Athletes who have microphones stuck in their face repeatedly are conditioned to say less, to talk but reveal nothing, to get through each interview by compiling words robotically so they can move on.
This is reasonable: Those athletes have jobs to do and don’t want to create unnecessary buzz or cause for scrutiny.
As a result, 95 percent of interviews are as bland as overcooked oatmeal.
One antidote to this is to find the athletes who’ve worked just as hard, but in relative obscurity, at their moment of triumph. Then you get the good stuff, like this interview with Iowa’s Spencer Lee, after he won his third national championship at 125-pounds Saturday.
“We suffer together, we love together, we fight together. No matter what, we’re going to get through it… you have to believe in those around you… and you can do anything.”
–@LeeSpencerlee36, 3x National Champion. pic.twitter.com/c836W24uUR
— The Iowa Hawkeyes (@TheIowaHawkeyes) March 21, 2021
Wrestlers are different. You probably know that already. Much of the attention paid to this interview has focused on the early part, where Lee says he’s been wrestling with two torn ACLs.
“I’m wrestling with no ACLs. Whatever man. I didn’t want to tell anyone. Because eff excuses. Excuses are for wusses.”
While I love the toughness here, I’m definitely *that guy* who is going to stop here and say … Man, I hope Spencer Lee is able to heal fully at some point soon and go on to a long career and healthy post-wrestling life. He was set to wrestle for a spot in the Olympics last year; the trials were moved to April 2 of this year, which is less than two weeks away.
Lee has a limited window in which to make money from his sport — sure would be nice if he owned the rights to his name, image and likeness right now while he’s a living legend at a school where wrestling matters so much! — and NCAA schools do nothing to provide for the long-term care of athletes who are injured while competing.
Watching Lee’s achievement from afar is awe-inspiring, and you can tell how much it meant to him. But glory, we know, doesn’t pay the bills in the future — or dull the pain. Lee says not to worry about him, and sounds convincing. But …
So what resonates here, for me, is the dedication to his teammates. It’s beautiful. “We suffer together, we love together, we fight together.” He means it. You know he means it. There’s no doubt here whatsoever.
This level of togetherness is hardly a given. Wrestlers can be loners. Almost have to be, in some ways. So to hear this about the team that got Iowa its first team title since 2010 — an unfathomable drought for that program — is truly compelling, and we should be thankful that Lee shared it with us.
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