Billy Baldwin rallies troops to save Binghamton wrestling during NCAA Opening Ceremonies

[Oddessa]

***I give props to this actor for taking the time to try and save a sport I grew up with. Finally a just cause from sometimes often over politically active actors.

Billy Baldwin rallies troops to save Binghamton wrestling during NCAA Opening Ceremonies
3/17/2004
Gary Abbott/USA Wrestling

The NCAA Div. I Wrestling Championships featured an opening ceremonies program the night prior to the start of the tournament. Pro football star Kyle Turley of the St. Louis Rams told about his wrestling background. A panel of wrestling leaders discussed the tournament and the current college wrestling scene. Awards were announced by the National Wrestling Coaches Association.

But the big news of the ceremony came when actor Billy Baldwin spoke. After telling how much the sport of wrestling meant to him, Baldwin took the speech in another direction. In front of the NCAA brass, he blasted his alma mater, the Univ. of Binghamton, for its plans to drop the program after this season.

It was a rallying cry for help in the cause, something Baldwin has been leading since the Div. I school made its announcement earlier this season. The message was clear. It was an appeal for support from the wrestling community to save the BU program.

He talked about the decision of the Binghamton president to drop wrestling and provided his perspective about the battle to save the team.

“She messed with the wrong people. Don’t pick a fight with wrestling,” said Baldwin. “It’s not over. We are still fighting. We have been on CNN, ESPN and College Sports Television. It’s tough. But it has happened before.”

Baldwin explained how the program costs only $160,000 a year, from a $7 million athletics budget, just 2% of the sports cost there. He talked about the $40 million events center and the new $4 million deal from Coca Cola with the athletics department. He said it did not make any sense.

“This sport is under siege. This is an endangered species. We will make our message heard, loud and clear,” said Baldwin.

He told how he attended the USA Wrestling “Evening with Legends” event at the World Championships in New York, and asked so many wrestling greats and community leaders to write the University. He noted how Speaker of the House Dennis Hastert, Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld and author John Irving all wrote letters supporting the program, only to get form letters from the school president in response.

He asked all of those in attendance to join him and other Binghamton alumni in chanting “BU Wrestling”when Binghamton’s lone representative in the tournament, 141-pound CAA champion Josh Ruff, is on the mat. He and a number of BU alumni will be wearing “Save BU Wrestling” t-shirts and starting the chant. He asked everybody to join in by chanting with him as a “protest of the termination.”

Prior to his appeal for support, Baldwin talked about wrestling and what it meant to him. “This is a great honor and thrill to be here,” said Baldwin. “This is such a great sub-culture.”

“It is the greatest sport,” he continued. “It instills the greatest values. Discipline, work ethic and mental toughness, you will be able to utilize these throughout your career.”

Prior to Baldwin’s speech, football star Kyle Turley gave wrestling credit for all of his life achievements, including his tremendous football career.

“I am here tonight because of wrestling,” said Turley. “You might say, ‘who is this guy?’ I’m Kyle Turley. I play football for the Rams on Sundays. Why is a football guy talking to a group of wrestlers? Basically, they said I could meet Dan Gable…”

“I know about wrestling. I grew up wrestling. Wrestling is why I was a first-round draft pick and why I am starting in the NFL. My high school wrestling coach taught me the three D’s. It allowed me to achieve my goals. I learned dedication, determination and desire. Wrestling made me accomplish every goal I set in life.”

Turley received a loud cheer when he said, “I wish wrestling was a professional sport, and they could get more money than the pros and the Olympic wrestlers make today.”

He also explained that “wrestling is the best sport a kid could get into.” When Turley is asked by parents how they can help their sons succeed in football, he always says the same thing. “I tell them to get them into wrestling,” he said.

Turley also explained that other sports, especially team sports like football, don’t teach the lessons that can be learned through wrestling. “They don’t give you what you get from wrestling,” he said

[THUMPER]

that's amazing that one of those hollywood shmucks is fighting for wrestling. like you say, finally we have a just cause

[ChuckyTheGoat]

Well said. Good article, fellas.

[pmj18]

Joey, You know I'm a NCAA Wrestling fan, Kenny Monday is a friend of mine and I have donated $ to the Ok St. program, but if Billy Baldwins Brother, Alec, knew Billy was quoting the Rep. Speaker of the House and Rep. Sec. of Def, Alec would shit his pants!!![img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif[/img][img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-wink.gif[/img]

[THUMPER]

you know Kenny Monday? he gave MMA a go and beat up John Lewis. a bit of a tool in the post-fight interview, but I guess I would be cocky too if I could wrestle like that. if he had stuck around, he would have ran into problems just like Kevin Jackson did.

[Total Square]

Originally posted by: surfin joe
that's amazing that one of those hollywood shmucks is fighting for wrestling. like you say, finally we have a just cause

joe,

the baldwins are pretty cool guys. very modest upbringing, and lots of care for those around them.

alec throws a pretty good sprial as well [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-wink.gif[/img]