InterMat: Inside info from the N.W.C.A
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Hail Cael, Boo Task Force
By Leo Kocher
ITEM ONE: HAIL CAEL
The rumors were flying around a year ago that Cael Sanderson was losing his fire
for wrestling. Real doubt was surfacing as to whether there was going to be an
Olympic Gold dream ending to the saga. People took his international losses, his
runner-up finish in the 2003 World Games, even setbacks in the US Team Trials
and Championships as a sign of fading desire.
I would bet that it was not so much his desire had faded as he was dealing with
outside distractions that were building in quantity and intensity. People
wrestle for personal reasons. People get hooked on wrestling because
participating in the sport tells them something about themselves that they truly
value. They like who they are on the inside when they take up that challenge. A
wrestler can benefit extrinsically if he is very successful but initially and
fundamentally the reward and motivation for wrestling is much more intrinsic.
On the way to 159-0 and the Olympics, Cael had to deal increasingly with
external factors. He was an icon to the sport. The wrestling community had
expectations of him. He had to try to manage the commercial aspect of his career
to his and his family’s greatest benefit. I am not pretending to know exactly
what he was going through – but I know it had to get a lot more complicated than
cranking up your courage and concentration and seeing if you have what it takes
to go out and win that thing.
In the end the champion inside Cael Sanderson would not be denied at Athens. It
was as if he refocused on what hooked him on the sport in the first place. Good
for Cael Sanderson, good for Wrestling, good for America.
ITEM TWO: NCAA/USOC Task Force Monkey Business
As I mentioned on this site, a Task Force was formed months ago to look at the
decline in Olympic sport participation opportunities in our nation’s colleges.
This Task Force is composed of representatives from the NCAA and representatives
of US Olympic Committee Member organizations that are responsible for putting
together our Olympic Teams. The group has had its first meeting and it must be
said the signs are not good. It appears that there are several agendas in play
with this group that have little to do with the supposed reason for its
formation.
One of the conditions for allowing this commission to come into existence was
the demand by the NCAA staff that Title IX not be a subject for discussion.
Precluding discussions about the primary cause of the elimination of tens of
thousands of male athletic opportunities is not a good start.
This is especially true because educating the public on the major role that
Title IX has played in the destruction of tens of thousands of educational
sports opportunities represents the most important progress in the battle to
save collegiate athletes. Hard hitting stories on ABC “20/20” and CBS “60
Minutes” for example have demonstrated to a wide public audience what an unfair
and senseless law Title IX has been morphed into by the federal government.
It now appears that what the Task Force leaders really meant was not that Title
IX could not be discussed – but simply that the mess into which Title IX has
been twisted could not be criticized. As a matter of fact the Task Force Chair,
attorney Jack Swarbick, had no trouble discussing Title IX with the press after
the meeting – maintaining that “much of the decline has to do with other factors
(than Title IX)”.
NCAA president Myles Brand prominently mentioned the banned topic of Title IX as
well, stating “we’ve got to look beyond Title IX.” Task Force Chairman Swarbick
also was quoted as saying “we just view Title IX as a market condition.” Imagine
a task force on civil rights in 1960. Now envision the task force chairman
stating his task force views “Jim Crow laws as a market condition.” The NCAA/USOC
Task Force went from prohibiting discussion of Title IX in its deliberations -
to publicly attempting to make the current destructive Title IX interpretation
appear sacrosanct.
So undermining the work of those in the trenches – the College Sports Council,
the National Wrestling Coaches Association, and others who have actually done
the most to save sports by their Title IX reform advocacy – is the most
discernable goal of the leadership of the NCAA/USOC Task Force. Followed, one
supposes, by a goal of creating an appearance of concern for the mounting
carnage in our collegiate Olympic sports programs. Not many people are going to
be fooled.
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