Brazil has sacrificed a lot to put on these Games. From perilous health conditions to evictions of long-time residents, the Games brought a mixture of darkness and light to the Brazilian condition, which one can only hope ends in societal improvements.
I'll be heading down to Rio with a good-size media team from United World Wrestling. We will be creating content throughout the day to both help our current fans connect with their stars and help new fans find a way into the sport. We will be posting interviews, stories, photos, videos, and lots of social media content from now until the end of the Games, and likely beyond.
One thing to keep in mind is that viewership counts. For sports like wrestling there is a lot at stake these Olympic Games. This is the first Olympics with a well-matured online presence featuring thousands of hours of live sporting content viewable online and on TV. My guess is that with a lot on the line, wrestling is about to shock the Olympic world.
And here's how we do it:
Download the NBC Live Sports Application and tune into ALL the wrestling events you can for as long as you can. Aggregate minutes matter. Wrestling has been very quietly breaking records and with even more attention given to viewership I think we might be able to shatter some preconceived notions about the sport's popularity and reach.
How to watch from anywhere in the world (re-direct is geo-based): http://go.olympic.org/UWW
Enjoy the Games!
To your questions …
Olympic silver medalist Jamill Kelly is an assistant coach at Stanford (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com)Q: Any idea why Jamill Kelly stopped competing after his Olympic silver medal in 2004? He's 38 now and looks like he could still be in the mix with the best! It feels like there was so much more left in the tank for him after 2004. He was only 26 years old and was just starting to get really good. It was his life and his career and can only imagine the amount of work that goes into it, so I don't fault him for retiring. But as a fan I feel like we missed what could have been some special moments.
-- Mike C.
Foley: Rather than speculate on the reasons, I gave Jamill a shout. His answer:
I had decided before the Games that regardless of outcome that would probably be it. Financially, it was a struggle those four years and I wasn't ready to go another cycle when nothing's guaranteed and be 30 years old and just starting my life. We didn't have the Living The Dream Medal Fund or sponsorships these guys have today. If things were like they are now I probably would have considered it. The other huge factor was the rule change. I absolutely hated them and that stalled any thought of my potentially competing again.
The rule change portion surprised me at first, but the more I considered it the less surprised I was by his logic. The changes were incredibly consequential, especially for a guy who didn't rely a ton on his size. What was once a technical sport went the way of the brute for a few years, with positioning and ball draw clinches becoming the norm.
Also his response was/is a solid reminder that wrestling doesn't pay a lot of money. Today, that's changed a bit, but it makes you wonder how many guys like him got out early because they wanted to provide a different lifestyle to their family.
It's great to hear the Semnani Foundation is adding an additional cash prize ($20k, $10k, $5k) to U.S. and Iran wrestlers who place at the Olympic Games. When considering how much Jamill was being paid in his prime wrestling years that extra boost is very generous.
When I was the No. 1 guy in 2003 and 2004 I was making maybe $25k a year, which was $1k a month from OSU and the rest from my USA Wrestling stipend, bonus for winning nationals and the Trials. In 2001 and 2002 I was making $15k-18k. It was tough.
Abdulrashid Sadulaev won his second straight world title in Las Vegas (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com)Q: On the eve of the Olympics, what makes Abdulrashid Sadulaev such a special wrestler?
-- @HalfAgain
Foley: Shorthand: The combination of strength and flexibility possessed by a man who lives a purpose-driven life and sacrifices for his passion.
That … and he was born in exactly the right place for a man of his values and talents to become an Olympic champion in wrestling. The coaching and effort put in by his family cannot be overstated. I remember reading a quote from him that said he only sought to make sure his parents were never embarrassed by his actions and that he wished to honor them with his wrestling. He then went on to say another dozen things about how it was his responsibility to never let them down. For all we think of him as a physically imposing human, he seems to have been raised with values that make him an equally good person.
Q: Have we seen the last of J Rob as the head wrestling coach of the University of Minnesota?
-- @ShogunOfSonoma
Foley: Given the length of the investigation and the announcement of Brandon Eggum as acting head coach it would seem that the administration is building a case to fire J Rob. Why? I don't know. There is no repercussion to his staying. Are donors backing out? No. Is this still a news story? No. Did he violate the principals of academics or coaching in any other major way in the past 30 years? No. Does he distract? No.
There are only negative consequences to firing J. The school will go to court, which will cost them significant money and likely publicize their incompetence in managing this case (and other administrative blunders) over the past few years.
Q: What are your thoughts on the five sports just added to the 2020 Olympic Games? What impact does the addition of those sports have on wrestling for 2024 and beyond?
-- @JackGillespie5
Foley: I think that the sports chosen for 2024 represent a youth push from the IOC and also reflect what will be popular to watch for denizens of Tokyo. That latter part is important since it incentivizes host nations to bid based on the idea that they can approve sports (within reason) that will appeal to their constituents. In this circumstance that is baseball/softball a sport that has been booted in the past and requires a significant capital expenditure.
As for the youth movement, I think that skateboarding and surfing are just sports we think of as youthful but have significant adult followings. I for one really enjoy the World Surf League updates on social media.
The impact on wrestling? None that would be negative. The addition of sports only opens the door for wrestling to add another style to the Olympic program. Maybe beach wrestling?
MULTIMEDIA HALFTIME
The Celebrity and the Samurai: Learn more about the life and struggles of the world's two greatest women's wrestlers of all time. Hope you enjoy.
Link: Jordan Burroughs' work ethic comes from his blue-collar dad
From ESPN: Pin Kings is a story about high school wrestling teammates who end up on the opposite side of the law. Told through several storytelling platforms, including magazine and podcast.
From The Ringer (Bill Simmons' new site)
The Olympics Watchability MatrixThe "Jason Statham Movies" Quadrant:
And finally: Items plotted in the fourth quadrant are supremely watchable and so cool that they actually have negative lameness. These are sports that evoke maximum joy, and you will watch when it beckons time and time again without question or complaint, like Jason Statham taking out a bunch of dudes with guns using only a fire hose in The Transporter 2. Or really, any Jason Statham action movie. There are like, a hundred of them, and they're all great. These are usually the sports with the oldest traditions in the Olympics, the ones that ancient Greeks painted on vases and whatnot.
Q: Based on what you know, do you expect Jason Tsirtsis to be eligible to compete in college this upcoming season at a different college? Seems like it could be difficult based on the fact that he was not in good academic standing at Northwestern.
-- Mike C.
Foley: I think that it would take a full year to regain eligibility for academic probation, unless he had entered summer school which doesn't seem to be the case. Poor guy had a tough year and wish him the best wherever he lands, regardless of whether or not he wrestles.
Q: Kaori Icho says men's wrestling is different. I've watched her matches and found the skills she uses are the same. Why does she say that?
-- @ShogunOfSonoma
Foley: I'd agree that men's and women's wrestling are very different in their execution. The rules are the same, but that doesn't mean that the techniques and tactics are also similar. For Icho the difference has been in acquiring more technical knowledge. Women's wrestling will tend to focus more on a few techniques and then seeing how to become dominant in every facet of that position (i.e. Yoshida's double leg, Adeline's leg lace), whereas most men seek to be well-rounded on their feet and on the mat. Scrambling positions take on more importance, as does positional superiority. These are areas that Icho focuses on in practice and I think carries over to her wrestling.
Overall, when you watch the men and women compete you tend to find favored techniques in each style that simply won't work in the other. For example, there are almost no front headlocks in women's wrestling as their weight is distributed in their hips more than shoulders and also have more flexibility up top. Likewise you also see more throws in men's wrestling for pretty much the same reason.
Q: I see Daniel Dennis is bringing Spencer Lee as a training partner to Rio. Do you see Lee challenging for a spot on a senior level team during the upcoming quad?
-- Mike C.
Foley: Certainly challenging. He's an incredible talent who is well-coached at the high school level and next year will be moving to a college program that creates Olympians. I'm suspect about Dennis bringing Lee as his training partner, but that's his preference and he's earned the right to bring anyone he likes. The coaches must approve so who am I to judge?
Q: Who are your three biggest locks to win gold in Rio?
-- Mike C.
Foley:
1. Abdulrashid Sadulaev, freestyle, 86 kilograms
2. Kaori Icho, women's wrestling, 58 kilograms
3. Jordan Burroughs, freestyle, 74 kilograms
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