Free Republic

1 hour ago • By STEVE BATTERSON, sbatterson@qctimes.com (0) Comments IOWA CITY --- When two-time defending NCAA champion Penn State rides into Carver-Hawkeye Arena tonight, Tom Brands is looking for a different type of rodeo. The top-ranked Nittany Lions handled the third-ranked Hawkeyes a year ago, winning 22-12 at home and the Iowa wrestling coach expects an improved approach from his team in today’s 8 p.m. clash between the only remaining unbeaten teams in Big Ten action. “The number one thing we need to do is fight,” Brands said. As an example, Brands points to a 174-pound match in last...

WWE is saddened to learn of the passing of Brad Armstrong, 51, one of four sons of “Bullet” Bob Armstrong. Brad Armstrong last participated in the ring for the ECW brand in 2006. WWE understands that Brad saw his physician last week for a medical issue and was found unresponsive this morning. WWE extends its sincerest condolences to the entire Armstrong family.

Niskayuna native Jeff Blatnick, who overcame cancer to win an Olympic gold medal, has died from cardio-pulmonary arrest. He was 55 years old. Blatnick took home the gold in Greco-Roman wrestling in 1984.

Who are the richest wrestlers in the world? For anyone whose parents say you’ll never make any money learning to take a folding chair to the face, immediately show them this list.

As a wrestling fan, I'm pretty sure I prayed for this to happen a couple dozen years ago and now that it's happened...I couldn't be more excited. And thank God America's White Boy discovered this amazing video so I can cross another item off my bucket list. Apparently, over the weekend, wrestling legend George "The Animal" Steele threw out the first pitch at a Rochester Red Wings game. No big deal, right? Well, fans of the Triple-A affiliate of the Minnesota Twins got exactly what I would've hoped for from the 75-year-old WWE Hall of Famer.

STAMFORD, CONNECTICUT, May 9, 2012, (LifeSiteNews.com) – WWE wrestling superstar C.M. Punk strikes an aggressive pose inside the ring, but it seems he saved his hardest blows for supporters of the traditional family. On Monday, the grappler told his Twitter followers he opposed North Carolina’s constitutional amendment to define marriage as the union of one man and one woman, which passed in a landslide on Tuesday. One of his followers responded, “Man was meant for woman, and even the thought of homo’s make me sick.” Punk then replied, “Kill yourself.” He told another supporter of the nuclear family to “drink...

Penn State successfully defended its title Saturday night before a boisterous record-breaking crowd of 18,819 in the 82nd annual NCAA wrestling championships at Scottrade Center. The Nittany Lions, who finished the final session with three undefeated champions and a pair of runners-up, wrapped up the title with 143 points, beating out Minnesota (1171/2). It was the third national title for Penn State, which received championship performances four-time All-American Frank Molinaro (33-0) at 149, David Taylor (32-0) at 165 and Ed Ruth (31-0) at 174. Nico Megaludis (second at 125), Quentin Wright (second at 184) and Dylan Alton (third at 157)...

A Newark man died after a tussle with a former high school wrestler he tried to rob early Saturday, NBC New York has learned. Law-enforcement sources told NBC New York that 30-year-old Gian Davis approached two men near Bloomfield Avenue at about 1:15 a.m. and asked for change. When the men said "no," he then asked to borrow a cell phone, grabbed it and tried to run off with it, sources said. One of the men lunged to get the phone back and Davis put him in a headlock, according to sources. Then, sources say the other man, a former...

Hulk Hogan isn't buying into Obamamania anymore. The wrestling legend appeared on “Fox and Friends” on Thursday and explained why he’s no longer a fan of the president. “I was a big Obama supporter and kinda, like, believed everything he said he was gonna do,” said Hogan. "But now that nothing’s happened,” he said he's had a change of heart. Hogan also said he was bothered when Obama borrowed his theme song, “Real American,” to make his entrance at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner earlier this year. (While the song played, an image of Obama’s birth certificate flashed on screens...

The Pac-12 appears to be working out the final details of a deal that would bring Texas, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State and Texas Tech to the conference, sources close to the situation told Hookem.com and the American-Statesman on Sunday morning.

Just heard the news - killed in car crash in Florida ...

Pro wrestling superstar Randy "Macho Man" savage died after having a heart attack while driving his Jeep Wrangler, TMZ reports. The accident happened in Tampa Bay, Fla. according to Savage's brother, Lanny Poffo. He told TMZ the accident happened Friday morning when Savage lost control of his vehicle.

Legendary wrestler Randy Savage, known to fans as "Macho Man," died in a car accident in Tampa, Fla., on Friday, according to TMZ. He was 58. According to the Florida Highway Patrol, Savage was driving his Jeep Wrangler when he veered across a concrete median, through oncoming traffic, and "collided head-on with a tree." He was transported to Largo Medical Center, where he died. Savage's wife of one year, Lynn, was a passenger but sustained only minor injuries, according to TMZ.

Macho Man Randy Savage -- one of the greatest wrestlers of all-time -- died today in a car accident in Tampa, Florida ... TMZ has learned. TMZ spoke with Randy's brother, Lanny Poffo, who tells us the wrestling legend suffered a heart attack while he was behind the wheel around 9:25 AM ... and lost control of his vehicle. Earlier this month, Savage celebrated his 1-year anniversary with his new wife Lynn. Savage was 58. Macho Man began wrestling in the WWF in 1985 and became a superstar with his trademark catchphrase "Ooooooh Yeaahhhhh." UPDATE: Florida Highway Patrol tells TMZ...

The official sport of the "new normal" recently held its annual championships in Philadelphia. Think of college wrestling as the athletic version of an austerity program. Wearing almost nothing, coached by men who make next to nothing, and with no hope of professional careers because they don't exist, 34 competitors in each weight class arrived on the mats of the NCAA tournament. Of course, all but one in each of the 10 weight classes left disappointed. As consolation prizes, many received significant facial bruising and at least one, defending champion Darrion Caldwell of North Carolina State, a dislocated shoulder. Was...

He's got Mike Tyson's scowl, Mr. T's hair -- and the body of a third-grader. Eight-year-old wrestling champ Steve "Stevo" Poulin also has 6 million online fans. "He's a peewee icon," marveled his dad, Steve Poulin, whose video of Stevo tossing around opponents like dolls became a YouTube sensation last week. "There are other kids as good as him, but none has his personality," the proud pop boasted. The clips show Stevo, the reigning state champion in his age group after he won the title in New York City March 5, sporting a purple mohawk, grimly shaking the hand of...

Around Washington, D.C., if you mention Iowa, the first thing that will pop into most people's minds is "caucuses." But in Iowa, if you asked a local about the matchups, he'd most likely assume you were talking about wrestling. That's right, the non-metaphorical, sweaty, rough-and-tumble on the mat sort of wrestling. This year's Iowa state championships attracted attention nationwide when the promising high school sophomore Joel Northrup (the fifth-ranked wrestler in the state) defaulted on his first match. He had drawn Cassy Herkelman, a female freshman, as his opponent, and he could not, in good conscience, wrestle a girl. Northrup's...

It's so easy to look at teenagers in general today and sigh. They're more than a bit lazy, a bit spoiled and more than a bit morally compromised. Two teenagers made national news. One showed common decency and sportsmanship, two virtues seemingly uncommon in that generation. Hope is restored. Sixteen-year-old wrestler Joel Northrup faced a dilemma when he was scheduled to wrestle Cassy Herkelman, one of only two girls to make it to the state tournament. Even though he entered with a 35-4 record, Northrup forfeited rather than violate his religious principles. Cassy's father, Bill Herkelman, praised the Northrup family:...

When my friend posted a link to the story of Joel Northrup — the 16-year-old Iowa wrestler who defaulted rather than wrestle a girl, Cassy Herkelman, in a state tournament last week — I was floored when my athletic, competitive friend said she had “mixed emotions” about his decision. I imagine this friend, had she pursued wrestling and not track and field in high school, would’ve wanted the opportunity to wrestle. Even if it meant competing against the boys. My reaction to this story was decidedly unmixed. I think Joel should have wrestled Cassy. Not that I don’t get some...

I received an e-mail the other day in response to the witness of the young man in our church who wouldn’t wrestle a girl at the state wrestling tournament, thus forfeiting a chance at winning his weight class. When I tried to respond my e-mail came back. Thats when the idea came to me to make this a teachable moment and answer publically. I will change his name, and chose not to even use his initials because they are B.S. and that would be too suggestive. Instead we will call him Mr. F.E. Minist .His words will be in italics...