Friday, January 4, 2013

RASSLIN'

Oops, sorry.  I meant Wrestling.  Specifically college wrestling.  I went to a meet in Prescott Valley today.  Not that I'm a big fan of wrestling, though a way back in around 1951 when we first got teevee in North Dakota, wrestling was a big draw on the tube.  Gorgeous George and others of his ilk made us big fans.  What we didn't know was that wasn't real wrestling.  That was show business.

I had an uncle who lived in Minneapolis and he took us to a match once that featured Vern Gagne, who was a great college wrestler at the University of Minnesota and later went on to fame and fortune as a professional wrestler.

But about today.  My new next-door neighbor his KC Rock.  He's the new head wrestling coach at Embry Riddle Aeronautical University, just north of Prescott.  And believe me, he's the real thing.  If you check him on Google you'll find out that he was an All-American and the PAC-10 Tournament's most outstanding wrestler in 2000, when he pinned all four of his opponents.

And by the way, his name really is KC.  I was talking with his wife today and she said when he was born his father had two very good friends, one whose name started with a K and one whose name started with a C.  So the new kid on the block became KC.  Now just as an aside, I think anyone named KC Rock has got to be cool.  But he probably has to know how to defend himself, too.  May be a reason he became a wrestler and a coach.

So there was a nice article in the local paper this morning about the team and about Coach Rock and it said they would be competing right here in my town this afternoon.  So I went and watched them for about an hour or so.  Having never watched college wrestling before it took me awhile to figure it out but when I did it was most enjoyable.  While I was there ER wrestlers won two matches (I think) and maybe lost one or two.  Coach Rock appeared calm most of the time on the sidelines but instructive and I'm probably wrong about the calmness.

By the way, he's got a nice wife, four kids and two dogs and he's a good neighbor.

7 comments:

  1. Sounds like you lucked out in the neighbor department.

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  2. Gorgeous George, that brings back memories. Didn't he have those hair pins that were supposed to have diamonds on the ends?

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  3. NIce blog you have. Over at Old Geezers, we're always on the lookout for sites men can enjoy, and yours will certainly join the group

    Mercurious, at Oldgeezersouttolunch.blogspot.com

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  4. Steve - I don't remember that but it's highly likely! He was a character.

    Geezers - Why, thank you. Your site is now added to my blog roll too.

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  5. A great guy to have as a neighbor. Just don't irritate him!

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  6. I've seen college wrestling, too,and it's NOTHING like the "pro" wrestling you menitoned. That's cool that you have such a nice neighbor and someone who can share his interest with you.

    S

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