Im a little overdue for a poingant post about anything not relating to Wrestling411, but this weekend in Minnesota, something dawned on me that I feel wrestling fans need to address.
Kyle and I have harped constantly about fan support of college wrestling. In places like Iowa City, an off-day can mean 4,000 people. In New Brunswick, N.J., thats an all-time record.
Rutgers beat Rider in an all-New Jersey dual over the weekend, drawing just over 4,000 fans with a solid high school dual as a prelim to entice a large crowd to see the states two Division I wrestling programs. Nice job, but that needs to be consistent, not a one-time deal, once in a blue moon.
In Denny Diehls most recent edition of the Lehigh Wrestling News (LUWN), he pointed out this attenance mark broke the previous mark, which was set 44-45 years ago.
Some of you might know Ive got a relationship with Roller Derby. I spent time announcing derby back in Pennsylvania under my (registered) derby name Horace N. Buggy. Last night, I checked out my first Minnesota Roller Girls (MNRG) bout. I took one of my roommates, whod never seen derby. Hed also never seen wrestling on TV until two weeks ago.
Now, Im used to seeing derby in rinks surrounded by concrete walls. ESPN did a feature on Roller Derby not too long ago. This isnt the banked-track type many might think of, but Womens Flat Track Roller Derby.
But heres the thing the capacity of the legendary Roy Wilkins Auditorium in downtown St. Paul is about 4,000. There were at least 3,500 people there last night. It blew me away. It was a real event, big time, concessions, beer sales, merchandise.
Compare that to what I saw today, about 10 miles from where I sat last night. The Sports Pavilion on Minnesotas campus saw 2,571 come through the doors. Thats not a bad crowd, especially when Ive announced duals in front of 50 fans.
But Roller Derby drew more fans than Minnesota wrestling did on Sunday against Michigan State.
Before fans make excuses about the weather (it was sunny, with a slight breeze and 10 degrees in Minnesota, we call that WARM for January) or the team (Michigan State is the only unranked team in the Big Ten), youre telling me that Roller Derby outdrew college wrestling in the same area?
I didnt hear a single commercial for the MNRG bout, but I saw sponsor booths, vendors, radio station bumper stickers (For an NPR station!) and a carnival atmosphere. The smell of PBR and mini-donuts and overcooked hot dogs oozed from the place.
So why only 2,500 for a college wrestling dual? We will complain about lack of television coverage, but until wrestling fans start showing up more than once in a while, were going to be relegated as a second-tier sport, disrespected not by the networks, but by our own sport itself.
We can make excuses that Oh, it was just Michigan State, Ill go when they wrestle someone good. Thats like playing the lottery when the jackpot only gets over $80 million or something. What, a little bit isnt good enough?
Cmon people. I really enjoy Roller Derby, but I love wrestling and I sat back and wondered what is it going to take for us to finally get off our butts, stop making excuses and go to a wrestling match, any match, all matches, bringing people, to NOT get outdrawn by Roller Derby.
I dont know what marketing the MNRG uses, but they started out in a small rink (much like Dutchland) and now have sellouts, halftime entertainment, a risk factor with the contact sport.
And the thing is more people here in Minnesota know about wrestling than they do Roller Derby, BUT I cant prove that based on the attendance Ive seen. This isnt just in Minnesota, because I know Dutchland outdraws both Millersville and F&M combined. The Windy City Roller Girls outdraw Northwestern on average.
We, as fans, point to basketball constantly about coverage. We dont get this, but basketball does. Why are we focusing on a sport every Division I school plays (I havent looked it up, but Im sure the 300-plus D1 schools all have hoops)?
Were being outdrawn by Roller Derby. Thats a great thing for derby fans, but if wrestling fans are so passionate about supporting their teams and programs, even in wrestling hotbeds like the midwest and Pennsylvania, we sure have a funny way of showing it.
Im happy that theres such a following for MNRG and Roller Derby in general, but they make their events events. Jim Harshaw talks about marketing our sport (no, this isnt a name-drop, but its something people have read about on the boards and on Flo recently), well, I cant think of a better reason to kickstart the marketing of our ON CAMPUS duals than to realize were now drawing fewer fans in some areas than Roller Derby.
Some schools have meet and greets and autograph signings, Derby has after parties. Same general concept that the Gopher club uses here in Minnesota with a bus to and from the meet point. Great. The interaction between fans of derby and the derby girls themselves is something that gets people coming back. Perhaps we need more of that.
Mike Denney at Nebraska-Omaha had about 800 fans on Friday, which for Division II, isnt a bad draw against a non-traditional opponent like Augsburg. But they honored local coaches, threw t-shirts into the crowd, had a great opening intro sequence, made it fun to show up and watch. Wrestlers mingled with fans afterwards with ease.
We, as a sport, like the fact that our athletes are approachable and we dont have the ushers shooing us away like in roundball but we dont take advantage of how good we have it.
Get to a match because right now, I wouldnt compare us to basketball Id strive to outdraw Roller Derby first.
Bottom line: Sports Pavilion and every wrestling venue SHOULD be full EVERY TIME OUT. Until that happens, were going to be a community relegated to whining on message boards about why the NCAA hates wrestling and why ESPN hates wrestling and why wrestling doesnt get respect.
We must first respect our own sport by showing the support it deserves. I had fun at the derby bout last night and for good reason, it was a good show.
Todays Jayson Ness-Franklin Gomez bout was a good show and more people could have been there to see it.
Kyle and I have harped constantly about fan support of college wrestling. In places like Iowa City, an off-day can mean 4,000 people. In New Brunswick, N.J., thats an all-time record.
Rutgers beat Rider in an all-New Jersey dual over the weekend, drawing just over 4,000 fans with a solid high school dual as a prelim to entice a large crowd to see the states two Division I wrestling programs. Nice job, but that needs to be consistent, not a one-time deal, once in a blue moon.
In Denny Diehls most recent edition of the Lehigh Wrestling News (LUWN), he pointed out this attenance mark broke the previous mark, which was set 44-45 years ago.
Some of you might know Ive got a relationship with Roller Derby. I spent time announcing derby back in Pennsylvania under my (registered) derby name Horace N. Buggy. Last night, I checked out my first Minnesota Roller Girls (MNRG) bout. I took one of my roommates, whod never seen derby. Hed also never seen wrestling on TV until two weeks ago.
Now, Im used to seeing derby in rinks surrounded by concrete walls. ESPN did a feature on Roller Derby not too long ago. This isnt the banked-track type many might think of, but Womens Flat Track Roller Derby.
But heres the thing the capacity of the legendary Roy Wilkins Auditorium in downtown St. Paul is about 4,000. There were at least 3,500 people there last night. It blew me away. It was a real event, big time, concessions, beer sales, merchandise.
Compare that to what I saw today, about 10 miles from where I sat last night. The Sports Pavilion on Minnesotas campus saw 2,571 come through the doors. Thats not a bad crowd, especially when Ive announced duals in front of 50 fans.
But Roller Derby drew more fans than Minnesota wrestling did on Sunday against Michigan State.
Before fans make excuses about the weather (it was sunny, with a slight breeze and 10 degrees in Minnesota, we call that WARM for January) or the team (Michigan State is the only unranked team in the Big Ten), youre telling me that Roller Derby outdrew college wrestling in the same area?
I didnt hear a single commercial for the MNRG bout, but I saw sponsor booths, vendors, radio station bumper stickers (For an NPR station!) and a carnival atmosphere. The smell of PBR and mini-donuts and overcooked hot dogs oozed from the place.
So why only 2,500 for a college wrestling dual? We will complain about lack of television coverage, but until wrestling fans start showing up more than once in a while, were going to be relegated as a second-tier sport, disrespected not by the networks, but by our own sport itself.
We can make excuses that Oh, it was just Michigan State, Ill go when they wrestle someone good. Thats like playing the lottery when the jackpot only gets over $80 million or something. What, a little bit isnt good enough?
Cmon people. I really enjoy Roller Derby, but I love wrestling and I sat back and wondered what is it going to take for us to finally get off our butts, stop making excuses and go to a wrestling match, any match, all matches, bringing people, to NOT get outdrawn by Roller Derby.
I dont know what marketing the MNRG uses, but they started out in a small rink (much like Dutchland) and now have sellouts, halftime entertainment, a risk factor with the contact sport.
And the thing is more people here in Minnesota know about wrestling than they do Roller Derby, BUT I cant prove that based on the attendance Ive seen. This isnt just in Minnesota, because I know Dutchland outdraws both Millersville and F&M combined. The Windy City Roller Girls outdraw Northwestern on average.
We, as fans, point to basketball constantly about coverage. We dont get this, but basketball does. Why are we focusing on a sport every Division I school plays (I havent looked it up, but Im sure the 300-plus D1 schools all have hoops)?
Were being outdrawn by Roller Derby. Thats a great thing for derby fans, but if wrestling fans are so passionate about supporting their teams and programs, even in wrestling hotbeds like the midwest and Pennsylvania, we sure have a funny way of showing it.
Im happy that theres such a following for MNRG and Roller Derby in general, but they make their events events. Jim Harshaw talks about marketing our sport (no, this isnt a name-drop, but its something people have read about on the boards and on Flo recently), well, I cant think of a better reason to kickstart the marketing of our ON CAMPUS duals than to realize were now drawing fewer fans in some areas than Roller Derby.
Some schools have meet and greets and autograph signings, Derby has after parties. Same general concept that the Gopher club uses here in Minnesota with a bus to and from the meet point. Great. The interaction between fans of derby and the derby girls themselves is something that gets people coming back. Perhaps we need more of that.
Mike Denney at Nebraska-Omaha had about 800 fans on Friday, which for Division II, isnt a bad draw against a non-traditional opponent like Augsburg. But they honored local coaches, threw t-shirts into the crowd, had a great opening intro sequence, made it fun to show up and watch. Wrestlers mingled with fans afterwards with ease.
We, as a sport, like the fact that our athletes are approachable and we dont have the ushers shooing us away like in roundball but we dont take advantage of how good we have it.
Get to a match because right now, I wouldnt compare us to basketball Id strive to outdraw Roller Derby first.
Bottom line: Sports Pavilion and every wrestling venue SHOULD be full EVERY TIME OUT. Until that happens, were going to be a community relegated to whining on message boards about why the NCAA hates wrestling and why ESPN hates wrestling and why wrestling doesnt get respect.
We must first respect our own sport by showing the support it deserves. I had fun at the derby bout last night and for good reason, it was a good show.
Todays Jayson Ness-Franklin Gomez bout was a good show and more people could have been there to see it.
VIEW 4 of 4 COMMENTS
random_scribe:
I'm in the SGTwinCities group. Should add Minny to it.
suicide_earl:
I think Wrasslin' needs more girls in short skirts & fishnets to compete with Roller-Derby