Tkdwn42 presents a veeeeerrrrry interesting question in the "Coaches Only" topic. (Unfortunately, as some of you may know, a certain Lent Brane doesn't appreciate it when non-wrestling coaches post on that topic...but I still say T-Ball counts.)

Which tournament has the best hospitality room? I know some of our fat, worthless coaches would rate them, but what are your picks? Who has the best food? Who has the worst?

I've never been in a hospitality room...I imagine it to be coaches sitting on beds, eating grapes, with fine women fanning them with giant leaves.

When I was coaching at at the Kids' District I championships, they had pretty good grub. However, I heard that all the really good things had all ready been gobbled up by the old guys. Why I oughta...

Ummm...food.

I snuck into the cheerleader hospitality room once and got caught by the hometown cheerleading sponsor. I quickly covered by posing as a yell leader, though. It was a close call, since I ate nearly everything in the room.

Prant,
Will the Manhattan Kids Club be gaining the benefit of your many talents as an assistant coach? If they should be so lucky, make sure to put the Salina tournament on your calendar. Their coaches' room is excellent. My husband, a coaches' room connoisseur, rates it at the top of his list.

Good luck in your future endeavors, and please keep posting on the forum!

Thank you for your kind words, but lucky for the Manhattan Optimist Club, I will not be coaching. Along with being officially retired, I save my coaching talents for city league basketball (runner-up, whatwhat!), T-ball (undefeated!), and soccer (0-8!). Sadly, a certain person who we'll call "Lent Brane" does not consider me to be a real coach.

Now, Mr. Lane, I know you and your fellow moderators are coaches as well...who offers the best grub? And be honest- have you ever continued going to a tournament just because of the food?

As a former member of the group that quite possibly takes advantage of free food anytime it is available (your hometown media person), I think I should have a good idea (I would think that tkdown42 would know this as well---sorry Jeff)...

OK, it might not be wrestling, but I remember the Immaculata and Tonganoxie basketball tournaments in the mid to late 80s and mid 90s serving up some excellent grub...

As for wrestling tourneys, my vote goes to any school that had a hospitality room that consisted more than a few cookies and ham sandwiches...If you had chili, you went straight to the top...

Gorilla Hawk you're right. In the off-wrestling division of hospitality rooms, the week-long feast at the late, great Raider Classic basketball tourney topped them all.
And, in all honesty, the last few years I was at Imac, our wrestling Invitational's food was pretty good, highlighted by an incredible brisket from the Derezinskis in 2002. We finished it off at the parents' wrap party at our house.

I would have to say that the best hospitality room ever was at the Hays JV surrender monkey and me getting so full of homemade brauts (sp?) we couldn't hardly coach?

That would imply that you knew how to coach in the first place....

And just so you know, I have a stomach punch on Pamon Darker. That fool couldn't finish a whole rack of ribs. Ha.

How sad. I have lost all respect for Pamon. Is he on his annual summer diet or something? Come on, sack up and eat the ribs!!!

I am going to have to choose Junction City as the best hospitality room because of CHUBBY'S RIBS. The only thing Junction doesn't have is pop on tap. Digging through ice and water is the only downfall.

Prant-nice to see you have a stomach punch on pamon, boach and I were becoming convinced that the rules were only in place to not get the 4 fathers punched and punch everyone else. I still will never forget Pizza Hut at State this year.

Pamon and the other members of the Dark Council have the game all wrong. You see, it wasn't invented by Pamon at all, but by his younger non-wrestling brother. But being the good American that he is, he took all the credit for something that wasn't his idea. Unfortunately, he, Pteve, and Male turned it into a game full of evil and deceit.

For those who don't know, the game is this: If you do not finish all your food at a restaurant or in a hospitality room, everyone you are eating with gets to punch you in the stomach. They can punch you right afterwards, or they can wait for days, weeks, even months to exact revenge. Then, one day (perhaps at the state tournament, doodoo?) you attack and if you are lucky, tears and vomit are some of the side effects.

And yes, Pizza Hut was perhaps the funniest event in the history of Manhattan wrestling. Good times, man. Good times.

Just a correction on the official rules:
1)If you don't finish your plate of food you get punched by one person (not everyone).
1a) if there is more than one person present, they must decide who gets the punch (generally it is whoever catches the slacker).
2) If you tamper with someone's food and they
a) catch you before they take a bite, you must eat it or suffer a punch.
b) don't catch you before the first bite they must eat it or suffer the consequences.


I hope this clears up the rules. No new rules will be administered until 3/4ths of the fathers meet, probably at state next year. An updated rule book will be available for purchase at that time for $4.95 (plus $3.95 shipping and handling).

You make it sound so easy. Yes, those are the overall/general rules, but don't be fooled. They have exceptions and other rules for every situation that might occur during the course of a meal. Which mainly always lead to the conclusion of eat it or get punched in the stomach. i.e. you must finish your milkshake/frosty before that last bit is all liquid-or get punched in the stomach. Don't get me wrong, I do enjoy playing the game. It is a rather fun, enjoyable, and fattening game.