Finn: Wrestling made me the journalist I wanted to be

Photo: WIN editor Mike Finn (right) started covering wrestling in 1988 when he was fortunate to have his late father, Martin, listen to one of many interviews. Mike is officially retiring on Feb. 7 from his position with WIN, which he took on in 2003.

By Mike Finn

As a journalist for the past 47 years, I have covered many sports, especially wrestling since 1988, including the past 21 years as WIN editor. During that time, I’ve loved digging up information on what mat accomplishments made wrestlers and coaches so memorable.

Yet, at the same time, no one will ever find any glowing wrestling moments in my past with this sport, which included competing for Columbus High School in Waterloo, Iowa, where I never wrestled varsity and usually got my rear kicked.

But I never lost my love for the sport, primarily because of the life skills the sport provided me as a parent and a person. I also like to think those skills of not backing down against the biggest challenges helped me as a Watergate-era journalist, trained to challenge authority.

And this reporting style was perfect for a sport like wrestling where coaches and wrestlers expressed their feelings, whether I liked their answers or not. That is why I loved writing about wrestling because no athlete or coach of any sport is more candid than a wrestler.

That is what I’ll probably miss the most as I say goodbye to the wrestling community. This is the last column for WIN as I officially retire on Feb. 7.

The best part of my job has been interviewing countless people over the years. And to all those I never got to speak to, I apologize because I believe everyone has a story.

Of course, there are too many people for me to thank, but I will start with WIN founder Mike Chapman, whose challenge of making wrestling a mainstream sport has never been appreciated. And, current WIN owner Bryan Van Kley, who made me editor in 2003, at a time when I needed a professional change, and who was kind enough to share his family with me.

I’ve been fortunate to work with other incredible people over the past two decades, including our office managers Diana Strickland, Kim Mapes, Michele Worthington and Gina LeFleur … as well as so many columnists, including Kyle Klingman, Rob Sherrill and Sandy Stevens who have been there since my WIN beginning.

There have been so many other professionals who have helped me over the years like members of USA Wrestling, including executive director Rich Bender and Hall of Fame information specialist Gary Abbott, whose recommendation gave me the chance to work with NBC Sports for every summer Olympics since 2008.

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I could say the same thing about Jason Bryant, the current voice of wrestling, or the National Wrestling Coaches Association, led by Mike Moyer and so many more I’ve pestered over the years.

And speaking of being a pest, I’m sure many a coach got tired of me asking so many questions. Yet so many of their answers, whether I liked them or not, still stick to my soul.

And no coach had a greater impact on me than Dan Gable, who literally put his finger in my chest and challenged me to be as good of a journalist as the many champions and All-Americans he produced over two decades at Iowa. I’ve been fortunate to spend two hours a month with him over the past decade talking about the sport that made his life so legendary.

I also smile knowing my last WIN assignment at the NWCA National Duals took place at the UNI-Dome, where Gable last coached in 1997.

I’ve witnessed many historic moments, including how the sport came together to save Olympic wrestling and how women are now part of the experience.

Finally, I must thank my family, including my brother Kevin, a two-time All-American at Northern Iowa, who wrestled with me on my first wrestling mat in our living room at 840 Hickory Street, and frankly and lovingly told me to quit asking him so many questions.

But when it comes to family, I should start with my parents Martin, an immigrant from Ireland, who continued to follow wrestling well after my brother and I stopped; and my mother Helen, who is about to turn 100 years old and whose gift of gab is what I credit for my interviewing skills.

My other four siblings, Mary, Nancy, Tim and Annette have also been part of my journey and literally housed me for many a national event I covered, including trips to Fargo and numerous high school and college tournaments.

I’ve also been lucky the past decade to have a girlfriend, Deb, a former long-time teacher, who has become my writing muse and best friend.

And finally, I can’t help but tearfully think of my daughters, Katie and Kelly, who grew up literally sitting beside me at sporting events — knowing they “could not cheer in the press box”. They eventually used those reporting skills to cover events for me and now share that curiosity for life with their children, many of whom have wrestled.

I have no idea how long they will wrestle and frankly don’t care because wrestling is a personal thing, where everyone gets something special out of simply competing … and turning that into greatness one day.

I look forward to following Tristan Warner, the new editor of WIN, lead the magazine into the future.

May he and all wrestling journalists continue to challenge themselves as, perhaps, they once did on the mat.

Go after those stories as you did in securing a takedown or pin. And while wrestling matches end, those wrestling stories last a lifetime.

They did for me.