Some time ago, I posted comments supportive of "ranking" wrestlers, to specifically include, "all-class" wrestlers. I thought now would be a good time to re-post these comments:

Throughout the wrestling season, the chief has placed his "opinion" on the line for all to consider, debate and challenge. and the Kansas wrestling community has done just that as amply reflected by the attention and/or interest this particular thread generates. It would not surprise me that the Chief has his personal "favorites" and/or perhaps "prejudices" (as we all do, to include those involved in "rankings", at every level; but if he does, it appears to me that he does a pretty good job of either suppressing or disguising same. He responds to all comments and criticisms in a timely and civil manner. He has demonstrated, time and again, his willingness and ability to consider others expressed opinions, and on numerous occasions, has adjusted his "rankings" accordingly.

I believe that it was Winston Churchill, who, when asked about the concept of democracy, once stated: "Democracy is the absolute worst form of government there is - except every other that has ever been tried. this sentiment captures my attitude involving rankings as a resource to give us an idea how our wrestlers from the various classes, "stack-up", without actually going, head-to-head, which we all know is not practical or possible.

As an aside, even if we were to abandon the practice of having a central depository of opinion(s) for ranking our wrestlers in this state, it would hardly end the discourse, debate, controversy and endless arguments as to who is better and/or best; we just would not have anywhere or anyone to go to, to lend support or level criticism for our own point of view.

By my way of thinking, so long as we have competition, we'll always want to "keep-score" - meaning, know who is ahead and who is behind, at any given point, in time. ranking serves as a convenient vehicle for this purpose, imperfect though it may be.

Rankings can serve to motivate, and I suppose, at times, intimidate wrestlers. Sure, rankings invite controversy, debate and argument, among wrestlers, their coaches and fans, but at least the topic of wrestling is being discussed and attention is being paid to the sport.

Everyone knows that rankings are opinions, and in the Chief's case, the product of his considerable investment of his time and talents to get and keep the discussions going.

the Chief, in a thread long ago, included comments which struck me as poignant and likely true, and worthy of repeat: He said that a particular wrestler, at a given point in time, "owns" that ranking. While I'm not altogether sure that he meant by that, I choose to believe that this sentiment at least contemplates the fact that a particular high school wrestler can always lay claim to the fact, that in someone's considered opinion, this particular wrestler's status was - if for a brief period of time, exalted and he was recognized and celebrated as an elite wrestler, in the state of Kansas.

In years past, I checked the all-class rankings regularly, and although I didn't always agree with the "ranker", his "rankings" nonetheless gave me a pretty good point of reference as to how the various wrestlers in the various classes might "stack-up" against each other. It definitely added a dimension of intrigue and/or anticipation to the match-ups between wrestlers of the various classes - something we'll not at state competition.

I know it sounds simplistic, but for those out there who find these type of "rankings" distasteful, meaningless, or, for some reason an irritant - ignore the thread and save yourself the grief.

Sorry to have droned on for so long, but during my tenure following the high school sport of wrestling, I thoroughly enjoyed the Chief's "rankings"; for that matter, still do!