Enter The Gladiators
Gladiators were the champions of yore. Cunning heroes of muscular physique, they faced off one-on-one in public arenas before thousands of spectators. That was millenia ago. We have no gladiators today. But I've always thought wrestling to be a sport that harkened back to the roots of human contest.
It's been my favorite sport on some levels for a number of reasons: it was one sport I didn't stink at in gym class, it builds strength as well as strength of character and practically anyone can participate. I've seen wrestlers who were deaf, blind, legless or in other ways handicapped . . . kids too heavy or too small for other competitive sports . . . even girls (and some were very good).
I made sure both my boys wrestled competitively when they were growing up, although I'm not sure it will be something they thank me for later in life. My brother who also wrestled said every time he stepped on the mat, it was like a real fight once the whistle blew. It’s a hard sport for mothers to watch their sons compete in as well. The hardest, according to my wife Wendy, who said I was welcome to quote her saying so.
While attending wrestling meets, I noticed many competitors wore t-shirts with inspirational messages. So I began writing down and saving them. As a tribute to the sport of wrestling, here are some of the better ones:
It's not a game, and we don't play.
It's not how good you are, it's not how bad you are. It's how bad you want it.
All it takes is all you've got.
The team goes to battle. You must win the war.
It's not the size of the dog in the fight, but the size of the fight in the dog.
I'd rather have wrestled and lost, than to have played basketball and dribbled in my shorts.
Wrestlers have 'em. Others play with them.
I'm a wrestler. Pain is my business. And business is good.
posted by Big Dave T @ 3:38 PM
6 Comments:
Business is funny, too. Great t-shirts. I have three wrestlers in my classes; I can hardly wait to see it they've ever heard of these. I hope not. They'll be impressed.
Hi Dave, what about Greco Roman wrestling as in the Olympic games, are you one of the 3 people in the world that understand this one?
As for the more normal form, it's been given such a bad press by the actors on TV Wraslin' that most folk here don't buy it.
Different subject, you asked about the dangers of roadtrains, I hope you saw Cliff Morrows comment, the drivers are indeed skilled but "the best laid plans..." we have a huge fleet of "B Doubles" which is a tray truck (BIG) with a close coupled trailer behind it, also a handful to drive I'm told, and our latest configuration is a "B Triple", I've not seen one yet but assume it's a B Double with an second trailer.
I guess like most of us you have had the joy of reversing a car and trailer, you should see drivers reversing the Monsters, although I believe even the best don't reverse roadtrains.
what about the sign on the ceiling above the mat that read's"IF YOU CAN READ THIS YOUR IN TROUBLE"
your brother must be pretty tough
Fortunately for me we didn't have wrestling in my high school. My dog was not a good fighter.
I love the sayings. . .they're priceless. True wrestling is a very honorable sport.
As for my little Roman son, I think I'd rather watch him play bocce ball.
Wrestling is, indeed, a character building sport. There have been several girls on our local team and they do quite well!
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