Empire State Games on the ropes: Say it ain't so

This summer, I fulfilled a high school goal a a decade after the fact by trying out for and eventually making* the Men's Open Long Island Greco Roman team for the Empire State Games. This year's event, held in lovely Vestal, NY at the State University of New York-Binghamton, gave me an unexpectedly pleasurable opportunity to grapple with a Belorussian menace who gave me the ass kicking of a lifetime (see photo).



Getting ready to tangle with my opponent

In spite of my foray into on-the-mat diplomacy, I had a blast, and really felt like I accomplished something on my bucket list. That's why I was disheartened when I read this on the message boards:

Empire State Games may be downsized
Each participant could be charged $300
By Niki Cervantes

Some sports could be eliminated and others sharply cut for the Empire State Games if organizers have to deal with a “worst case” plan that involves the possibility of no state spending on the annual summer competition.

Young athletes also may soon be required to pay $300 to take part in the Games, a Western New York organizer warned Monday. (link)

I have a hard time arguing, considering current economic pressures, against charging at least some fee to participate. Don't get me wrong, I truly enjoyed the opportunity to get my butt kicked for free, but reality is reality and if charging folks to participate will keep the games going, then I guess you gotta do what you gotta do.

That said, I was shocked when I read this:

Meanwhile, the cut list is long for the Games in the Poughkeepsie area this July. Included is basketball for adults, boxing and sailing for all ages, soccer for adult men and women and softball for adults.

Adult volleyball and wrestling for adults also could be eliminated.

That would be a crying shame. Here's hoping that wrestling stays on the program and that we kick this economic crisis in the ass sooner rather than later.

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*I was like sixth on the ladder, and thanks to various injuries and prior commitments, I got the call two days before the event. I still maintain that I made the team.

A right way and a wrong way

Earlier, I wrote about Swedish wrestler Ara Abrahamian, who upon receiving his bronze medal prompty walked off the podium and left his medal on the mat before the gold and silver medalists were given their awards. While athletes should always place a premium on sportsmanship, I thought this action went a long way in conveying Abrahamian's point.

Well, it turns out that Abarahmian's actions were justified, according to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

Standing in direct contrast to Abrahamian's more restrained yet very powerful post-match actions were those of Cuban Taekwando comptetitor Angel Valodia Matos, who, after a contested call during his Olympic tournament, kicked a referee in the face.



I know you're a tough Taekwando-dude, but fighting your ref won't accomplish anything. In fact, both Matos and his coach, Leudis Gonzalez, earned lifetime bans for their actions.

Now, it appears that Taekwando has caused consternation for a number of athletes at these Olympic Games, as American gold medal favorite Steven Lopez was defeated on a controversial call by Italy's Mauro Sarmiento in the -80kg quarterfinals Friday. Lopez planned to protest.

Regardless of the outcome, he won't get the gold, or hear the anthem as he stands atop the podium, and that's a shame. That said, if he truly cares about the sport, his example could help shape the future of Taekwando. Hopefully, Lopez learns from the examples of Abrahamian and Matos, and takes the higher road.

He didn't kick the ref in the face, so that's a start.

and did we mention...

This nation was built on accepting the world's tired and poor. I'll always have a special place in my heart for immigrants of all types, heck, one gave me my first car:

Slow Ride!

And my admiration for immigrants includes those both legal and illegal. In fact, meeting illegals actually helps you recognize that they are, in fact, real human beings with goals and dreams and families to care for. That's not to say that there aren't a number of fair reasons to vehemently oppose illegal immigration. However, I don't think the proper forum to push one's agenda is a sports article covering an Olympic gold medalist.

That brings me to our very own Henry Cejudo, a twenty-one-year-old 55KG grappler, who snagged the gold medal last night after an impressive tournament where he showed ruthless determination and peerless conditioning to beat the world. Of course, Henry's mom came to America as an illegal immigrant. In all fairness, this is a pertinent fact, as all Olympians with interesting and unique backgrounds are good fodder to fill news columns.

The media certainly agreed:

From the AP

From a pre-Olympics Sports Illustrated piece

[HEADLINE] The son of former illegal immigrants, 20-year-old Henry Cejudo has overcome hardship to become the youngest U.S. wrestling champion in decades. Now he wants to be the best on the planet...

Cejudo, who was born in Los Angeles to then illegal immigrants from Mexico City who met in the U.S., is the toughest wrestler in the room. He's also, by his sport's standards, just a boy -- a few months past his 20th ­birthday -- and the youngest member of the U.S. national team. Last year he lost in the finals of the world team trials to 36-year-old world bronze medalist Sammie Henson, who ­remains his top rival for a spot on the 2008 Olympic squad.

From ESPN.com

Cejudo, the son of illegal immigrants from Mexico who bypassed a college career to try to become an Olympian, assured the United States of winning a freestyle wrestling gold for the ninth consecutive Olympics at which it has competed.

I find the New York Times, to be the worst offender. The Times mentions the fact 3 times, basically celebrating the fruits of illegal immigration in their piece, and crafting the article around the theme:

BEIJING — The American flag landed on the scorer’s table, launched by a family member with exceptional aim. Henry Cejudo grabbed it from his coach and draped it around his body. He stood there for the longest time, fighting back tears, the son of illegal immigrants wrapped in stars and stripes....

Like his mother’s life. Nelly Rico, who came to the United States from Mexico as an illegal immigrant, raised seven children by herself and left Los Angeles with them in the middle of the night to escape the criminal who was the father Cejudo never really knew...

They all wore or waved American flags, an entire family decked in the stars and stripes. A family that started with illegal immigrants and advanced to right here, this moment, their very own gold medalist resting in their lap.

“Only in America,” Cejudo said.

And who says the NY Times harbors any bias?

The proof's in the pudding: even the Times wrestling articles foist the paper's agenda on an unsuspecting readership. I think much more pertinent to the story would be details of Cejudo's work ethic, flawless technique and impeccable conditioning. But leave it to the Times to know better about what their readers must know. There was an interesting thread discussing how the media covered this topic on Themat.com, but things got heated (what else is new) and it's since been pulled.

Only in America!

Photo: Bodoglife.com

Wrestling Shots

Here are some photos of the Great Swedish Greco Debacle

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Sweden's Ara Abrahamian shouts at wrestling officials after a contraversial match decision during his 84 kilogram greco-roman wrestling match against Italy's Andrea Minguzzi at the Beijing 2008 Olympics in Beijing Thursday, Aug. 14, 2008.

A couple black eyes for the sport

I've already wrote about my feelings on the Great Swedish Bronze Rejection, which I can justify. Unfortunately, when my sport is supposed to be in its quadrennial spotlight, we've had some tough stories break this week:

Some sick stuff up in Connecticut

I hate bullies--hence my problem with Col. Voldemort--and this is a classic case of a DB asserting his power over a person in a weaker position...although I do think that Col. V was probably on the receiving end of this type of stuff in high school.

(And by the way, Officer O'B--is there a statute of limitations on this crime? Can a cop be the arresting officer of a perp that committed a crime against them--is that unethical?)

Some bad choices in Nebraska

These guys were plain stupid. Whatever they did is normally their own business. However, being student athletes, there is no excuse--they should have known better than to receive money for this, thus putting their scholarships on the line and screwing their teammates.

GRECO!!!

Swedish Wrestler Tosses Medal

Swedish Wrestler Ara Abrahamian tosses away his Olympic bronze medal after being disqualified in the semifinal round.

By News Video

Thursday, August 14, 2008

During the ceremony, Abrahamian took the medal from around his neck, stepped from podium and dropped it in the middle of the mat before storming off.

IOC officials promised a disciplinary hearing, while the victorious Minguzzi said his celebration had been spoiled. "Certainly one can always question decisions made in the course of refereeing, but in sports it is appropriate to show sportsmanship and accept the results," he said.

When I reffed middle school matches in New Mexico, some parents treated it as if it were the Olympics. In that instance, their overreaction was not justified.

At the Empire State Games, some dudes took it WAY TOO SERIOUSLY. Vestal, New York is a long way from Beijing, 40-year-old dude that takes Greco a little too seriously.

Today, as a reformed referee and Greco afficionado, I'm all for good sportsmanship. However, I do feel that when a guy feels that he gets screwed in the actual Olympics, sometimes you have to make your statement. For example, the US was justified in refusing the silver medal in 1972. Ara probably overreacted a little, but was pretty gangster by walking off the way he did.

In related news, congrats to Adam Wheeler, the lone US Greco competitor to medal. It should be noted that Wheeler graciously accepted his bronze medal with pride during today's ceremony.

The Military: Patron of Athletes when Convenient

Olympian Lt. Col. Dominic Grazioli is all business

Adm. Mike Mullen came out this week to honor our military Olympians, who'll double down on their American service at the Beijing Olympics, representing the stars and stripes in sports from track and field to Greco-Roman wrestling to marksmanship.

This is great, we should all take tremendous pride in our servicemembers; and these military Olympians cast a terrific spotlight on the armed forces.

However, the hypocrisy of our senior leaders again rears its ugly head. Mullen clearly recognizes the value added to public outreach by these elite athletes (including United States Military Academy cadet Stephen Scherer), but the DoD is still out of touch with maximizing its potential on this front.

According to current Army 2nd Lt. Caleb Campbell, a former NFL hopeful with the Detroit Lions after he was drafted in the seventh round out of the USMA, West Point wanted him to play for the Lions. That was before the DoD ripped those dreams from him in a last-minute policy change.

In my opinion, the case of Campbell probably hinged on some well-placed bureaucrat in the Pentagon that had some personal vendetta/motivation and just enough juice to quash Campbell's NFL dreams. Them's the breaks in the military, where one person can hold just enough power to turn the screws. Campbell has since been reassigned as an assistant coach for the gridiron squad of the Black Knights of the Hudson.

While the odds are slim (what am I saying, it will never happen) there's still time to do the right thing. If the DoD can change it's mind on Campbell once, then perhaps in the spirit of the Olympic Games, cooler heads can prevail. Let him play.

That said, the Olympics should be a terrific show, and the perfect opportunity to highlight everything that's great about our nation. Americans should also take pride in our freedoms, particularly as the crackdowns by the Chinese government on the press continue to gain steam(Free FireJoeMorgan.com!) over the coming weeks. We'll be watching.

Represent us well in Beijing, Team USA!

-- Air Force Capt. Eli Bremer, modern pentathlon;
-- Air Force Capt. Seth Kelsey, epee fencing;
-- Air Force Capt. Kevin Eastler, 20-kilometer race walk;
-- Air Force Lt. Col. Dominic Grazioli, trap shooting;
-- Army Staff Sgt. Dremiel Byers, Greco-Roman wrestling;
-- Army Maj. Michael Anti, air rifle;
-- Army Staff Sgt. Keith Sanderson, rapid-fire pistol;
-- Army Pfc. Vincent Hancock, skeet;
-- Army Sgt. 1st Class Jason Parker, air rifle;
-- Army Staff Sgt. Daryl Szarenski, free pistol;
-- Army Spc. Walton Glenn Eller III, double trap shooting;
-- Army Spc. Jeffrey Holguin, double trap shooting;
-- Army Staff Sgt. Libby Callahan, pistol shooting;
-- Retired Army Sgt. 1st Class Bret E. Erickson, trap shooting; and
-- U.S. Military Academy Cadet Stephen Scherer, air rifle.

Campbell Photo courtesy Bleacher Report.com

Biting My Style = Not Cool

You go to my alma mater.

Fine.

You compete in my sport.

Good for you.

You steal my nickname?

Now we've got a problem.

The Empire Strikes Back!

You've read about my return to glory (sort of). You've experienced the thrill of victory (not
really) and giggled at my agony in defeat.

Well, dear readers, it looks like Morgan O'Brien.com gets the last laugh:

It's true that your humble correspondent will represent the 516/631 Island at this year's Empire State Games (I'm a 213-pounder in Greco)! The tournament is Friday, and I'll be sure to file this weekend with all the gory details.

In related news, the LI squad must have been incredibly desperate to extend the invitation, In fact, Morgan's World's hard-hitting investigative team did actually find evidence as to how this roster spot appeared:

Oh, well, the moral of the story is, 11 years later I earned my Empires warmups! You see, showing up truly is half the battle.

Return to Glory (sort of)

During my days at Kirtland Air Force Base, I found myself progressively interested in fighting someone. I can’t put my finger on it—why or how—but I grew increasingly interested in kicking the crap out of someone or something. Unfortunately, this unnamed object of my disdain, for whatever reason (cough…UCMJ...cough) never got it’s comeuppance. Oh, well. What goes around comes around.

Thankfully for me, I was eventually able to find an outlet for this pent-up anger. About a month ago, I decided to fulfill a goal I had set in high school but not yet accomplished. While I’m not ready to become the next Kimbo Slice or Snake Plissken, I would instead try out for Long Island’s Greco Roman wrestling team for a slot to compete at the Empire State Games.

In my wildest dreams, I envisioned a Timothy Ferris-like run through the tournament, where I’d exploit the rules and use my superior intellect and strength to my advantage. Thanks to a couple guys from Eastern Long Island, I was quickly reminded of Suffolk’s superiority in the sport. Everybody's got a game plan until they get punched in the face.

In preparation for the competition, I looked at the weight classes and figured that at 200 pounds, I was going to fit in well at the 213-pound weight class, and if there were only a couple guys at 275, I’d bump up there.

Next, I needed to practice. After a successful run as an assistant coach at Dayton, Ohio’s Chaminade-Julienne Catholic High School, and an enjoyable time as an official in New Mexico three years ago, I hadn’t had much recent exposure to the sport. To be successful, I needed to find an open mat.

Of course, I never did find an open mat. I have to admit, as a guy that hadn’t stepped on the mat competitively in ten years, I accounted for myself well. That is to say, I looked exactly like a guy that hadn’t stepped on the mat competitively in ten years.

I weighed in at a fully clothed 205 pounds (boy, I don’t miss sucking weight). Of course, there were six guys in my weight class and five at 275, so there wouldn’t be any benefit in bumping up. Had I cut a little, to 187, I’d only have had three guys in my class (did I mention that they’d also be thirty pounds lighter? Note to self: I should have cut weight).

My first match was against the powerfully built Anthony Camisa. This barrel-chested chap was the strongest wrestler I’d ever faced—a combination of size (I’d never wrestled above 200 pounds) and superior positioning (he was a standout collegiate wrestler at Albany). I went in thinking that my strength and conditioning would make up for my lack of technique. Camisa was way too strong for that to occur—not exactly the confidence boost I sought in my return to the sport.

True to his Longwood pedigree— as a middle schooler, I used to watch Camisa’s teams compete in epic duals against Sachem; these were the Lange, Phifer, McCoy era Lions—Camisa made quick work of me, snapping me down with a powerful front headlock. While I was overpowered in neutral, my lack of a ground game proved costly, and after a series of side headlocks, I was teched.

The second period was much of the same, and after about three minutes of wrestling, Camisa was on his way to the second round without breaking much of a sweat. I was thankful to leave the mat uninjured, as A.C. could have probably ripped my arms out and beat me with them. I was only half-concerned about this possibility.

In doing research for this piece, I did read in his bio that Camisa is a lawyer. I think he missed his calling as a cement man—or loan shark. Heck, if I was on the witness stand, I wouldn’t want this guy cross-examining me. I also saw that he ran a marathon, I checked, and can proudly report that I beat him by two minutes a mile. After I get my law degree, we’ll call it even (don’t hold your breath).

(Ed. note: I contacted Camisa before posting this, and was informed that he hadn't competed in 11 years. Thanks--now I have to go back to the excuse drawing board and come up with something new.)

Now a quick word on the evolution of Greco. In the sport, grapplers are only allowed to wrestle above the waist. For a lanky guy like me, not having to protect your legs is a Godsend. In 1996, I placed sixth in the NY State Greco Roman tournament in Batavia at 170 or so. In the ensuing decade plus, the sport’s changed immensely, and I think for the better.

A Greco match now constitutes three, two or three minute periods (we wrestled two-minute periods). If a wrestler scores a six-point advantage or a five-point move within the period, the period ends. The first wrestler to win two of the periods gets the win. Every period includes time on the mat (called par terre), which prevents a lot of the slow dancing you used to see in the sport. Points are also awarded for causing your opponent to step out of bounds, which is a great tool if you can move your opponent around.

These improvements make the sport fast-moving and fan friendly and pretty enjoyable. Even the butt-whooping’s are fun to watch (at least that’s what my wife said) and the close, clean matches are enhanced. A great overview of Greco is available here.

My second match came against Shirley’s Jason Perna, who was on last year’s LI ESG team. Against Perna, I wasn’t quite as overmatched in strength (thank God), and was able to work some Russian ties, but was totally outclassed in technique. I lasted longer against Perna, but again my lack of ground game ended the match.

Perna was a quality wrestler, and I wouldn’t want to take anything away from him. I’d love to get another shot after getting some practice in; I think I’d give him a much better match the next time around. And like a golfer that sinks a putt on 18 only to forget the 99 preceding shots of the round, I was able to walk off the mat happy, looking forward to whatever's next.

I entered the day with two goals. First, I sought to burn off some steam, which I definitely did. Second, I wanted to have fun. For all the time I’ve devoted to the sport, it will always possess a special place in my heart. I couldn’t help but enjoy myself. Some guys play softball, I really enjoy the adrenaline burst that comes on the mat.

A quick note—some guys do take sports way too seriously. I mean, we have to work on Monday, don’t punch me in the forehead, ok? Thankfully, I didn’t have to deal with this, but I was put off by a couple fellas out there last weekend.

My only regret is that I didn’t hang around long enough to wear my Chaminade singlet (In my matches, I was always the blue wrestler, not to be confused with the wrestler who blew). Oh, well. There’s always next year.
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Thanks to http://www.longislandwrestling.com/, here are the day’s results:

Greco Results

119 1. Darren Goldstein 2. Jarrell Garcia

128 1.Steve Ketcham 2. Stephen Bonanno 3. Ricardo Gomez

139 1. Aljamain Sterling 2. Silas Murray 3. Jimmy Mustakis

152. 1. John Perez 2. Dave Foxen 3. Junior Amazon

167 1. Gonzalo Farina 2. Eduardo Delgado 3. Dante Rosati

187 1. Stephen Beovich 2. Maurice Henoc 3. Chris Tenny

213 1. Daniel Bittner 2. Anthony Camisa 3. Conor Pryor

275 1. James Sokol 2. Matthew Sykes 3. Manny Matos