And the ESPY for Best Male College Athlete

The Game Room
1

… award goes to Johnny Manziel.

:rolleyes: :frowning:

That award belonged to Kyle Dake.

I really don’t know much about what Johnny Football did, but I know what Kyle Dake achieved may never again be done ever. He won 4 different NCAA titles at 4 different weights, and in his senior campaign beat the reigning outstanding champion from the year before, David Taylor.

I know wrestling is not a big sport and I’m sure that’s the reason he did not win. I also realize that the ESPY’s are fan based and this was mostly a popularity contest. I’m just a bit perturbed by this and wanted to set the record straight. Kyle Dake was by far the male college athlete of the year. There is no one that comes close.

With that said, does anyone think wrestling will ever grow to be a big sport? I think that it will for two reasons.

  1. Former wrestlers love the sport. It has such an impact on people that its something they always carry with them. I hate to sound arrogant, but I do think it has a certain quality to it that other sports cannot match.

  2. It is gaining in popularity. I think more people are slowly becoming aware of the sport and it is gaining exposure.

2

Wrestling is pretty much a “regional” sport in terms of real popularity; outside of the NCAA Championships (and the final matches at that), how much coverage does ESPN give to college wrestling? (Meanwhile, 20-year-old professional wrestling broadcasts that ESPN used to show still air on ESPN Classic.)

As for gaining popularity, you would think that the IOC’s attempt to drop it from the Olympics after 2016 (there will be a vote later this year to choose wrestling, baseball/softball, or squash for 2020) would indicate that it is losing popularity, although the recent change to the international wrestling system (best-of-3 two-minute periods, and all matches in a weight class are held on the same day) didn’t exactly bring in fans.

Also, remember that Dake’s accomplishment is over four years, and the ESPY is supposed to be based on what happened in the most recent year. You don’t get the Heisman for your career (well, you’re not supposed to, anyway), but for what you did this season.

3

A loooong list of colleges and universities that have recently dropped wrestling programs:

http://www.nwcaonline.com/entrenchment/downloads/comprehensive_dropped.pdf

It includes a lot of places you’ve never heard of, but also LSU, U of Washington, Marquette, Tennessee, Texas, and a whole bunch of others you have.

I believe a lot of high schools have dropped wrestling as well.
Have any schools recently added wrestling? I don’t know of any.

Hard to see how it is likely to grow in popularity. Just my 2c.

4

Growing in popularity.?? Olympic committee is pretty intent on dumping it from the games… When exactly is this popularity boom coming?

5

If it makes you feel any better, SI named Dake Male College Athlete of the Year this year

6

One persistent problem that competitive wrestlers face is the wrestling entertainment (WWE etc.)
Massively more people watch this than actual wrestling.