U.S. wrestlers receive warm welcome in Iran despite tension with Washington

msnbc/AP ^ | Jan 16, 2007

[VeniVidiVici]

(sob) The Iranians are always just so nice to us and we're such big meanies!

[Patrick1]

The Hulkster always gets a round of applause..Hogan Knows Best.

[RexBeach]

"That's right, brother!!!!"

[nuconvert]

"In the last decade, USA Wrestling has competed in Iran six times. It's a competitive necessity, wrestlers said.

"To be the best, you have to wrestle the best -- and a lot of the best guys in the world are over there," said Rich Bender, executive director of USA Wrestling."

more here...
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/01/13/AR2007011301044.html

[Prodigal Son]

This is a bit bizarre, I find. We're on the verge of nuking these guys practically but we still play refereed grab a$$ with them?

[edpc]

The title should be:

Twenty American potential human shields arrive in Iran

[Patrick1]

The Iranian team is coached by none other than the Iron Sheik.

[racing fan]

The title should be:
Twenty American potential human shields arrive in Iran
____________________________________________________

Here we go again. Hostage crisis redux?

[CounterCounterCulture]

Iran, Numba One!!! U.S.A., *hack* *ptooey*!

[RightWhale]

They are not FedGov employees. It's just luck that Iran is such a strong ally of the US$ that this traveling show is perfectly safe.

[keithtoo]

Iran does have some of the best wrestlers in the world and the US team has gone over there several times and has always received a good welcome.

Also, I dont think the average Iranian gives a bleep what the Mullahs and Ahm-a-nut-job say.

[princess leah]

I wouldn't want to take these guys hostage, would you?

[Apercu]

This is Olympic Freestyle & Greco Roman - wrestling the sport - not the fake but real WWF etc.Iran has always had a world class freestyle wrestling program.

[Daaave]

"American battleships can be seen from the city."

[enraged]

"American battleships can be seen from the city."

I thought that was the best line of the story!

[dashing doofus]

W doesn't like wrestlers? What tension with Washington?

[balch3]

why were these people allowed to go to Iran? All it does is promote propaganda.

[Patrick1]

Fake! It is not fake. Wait until one of the Iron Sheiks guys but the Iranian nuclear atomic drops on one of the members of the Great Satan team, I will show you fake.

What you gonna do when the Iron Sheik runs wild on you!!

[Dixie Yooper]

There was a good article about the Iron Sheik shortly after 9/11. He absolutely loves the USA.