Is wrestling a popular sport in this state (Des Moines, Newton: hardwood floor, homes)

[Mathguy]

Originally Posted by NJ Chutzpah

^^^

just curious

how does wrestling rank in popularity compared to the big four or five (if you add soccer)

I grew up in IL near the IA/IL border and wrestling is BIG in Iowa. Football and basketball would be #1 and #2 but wrestling would be #3.

I wrestled in the 1980's, my 2nd cousin was a state Champ in Iowa around that time too.

[thatguy1]

Wrestling is also very popular (amongst fans) in Frisco and Palm Springs.

[pepe1]

I promise you there are areas in Iowa where wrestling is #1. Followed by Football and then basketball.

[Gil3]

Originally Posted by pepe1

I promise you there are areas in Iowa where wrestling is #1. Followed by Football and then basketball.

Definitely..I will also add that I've been a long time admirer, follower of Dan Gable and fan of the Iowa Hawkeye wrestling team. The best of the best!

[griz134]

Iowa has it's own wrestling newspaper. I grew up in Iowa, and now live in Oregon, and am still involved in wrestling as an official. When I tell wrestling folks out here that I grew up in Iowa, they become very interested in learning about the passion Iowa has for wrestling. They can't believe the state finals will sellout over 17,500 tickets, with thousands more wishing they had gotten a ticket. Every session of the state tournament is a sellout. It's also the oldest state wrestling tournament in the nation. The Predicament.com-your ultimate Iowa wrestling source

[pinetar10]

in many high schools in iowa, wrestling is the number 1 sport. Iowa is ranked number 1 and Iowa state is ranked number 3 in the country in collegiate wrestling, so that tells you right there how big wrestling is. MMA is also pretty big in Iowa as many ex-high school and college wrestlers try their hand at MMA fighting.
I don't know if you could find a state where wrestling is more popular than it is in Iowa

[Dport7476]

It's popular here because we dominate the college scene. It's easy to be popular when you are #1. But it's not like kids here are more into wrestling than football or soccer. And no Iowans don't go out into the back yard with the Family and wrestle on Thanksgiving.

[SharpHawkeye]

I get the feeling that some of you guys are almost ashamed that wrestling is popular in Iowa, instead of a more "hip" sport like soccer. Iowa is a big wrestling state. That's the truth, and there's nothing to be ashamed of.

Football, basketball, and wrestling are the three biggest sports in Iowa, both at the high school and collegiate level. The order of those varies from school to school, but at nearly every school in the state--that's the big three. Unless 70 thousand people came to the state soccer finals last year and I missed it.

I wouldn't say that a lot of people are going around and backyard wrestling, but just as fathers and sons toss the old football around sometimes...there's probably some father-son grappling going on around the state.

I'm not sure why it is so popular here. I'm not sure it can be pinned just on Dan Gable, because, although he has raised the profile of the sport, wrestling in Iowa was popular even before he came along.

[thatguy1]

Originally Posted by SharpHawkeye

there's probably some father-son grappling going on around the state.

ISn't that illegal in all 50 states?

[DMRyan]

OK, now I think the importance of wrestling is being over stated by saying that it's the number 1 sport in high schools. 9/10ths of people in Iowa could care less about the sport and would much rather watch an MMA match or certainly football over college wrestling. We probably wouldn't turn down free tickets to a college wrestling match, but we're not tailgating and having universities spend big money in wrestling recruits every year like the more popular sports.

Iowa is a state that is rich with wrestling heritage and tradition. It's not some way of life here that captivates every decent sports fan in the state or something.