Rec Hall vs Carver: Discuss...

[Chickenman Testa]

Great post! I'm like you, cant feel qualified to compare the two without having step foot in Carver.

Doesn’t Carver have a restraining order in place against you?

 

[James P. Whitters III]

Haven't been to Rec Hall in about 20 years, so can't say much about the atmosphere with today's coaches/team.

I do know a few things about Carver, though:

The atmosphere is so unique that it has it's own saying- Carvered. Don't think anywhere else in the college wrestling world has that. Although, have to point out that if you did get your own, getting Reck'd(spelling?) would be a pretty badass one.

There's not many venues in college wrestling that can come close to matching the energy of a highly anticipated dual/match in Carver. Not trying to take a jab, but I will point to the crowd reaction to Kemerer beating Hall as a prime example of what Carver offers that other college venues do not. Nearly 15,000 fans collectively losing their voices is something that just doesn't happens at college dual meets pretty much anywhere else. Truly wish every college wrestler could experience that type of reaction to a win at least once during their career.

On the flip side, opponents coming in and silencing the crowd with a win of their own appears to bring great joy as well. Have seen numerous wrestlers celebrate just a bit more after a win in Carver(think Bo's hand to ear) than they do any other time. Not upset with it at all, it's part of the Carver experience. Have heard numerous interviews where wrestlers cite Carver as their favorite place to wrestle outside their own facilities.

@Psubiomed brought up modern history(PSU is 6-5 vs Iowa in duals under Cael btw). Part of what makes a venue so special IS all of the things that have taken place under the rafters. All of the previous duals, past wrestling greats, epic matches, etc. It's all part of what makes Carver special. Discounting them because it's in the past is silly when talking about a venue.


TL;DR version - Carver is awesome and everyone should go at least once!

Great post. Carver is a very tough place to wrestle. The big thing to me has always been how intimidated officials are in that building. Blocking off and pushing is rewarded to such an extent that it may actually hurt Iowa when they face guys on a neutral mat come NCAA. I resent anyone trying to paint Carver Hawkeye as a place where people throw racial slurs and toss beer on athletes. I have seen at least 50 duals in Carver and have never witnessed this behavior. Crazy wild eyed big mouthed idiots-Hell YES. Racist idiots? HELL NO.

 

[liex26]

Penn state fan formerly from Iowa. My experience with Carver… all the seats have excellent view. Fans are loud and always call “stalling”. I was there, one section over when the beer was thrown. I couldn’t believe NOBODY pointed out the individual who threw the beer. No class. Definitely a home field advantage with the crowd behind them. GREAT SOFT SERVE ICE CREAM.

I’ll comment on REC HALL…. When I make my first visit. 😊

Still in IA. In fact I'm working a short walk from Carver for the next few days.

I have always enjoyed Carver. It's a really great atmosphere for wrestling. I'm lucky to be within a 30 min drive so any international events are on my radar.

A small minority can certainly ruin a venue (message boards too) if left unchecked. Over the last 20 years, imo, Iowa fans have became some of the worst in all of sports. I know dozens of people with season wrestling tickets, and they just have very little wrestling knowledge. When we were watching the NCAAs last year and Spencer got pinned, more than half the Iowa fans thought he was undefeated. They even looked it up because they thought I was lying. LOL
The average fan here knows the history and knows Iowa is a top team. Every single year they believe Iowa is going to win it. This year so far has been quiet.


I believe it's what happens when fans get too arrogant about their program and it begins to decline. It will happen to us one day too I'm afraid.

 

[James P. Whitters III]

Plenty of them still think Dan Gable wrestled for Iowa. Hell out very own Turk may for all I know.

 

[johnstownsteel]

Doesn’t Carver have a restraining order in place against you?

I would enter under an assumed name much like I'm forced to do on HR...

 

[PAgeologist]

Still in IA. In fact I'm working a short walk from Carver for the next few days.

I have always enjoyed Carver. It's a really great atmosphere for wrestling. I'm lucky to be within a 30 min drive so any international events are on my radar.

A small minority can certainly ruin a venue (message boards too) if left unchecked. Over the last 20 years, imo, Iowa fans have became some of the worst in all of sports. I know dozens of people with season wrestling tickets, and they just have very little wrestling knowledge. When we were watching the NCAAs last year and Spencer got pinned, more than half the Iowa fans thought he was undefeated. They even looked it up because they thought I was lying. LOL
The average fan here knows the history and knows Iowa is a top team. Every single year they believe Iowa is going to win it. This year so far has been quiet.


I believe it's what happens when fans get too arrogant about their program and it begins to decline. It will happen to us one day too I'm afraid.

It could happen here, but PA high school wrestling is so strong that there is always a large pool of knowledgeable fans.

High school wrestling in Iowa varies in strength. I think the size of Carver hurts them. More people = more potential idiots.

 

[hlstone]

Great post. Carver is a very tough place to wrestle. The big thing to me has always been how intimidated officials are in that building. Blocking off and pushing is rewarded to such an extent that it may actually hurt Iowa when they face guys on a neutral mat come NCAA. I resent anyone trying to paint Carver Hawkeye as a place where people throw racial slurs and toss beer on athletes. I have seen at least 50 duals in Carver and have never witnessed this behavior. Crazy wild eyed big mouthed idiots-Hell YES. Racist idiots? HELL NO.

I was at one dual and saw a bottle of beer thrown at Carter. Resent me all you want.

I also talked to a ref buddy of mine, and he made a bad call. I asked him about it and he said that he got Carvered. We laughed, but it is a thing.

It's awesome that this rivalry is here. It makes the sport great! Let's get Michigan and Ohio State rocking.

We love this sport. Anyone who steps on the mat is cool in my book.😎

 

[HikeNatParks]

Haven't been to Rec Hall in about 20 years, so can't say much about the atmosphere with today's coaches/team.

I do know a few things about Carver, though:

The atmosphere is so unique that it has it's own saying- Carvered. Don't think anywhere else in the college wrestling world has that. Although, have to point out that if you did get your own, getting Reck'd(spelling?) would be a pretty badass one.

There's not many venues in college wrestling that can come close to matching the energy of a highly anticipated dual/match in Carver. Not trying to take a jab, but I will point to the crowd reaction to Kemerer beating Hall as a prime example of what Carver offers that other college venues do not. Nearly 15,000 fans collectively losing their voices is something that just doesn't happens at college dual meets pretty much anywhere else. Truly wish every college wrestler could experience that type of reaction to a win at least once during their career.

On the flip side, opponents coming in and silencing the crowd with a win of their own appears to bring great joy as well. Have seen numerous wrestlers celebrate just a bit more after a win in Carver(think Bo's hand to ear) than they do any other time. Not upset with it at all, it's part of the Carver experience. Have heard numerous interviews where wrestlers cite Carver as their favorite place to wrestle outside their own facilities.

@Psubiomed brought up modern history(PSU is 6-5 vs Iowa in duals under Cael btw). Part of what makes a venue so special IS all of the things that have taken place under the rafters. All of the previous duals, past wrestling greats, epic matches, etc. It's all part of what makes Carver special. Discounting them because it's in the past is silly when talking about a venue.


TL;DR version - Carver is awesome and everyone should go at least once!

This from someone who hasn’t been to either, so take with grain of salt. From televised matches alone, I’d say Carver is the more intense/exciting venue. Whether fan proximity, fan volatility, a more animated coaching staff, more crowd-influenced refs (?), acoustics, etc., it “looks” more unnerving for the incoming opponent. Team bias colors all comments, and actual in-seat experience at both sites matters most, but Jrod’s reasoned, unheated argument has me leaning “corn” on this one. I just think a high-stakes match is more memorable at the more intimidating venue. That said, and with a nod to the holiday, for well over a decade now, I’m most thankful to support and enjoy the far more exciting and intimidating “team.”

 

[James P. Whitters III]

I was at one dual and saw a bottle of beer thrown at Carter. Resent me all you want.

I also talked to a ref buddy of mine, and he made a bad call. I asked him about it and he said that he got Carvered. We laughed, but it is a thing.

It's awesome that this rivalry is here. It makes the sport great! Let's get Michigan and Ohio State rocking.

We love this sport. Anyone who steps on the mat is cool in my book.😎

I don't doubt you. There are terrible people who do terrible things. The fans where my dad had his season tickets would not tolerate that behavior. I can't begin to understand why anyone would do something like that at a sporting event. I grew up watching Iowa and haven't seen anything like that, but hopefully the guy who did it never gets back in the arena.

 

[hlstone]

I don't doubt you. There are terrible people who do terrible things. The fans where my dad had his season tickets would not tolerate that behavior. I can't begin to understand why anyone would do something like that at a sporting event. I grew up watching Iowa and haven't seen anything like that, but hopefully the guy who did it never gets back in the arena.

You are a good guy. If I was near that guy, I would have either reported him or inside tripped him. Depending on my company. 🙂

 

[PAgeologist]

I would enter under an assumed name much like I'm forced to do on HR...

You would need to get seats behind the Iowa bench. Then breakout a Paid Iowa Hater hat. Just for TV.

 

[86PSUPaul]

I have met a lot of mat side people and a bunch of top row people at Rec Hall. They are all pretty cool in each individual way.

My buddy Paul and I walked around Carver and had a great time too!

The 2 venues are just different experiences. They are both wonderful in their own ways.

Well, except for the beer bottle throw…..

 

[hlstone]

Well, except for the beer bottle throw…..

Yep.

 

[baccafarmer]

It could happen here, but PA high school wrestling is so strong that there is always a large pool of knowledgeable fans.

High school wrestling in Iowa varies in strength. I think the size of Carver hurts them. More people = more potential idiots.

Adjacent to my REC Hall seats = in front of me is a former HS coach and ref. He answers all our questions about unusual calls. His wife appears to know even more than he does. To my left are two generations of wrestlers … one of whom wrestled for PSU in the 60’s. Behind me is a former Clarion wrestler who still looks mean. I’ve been to Carver twice and had great experiences, but, from what I could see and hear …. their fans are more about making wild noise and less about understanding the nuances of the sport. This may because I was sitting with the unwashed masses and not with Season Tix holders, but, overall …. the fans in Rec Hall anticipate scoring moves more quickly. Being part of that crowd dynamic is awfully special.

 

[LOTOlion]

I am lucky enough to go to Carver for the PSU meets. My boss is die hard Hawkeye. His season tickets are a row behind the BTN “booth”. If I was smart enough to post pics I would have done it years ago. 😭
It has been a fantastic experience for me so far. The Iowa ticket holders around me have always been pleasant. The atmosphere is something that you should try to experience at least once in your life.

 

[PD4thespawn]

Penn state fan formerly from Iowa. My experience with Carver… all the seats have excellent view. Fans are loud and always call “stalling”. I was there, one section over when the beer was thrown. I couldn’t believe NOBODY pointed out the individual who threw the beer. No class. Definitely a home field advantage with the crowd behind them. GREAT SOFT SERVE ICE CREAM.

I’ll comment on REC HALL…. When I make my first visit. 😊

Had me at " all the seats have excellent view". Tunnel vision allowed and preferred.

 

[Cstroke]

Attended a match in Carver and now I sit down to pee.

 

[Cstroke]

And damn Jrod had some good posts…

 

[Diego Badman]

Great post. Carver is a very tough place to wrestle. The big thing to me has always been how intimidated officials are in that building. Blocking off and pushing is rewarded to such an extent that it may actually hurt Iowa when they face guys on a neutral mat come NCAA. I resent anyone trying to paint Carver Hawkeye as a place where people throw racial slurs and toss beer on athletes. I have seen at least 50 duals in Carver and have never witnessed this behavior. Crazy wild eyed big mouthed idiots-Hell YES. Racist idiots? HELL NO.

Have to agree that they are not racist. Otherwise, Gabe Arnold’s father most certainly would have brought this to light. (Tongue firmly planted in cheek).

 

[dicemen99]

uh, oh. DT just said Rec Hall is the "most electric venue in college wrestling."

Not that GIA liked him anyway...

 

[WildTurk]

uh, oh. DT just said Rec Hall is the "most electric venue in college wrestling."

Not that GIA liked him anyway...

He is wrong and I still like him

 

[Cstroke]

Damn, now that’s a conundrum.
turk likes you but you are wrong.
turk doesnt like you and you are right.

 

[Just another PSU Fan]

I listened to all the Clearfield HS wrestling matches on the radio as a kid... doubt there on any more.. the dual meet set up's have changed quite a bit. It was like Friday night lights for me in the late 70's, 1980...

I remember filling out D6 AA & AAA along with NW Region hand made brackets back in the 80s while listening to a radio with rabbit ears to get the stations to come in clear enough! Today's fans have it easy ...

 

[liex26]

I remember filling out D6 AA & AAA along with NW Region hand made brackets back in the 80s while listening to a radio with rabbit ears to get the stations to come in clear enough! Today's fans have it easy ...

While this is true to a certain extent, with today's technology it should be even easier still.

I grew up in a heavy Cubs fanbase area as a Cardinal fan. I was able to get the Card's games also on the radio for free on the weekends.
Today, with blackouts, market restrictions, and multiple streaming services it's harder than ever to "legally" enjoy them here.

On Thursday Night Football on a firestick you can press UP on the remote and view all the game stats updated live, as well as watch any pertinent replay you want almost instantly.
Last night, in a crucial time in the match, it took a solid minute just to add 2 points to the score.
I'm not sure if the scoring system is antiquated, or what the issue is. It would be great to have official stats so that maybe it would open up gambling a bit. Could draw more interest.

I am glad we have options to watch wrestling, but we can do better..... way better than what Flo is offering.