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Navy Seals Recruit Gopher Wrestlers (U of M)
WCCO.com ^ | 12/7/06 | WCCO.com

Posted on 12/08/2006 4:33:18 PM PST by ButThreeLeftsDo

The University of Minnesota Golden Gopher wrestlers hosted Oklahoma State Wednesday night at the Sports Pavilion. The Gophers won 21-15.

It is the ninth straight time the teams have met with the number one team on the mat.

In addition to the Gophers and the Cowboys, the Seals were also at the meet, as in the Navy Seals.

But what do they have to do with wrestling?

A large reason why the Seals recruit from the Gopher wrestling program is because head coach J Robinson had been in the armed forces before. He said the Seals have too many recruits that are failing to become Seals because they are recruiting the wrong people.

"The difference between a wrestler and every other athlete is he lives it 24 hours a day," Robinson said.

So the Seals showed up at a recent practice to recruit.

"They more than have what it takes mentally," said Navy Seal Darek Laviolett. "Wrestlers, tenacious heart, unbelievable spirit."

Gopher heavyweight Cole Konrad could be a candidate, but his brother is an Army ranger.

"It's not the right fit for me," Konrad said. "I like wrestling."

One of Minnesota's most famous seal -- Jesse Ventura -- was also a kind of wrestler, but he grew up a swimmer.

Most of the Gopher wrestlers grew up on the mat.

"I can teach them how to swim," Laviolett said. "Wrestlers have what it takes to become Seals, no doubt."


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Miscellaneous; News/Current Events; US: Minnesota
KEYWORDS: navyseals; wrestlers
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"I can teach them how to swim"

....and more than that.....

1 posted on 12/08/2006 4:33:21 PM PST by ButThreeLeftsDo
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To: ButThreeLeftsDo

Wrestlers are really good at hand-to-hand combat as well. Probably better than a lot of people think. The moves a top wrestler can potentially pull on someone are lethal and fast.


2 posted on 12/08/2006 4:51:31 PM PST by allen08gop (America -- The Arsenal For Humanity)
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To: ButThreeLeftsDo

Gophers wrestle?!?!?


3 posted on 12/08/2006 4:53:33 PM PST by najida (If it wasn't for fast food, I'd have no food at all.)
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To: ButThreeLeftsDo

Let me be the first to say that I would never attempt to wrestle a gopher much less teach the little varmint to swim.

What's next - cat juggling?


4 posted on 12/08/2006 4:53:36 PM PST by The Lumster (USA - where the innocent have nothing to fear!)
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To: najida

Yep...and #3 beat the alleged #1......


5 posted on 12/08/2006 4:57:51 PM PST by ButThreeLeftsDo (Send Lawyers, Guns And Money *Not Necessarily In That Order*)
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To: The Lumster

When I was a kid I shot a gopher in the butt with my little spring loaded Daisy 1873 lever action BB gun.

Gophers don't like that. Good thing he didn't catch me or my dog because I didn't realize they were such good wrestlers.

Seriously though, the SEALs are looking in the right placed if they want strong, motivated people.


6 posted on 12/08/2006 5:04:27 PM PST by navyguy (We don't need more youth. What we need is a fountain of SMART.)
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To: ButThreeLeftsDo
I could have been a Navy Seal if I were a little tougher and not afraid to get hit in the nose.

That and being afraid of the deep end....

7 posted on 12/08/2006 5:04:56 PM PST by DainBramage
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To: allen08gop

The wrestler will beat the striker in a MMA match.


8 posted on 12/08/2006 6:12:26 PM PST by John Will
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To: najida

9 posted on 12/08/2006 6:44:42 PM PST by ButThreeLeftsDo (Send Lawyers, Guns And Money *Not Necessarily In That Order*)
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To: navyguy

Gophers don't like that. Good thing he didn't catch me or my dog because I didn't realize they were such good wrestlers.
_________________________________________________________
And if they head but you while wearing that little mining helmet with the light on it you could get a broken nose!


10 posted on 12/08/2006 6:49:29 PM PST by Grizzled Bear ("Does not play well with others.")
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To: ButThreeLeftsDo

Last year Minnesota beat Oklahoma State twice in duals. But who won the NCAA wrestling championsiop last year? Thats right, OSU and it was no contest.


11 posted on 12/08/2006 7:10:13 PM PST by SVTCobra03 (You can never have enough friends, horsepower or ammunition.)
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To: ButThreeLeftsDo

I was over at Mariucci this afternoon, there was a sign on the door announcing a "Seal Challenge" at the Aquatic Center December 10th. Some kind of recruiting thing, I'd guess.

For those of you who don't know J. Robinson, he's one of the leading critics of Title IX and against the way it discriminates against Mens non-revenue sports.


12 posted on 12/08/2006 7:16:00 PM PST by cryptical (Wretched excess is just barely enough.)
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To: SVTCobra03

I didn't see anything in the article about the SEALS recruiting COWGIRLS.

:-)


13 posted on 12/08/2006 7:23:16 PM PST by ButThreeLeftsDo (Send Lawyers, Guns And Money *Not Necessarily In That Order*)
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To: cryptical

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/1750575/posts


14 posted on 12/08/2006 7:23:45 PM PST by ButThreeLeftsDo (Send Lawyers, Guns And Money *Not Necessarily In That Order*)
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To: najida

OOOOOH, YEAH, BROTHERRRRR!! WWF HERE I COME!!

15 posted on 12/08/2006 7:27:21 PM PST by Reaganesque
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To: allen08gop

A friend of mine was a really good wrassler before he took a shotgun blast that impaired his left arm and leg. I watched him take down and disable a guy that wanted to fight him. Don't screw around with boxers, wrestlers or hockey players.


16 posted on 12/08/2006 8:07:44 PM PST by VanShuyten ("By the simple exercise of our will, we can exert a power for good practically unbounded, etc, etc.")
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To: ButThreeLeftsDo
Wrestling is the toughest sport. Wrestlers undergo the toughest conditioning, endurance training, weight control,and strength training in combination. JR's wrestling camp is probably the toughest in the country. (Wrestlers have to climb stairs with a wrestler on their back)

Gee, I wonder why the Seals would want Division I athletes with that kind of background?? Duh!

17 posted on 12/08/2006 8:15:07 PM PST by Nonstatist
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To: Reaganesque

Prairie Dog.

Hah!!


18 posted on 12/08/2006 8:20:52 PM PST by ButThreeLeftsDo (Send Lawyers, Guns And Money *Not Necessarily In That Order*)
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To: Nonstatist

Gee...the SEALS might learn a thing or two!

Ok, maybe not......

;-)


19 posted on 12/08/2006 8:22:57 PM PST by ButThreeLeftsDo (Send Lawyers, Guns And Money *Not Necessarily In That Order*)
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To: allen08gop
When I was 18, I had won golden gloves 2x and was a brown belt. A wrestler who regularly attended the Iowa summer camp who was also the Illinois champ for his weight class joined our karate classes.

We became good friends, but I soon found out, that with all my skills, this guy could take me down, lock me up, and choke the breath out of me in a heartbeat.

My respect for wrestlers grew infinitely at that point.

He was more of an athlete than I could ever hope to be. Incidentally, he DID go off to join the SEALS, that was back in the mid 80's and was a gentleman through and through.
20 posted on 12/09/2006 2:52:10 AM PST by esoxmagnum
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