Sunday, May 06, 2012
No Holds Barred: Coach George Hero; Suicide of Former NFL Star Junior Seau and the Combat Sports
On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman speaks with Coach George Hero, the legendary coach and founder of the Midwood High School wrestling team in Brooklyn, New York.
At MidwoodMania III on April 21, the 54-year-old Coach Hero returned to the mat once again and scored a third-period pin over an opponent three decades his junior, former NYU wrestler and current high school coach Mark Shirian. We spoke with Coach Hero right after his victory.
We open with commentary on the suicide this past week of former NFL star linebacker Junior Seau. Just 43 years old, he was found dead of a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the chest. The actual reasons for his suicide are not known at this time. However, according to news reports, his family has agreed to donate his brain to researchers who are studying the links between blows to the head in contact and combat sports, concussions, and the degenerative brain disease CTE, chronic traumatic encephalopathy.
With more of these tragedies and suicides of former athletes in contact and combat sports becoming publicly known, and with the science of understanding what head blows do to the brain becoming more precise, what will this mean in years to come for these sports? We lay out some historical analogies to how dueling and smoking have become socially unacceptable and even banned in whole or in part, and ask if these may provide clues as to the future prospects of these sports. We also note how the combat sports without striking, such as the various styles of grappling and wrestling, need to promote themselves better in light of what may happen to these other sports.
You can play or download No Holds Barred here. You can also download No Holds Barred here. If one link does not work, please try another. The show is in MP3 format, so may take some time to download.
No Holds Barred is also available on mobile phones and iPads through Stitcher.
Also, No Holds Barred is available through iTunes.
The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", by Ian Carpenter.
No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:
ONE Fighting Championship. ONE FC is Asia's largest and most prestigious mixed martial arts event. ONE FC features the best Asian fighters and has initiated the ONE Asia Partnership Network, which includes most of the major MMA promotions and MMA gyms in Asia. For more information, go to their web site, at ONEFC.com.
Beezid.com - Penny Auctions. Your #1 source for exciting auction shopping and outstanding deals on just about anything! Top rated, most trusted auction site online. Where do you shop? Beezid.com - Penny Auctions.
American Top Team. Whether you're a beginner or a champion, train with the champions in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, boxing, wrestling, grappling, and mixed martial arts at American Top Team. Check out their web site at http://americantopteam.com/.
At MidwoodMania III on April 21, the 54-year-old Coach Hero returned to the mat once again and scored a third-period pin over an opponent three decades his junior, former NYU wrestler and current high school coach Mark Shirian. We spoke with Coach Hero right after his victory.
We open with commentary on the suicide this past week of former NFL star linebacker Junior Seau. Just 43 years old, he was found dead of a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the chest. The actual reasons for his suicide are not known at this time. However, according to news reports, his family has agreed to donate his brain to researchers who are studying the links between blows to the head in contact and combat sports, concussions, and the degenerative brain disease CTE, chronic traumatic encephalopathy.
With more of these tragedies and suicides of former athletes in contact and combat sports becoming publicly known, and with the science of understanding what head blows do to the brain becoming more precise, what will this mean in years to come for these sports? We lay out some historical analogies to how dueling and smoking have become socially unacceptable and even banned in whole or in part, and ask if these may provide clues as to the future prospects of these sports. We also note how the combat sports without striking, such as the various styles of grappling and wrestling, need to promote themselves better in light of what may happen to these other sports.
You can play or download No Holds Barred here. You can also download No Holds Barred here. If one link does not work, please try another. The show is in MP3 format, so may take some time to download.
No Holds Barred is also available on mobile phones and iPads through Stitcher.
Also, No Holds Barred is available through iTunes.
The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", by Ian Carpenter.
No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:
ONE Fighting Championship. ONE FC is Asia's largest and most prestigious mixed martial arts event. ONE FC features the best Asian fighters and has initiated the ONE Asia Partnership Network, which includes most of the major MMA promotions and MMA gyms in Asia. For more information, go to their web site, at ONEFC.com.
Beezid.com - Penny Auctions. Your #1 source for exciting auction shopping and outstanding deals on just about anything! Top rated, most trusted auction site online. Where do you shop? Beezid.com - Penny Auctions.
American Top Team. Whether you're a beginner or a champion, train with the champions in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, boxing, wrestling, grappling, and mixed martial arts at American Top Team. Check out their web site at http://americantopteam.com/.
Labels: boxing, combat sports, Eddie Goldman, George Hero, grappling, Junior Seau, MMA, NFL, No Holds Barred, wrestling
Sunday, May 01, 2011
No Holds Barred: Coach George Hero and the Lifestyle of Wrestling
(Photo by Eddie Goldman)
On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman speaks with Coach George Hero, the legendary coach and founder of the Midwood High School wrestling team in Brooklyn, New York, about his victory by pin at MidwoodMania II.
MidwoodMania II took place Saturday, April 30, at the Midwood High School Gymnasium in Brooklyn. In the main event, the 53-year-old Coach Hero pinned Adam Waxman, a 1987 graduate of Midwood, who was the first captain of the Midwood wrestling team, and is the owner of Fitness 1 Training in Brooklyn.
Right after his victory, we discussed with Coach Hero how he won this match and why he is continuing to wrestle. We also spoke with Adam Waxman, and we spoke with Jakub Pawlowski, a Midwood captain in 2007-08 who now wrestles for NYU, and who won his match at MidwoodMania II by decision. Why people become wrestlers for life and why wrestling is more than a sport but also a lifestyle were key themes of our discussion.
You can play or download No Holds Barred here. You can also download No Holds Barred here. If one link does not work, please try another. The show is in MP3 format, so may take some time to download.
No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:
M-1 Global. Founded in 1998, M-1 Global has staged over 100 mixed martial arts events worldwide including the M-1 Selection tournaments and M-1 Challenge events, in Eastern and Western Europe, North America, and Asia. While discovering and developing the world's next generation of superstar fighters, M-1 Global's greatest asset is the number one heavyweight in mixed martial arts history, Fedor Emelianenko. Make sure to catch their shows from around the world, including on Showtime in the U.S., and visit their web site, M-1Global.com, and the M-1 Facebook page for news, videos, and live streaming events.
Beezid.com - Penny Auctions. Your #1 source for exciting auction shopping and outstanding deals on just about anything! Top rated, most trusted auction site online. Where do you shop? Beezid.com - Penny Auctions.
American Top Team. Whether you're a beginner or a champion, train with the champions in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, boxing, wrestling, grappling, and mixed martial arts at American Top Team. Check out their web site at http://americantopteam.com/.
The American Sambo Association, which is committed to becoming the premier association in the U.S. dedicated to the advancement of Sambo. Sambo is a form of sport, self-defense, and combat established in the former Soviet Union during the early twentieth century. For more information, go to ussambo.com.
Labels: Eddie Goldman, George Hero, Midwood, MidwoodMania, No Holds Barred, wrestling
Thursday, April 28, 2011
No Holds Barred: George Hero and MidwoodMania II
On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman once again speaks with the legendary coach and founder of the Midwood High School wrestling team in Brooklyn, New York, George Hero.
The 53-year-old Coach Hero will once again take to the mat in this event, which is aimed at promoting and popularizing the sport of wrestling and the Midwood High School wrestling team. At MidwoodMania II, Coach Hero will take on Adam Waxman in a match under NCAA rules. Adam Waxman, a 1987 graduate of Midwood, was the first captain of the Midwood wrestling team. Since 1990, he has been the owner of Fitness 1 Training in Brooklyn, so we can expect him to offer stiff competition to his mentor and former coach.
There will also be a full card of matches in folkstyle, freestyle, and Greco-Roman wrestling. This year, not only are numerous Midwood alumni returning to the mat, but also many other alumni from schools in Brooklyn will be competing as well.
MidwoodMania II takes place Saturday, April 30, beginning at 11 AM ET, at the Midwood High School Gymnasium at 2839 Bedford Avenue in Brooklyn. There is a Facebook page with more information about MidwoodMania II at http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=183221558382474.
We spoke with Coach Hero on Tuesday about this event and what it means to the sport of wrestling and the combat sports in general.
You can play or download No Holds Barred here. You can also download No Holds Barred here. If one link does not work, please try another. The show is in MP3 format, so may take some time to download.
No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:
M-1 Global. Founded in 1998, M-1 Global has staged over 100 mixed martial arts events worldwide including the M-1 Selection tournaments and M-1 Challenge events, in Eastern and Western Europe, North America, and Asia. While discovering and developing the world's next generation of superstar fighters, M-1 Global's greatest asset is the number one heavyweight in mixed martial arts history, Fedor Emelianenko. Make sure to catch their shows from around the world, including on Showtime in the U.S., and visit their web site, M-1Global.com, and the M-1 Facebook page for news, videos, and live streaming events.
Beezid.com - Penny Auctions. Your #1 source for exciting auction shopping and outstanding deals on just about anything! Top rated, most trusted auction site online. Where do you shop? Beezid.com - Penny Auctions.
American Top Team. Whether you're a beginner or a champion, train with the champions in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, boxing, wrestling, grappling, and mixed martial arts at American Top Team. Check out their web site at http://americantopteam.com/.
The American Sambo Association, which is committed to becoming the premier association in the U.S. dedicated to the advancement of Sambo. Sambo is a form of sport, self-defense, and combat established in the former Soviet Union during the early twentieth century. For more information, go to ussambo.com.
Labels: Eddie Goldman, George Hero, Midwood, MidwoodMania, No Holds Barred, wrestling
Wednesday, October 13, 2010
No Holds Barred: George Hero, Midwood Wrestling Exhibition 2010, MMA, and Pindar the Poet of Ancient Greece
On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman once again speaks with the legendary coach and founder of the Midwood High School wrestling team in Brooklyn, New York, George Hero.
Coach Hero will be one of the many current and former Midwood wrestlers, alumni, and coaches who will be competing at the Midwood Wrestling Exhibition 2010, this Saturday, October 16, beginning at noon, at the Midwood High School Gymnasium at 2839 Bedford Avenue in Brooklyn. This event will feature folkstyle, freestyle, and Greco-Roman wrestling. Coach Hero will be facing heavyweight Yuriy Petriv in the main event in a match held under NCAA rules, and with special guest referee Bob Backlund, a 1971 NCAA Div. II national champion at North Dakota State University before going into the WWWF.
There is a Facebook page with more information on this event here.
We had an enlightening and wide-ranging discussion Tuesday night with Coach Hero about the importance of this event, wrestling, and the combat sports in general. We discussed how these combat sports greatly benefit both the mind and body, and build positive values, which is especially important now in a culture which emphasizes so much negativity. We refuted many of the claims of the critics of mixed martial arts in New York, where the politicians are still keeping this sport illegal. We noted the many ways wrestling and mixed martial arts are very closely linked. And he discussed how Midwood Wrestling and the Beat The Streets organization, are bringing many youths into wrestling programs for the first time.
Coach Hero also stated, "We have to go back to the ancient Greek ideals about athletics." He recommends to his athletes that they study the writings of Pindar, the great lyric poet of ancient Greece, whose writings include commentary on the Olympics and other athletic events of his era. So we read an excerpt from Pindar, and encouraged others to learn from this classic poet as well.
You can play or download No Holds Barred here. You can also download No Holds Barred here. If one link does not work, please try another. The show is in MP3 format, so may take some time to download.
The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", by Ian Carpenter.
Make sure to visit the official boxing forum for No Holds Barred, the MySpace Boxing Forum.
No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:
MMA WORLD EXPO. The mixed martial arts community comes to New York City, featuring the Renzo Gracie Open No-Gi 2010 tournament, a Muay Thai tournament, MMA fighters from the Bellator Fighting Championships, training seminars, vendors, panel discussions, and more to come. The second annual MMA WORLD EXPO, in association with Madison Square Garden Sports, takes place Friday, November 12, and Saturday, November 13, at the Jacob Javits Center in New York City.
BJJMart.com, your premier source for all Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu gear, videos, books, and much more.
American Top Team. Whether you're a beginner or a champion, train with the champions in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, boxing, wrestling, grappling, and mixed martial arts at American Top Team. Check out their web site at http://americantopteam.com/.
FightBeat.com, for news, results, interviews, and free exclusive videos from the worlds of boxing and mixed martial arts.
Coach Hero will be one of the many current and former Midwood wrestlers, alumni, and coaches who will be competing at the Midwood Wrestling Exhibition 2010, this Saturday, October 16, beginning at noon, at the Midwood High School Gymnasium at 2839 Bedford Avenue in Brooklyn. This event will feature folkstyle, freestyle, and Greco-Roman wrestling. Coach Hero will be facing heavyweight Yuriy Petriv in the main event in a match held under NCAA rules, and with special guest referee Bob Backlund, a 1971 NCAA Div. II national champion at North Dakota State University before going into the WWWF.
There is a Facebook page with more information on this event here.
We had an enlightening and wide-ranging discussion Tuesday night with Coach Hero about the importance of this event, wrestling, and the combat sports in general. We discussed how these combat sports greatly benefit both the mind and body, and build positive values, which is especially important now in a culture which emphasizes so much negativity. We refuted many of the claims of the critics of mixed martial arts in New York, where the politicians are still keeping this sport illegal. We noted the many ways wrestling and mixed martial arts are very closely linked. And he discussed how Midwood Wrestling and the Beat The Streets organization, are bringing many youths into wrestling programs for the first time.
Coach Hero also stated, "We have to go back to the ancient Greek ideals about athletics." He recommends to his athletes that they study the writings of Pindar, the great lyric poet of ancient Greece, whose writings include commentary on the Olympics and other athletic events of his era. So we read an excerpt from Pindar, and encouraged others to learn from this classic poet as well.
You can play or download No Holds Barred here. You can also download No Holds Barred here. If one link does not work, please try another. The show is in MP3 format, so may take some time to download.
The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", by Ian Carpenter.
Make sure to visit the official boxing forum for No Holds Barred, the MySpace Boxing Forum.
No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:
MMA WORLD EXPO. The mixed martial arts community comes to New York City, featuring the Renzo Gracie Open No-Gi 2010 tournament, a Muay Thai tournament, MMA fighters from the Bellator Fighting Championships, training seminars, vendors, panel discussions, and more to come. The second annual MMA WORLD EXPO, in association with Madison Square Garden Sports, takes place Friday, November 12, and Saturday, November 13, at the Jacob Javits Center in New York City.
BJJMart.com, your premier source for all Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu gear, videos, books, and much more.
American Top Team. Whether you're a beginner or a champion, train with the champions in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, boxing, wrestling, grappling, and mixed martial arts at American Top Team. Check out their web site at http://americantopteam.com/.
FightBeat.com, for news, results, interviews, and free exclusive videos from the worlds of boxing and mixed martial arts.
Labels: Eddie Goldman, George Hero, Midwood, No Holds Barred, Pindar, wrestling
Monday, April 26, 2010
No Holds Barred: Why MidwoodMania I Mattered
(Photo by Eddie Goldman.)
On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman discusses MidwoodMania I, the wrestling event organized by Coach George Hero and held Saturday, April 24, at Midwood High School in Brooklyn, New York, to raise awareness about wrestling and build support for the program there.
The event featured 11 wrestling matches under various sets of rules, headlined by a main event where Coach Hero, at age 52, took on 21-year-old former Midwood wrestler Yan Sagalov. While Yan was victorious with a takedown in sudden victory overtime to win 5-3, the packed crowd at the Midwood gym arose to their feet after the match, as Coach Hero was hoisted aloft and carried about on the shoulders of many of his wrestlers.
This was an amateur event, with no promoters or owners trying to rake in money from the efforts of everyone else. It exemplified what people can and will do for reasons other than greed and profit when properly motivated.
We thus discuss what went on at MidwoodMania I, and spoke with Coach Hero right after his match. He not only critiqued his own performance on the mat, but also vowed to continue training and wrestling, and even asked Yan for a rematch! This is the human spirit seen in the oldest sport in the world, wrestling, in an event which hopefully can serve as a model for other wrestling programs to promote and popularize themselves.
You can play or download No Holds Barred here. You can also download No Holds Barred here. If one link does not work, please try another. The show is in MP3 format, so may take some time to download.
The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", by Ian Carpenter.
Make sure to visit the official boxing forum for No Holds Barred, the MySpace Boxing Forum.
No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:
BJJMart.com, your premier source for all Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu gear, videos, books, and much more.
American Top Team. Whether you're a beginner or a champion, train with the champions in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, boxing, wrestling, grappling, and mixed martial arts at American Top Team. Check out their web site at http://americantopteam.com/.
Bragging Rights Corner, for news and always independent opinion about the sport and business of boxing. Check out their web site at http://www.braggingrightscorner.com.
FightBeat.com, for news, results, interviews, and free exclusive videos from the worlds of boxing and mixed martial arts.
The event featured 11 wrestling matches under various sets of rules, headlined by a main event where Coach Hero, at age 52, took on 21-year-old former Midwood wrestler Yan Sagalov. While Yan was victorious with a takedown in sudden victory overtime to win 5-3, the packed crowd at the Midwood gym arose to their feet after the match, as Coach Hero was hoisted aloft and carried about on the shoulders of many of his wrestlers.
This was an amateur event, with no promoters or owners trying to rake in money from the efforts of everyone else. It exemplified what people can and will do for reasons other than greed and profit when properly motivated.
We thus discuss what went on at MidwoodMania I, and spoke with Coach Hero right after his match. He not only critiqued his own performance on the mat, but also vowed to continue training and wrestling, and even asked Yan for a rematch! This is the human spirit seen in the oldest sport in the world, wrestling, in an event which hopefully can serve as a model for other wrestling programs to promote and popularize themselves.
You can play or download No Holds Barred here. You can also download No Holds Barred here. If one link does not work, please try another. The show is in MP3 format, so may take some time to download.
The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", by Ian Carpenter.
Make sure to visit the official boxing forum for No Holds Barred, the MySpace Boxing Forum.
No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:
BJJMart.com, your premier source for all Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu gear, videos, books, and much more.
American Top Team. Whether you're a beginner or a champion, train with the champions in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, boxing, wrestling, grappling, and mixed martial arts at American Top Team. Check out their web site at http://americantopteam.com/.
Bragging Rights Corner, for news and always independent opinion about the sport and business of boxing. Check out their web site at http://www.braggingrightscorner.com.
FightBeat.com, for news, results, interviews, and free exclusive videos from the worlds of boxing and mixed martial arts.
Labels: Eddie Goldman, George Hero, Midwood, MidwoodMania, No Holds Barred, wrestling
Monday, April 19, 2010
No Holds Barred: George Hero and MidwoodMania I
On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman speaks with the legendary coach and founder of the Midwood High School wrestling team in Brooklyn, New York, George Hero.
Coach Hero has once again taken an innovative approach towards popularizing the sport of wrestling by organizing an event called MidwoodMania I. This event will feature 15 wrestling matches involving current and alumni wrestlers from Midwood High School under folkstyle, freestyle, Greco-Roman, and grappling rules. For the first time in many years, Coach Hero himself will take to the mat in one of these matches.
MidwoodMania I takes place Saturday, April 24, beginning at noon, at the Midwood High School Gymnasium at 2839 Bedford Avenue in Brooklyn.
There is a Facebook page with more information about MidwoodMania I at http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=304031455047.
We spoke with Coach Hero about this event, the long struggle he had to establish this team in the face of opposition from certain quarters, how the team has grown from a small club into one of the most established programs in New York City, what wrestling as a whole can learn from the promotion of this event, and much more.
You can play or download No Holds Barred here. You can also download No Holds Barred here. If one link does not work, please try another. The show is in MP3 format, so may take some time to download.
The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", by Ian Carpenter.
Make sure to visit the official boxing forum for No Holds Barred, the MySpace Boxing Forum.
No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:
BJJMart.com, your premier source for all Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu gear, videos, books, and much more.
American Top Team. Whether you're a beginner or a champion, train with the champions in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, boxing, wrestling, grappling, and mixed martial arts at American Top Team. Check out their web site at http://americantopteam.com/.
Bragging Rights Corner, for news and always independent opinion about the sport and business of boxing. Check out their web site at http://www.braggingrightscorner.com.
Coach Hero has once again taken an innovative approach towards popularizing the sport of wrestling by organizing an event called MidwoodMania I. This event will feature 15 wrestling matches involving current and alumni wrestlers from Midwood High School under folkstyle, freestyle, Greco-Roman, and grappling rules. For the first time in many years, Coach Hero himself will take to the mat in one of these matches.
MidwoodMania I takes place Saturday, April 24, beginning at noon, at the Midwood High School Gymnasium at 2839 Bedford Avenue in Brooklyn.
There is a Facebook page with more information about MidwoodMania I at http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=304031455047.
We spoke with Coach Hero about this event, the long struggle he had to establish this team in the face of opposition from certain quarters, how the team has grown from a small club into one of the most established programs in New York City, what wrestling as a whole can learn from the promotion of this event, and much more.
You can play or download No Holds Barred here. You can also download No Holds Barred here. If one link does not work, please try another. The show is in MP3 format, so may take some time to download.
The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", by Ian Carpenter.
Make sure to visit the official boxing forum for No Holds Barred, the MySpace Boxing Forum.
No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:
BJJMart.com, your premier source for all Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu gear, videos, books, and much more.
American Top Team. Whether you're a beginner or a champion, train with the champions in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, boxing, wrestling, grappling, and mixed martial arts at American Top Team. Check out their web site at http://americantopteam.com/.
Bragging Rights Corner, for news and always independent opinion about the sport and business of boxing. Check out their web site at http://www.braggingrightscorner.com.
FightBeat.com, for news, results, interviews, and free exclusive videos from the worlds of boxing and mixed martial arts
Labels: Eddie Goldman, George Hero, Midwood, MidwoodMania, No Holds Barred, wrestling
