Linn-Mar Wrestler

[Bluzmn]

I talked to several high school and NCAA wrestlers this morning down at Wells. Not ONE expressed any reservations about wrestling a girl or having girls wrestle in general. In fact, they were quite supportive of both girls and were openly cheering for Megan Black, as she is the only one that had the opportunity to wrestle today.

I guess I shouldn't find it surprising that our youth are more intellectually advanced than many of their elders.

Amen, JA.

 

[saralyosha]

a. from what I was told by someone close to the situation, it was the parents decision, not so much the young man's.

b. Interesting in how many when it is fundamentalist Christians making an asinine decision, it is heroic or noble, but when it comes to other religions they are just fringe extremists, or called much worse.

c. That decision hurt the team today. That never goes over well in my book.

A. In that case, what you have been told is false. Joel is an extraordinary kid with a vibrant faith. Jamie (his father) left the decision up to him because ultimately it was Joel who had put in days of blood, sweat, and tears to reach his position. For Joel, however, moral integrity and his own firmly-rooted principles trumped his desire to move into the next round in a manner he felt to be inappropriate.

B. Interesting when a clearly thoughtless and ignorant message board junkie named ******* refers to the agonizing decision of a 15 year old to follow his convictions in the face of extreme pressure as "asinine". What Joel did was absolutely noble; he would rather allow someone he could have easily pinned gain 'victory' over him then forfeit his own beliefs about right and wrong behavior. Easy for you to say from behind your keyboard, but I'm willing to bet you've never made a decision in your life that required the guts that Northrup's did.

C. Nobody cares about your "book". Besides, Joel's teammates understood and were fine with his decision. They have never been able to doubt his character or integrity and fully support him. Again, your failure to grasp the main issue is sad and somewhat bizarre.

 

[pumpdog20]

I think you're missing the boat here a bit. I don't think he was trying to prove a point at all. He has a set of beliefs that are more valuable than a state title. That's not proving a point beyond proving to himself that his beliefs are important.

I give the young man a great deal of respect that in a society so motivated by and focused on wins and success, he has taken the road less traveled and followed his beliefs.

Didn't know I was looking for a missing boat. At least you agree that he was trying to prove a point no matter how you chose to re-word it. I even said I agree with him. I was just stating that it might cost him a scholarship if a college coach doesn't agree with him. Is it worth it to him, obviously, so good for him.

 

[Hawkstrat]

As a Christian myself, I'm not sure what principles he is violating by participating in a sport with a girl, he certainly wouldn't be committing violence, but maybe he has a problem with lust, and I don't say that flippantly like some might take it, but maybe he is refusing to wrestle a girl for that reason.

Either way, if he is willing to accept the consequences for his actions, as it appears he is, good for him.

As far as TheJackass is concerned, just a very stupid comment all the way around.

 

[hawkeye12345]

a. from what I was told by someone close to the situation, it was the parents decision, not so much the young man's.

b. Interesting in how many when it is fundamentalist Christians making an asinine decision, it is heroic or noble, but when it comes to other religions they are just fringe extremists, or called much worse.

c. That decision hurt the team today. That never goes over well in my book.

Thanks for your insight Thunder

 

[OnLookin08]

Didn't know I was looking for a missing boat. At least you agree that he was trying to prove a point no matter how you chose to re-word it. I even said I agree with him. I was just stating that it might cost him a scholarship if a college coach doesn't agree with him. Is it worth it to him, obviously, so good for him.

Perhaps we are on the same boat then Must have been mistaken on what you were saying.

My point was simply that some people seem to be making this bigger than what it is. Like he was trying to make a statement about allowing girls to wrestle, which I don't think was the case.

 

[TheJackass]

I guess you told me.

I stand by what I said...

...and you may want to close up ranks with the rest of team in attendance today, because they are not all sticking with the Company Line.

 

[OnLookin08]

a. from what I was told by someone close to the situation, it was the parents decision, not so much the young man's.

b. Interesting in how many when it is fundamentalist Christians making an asinine decision, it is heroic or noble, but when it comes to other religions they are just fringe extremists, or called much worse.

c. That decision hurt the team today. That never goes over well in my book.

Addressing B....

I don't know that bringing out and comparing words like fundamentalists, extremists, etc. really applies to this situation. I find it sad that we have gotten to a point that when someone stands by their beliefs it is extremist. Is the man who doesn't steal or cheat on his wife an extremist? Should I hit on my neighbors wife just to prove I'm not a fundamentalist Christian? Stupid examples, I know. But really? It's not as though he walked out on the mat with a shirt reading "women should be in the kitchen."

Give the kid a break that in a society so concerned with results and success, he decided to stick with his beliefs. The kid has worked his tail off to be in that situation. It was his choice and he made it.

 

[GravyJones]

C. Nobody cares about your "book". Besides, Joel's teammates understood and were fine with his decision. They have never been able to doubt his character or integrity and fully support him. Again, your failure to grasp the main issue is sad and somewhat bizarre.

That's not what I've been hearing from some extremely reliable sources.

 

[GrandpaHawk]

You could make a argument for both sides but the real question is why does she even want to wrestle.What is she gaining by wrestling. I guess I'm old fashion also.

 

[KWOODHAWK]

The reason it was the right decision is because he stood up for what he believes in. I'm guessing there are things that you would do, or refrain from doing, that require a sacrifice.

That doesn't make it the right decision. The Nazis stood up for what they believed in, and so do the KKK. Doesn't make them right in standing up for what they believe in. There are all kinds of groups everywhere that stand up for their own beliefs and that doesn't make them right.

And there are religous groups everywhere that have all sorts of strange and exotic beliefs that they believe in and just because they stand up for them doesn't make them right.

In the Russian Orthodox Church they don't have pews to sit on as they believe it is sacrilegous to sit while in the presence of God, yet we sit in pews in Church. Who's right? Just because you have a "different" belief and stand up for it doesn't mean it is the right decision.

The kid had the freedom to make a choice and he exercised that freedom. No problem with his choice....either way. No way to know if it was the "right" choice or not. It was simply "his" choice.

 

[CRwrestling]

Well he'll get his 15 minutes of fame out of this. Some day he'll regret his decision. The girl qualified for the meet the same way he did, and he essentially spit in her face. She was a competitor. I wonder if he'd forfiet to Robles b/c he shouldn't combat those w/ dissabilities, or when he's a senior I'm sure he'll forfeit against any freshman b/c he shouldn't combat kids that much younger than him. I don't feel sorry for him one bit.

Alot of people I've read try to compare it to boys playing high school volleyball. stupid. A boy doing well on a girls team is not extraordinary. Girls doing well in a boys sport is.

I hope next season every team weighs in a girl to go out and pick up 6 points against Linn Mar in their dual. His teammates have every right to be mad at him. He just backed down to an opponent. Period.

 

[ICAlumni]

Believe whatever you want, but the kid made the right decision.

Wow - you're an idiot

 

[ICAlumni]

The reason it was the right decision is because he stood up for what he believes in. I'm guessing there are things that you would do, or refrain from doing, that require a sacrifice.

********. It had nothing to do with his "religious" beliefs... that was a ******** cop out.
He didn't want to lose to a girl, pure and simple.

I wrestled girls in high school. So what... go beat them. It's just another match.

To pull some ******** excuse about it being a religious thing and to say that wrestling is combat is weak... last time I checked, we have women involved in combat as well.

 

[ICAlumni]

The problem as I see it is that in order to win you have to kick a girl's butt and embarass her. Not cool in my book.

BTW I don't think that today's youth might be smarter but that has nothing to do with right and wrong.

I'm sure she'd appreciate your sentiment. I bet that's exactly how she views it and is the reason she started wrestling in the first place. Get a clue.

 

[saralyosha]

Sometimes it is shocking to me how delusional some people are. A kid goes against the grain to do what he felt was right and simething that was agonizingly hard for him -- I guess I should have figured the fringe lunatic crowd would pipe in with their two or three cents of derision and backward thinking.

CRwrestling: Joel forfeiting the match is like "spitting in her face" -- is that a joke? He specifically stated that he has profound respect for the two who qualified. He allowed her victory rather than go against his beliefs. He gave her victory even when it could have easily been his. Both Cassy and her father released statements praising Joel for his courage and conviction.

ICAlumni: if you think Northrup was scared of losing than you too are delusional. He is 35-4 and she's something like 20-14. The kid is a legitimite stud and would have dominated. Saying that his spiritually-motivated decision was a cop-out does nothing but reveal your igorance about who thr kid is: genuine as they come, respectful, self-contained. Yet sure enough, tools like you and CRwrestling want to bash him. Unbelievable.

 

[ICAlumni]

Sometimes it is shocking to me how delusional some people are. A kid goes against the grain to do what he felt was right and simething that was agonizingly hard for him -- I guess I should have figured the fringe lunatic crowd would pipe in with their two or three cents of derision and backward thinking.

CRwrestling: Joel forfeiting the match is like "spitting in her face" -- is that a joke? He specifically stated that he has profound respect for the two who qualified. He allowed her victory rather than go against his beliefs. He gave her victory even when it could have easily been his. Both Cassy and her father released statements praising Joel for his courage and conviction.

ICAlumni: if you think Northrup was scared of losing than you too are delusional. He is 35-4 and she's something like 20-14. The kid is a legitimite stud and would have dominated. Saying that his spiritually-motivated decision was a cop-out does nothing but reveal your igorance about who thr kid is: genuine as they come, respectful, self-contained. Yet sure enough, tools like you and CRwrestling want to bash him. Unbelievable.

Yeah, if in doubt, pull the religion card and no one can condemn it. If he was a legitimate stud and would have dominated then he should have. Don't give me some ******** about combat and not being comfortable. I wrestled for 10 years. I wrestled girls. Treat them like everyone else and compete - that's all they want. Of course they praised his decision... what were they going to do, come out and rip him and make themselves look bad like he did? Please... they were taking the high ground.

 

[OnLookin08]

Yeah, if in doubt, pull the religion card and no one can condemn it. If he was a legitimate stud and would have dominated then he should have. Don't give me some ******** about combat and not being comfortable. I wrestled for 10 years. I wrestled girls. Treat them like everyone else and compete - that's all they want. Of course they praised his decision... what were they going to do, come out and rip him and make themselves look bad like he did? Please... they were taking the high ground.

You speak as if you hold the answer. What makes your opinion better than his? You wrestled for 10 years? Congrats. This kid is 15 and has wrestled that long. The difference between him and you, apparently, is that he has a set of beliefs and morals that will carry him through life. I say this because an apparent grown person, with 10 solid years of wrestling experience mind you, finds it appropriate to write expletive latent posts about a young man who made a very difficult decision based on his beliefs. People like Joel give me hope in a world that includes people like you (in the way you represent yourself here). Luckily you're the minority. It's a sport buddy, get over yourself.

 

[oregonhawkeye]

Will someone please articulate the "belief" or "moral" that was upheld by this kid in not participating in the wrestling match?

 

[ICAlumni]

You speak as if you hold the answer. What makes your opinion better than his? You wrestled for 10 years? Congrats. This kid is 15 and has wrestled that long. The difference between him and you, apparently, is that he has a set of beliefs and morals that will carry him through life. I say this because an apparent grown person, with 10 solid years of wrestling experience mind you, finds it appropriate to write expletive latent posts about a young man who made a very difficult decision based on his beliefs. People like Joel give me hope in a world that includes people like you (in the way you represent yourself here). Luckily you're the minority. It's a sport buddy, get over yourself.

No, I speak as if I have an opinion. It's what we all do. It's a forum - we are typing on keyboards. You don't know anything about me and you don't know anything about my morals. You shouldn't be "worried about a world with people like me" you should be worried about a world filled with old fashioned values of female fragility, inequality and acting like sports are some sort of violent war-like act. They are nothing like war. They are a competition. The girl wants to compete. Can you imagine what she goes up against on a daily basis, can you imagine what kind of gaul she needs to go through this? Can you imagine the things people say about her? To do what he did demeans her commitment, disrespects her as a (young)woman and as a co-competitor. If you want to be a wrestler... wrestle. Take on all comers. Be an athlete. Be a man.