WE ARE WRESTLING-SPECIFIC MEDIA

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Dear Coaches, 

Ironically, the fact that I came home with 8,000 fewer photographs than I expected was the major reason this article took so long to complete.  Suffice it to say, at the semifinals, I was more than a tad irked.  My photographers were all there, and certainly I was going to pay them for that, and I had a good Master Plan as to how to photograph six mats with four cameras.  Then I saw what is shown in the below photographs.

Almost every wrestler in the semifinals and their myriads (yes, the plural works just fine) of coaches were inside the barricades.  We could not get any photos of the semifinals matches at all.  People would look at us, and knew who we were, but none deigned to move themselves or others out of the way to let us take photographs.  I sent the three photographers home.  I left after the semifinals thinking I had just enough time to pack my bags and get back to River Ridge to watch the finals on my computers.  But one check of the weather showed that I-49 was covered in thunderstorms to Lafayette, and then the storms turned east on I-10 to Baton Rouge.  I decided to tell my other photographers to meet me for the finals. As a result, the only photographs of the semifinals were taken from the press table with a very heavy 120-300 f/2.8 lens.  But Superman I ain't, and I was not going to do that for very long.  More unfortunate is that I also have no photographs of the consolation semifinals or the matches for 3rd-4th and 5th-6th places.

I did not care to inquire why this happened.  I really do not think it is any fault of the LHSAA (and if I did I damn sure would not say so as they did allow me four press credentials this year).  Could it be the fault of the Brookshire Grocery Arena?  Possibly, if they hired the security personnel and did not inform them of when wrestlers were allowed inside the barricades.  After all, this was the first time the event was run without Kelly Wells at the head of the Shreveport-Bossier Sports Commission.  The new people do not know about me or what the Louisiana Wrestling News does.

A lot of coaches, however, do know what I do, and why I hire photographers for the state tournament. 

A lot of ex-wrestlers try to do something to give back to the sport.  Most either coach teams or clubs or just give a lot of financial or other support - whatever they can.  But none of them expect a lot of pats on the back for doing so.  Seventeen years ago, I thought of something a tad different that I thought might help, which is when I started the Louisiana High School Wrestling Archives website (once again, sorry Coach Bof).  Eleven years ago I thought of something else, which, to my knowledge, nobody else has done before.  Heaven forbid someone writing about wrestling who actually knows the sport (or at least, once did).  Not to mention someone who knows how to use the word "including!"  (Why is "not to mention" always followed by what is supposedly not to be mentioned?)  While watching enough wrestling to write about it, why not take photographs that all who care to can see, copy and share?

Enough coaches know that while I appreciate their thanks, this is not why I do it.  I do not do it for t-shirts or hoodies or fee admission.  (Ms. Elaine would kill me if she knew how many times I paid to get into the Ken Cole!)  Sure, I spend a lot of money doing it.  Other people spend money on other things.  On October 7th, 2021, my sister flew to Las Vegas, meeting up with her best friend from the Boston area, to watch a Donny Osmond concert.  That was great for them.  On the same weekend I chose to go to Stonewall, Louisiana, for the North Desoto Daddy Duals.  I did not have to - I wanted to.  Until Florida became bats#%t nuts, I went to Destin in December for the South Walton Border Wars for eight years, or thereabouts.  My point is that I like spending what disposable income I have on helping promote the sport.  On February 11th, 2023, however, the phrase "disposable income" took on a new meaning.

I would love to keep doing this for as long as I can.  Granted, I have to trust my cameras more than I once did due to some vision problems, and I also cannot commit to taking and processing as many photographs as I once did, as my time in front of my computers is also limited.  But as long as the wrestling community will have me, I will try my best.

Yet I would be remiss not to justify my expenses.  I cannot go back to Bossier City without knowing that my photographers will have angles from which to take photographs of every round of the event.  And I cannot ask the LHSAA or the Shreveport-Bossier Sports Commission to do that for me.  I need the coaches to figure out a way if they would like me in Bossier City in 2024.  I know y'all have many more important things to worry about, but honestly, this is a problem that can be solved via a couple of phone calls to the right people.

I am open to ideas.  I know coaches could make this possible simply by making sure their kids are following the rules re going inside the barricades.  But it might be easier for someone to explain those rules more strictly to the security personal.  All I know is that I cannot remedy the situation.  I do not make enough money off of the event to make a difference.  Any comments or suggestions are welcome via email.

Your humble (yeah, I know) servant,

Martin Muller

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