Ran into a guy

[ronsnap]

Ran into a guy at the neighborhood grocery store last week. He saw my Hawkeye hat and struck up a conversation with me about Iowa baseball. Then he wanted to talk about basketball and that's where I draw the line. I mentioned that I don't really know anything or care about basketball, but if he wanted to talk wrestling I'd visit all day. He was a little older and kind of hard to understand so I couldn't quite get his name but I did hear him say that he wrestled at Oklahoma State and was a two time all American. I think he said it was the early sixties and I THINK he mentioned that his name was Al Franks or Frank (or maybe just something that sounded like that). He was a small guy and went to an Iowa high school. After he left OSU he said he went to graduate school at Iowa State and was one of the guys who started the Cyclone Wrestling Club.

He was a very nice fella and I enjoyed talking with him but I can't find anyone by that name anywhere on the OSU wrestling site. Can anyone help me out? I didn't want to ask him to repeat his name again.

 

[jon_osu]

you can go to www.okstate.com and look through the media guide. i looked, but i could not find any Al Franks or Frank (or maybe just something that sounded like that).

 

[oberebo]

Ron, I searched the All-Americans at Oklahoma State, Oklahoma and the Univesity of Central Oklahoma (Central State) and find no one by that name listed. Perhaps Mr. Franks sensed a bull shitter and responded in kind lol

 

[pitchman11]

There was no Al Franks there in the early 60s.

 

[pitchman11]

The only person I can remember with Iowa ties was Fran McCann who was a brother to Terry McCann who wrestled for Iowa. Terry went to high school in Illinois so the family could have moved to Iowa while he was in college. I am pretty sure Fran would not have struck up a conversation about basketball.

 

[MitchL]

Did he offer you a chance to get in on a ground floor investment in some oceanfront property on the outskirts of Stillwater? If he did... get me his cell#.

 

[april racer]

Did he offer you a chance to get in on a ground floor investment in some oceanfront property on the outskirts of Stillwater? If he did... get me his cell#.

Silly Mitch, we don't have an Ocean in Oklahoma and since we're all uneducated hicks that go to rodeos and do meth I'm quite sure we couldn't develop anything.

 

[april racer]

The only person I can remember with Iowa ties was Fran McCann who was a brother to Terry McCann who wrestled for Iowa. Terry went to high school in Illinois so the family could have moved to Iowa while he was in college. I am pretty sure Fran would not have struck up a conversation about basketball.

Sounds like Fran McCann could be heard as frank.

 

[MitchL]

Silly Mitch, we don't have an Ocean in Oklahoma and since we're all uneducated hicks that go to rodeos and do meth I'm quite sure we couldn't develop anything.

Does this mean that I'm not getting a "like" from you?

 

[MiccoMacey]

In 1961, there were two Franks that were All-Americans. One was from Northern Iowa (Frank Freeman), and one from Utah (Frank Hankin). I offer this because the tournament was at Oregon State, and I could see where he might could have said he was an All-American at OSU, meaning the tournament was at OSU (Oregon State).

Work with me a little on this one.

 

[MiccoMacey]

Also, Fran McCann was an All-American at the 1962 NCAA tournament held in...you guessed it, Stillwater, OK. Again, so was Frank Freeman.

 

[ronsnap]

Thanks guys. If I ever figure out who it was that I was talking to I'll let you know. Not that you care, but when have you ever cared about what I have to say?

 

[ronsnap]

He was a small guy. Any chance I could've been talking to Mark McCracken or Bob Taylor? Do those guys have any ties to Iowa and/or live in Des Moines now?

 

[april racer]

Does this mean that I'm not getting a "like" from you?

Don't really want to start a thing on our board, but really surprised you say such an inflammatory thing about our entire fan base and then reply to threads like you should be welcome here. The great thing about the wrestling forums is while they may be team specific, they are wrestling first and that is why fans from all teams post and lurk. In my opinion you skyrocketed past anyone on the boards as the worst and most idiotic poster there is. While Mike may ruffle feathers and amalone may attack the Iowa style while posting inspirational memes, I have never seen a poster throw out such a blanket insult and the post on that board like they belong. Congrats!! On another note I'm a little surprised no one on the iowa board called you out, you have some great and respectable folks that frequent your board.

 

[ronsnap]

April, I just ignore the ignorant.

 

[april racer]

April, I just ignore the ignorant.

Yeah, I usually do and did on the Iowa board, but just surprised he had the gall to post here after his comments.

Sorry to derail your thread, I am actually curious to find out who you ran into, so please update if you find out.

 

[oberebo]

Yeah, I usually do and did on the Iowa board, but just surprised he had the gall to post here after his comments.

Sorry to derail your thread, I am actually curious to find out who you ran into, so please update if you find out.

April, I can count on the fingers of one hand the number of posts I have made on the Iowa and Penn State board and really I rarely go to other boards as it just raises my blood pressure. I admit I am homer but do not see any reason to post on their boards. They have some serious posters who are knowledgeable and talk about college wrestling but they have others who only want to bash OK State or Iowa State or Penn State. I find nothing useful in this so I just stay away. Togneto on the other hand revels in these battles. He and I have talked about this frequently and we just agree to disagree. Mike adds spice and mayhem to the other boards but he gets roasted for doing so and that is the price he pays however anyone who knows Mike knows that he can take the heat and like it. I prefer not to "poke the pooch". but that is not his style. I too am curious as to who Ron was talking to and maybe he will find out. As to the two possibilities he mentioned I know it was not Mark McCracken.

 

[OSUMatFan]

Mark McCracken stayed in Oklahoma so pretty sure it was not him. Let me ask Okie Cowboy as he was in the room around then.

 

[pitchman11]

the last time I saw McCracken he lived in southern okla near some lake.

 

[OSUMatFan]

I think he lives down by Lake Texhoma and is married to I believe it is Ross Flood's daughter. Very pretty and sweet lady as she always goes to the NCAA's with him.

 

[oberebo]

I have said this before but forgive my memories. Mark McCracken was involved in the first wrestling match I ever witnessed in the fall of 1960 or early in 1961 and it was the bedlam match. I became a wrestling fan instantly and rarely missed a match from that day

 

[ronsnap]

I'm starting to think I should've just told him that I was hard of hearing and asked for his name again. Out of respect I didn't even take any jabs at OSU while I was talking to him and now I have no idea who it was. Maybe Goose has an idea since he told me that he was around the Cyclone Wrestling Club back when Gable, the Petersons and Taylor were a part of it.

 

[MitchL]

Don't really want to start a thing on our board, but really surprised you say such an inflammatory thing about our entire fan base and then reply to threads like you should be welcome here. The great thing about the wrestling forums is while they may be team specific, they are wrestling first and that is why fans from all teams post and lurk. In my opinion you skyrocketed past anyone on the boards as the worst and most idiotic poster there is. While Mike may ruffle feathers and amalone may attack the Iowa style while posting inspirational memes, I have never seen a poster throw out such a blanket insult and the post on that board like they belong. Congrats!! On another note I'm a little surprised no one on the iowa board called you out, you have some great and respectable folks that frequent your board.

I just like to reply to Ronnyboy because he jumped on the Iowa wrestling bandwagon back around the time of their three year run in 08/09/10 time frame professing to be this big fan of the sport. Even made some remarks referencing where he didn't realize "message boards" existed. Ha Ha. I would bet most Iowa posters never "called me out" because most of them probably share the same opinion. And since this post will likely be my last on this forum, I'll tell you why I formed that opinion. I read and study a multitude of statistics because I have lots of time to do it. The State of Oklahoma is consistently ranked as one of the worst, nationally, in terms of level of education, poverty, quality of life, and obesity. Seems there are studies for everything. So, the natural conclusion would be this... Residents of Oklahoma are dumb, lazy, and fat. Not all, of course. Just a general perception. Sorry if that offends some. Adios.

 

[MiccoMacey]

And since this post will likely be my last...

Really, the only thing that mattered out of that whole diatribe.

 

[ronsnap]

I just like to reply to Ronnyboy because he jumped on the Iowa wrestling bandwagon back around the time of their three year run in 08/09/10 time frame professing to be this big fan of the sport. Even made some remarks referencing where he didn't realize "message boards" existed. Ha Ha.

Yeah, my fandom started in 2008. You've got me pegged.

 

[oberebo]

Yeah, my fandom started in 2008. You've got me pegged.

Micco and I actually met Ronsnap a few years ago at Nationals. Nice guy even though we got off to a bad start we have had no problems from Ron in several years. He is just a rabid Iowa fan-no problem with that as I am just as rabid an Oklahoma State fan. Besides any body that invites the wrath of MitchL has to be a good guy.

 

[ronsnap]

Micco and I actually met Ronsnap a few years ago at Nationals. Nice guy even though we got off to a bad start we have had no problems from Ron in several years. He is just a rabid Iowa fan-no problem with that as I am just as rabid an Oklahoma State fan. Besides any body that invites the wrath of MitchL has to be a good guy.

Thanks, I always knew I was a nice guy.
We got off to a bad start because, as Mitch pointed out, I had just discovered message boards and didn't know that message boards were so volatile. I think it was in one of my very first posts that I mentioned how Schwab made Eric G look pretty bad in Iowa City (only I was much more blunt about it). Knowing what I know now about message boards I would have never said that and things wouldn't have been so bad for a while. I'm still honest and blunt about things, which is why they don't care for my posts on the cyclone board, but I try not to be inflammatory about it. In fact, I just mostly lurk these days, except when things go awry in Ames. It's still fun to give your little brother a shove once in a while, even though I would like nothing more than for them to become a power again.

I don't want to rush through the summer, but wrestling season can't get here fast enough. My wife and I had our first child about a month ago and I can't wait to take her to Carver to watch her favorite team. She's a big Sammy Brooks fan.

 

[Gooseeman]

I'm starting to think I should've just told him that I was hard of hearing and asked for his name again. Out of respect I didn't even take any jabs at OSU while I was talking to him and now I have no idea who it was. Maybe Goose has an idea since he told me that he was around the Cyclone Wrestling Club back when Gable, the Petersons and Taylor were a part of it.

The Cyclone Wrestling Club didn't officially start until 1980. Obviously the 4 you mention were all competing in the Olympics earlier than that. I'll shoot an email to someone that might know more and see what I can find out.

 

[Gooseeman]

The only person I can remember with Iowa ties was Fran McCann who was a brother to Terry McCann who wrestled for Iowa. Terry went to high school in Illinois so the family could have moved to Iowa while he was in college. I am pretty sure Fran would not have struck up a conversation about basketball.

The response I got from a former wrestler at ISU was that he thought it was Fran McCann. His reply:
He started at UI in the late 50's and transferred to OSU. 4th at 115 in 1962.