Can wrestling learn from WBB

[wrestle87]

This is the right sort of question to be asking, but it's overall opposite ends of the spectrum.  WBB is like Canadian Football, middle-tier interest in a high participation sport.

Wrestling DOES have a lot to learn from combat sports and other niche sports that are growing quickly around the world, ultra-running, bouldering, etc.

The competitive nature of wrestling gets in the way of the potential community aspect of the sport.  Wrestling will see success as things continue to be more collegial and less of the zero-one "unless you win it might as well be death" mentality.  This is changing with the younger crowds, which is excellent, but broadly speaking, coaches who are willing to be assholes for the sake of winning will always be an albatross around the the neck of the sport. 

Also, let's give the "it's homo" justification a rest.  Wrestling enjoys its greatest popularity in the most conservative and religious corners of the world where homophobia isn't even sufficient to describe local stances towards differing sexual orientations.

[AgaveMaria]

Learn what?

Promote someone for a bogus record?

She does not play the same game. Not even with the same size ball.

Not to mention Pearl Moore...

 

[Brownwrestler1975]

The fact that wrestling enjoys its greatest popularity in the most conservative and religious corners of the US (and the world) is not helping at all in the other half of this country; I mean what other championship event has such blatant displays of Christianity even badmouthing other religions? 

[nhs67]

This thread is TLDR...

That said, I thought that I should chime in insofar as the current state, post-tournament.

My opinion, again I haven't even read the subject, just the thread title - but there is far too much racism going rampant in today's women's basketball for us to strive to be anything like them.  We already have enough Anthony Noto characters running amok.

[Jim L]

13 hours ago, Jason Bryant said:

But how do you score team points in T&F? That sport is fractured chasing times and you have a team that could be in 3 spots on a given weekend.

Team scores are usually secondary to individual performance in T&F, similar to wrestling, but the scoring is straightforward. 10 points for first, 8 points for second and usually to 1 point for 6th place (I think some big meets score down to 8th). A lot easier to figure out than advancement points & and how many bonus points can be scored in the consolations.

 

[Offthemat]

5 hours ago, Brownwrestler1975 said:

The fact that wrestling enjoys its greatest popularity in the most conservative and religious corners of the US (and the world) is not helping at all in the other half of this country; I mean what other championship event has such blatant displays of Christianity even badmouthing other religions? 

Hamburger helper works, but the hamburger has to want to be helped for it to be successful. 

[lisa morales]

Jax Forrest talking about Jesus being his Lord & Savior.  WTF?

[Jim L]

3 hours ago, Caveira said:

So is the argument.  Freestyle is a far superior product.  But the viewership and attendance is lower for big tourneys cause of university loyalties?

how would you explain mma going from nothing to better (financially) than boxing which used to be the ppv king?  

That is basically what I am saying and using the WNBA v. NCAA WBB as evidence. They are almost exactly the same product and I dont think anyone disputes that the WNBA is a t a higher level, they is it less popular?

Not sure how the Boxing v. MMA is relevant to this discussion. Horse racing also used to be one of the most popoulat sports in the US.

[Scouts Honor]

10 hours ago, AgaveMaria said:

Learn what?

Promote someone for a bogus record?

She does not play the same game. Not even with the same size ball.

Not to mention Pearl Moore...

 

omg with this

now do football... where they include bowl games now

or baseball with extra games

and now more playoff games...

 

[Scouts Honor]

lol

ppl want push out... 

no one... watches free who isn't already a die hard fan

[Scouts Honor]

7 hours ago, Brownwrestler1975 said:

The fact that wrestling enjoys its greatest popularity in the most conservative and religious corners of the US (and the world) is not helping at all in the other half of this country; I mean what other championship event has such blatant displays of Christianity even badmouthing other religions? 

 

[jchapman]

15 hours ago, Scouts Honor said:

should have said... more in than most... or whatever...

you are correct..

In 2023-2024, Clark was 1st in the WNCAA in FG attempts and 3pt attempts.  She was 133rd in FG% made and 55th in 3pt% made.

[Scouts Honor]

wow... see i would have benched her long ago...

i mean she makes great passes... 

but how many time does she just run down adn throw it up

[Scouts Honor]

saw this

[WildTurk]

She is greatest to ever do it.  The fact that she is being discussed like this here on a wrestling board speaks volumes

[wrestle87]

50 minutes ago, WildTurk said:

She is greatest to ever do it.  The fact that she is being discussed like this here on a wrestling board speaks volumes

She is the greatest…to ever do what precisely? Score points in Big Ten women’s basketball? I’ll go with that.

Getting carried away with equivalencies, despite being in vogue as a headline structure, doesn’t work because people subconsciously understand total parameters to performance.

Respecting and discussing performance within the bounds that exist is respectful to the audience, not disrespectful to the players.

Edited April 9 by wrestle87

[WildTurk]

29 minutes ago, wrestle87 said:

She is the greatest…to ever do what precisely? Score points in Big Ten women’s basketball? I’ll go with that.

Getting carried away with equivalencies, despite being in vogue as a headline structure, doesn’t work because people subconsciously understand total parameters to performance.

Respecting and discussing performance within the bounds that exist is respectful to the audience, not disrespectful to the players.

She is the greatest college women's basketball player of all time.

[CHROMEBIRD]

Back to the topic at hand: one big thing that WBB does NOT do well with is parity. Every year, the women's basketball brackets go more or less chalk with few surprising upsets. Cinderella teams don't really exist like they do on the men's side. There's plenty of athletic and coaching talent spread around, but the tournaments are dominated by just a handful of programs winning the titles. Sounds familiar, right? Ironically, people say WBB will continue to be that way unless there's more NIL and transfer portal activity. Neither has been very disruptive to their sport so far.

[ionel]

3 hours ago, WildTurk said:

She is greatest to ever do it.  The fact that she is being discussed like this here on a wrestling board speaks volumes

And she is exactly what NIL was supposed to be about.  She has a national image and is able to create value from that image and her communication skills.  

[WildTurk]

4 hours ago, ionel said:

And she is exactly what NIL was supposed to be about.  She has a national image and is able to create value from that image and her communication skills.  

Exactly. She put butts in the seats and brought entertainment to even those that don't like basketball that much. She is so well spoken and poised for a 22 year old kid.  She will be genuinely missed at Iowa

 

 

[Brownwrestler1975]

Comparing NCAA wrestling to the NFL is a bit of a stretch 

[MPhillips]

1 hour ago, Brownwrestler1975 said:

Comparing NCAA wrestling to the NFL is a bit of a stretch 

"220-221. Whatever it takes."

[Brownwrestler1975]

If only NCAA wrestling were anywhere close to the strength of the NFL, this conversation about how to improve the viewership experience with wrestling would not be necessary. 

[MPhillips]

4 hours ago, Brownwrestler1975 said:

If only NCAA wrestling were anywhere close to the strength of the NIL, this conversation about how to improve the viewership experience with wrestling would not be necessary. 

Fixed it for ya...

[Scouts Honor]

10 hours ago, Brownwrestler1975 said:

Comparing NCAA wrestling to the NFL is a bit of a stretch 

here is your question:

 I mean what other championship event has such blatant displays of Christianity even badmouthing other religions?

 

now... is that from a championship event, no... but it happens often in every sport.