So important to have those rankings out there for all to see and not behind a paywall.
Iowa High School
- Thread starter Drake__Mallard
- Start date
So important to have those rankings out there for all to see and not behind a paywall.
Come state tourney time, listen to and read what they put out. I stand by what I said. Going to Sioux City is probably an acknowledgment that they need to do better, so for that, good on them.
The free market in action.
You don’t have the time but somebody else needs to take the bullet and carry a full time job plus do aspects of this for free?
You’re kind of making the point for the “paying” here. A lot of time goes into this. Just because it’s something “f**” doesn’t lessen that. I don’t know about Tony but I know my wife would be much more understanding of my wrestling addiction if I was making a buck from it.
I'd say your experience with IA Wrestle is very limited. They've done two major (for Iowa HS) events in Sioux City recently. They've been over to Jefferson to video freaking wrestle offs during the pandemic of a bunch of club kids. I get it, you want it for free. Hopefully someone can come along and provide that service for you.
As for all this, hook the casual fan stuff... I hardly think a lot of people go all in on wrestling because the predicament gave away free rankings. If people sour on wrestling because they now have to pay for HS rankings, they weren't likely going to be major customers of wrestling anyways.
1. Rankings arent easy, but rankings along are not a full time job
2. I've never said they have to. They dont.
3. Rankings are nothing more than a list of who is good. By putting out rankings, it can develop interest and make people want to dive deeper, thereby bringing more people in. If having the rankings free to everyone brings down subscription numbers that much, than it only proves that the rest of their stuff has almost no value and Im not going to pay 10 dollars for rankings when it used to be free and was better. Im sure someone will come along though and be a big hit and IAwrestle will be gone because they did nothing to create any loyalty.
I actually have no problem paying for something. I subscribe to plenty, but Im not convinced this is good for wrestling.
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My plan is to pay $10 (or whatever it cost) to watch Iowa wrestle at the Rokfin duals and then check out the Iowa high school rankings and maybe peak in at Willie's rankings and then cancel the 'scription at the end of the month. Sounds like a win (to me). No idea who actually gets my money, but if I'm buying Tony, Willie, and Coach Brands a beer with that $10 and I get to watch Iowa wrestle some duals then it's definitely worth it (to me).
Tony Hager (@hagertony) Tweeted:
Two idiotic statements Mr. Mallard.
IAwrestle has had a paywall for two years. How dare you use Schultz to push your agenda.
Oh and no other sport ranks 500 individuals. Must of beat this dude in AAU districts. #hatersgonnahate https://t.co/pjPgIcZSUc
Hahaha I guess he cant take the criticism.
Two idiotic statements Mr. Mallard.
IAwrestle has had a paywall for two years. How dare you use Schultz to push your agenda.
Oh and no other sport ranks 500 individuals. Must of beat this dude in AAU districts. #hatersgonnahate https://t.co/pjPgIcZSUc
Hahaha I guess he cant take the criticism.
Your post is not criticism it is false statements. I hear you on wanting them to be free because that is the way it has been. Maybe that is why the Predicament decided not to continue.
This is the type of thing I was talking about. What a chicken crap move. Jump on a completely different media and post a message like that? Total lack of class and integrity. How hard is it to post here (he has an account…at least one…) and respectfully disagree? This is why they will always be a sideshow act instead of legit media.
How is it false? IAwrestle came in as an alternative and then once thepredicament went downhill it went behind a paywall. Hey, I get the need to make money, but is everything going behind a paywall for the best? Is it even a solid long term strategy? Id want to know how dependent rankings are to the subscription format. For years, across the country even, there have been rankings available for free but now its impossible?
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From what I gathered looking around, in PA the ranking service is PA Power Wrestling (PPW). Their rankings are both behind a paywall and circulated through a news outlet “Lehigh Valley Live” which I was able to look at for free. So there’s that business model if someone were interested.
But man… how else can you make money from it? The hours conducting those ranking is time they will never get back that they could have spent with their kids.
I’m asking honestly, for I really don’t know? 🤷♂️ how the hell is one compensated reasonably in wrestling media?
It really sucks man. Priority one is to grow it. I mean hell, there are several multi-million dollar outlets that coexist creating baseball, football, basketball, etc. content… how did they get their sport there? What did they do to make the general public on a national scale, fans of their sports? No one can convince me that there is no national appeal for something like wrestling to catch on that way. I am a huge multisporter fan and advocate for people who want to play multiple sports… because I was raised working my ass off at multiple sports. Anyways, I’ve been to the state tournaments in Iowa for basketball, track, football, volleyball and baseball…. And none of them hold a candle to the electricity in the air at state wrestling. Why is this? It’s not just because we are Iowans. What is it that we as Iowans did to make wrestling a great example of how appealing it actually can be to fans?
Well, part of it for those other sports is that their professional leagues have been staples of network television for a long time. Wrestling has never moved the needle but its also never really had the chance. Hell, how many years has our NCAA tourney even been a sell out event? I dont think its been that long, right? Then, combine that with rules that are confusing to the uninitiated, it makes sense that we arent a prime time sport.
That’s always what I have said actually… I’ve always believed that wrestling became a norm and way of life in Iowa because somewhere along the lines, the fans and wrestlers alike learned the rules….
I think that is a huge part of it… and I always scour my brain…. How did Iowa make that Happen?
It was marketed properly? Get people in the door, encourage offense, and win a lot. Thats enough to keep people coming back.
Mallard I’m just curious…did you just recently find IAwrestle this month?
If so then I get some of these statements. IAwrestle has been around for nine years and we have had a paywall for almost three years. Has zero to do with Predicament.
If so then I get some of these statements. IAwrestle has been around for nine years and we have had a paywall for almost three years. Has zero to do with Predicament.
No. I have been aware of it from the beginning.
I just dont buy that. When you started those rankings were free. Why? Because you were competing for traffic with thepredicament, right? It would have been impossible to get that without providing it free. You presented yourself as an alternative, sucked in all the diehards and then threw up a paywall as soon as you could. Good for you for making a profit... but unfortunately, someone new to the sport doesnt have that easy access anymore and has no way to test the waters. I would consider it a net loss. I have to assume Wyatt Schultz would have wanted to keep thepredicament going had IAwrestle not come along.
I would be more than happy to pay for access if it is worth it. Hell, I might check it out this month, but I sure as hell dont have to like how it came about, and frankly, I feel no brand loyalty to IAwrestle because I know they made it harder for 90% of the people to follow whats going on.
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We made it happen partially by having fewer entertainment alternatives and a lack of professional sports in the state.
We made it happen partially by having fewer entertainment alternatives and a lack of professional sports in the state.
Interesting
Interesting
I was given the choice to root for the Vikings or wrestle. Sp I put on a singlet and kept booing Franny T. Lol
But seriously… high school wrestling was popular in rural Iowa since back in the day before my time. A good dual with a rival school was as good as it got. Especially if it came down to the reel heavies…
My favorite time of year was looking at The Predicament's initial HS wrestling rankings. I can see how not having free HS rankings will negatively affect the sport in Iowa. I can also see why someone who put in so much effort would want to be compensated. However, yes there are casual fans who looked at the rankings and decided to go to certain meets because of them (aka spending money on high school wrestling). Those are actually the fans I consider die hards (paying for premium info doesn't make you a better fan in my book). The Predicament will be sorely missed.
The IWCOA is doing the Dual team rankings (as often shown on the Predicament), maybe after they get their footing with a new website, they can be talked into individual/tournament rankings (optimistic thinking I am sure, but why not ask?)
I know a number of parties tried to purchase the Predicament from Wyatt's widow, but I believe that she's has decided that Wyatt will be the last owner of the Predicament, it was certainly his passion to move wrestling forward and he spoiled us with a ton a free content over the years, and while I don't subscribe to IA Wrestle, I don't fault them, it isn't cheap to chase wrestling around the state, something needs to put gas in the tank and nacho's in the belly....
I know a number of parties tried to purchase the Predicament from Wyatt's widow, but I believe that she's has decided that Wyatt will be the last owner of the Predicament, it was certainly his passion to move wrestling forward and he spoiled us with a ton a free content over the years, and while I don't subscribe to IA Wrestle, I don't fault them, it isn't cheap to chase wrestling around the state, something needs to put gas in the tank and nacho's in the belly....
How do we spark something in the rural towns in the other states? I mean, all it takes is a spark for something to catch fire if the material is flammable. Wrestling is flammable… the hottest sport in the world to those who learn it and know it.
I can’t believe that I am publicly disclosing this right now… but really, who’s it hurting if people know this? No one. The Predicament is gone.
So one day, Wyatt called me and asked if he and I could meet up at my house in Mepo and I was like, “sure! What about?!” He wouldn’t tell me.
So he gets to my house and we have a nice discussion like we always did and then there was a pause and his eyes watered and he said he had something very important to ask me. And I was confused and replied, “ok?” And he explained that he can’t run The Predicament forever and that he felt like he only had about a half year left of keeping it going. And then he said he thought long and hard about what to do with it and that he felt like it would prosper if I were to take over it after him. And he asked, with tears in his eyes, “will you take over The Predicament after me? It is a very important thing to me.”
And I sat there, wanting to crawl in a hole, I felt so bad…. I had just started The Pin Doctors two days before that and he didn’t know about it.
In my life, I don’t know if I have ever felt more awkward. And he was very upset that I did that.
I talked to him one time after that… I had seen him around, but had a difficult time approaching him because I knew he was upset with me about The Pin Doctors… which had gotten off to a very fast start. Anyways, the last time (and only time) I ever talked to him since that day was when my brother Brennan walked off the mat after winning his first NAIA Championship… I picked up Brennan in my arms and was carrying him, celebrating… when I sat him down, someone tapped me on the shoulder and it was Wyatt and he had tears streaming down his face and he gave me a huge hug and said, “I just couldn’t be more happy for you guys right now.”
The Predicament meant the world to him. If I hadn’t started The Pin Doctors when I did, it would still exist today.
Dang dude. That makes me feel all sorts of ways. That guy did a lot for this sport in Iowa. I hope we can all keep his legacy alive.
Thanks for sharing. I'll just say I can't wait for The Pin Doctors to release their high school rankings 😉
The Pin Doctors sure is getting a lot of PUB here on HR lately. 
It's $9.95 per month and well worth it. I only subscribe Nov - March so the $50 is worth it. Dude's gotta make something for his efforts. RIP to Wyatt Shultz as well - he gave back everything to high school wrestling. Legend
Pro wrestling was big. I remember going to an event in Sioux City.
High school duals were really exciting back in the day. Communities came out to support their team.
$60 per… I think I’m gonna start doing that, but I want the schools to get their money’s worth. I’m gonna put them in the directory AND will post an article consisting of the youth tourney, the form and history about the program/home of the youth tourney…. If I post something ONLY about youth tourneys, no one will be interested in reading it unless they have a kid wrestling. If I include history of the program, someone may notice their uncle Bob being mentioned and next thing you know, they are sharing it and in turn, someone with a kid who does wrestle may come across it. I’m pretty sure The Predicament just posted a directory. I wish I would have thought of this when I was there… would have helped Wyatt out a bit.
IAwrestle providing that directory for free is EXTREMELY generous of them. I wouldn’t do it.
Got some interesting stories about that. Will post when I get off work.
Ok so Nelson’s first ever AAU State Tourney was when he was in 6th grade. … he had wrestled like at a youth tourney or two before it but that was it…. I think he only had one loss in his career ever coming in. Brennan had Nelson 2nd round. He beat him 18-3 in that match…. Nelson wrestled all the way back to the placing rounds. Brennan got beat by Gable Sieperda in the semis and he had to face Nelson again…. The kid took us into OT…. We teched him like he was nothing the day before and somehow that kid learned how to counter everything Brennan did to him the day before. In OT, Brennan took Nelson down to his back and Nelson got pissed and screamed at the top of his lungs and quit… when the ref called the pin it got real quiet for everyone was worried about how Terry would respond. And there was one voice that everyone could hear plain as day, that screamed, “NELSON!!! DONT YOU EVER, EVER QUIT!!!”
Guess who it was that screamed that?! Lol his mom did. It wasn’t Terry. I never saw him come close to having a meltdown like that in a match again.
Nelson Brands and Drew Foster were the quickest kids I have ever seen in my life when it came to making adjustments.
Nelson’s cheering section was so big, so loud that I had to explain to Brennan afterwards why they were cheering for Nelson and that it wasn’t because they all hated him.
They were around the same weight every year from then until now and only met one other time. They met first week of the season at the Indee Invite and Nelson gave Brennan the worst loss of his career. Beat him 16-9 and the match went viral. Brennan only had one D1 School show interest in him in HS and they cut communication after that match. That was the only loss of Brennan’s Senior season until the state finals and we were real butthurt that out of all the great matches that he wrestled that year and other years, THAT match had to be the one that everyone saw… He signed at Graceland to play football because he didn’t get any responses to his emails from any D1 coaches… so he was done with wrestling at the time and very bitter about how it ended…. And look where it led him?! Lol, it’s funny how time sorts things.
Not picking sides. But the media is a lot different now versus the days of the Predicament rankings. Hagar has a lot of good content on his platform. The P has been an afterthought for some time now. Other than the rankings they had very little in the later years
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