of the athleticism and funk that has come into wrestling at that level, there tends to be a lot of ankle grabbing and it's slowing down wrestling. The rules people are going to have to figure out some modifications to how things are called, or start calling stalemates a bit quicker.
As long as we are keeping score, I've got something to prove