Getting Our State Finals Broadcast?

[Dakota Grappler]

I was very disappointed that our State Wrestling Finals were not broadcast again.....

I turned on the television at the hotel and noticed the WDA hockey tournament on TV..... Yes just the WDA not the state finals.....

We need to do something about this.... All other sports get air time.... During region and state.....

Why Wrestling doesn't really makes no sense to me.


Suggestions or comments welcome.

1. Maybe we have to set-up a committee of coaches, fans and sponsors to get this thing done. 2. NDHSAA needs to be contacted and find out how regional hockey gets on and State Wrestling doesn't. (we need specifics). 3. This needs to be done now.

[leglever]

First get a very good spokes person/salesman to get on the agenda and attend the next ndhsaa monthly meetings/the ndhsaa puts up bidding for stations for the rights/stations will need to be convinced that they will have a pretty good viewing audience & sponsorship that is willing to put up the bucks/the duel finals and championship finals would be best, as has been suggested on this board and I think too It would best be suited for TV because otherwise too much wrestling is going on. Find a TV station/ and have the tournament times arranged, suited for a good TV time slot. It will take work but is doable///contact Northern Improvement to be one of the sponsors/and dairy farmers (Milk) etc.

[Lstockert]

Leglever and John:

Would pay-per view Television work? I don't know how this works but perhaps someone else does. Leglever it seems that you have thought about your plan for awhile - what do you think?

LStockert

[leglever]

Jon,
You've opened a wrestling avenue for North & South Dakota/perhaps enough influencial people can go to the SD tournament and see how they do it to get their tournament on TV///Jon, with this board/ you may come up with sponsors for having it on TV//I can get you some .,Other sincere volunteers?

[Dakota Grappler]

I will go to SD's State and ask alot of questions... Maybe I can come back and help get it done for ND.

[leglever]

LStockert
Pay per view? ha ha, but good try!
Maybe in the afternoon on Saturday for the indiv finals and duels would be good//Its worked for football and it wouldn't be an expensive time slot/maybe competeing with tony Dean ? and his pre-recored fishing program?
Kinda of like your pay per view funny/

[smarvin]

I totally agree! I definitely think that at least the finals or all placing matches should be broadcasted in some way or another. I haven't heard how WDA hockey gets their airtime but I am happy for them because they work hard too. I unfortunately had to miss this years tournament and would loved to have watched it live, but settled for watching other peoples video when they got back.

I don't like saying this and it has been brought up before but it goes back to the popularity of the sport. Do you truely think broadcasting the state wrestling tournament would generate enough public interest to warrant state wide broadcast? Not only that but for anything to be on television you need advertising support and usually there has to be at least one big sponsor that will go for it. WDA hockey had Play It Again Sports as a big sponsor along with others, the basketball tournaments I don't remember who but they always have big sponsors I always seem to think of car dealers. Who do you see doing that for wrestling?

It seems as if we are constantly wanting more recognition for our sport, yet struggle to find out why we aren't gaining new athletes. We wonder why there isn't as much hype or buzz about big duals like there used to be. If we look at this site we see probably just as many siblings and parents talking about wrestling as we do the actual wrestlers. If you ask the question who's kids wrestle what is the answer probably nine out of ten times? Kids whose parents wrestled or who started when they were little kids. You don't see too many kids pick up wrestling when they get older or into high school. Also outside of wrestling families, who really knows the rules?

Hockey has taken a long time to catch on with fans and it is finally getting to the point where people know there is more than skating around on ice with a stick and punching other people. So they are on tv now. Wrestling is facing similar obstacles but instead of ice and sticks and punching, its two guys rolling around on each other and getting sweaty. I hate saying that but that is the stereotype we face. My wife still doesn't understand why and how I think it is fun.

So to end my novel I would love nothing more than to see wrestling go on to become televised and more popular. I just don't see it happening until we can show other people that wrestling is more than its stereotype. It is the most fulfilling and demanding sport physically and mentally there is and until we show that to enough people we will just have to do what wrestlers do best be determined and work hard.

[Lstockert]

S Marvin:

Good and valuable insight. I agree.

Leglever:

Are you in the Broadcasting Industry - you sure seem to know your stuf. What can we do here or is this just pie in the sky.

John:
Maybe when you are in South Dakota you could learn how they did it and we can follow.

Lstockert

[gniltserw03]

I'm not even from ND and I was appaled that hockey was on instead. Once again, wrestling getting overshadowed.

I was happy though that on Sunday, Minnesota college wrestling was on. Hey, it's wasn't the ND state championships, but at least it was something!

[wm]

The following paragraphs are from the Feb/March 2003 South Dakota High School Activities Association Newsletter. It is under the headline
TEXT

The South Dakota High School Activities Association took a bold step when they made the decision to switch from KELO Television to little known PAX (News Center 1) to televise high school tournaments.

PAX has proven to be a great supporter of high school activities. They not only provide telecasts of regular season high school sporting events, but also provide us with great musical programming such as All-State Chorus.

The arrangement with PAX provided us with the opportunity to advertise during the tournament telecasts. This is such a perfect ¡§fit¡¨ for us. As Tournament Sponsor for the South Dakota Activities Association we have a great story to tell, not only the banks¡¦s involvement with youth, which is substantial, but also our commitment to all South Dakota communities. ƒæ

Maybe this will be of some small help to get ND's tournament the coverage it deserves. (BTW, the more one gets, the more one wants: this year only our As are getting coverage...and of course as a B fan/parent....I'd sure like to see the Bs televised too)!

[luv2pin]

Great idea, but would take an extreme amount of sponsorship
from some companies. $$$$ TALKS.

[WFfan]

Gums,
Keep up the good work for our sport.

Thank You