Takedown Report

Opinion: A Certified Nerd’s Newfound Appreciation for Wrestling

I’ve never cared about watching sports. I played a few, badly, in elementary and middle school, but even then I couldn’t care less about watching them. In high school, I didn’t go to any games or meets because we didn’t even have sports teams. 
I am in no way a jock: I avoid exercise at all costs, as well as big crowds. My idea of fun is curling up with a mug of hot chocolate and watching the little people on my computer play Dungeons and Dragons.
I didn’t attend any Albion sporting events until this fall when I attended the homecoming football game with my best friend. I had promised I’d go with them – and I wanted to be able to say that I had gone to at least one sporting event while I was in college. 
We were there for 30 minutes before I convinced them to leave with me – I was so bored, and the heat didn’t help.
I attended my second Albion sporting event a few weeks ago with the same friend, but instead of a football game, we went to a wrestling match. My friend has a class with one of the wrestlers, St. Johns junior Christopher “CJ” Krum. It seemed right to attend the first wrestling meet of the semester to support him. 
Krum’s been wrestling since he was five years old when his family got a flier in the mail about a youth wrestling club. “From there, I just fell in love with it,” Krum said. 
Krum preps for a match by listening to music, bouncing around and pumping himself up, adding that success is all about self-confidence. “I’m constantly telling myself ‘you got this, just let it fly,’” Krum said. 
I went with my friend to watch Krum’s match; since he was the last one on the team to wrestle, we stayed for the whole meet. To my surprise, it was a blast. I had much more fun watching wrestling than I’ve ever had watching other sports. 
Why? Because it’s fun to watch people fight. 
Human beings are entertained by conflict and combat: we watch action and fantasy movies with drawn-out fight scenes, eavesdrop on couples arguing in public and gather around a brawl breaking out in the parking lot. There is something both thrilling and safe about watching a fight you aren’t a part of.
The meet was intense; while I knew it was just for sport, every match felt like a fight to the death. … story at … Albionpleiad.com/2024/Certified-nerds-newfound-appreciation-for-wrestling

February 29, 2024 - Posted by The TakeDown Report | Uncategorized