Transfers

[OneEyedFatMan]

The rich will get richer. You can throw all kinds of $ at the wrestlers and turn collegiate wrestling into an NCAA basketball type scenario where kids come in, maybe attend classes, then move on to the pros. Except the kids will move on to the next highest bidder.

You know that the state of Iowa built their brand of wrestling over the years. They used Iowa Public Television (I have old VHS tapes), barnstorming and camps. They had Gable. Before Gable they had many others. The newspapers and radio. Media and personal influences are huge.

When I was competing at UW-Madison,and coming in from out of state, I was amazed at how agog many of my native Wisconsin teammates were just to be part of the program, and the reverence they had for it. It was a huge deal to be around Kemp, Hellickson, Peterson Brothers, Soucie, Haines, Reinwand, Leiskau, Rein, Dave Evans, among others.

Kleven had us spreading out, all over the state, to do free clinics ( sponsored by the Wisconsin Milk Producers, Inc.). We had cool winter caps from them to provide some marketing! Wrestlers from the far reaches of the state saw exhibition duals and clinics from both Wisconsin and out of state wrestlers they had been hearing about through the wrestling magazines and newspapers, as well as who they saw at the State Tournament.

If this program is going to be re-built, yes it's going to take some money. But it needs cache' too. Time to beat the bushes. Because that NIL $ everyone wants isn't just going to come landing like a lottery ticket.

[Wisconsin Wrestling Fan]

Shane Griffith is in the portal....