IOC TO DROP WRESTLING IN 2020

This is about as bone-headed as it gets.  The International Olympic Committee wants to drop Wrestling beginning with the 2020 Olympics.  First baseball, then softball and now this. Might gosh, what the heck gives?

This is going to be one ugly, passionate fight.  The wrestling community will not take this laying down.  That's a given.  Let's see, the sport has been part of the Games since 640 B.C.  You'd kind of think that it would be safe from this notion.  "This is not the end of the process, this is purely a recommendation", IOC spokesman Mark Adams told reporters after the executive board vote.  "It is the session which is sovereign.  It was a decision to look at the core sports, what works best for the Olympic games.  This was the best program for the 2020 Olympics.  This is not what's wrong with wrestling, but what is good for the Games".  

It might be a headlock now, but just wait

I've been around wrestling for over 25 years (as a researcher for College Wrestling and producer of a Dan Gable documentary) so I think I can give you a pretty good idea of what happens next.  Wrestling, for the most part is an individual sport.  It's man against man.  Best one wins.  You leave it all out on the mat even if you're the inferior one.  Even in losing, you can gain knowledge and strength so the next time the result can be different.  At least that's the premise.  But there is a team element.  And that's what's about to take place.  You're going to see a whole lot of individuals come together.....the stars in the sport like the Dan Gables, Cael Sandersons, John Smiths, Jim Gibbons and Rulon Gardner's, each Olympic Champions from the United States, join hands.  At that's just from the American side.  In all, over 70 countries participate in wrestling in the Olympics.  If you've heard the message, " you ain't seen nothing yet.....get ready......because you ain't seen nothing yet".       .

Here's what I mean.....

"Dan Gable and Cael Sanderson, Olympic wrestling champions and icons of their sport,d awoke Tuesday to the news that wrestling had been dropped from the 2020 Games.  They were shocked , but Gable and Sanderson pledged to fight for a reversal.

"It's obviously one of my worst nightmares", said Gable, the 1972 Olympic freestyle wrestling champion who went on to coach an NCAA wrestling dynasty at Iowa.

Gable said his wife first saw the news early in the morning on an Iowa wrestling message board.  She awoke him and he read a news report on the Internet.  "But I'm what is called a prevention guy", said Gable by phone.  "That's why I'm working on the sport every day.  I haven't been coaching for a long time, but I spend my working hours on the sport.  I'll continue to do that.  Hopefully, it's a major wake-up call that we can work through".

Knowing Gable, he won't be satisfied until he covers every angle.  He is the best there is when it comes to preparation and focus.  This will be a battle for the ages.  I'm taking Gable, despite the all powerful IOC.  That's how much I believe in him.