Those words were my first introduction to wrestling as I remember watching it on TV with my Nana Skibosh.
Roger Kent, the regular TV announcer, would always say that same line whenever a wrestler - usually the villain - put that dangerous move on his opponent. It consisted of turning your opponent upside down, facing you, putting his head between your knees (ugh) and then while holding him tight to your chest, you would drop to your knees, slamming his head into the mat and knocking him out.
Eventually as I watched wrestling I realized that the helpless wrestler's head never hit the mat, only the villain's knees did. Of course, if it ever did really happen, there would have been several paralyzed or dead wrestlers in the American Wrestling Association and that would have been bad for business.
My next exposure to wrestling happened as a freshman in high school. I was big for my age - 177 pounds at 14 - so they put me at heavyweight. Since there was no one my size to practice with, I worked out with two seniors who weighed between 230-250 pounds.
Back then we would practice on the stage in the cafeteria. They would close the drapes to keep the heat in and since I wore a rubber top, I would sweat a lot. One practice after I was tossed around by the senior heavyweights I lost 13 pounds. Nice healthy way of losing weight back then.
When it came to wrestling in a regular match I had to face guys who not only out-weighed me by 30-40 pounds, but they were better wrestlers. It's no wonder that before the year was over, I could tell you how many lights were on the ceiling of every gym in the Braveland Conference.
My next exposure to wrestling started last winter when I switched from sports editor to columnist/writer (and now blogger). I have been fortunate because my three wrestling teams - Brookfield East, Brookfield Central and the Wauwatosa East/West co-op teams are good teams with excellent coaches who put up with a lot of questions from me.
On Thursday, Dec. 20, Brookfield East hosts Central in the annual "Battle of Brookfield" - wrestling style. A few years ago Bud Sines, Spartans coach, moved the site from the cavernous gym to the claustrophobic cafeteria, where the fans are only a few feet from the mat and the several banners featuring the various East titles are hanging from the rafters. If you have never experienced a match there, try and take it in.
TOP GRAPPLERS - All three teams have some excellent wrestlers once again this year. Just to mention a few names here - Central's Jake Taylor and Dryden Holmes, both 11-0; East's Zach Sines (19-0), Joey Woppert (17-2), Alex Buchberger (16-3) and Louie Fehr (14-4) and Tosa's Nick Morin (11-1), Pat English (11-1)and Glen Kendl (11-1).
I'm working on some holiday blogs, so look for me later in the week.
And remember, always be a hit and have a ball!
