Many of you know this. Nine months after we started dating my, now wife, gave us Iowa wrestling season tickets as a Christmas present. It took me a little while, but I finally came to my senses and asked her to marry me. Thankfully, she said, “yes”. This coming Saturday is our wedding anniversary.
When you hang around wrestling you hear a lot of macho guy stuff, but – some of the most interesting people I’ve met in wrestling are women.
The first 15 years that we had seats GG, 12, 1 & 2; Gretchen Goodwin sat next to my wife. When we got those seats she and her husband, Don, had already been ensconced in seats 3 & 4 for a while. Over the years we became friends and attended Big Tens in Wisconsin and Nationals in Ames together. Gretchen loved Royce Alger and swooned every time he entered the arena – as an athlete or as a coach. Sadly, a few years ago Don contracted a rare congenital liver disease and passed away after a long, painful battle. We’ve not seen Gretchen since then and I now have their old seats. I think of them every time I give those seats away.
Debbie Connell has been my good friend for 40 years and she’s been a Hawkeye wrestling season ticket holder since the Field House days. If you’ve ever attended a meet in Carver Hawkeye Arena, you’ve probably seen her. When the Hawks run out of the tunnel look in the middle of the first row just above the tunnel and the woman you see is either Deb or her sister Jody. Debbie worked with me at the Dairy Queen the Sunday morning when the state of Iowa was crushed by the Des Moines Register headline, “Gable Fails”.
When I started this blog I really had no clue about what I should write after the first couple of editions. Then, Danielle Hobeika agreed to an interview. Danielle is one of the most fascinating people around the sport. A Harvard psychology grad, Danielle wrestled in the room on the Crimson team and became a top level freestyle wrestler. She is the goddess of wrestling websites and one of the sport’s best photographers. You know that photo you love with Brent Metcalf and Bubba Jenkins “on their heads” – that’s Danielle’s. She’s still doing the photography and web development, but is now also an MMA fighter.
Sandy Stevens taught my wife as a substitute English teacher at Cedar Rapids Kennedy more than a couple of years ago. If you don’t know the name, you surely know the voice. She has been the voice of Fargo, DI Nationals, the California high school championships and the Olympics. I first met Sandy in person the night before she was announcing the Division III Championships in Cedar Rapids – her home town. I’ve met very, very few people as passionate about wrestling as Sandy.
Maggie Hendricks had been an online “friend” for at least three years when she introduced herself to me at National Duals last year. Maggie was a manager for the Missouri Tiger wrestling team and loves to write about wrestling, football and MMA. Her blog in memory of her grandfather, who taught the whole family to box, is still one of the best online pieces I’ve ever read. “Thumbs up, pointed to God” is a phrase I’ll remember the rest of my life.
One day before I met Maggie, I also met Tammy Tedesco from the National Wrestling Coaches Association. Among her many duties, Tammy is the tournament director for National Duals. This upcoming season she is planning to engage wrestling in the “Coaches Against Cancer” campaign. Please stay tuned for further details.
I met Dee Pollard in a bar in 2008. The mother of TCNJ assistant coach, Joe Pollard, she was sitting at the bar as I was hosting my first Division III Championships fan reception. We struck up a conversation and have become good friends and have met after every session of the past three NCAA DIII Championships. Every Saturday night after finals Joe has joined us. Last March the three of us made our plans to meet in La Crosse next spring. Yes – my wife and Dee’s husband know about this. After all – it’s all about the wrestling. (As an aside – one of my happiest moments as a marshal at the DIII Championships was handing one of Joe’s wrestlers his All-American trophy.)
I still haven’t yet met Julia Labua face-to-face. She’s all over the wrestling internet with at least 3 online identities and her posts are among the most intelligent you’ll ever see. Last winter she pulled off her own wrestling promotion coup when she emailed the entire staff at her place of employment, offering them free tickets, hot dogs and sodas for a Hawkeye dual meet. Eleven co-workers took her up on the offer and attended their first ever wrestling meet. When one of her friends asked about one of the finer points of wrestling Julia responded, in part, with a phrase that has become popular on the internet, “There will be answers. They may not be right answers, but there will be answers.”
There are many adjectives that would describe Gail Rush. “Dynamic” is at the top of my list. Since the flood of 2008 she has responded to several of my requests to help wrestlers and wrestling. In those years I’ve heard from several people that she and her husband, Rick, have done that for years. This past week her efforts led to the Coe College Kohawk wrestling fans taking the lead in the Tickets for Kids fan challenge.
But - it still comes back to my darling wife. I don’t know how it happened, but I won the marriage lottery. If I’d never met her there would probably be no season tickets, no blog and no Tickets for Kids. Thank you dear. I love you and may we grow old watching wrestling together. Happy anniversary.
Showing posts with label Sandy Stevens. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Sandy Stevens. Show all posts
Monday, August 30, 2010
Monday, June 30, 2008
What's in a name?
What’s in a name?
For about 50 years I have heard the same jokes about my name. It’s not that I have an odd one – in fact – it is one of the most common in America. No – the jokes come because I bear absolutely no physical resemblance to the greatest lacrosse player in the history of Syracuse University (you have to be a middle-aged sports geek to get that one) nor do I look like the “hardest working man in show business”.
Then around 1970 Jim Croce had a hit song with a title that included my middle and last names.
All my friends had fun with that one.
The City of Five Seasons
When I moved to Cedar Rapids in 1987 I learned that it was called “The City of Five Seasons”. After a little digging, I discovered that the phrase was coined by a local ad agency as a marketing tool and that the fifth season is “time to enjoy the other four”.
After I had lived here for a couple of years I decided that, really, the fifth season might well be “wrestling season”. With the possible exceptions of Stillwater, Waterloo and Iowa City, there are darn few towns in America that love wrestling as much as we do in Cedar Rapids. At least eleven NCAA championships have been won by wrestlers from Cedar Rapids high schools:
Gary Bentrim won 3 DII titles at UNI.
Hall-of-Famers Barry Davis and Jim Zalesky each won 3 DI championships at Iowa and Mark Ironside won another 2 (and The Hodge Trophy) as a Hawkeye.
There aren’t many other places where you can attend a high school wrestling dual meet and watch two future 2X NCAA champs (Ironside and Jeff McGinniss) go against each other.
And the beat goes on – last season’s Midlands champion and NCAA finalist, Joe Slaton is from here.
It’s not just the wrestlers. Hall of Fame coach Gary Kurdelmeier coached here for a short time. One of the most famous voices in wrestling, Sandy Stevens, got her start announcing here. Her husband, Bear, was the first wrestling coach at Kennedy High School and he needed someone to announce a dual meet. Sandy was pressed into service and the rest – as they say – is history
Our newspaper covers the sport – regularly. Our TV sportscasters respect the sport as much as they do any other. If you’re a wrestling fan – there’s no better place to be.
A little over 2 weeks ago, this city that loves wrestling so much, was devastated by the worst flooding in history. The Cedar River crested over TEN FEET higher than had ever been recorded.
We need a name.
The problem with flooding is that the sun comes out, the waters recede and, unless you’re one of the thousands of families putting your lifetime out on the curb, all appears normal.
It’s far from normal – over a billion dollars in damage, thousands still homeless and/or unemployed, businesses that will not recover…
Hurricanes have names. When you hear “Andrew” or “Katrina” images of devastation come to mind. Our flood needs a name. I’m willing to consider all suggestions, but I have one of my own – Ashraliev.
Huh? It’s hard to spell, hard to pronounce, almost impossible to remember and – seemingly – meaningless.
After Dan Gable won the World Championship in 1971 the mighty Russian sports machine vowed to search the country to find and train THE wrestler that would defeat Gable. Ruslan Ashraliev was that man – the best the Russians had – and Gable won. The Cedar River threw everything at us it could just like the Russians and Ashraliev – and this is the image I choose to represent Cedar Rapids in 2009:
Gable – battered, tested, victorious.
You can help.
Even Gable had help - coaches, family and workout partners.
Here are some ways you can help Cedar Rapids.
Both our local Red Cross and Salvation Army desperately need funds. To help the local Red Cross you can send a check to
American Red Cross
PO Box 10375
Cedar Rapids, IA 52410-0375
Or donate online at
http://grantwood-redcross.org/index.html?gwatitle.htm&1
The address for the local Salvation Army is
PO Box 8056
Cedar Rapids, IA 52406
Eat more Cap’n Crunch or oatmeal – seriously. Quaker Oats is a Cedar Rapids fixture and the largest employer impacted by the flood. Buy Quaker products and you help get people back to work.
Attend the 2009 NCAA Division III Wrestling Championships and spend money here. You’ll have great time.
If you’re a business owner – give a Cedar Rapids business a shot at meeting some of your needs. Just give us a fair look – you’ll be very pleasantly surprised. It could very well end up the classic “win, win” opportunity. (If you’re interested in exploring this option, email me at jim@dmsolutions.com) and I’ll try to steer you in the right direction.)
This city that loves wrestling will get off its’ back and win.
For about 50 years I have heard the same jokes about my name. It’s not that I have an odd one – in fact – it is one of the most common in America. No – the jokes come because I bear absolutely no physical resemblance to the greatest lacrosse player in the history of Syracuse University (you have to be a middle-aged sports geek to get that one) nor do I look like the “hardest working man in show business”.
Then around 1970 Jim Croce had a hit song with a title that included my middle and last names.
All my friends had fun with that one.
The City of Five Seasons
When I moved to Cedar Rapids in 1987 I learned that it was called “The City of Five Seasons”. After a little digging, I discovered that the phrase was coined by a local ad agency as a marketing tool and that the fifth season is “time to enjoy the other four”.
After I had lived here for a couple of years I decided that, really, the fifth season might well be “wrestling season”. With the possible exceptions of Stillwater, Waterloo and Iowa City, there are darn few towns in America that love wrestling as much as we do in Cedar Rapids. At least eleven NCAA championships have been won by wrestlers from Cedar Rapids high schools:
Gary Bentrim won 3 DII titles at UNI.
Hall-of-Famers Barry Davis and Jim Zalesky each won 3 DI championships at Iowa and Mark Ironside won another 2 (and The Hodge Trophy) as a Hawkeye.
There aren’t many other places where you can attend a high school wrestling dual meet and watch two future 2X NCAA champs (Ironside and Jeff McGinniss) go against each other.
And the beat goes on – last season’s Midlands champion and NCAA finalist, Joe Slaton is from here.
It’s not just the wrestlers. Hall of Fame coach Gary Kurdelmeier coached here for a short time. One of the most famous voices in wrestling, Sandy Stevens, got her start announcing here. Her husband, Bear, was the first wrestling coach at Kennedy High School and he needed someone to announce a dual meet. Sandy was pressed into service and the rest – as they say – is history
Our newspaper covers the sport – regularly. Our TV sportscasters respect the sport as much as they do any other. If you’re a wrestling fan – there’s no better place to be.
A little over 2 weeks ago, this city that loves wrestling so much, was devastated by the worst flooding in history. The Cedar River crested over TEN FEET higher than had ever been recorded.
We need a name.
The problem with flooding is that the sun comes out, the waters recede and, unless you’re one of the thousands of families putting your lifetime out on the curb, all appears normal.
It’s far from normal – over a billion dollars in damage, thousands still homeless and/or unemployed, businesses that will not recover…
Hurricanes have names. When you hear “Andrew” or “Katrina” images of devastation come to mind. Our flood needs a name. I’m willing to consider all suggestions, but I have one of my own – Ashraliev.
Huh? It’s hard to spell, hard to pronounce, almost impossible to remember and – seemingly – meaningless.
After Dan Gable won the World Championship in 1971 the mighty Russian sports machine vowed to search the country to find and train THE wrestler that would defeat Gable. Ruslan Ashraliev was that man – the best the Russians had – and Gable won. The Cedar River threw everything at us it could just like the Russians and Ashraliev – and this is the image I choose to represent Cedar Rapids in 2009:
Gable – battered, tested, victorious.
You can help.
Even Gable had help - coaches, family and workout partners.
Here are some ways you can help Cedar Rapids.
Both our local Red Cross and Salvation Army desperately need funds. To help the local Red Cross you can send a check to
American Red Cross
PO Box 10375
Cedar Rapids, IA 52410-0375
Or donate online at
http://grantwood-redcross.org/index.html?gwatitle.htm&1
The address for the local Salvation Army is
PO Box 8056
Cedar Rapids, IA 52406
Eat more Cap’n Crunch or oatmeal – seriously. Quaker Oats is a Cedar Rapids fixture and the largest employer impacted by the flood. Buy Quaker products and you help get people back to work.
Attend the 2009 NCAA Division III Wrestling Championships and spend money here. You’ll have great time.
If you’re a business owner – give a Cedar Rapids business a shot at meeting some of your needs. Just give us a fair look – you’ll be very pleasantly surprised. It could very well end up the classic “win, win” opportunity. (If you’re interested in exploring this option, email me at jim@dmsolutions.com) and I’ll try to steer you in the right direction.)
This city that loves wrestling will get off its’ back and win.
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