ESPN’s record-setting NCAA tourney coverage reaches millions of viewers
ESPN’s record-setting coverage of the 2014 NCAA Division I
Wrestling Championships – first-time live telecasts of all six ses- sions and individual cameras across all mats on ESPN3 -- gen- erated significant audiences across television and digital plat- forms. The four telecasts on ESPNU and two on ESPN (Thursday, March 20 to Saturday, March 22) combined to reach 8.6 million people, a 39% increase over last year (8.6 million vs. 6.2 million). The 20-hours of television coverage averaged 253,000 viewers. ESPN’s expanded digital coverage on ESPN3, which included the debut of Off the Mat – a special during the championship finals -- in addition to individual mat cameras, generated 12.8
ROSSELLI, Continued from page 25
USA Wrestler: In 2012, you were one of the official U.S. Olympic Freestyle Coaches. In your mind, what was the key to the strong U.S. performance, which featured two gold medalists and a bronze medalist? Rosselli: With John Smith, myself, Zeke Jones, Billy Zadick, Brandon Slay and the other coaches, there was good synergy. That makes it fun. Everyone had the right goal in mind. Everyone is trying to win for the USA. Everything was based around performance. The expectations were to get the job done. That made for a good experience and the athletes feel that. Everyone is on the same page. Everyone is fighting to win as a team, trying to prove we are the best. Each day was focused on being the best and getting maximum performance.
USA Wrestler: In 2013, five of the seven members of the Freestyle World Team came from the Ohio RTC. As coach, how were you able to get these athletes to peak at the right time? Rosselli: The way I run the RTC doesn’t change. I tweak things here and there. I try to give them individual attention. I run a general system, but there is communication between me and the athletes. Sometimes things just hit. I didn’t change so much. In 2012, we had some guys take second and third and one Olympian. The next year, you have five. I know my guys are pretty good and they have to be ready-ready. We hit on all cylin- ders. Every guy was fighting hard to be the best they can be. It is their goal. It is a little different working with a 26 year old man than an 18 year old youngster. It is on them. I will put them through the training and make sure they get what they need. I have to give credit to them. It was a great year.
USA Wrestler: Since coming to the Ohio RTC, Tervel Dlagnev has consistently reached the medal rounds at the Olympics and Worlds. What are Tervel’s strengths as a wrestler and person? Rosselli: His strength is his commitment to wrestling. He really loves wrestling. There is no place he’d rather be than competing for the United States. He is also a big guy who can move. He has great leg attacks. His work ethic is top notch, and that alone makes him a threat. When you are committed, you think you are going to win, you are a great shooter, those things make you stand out. He lives a life of discipline. He is going to do his weight lifting, make sure he scraps and gets training in. His incredible work ethic separates him.
million minutes consumed on ESPN3 and WatchESPN, a 1% increase over the 2013 championship. WatchESPN is accessi- ble online at
WatchESPN.com, on smartphones and tablets via the WatchESPN app and streamed on televisions through Xbox 360, Xbox One, Apple TV and Roku. Oklahoma’s Tulsa and Oklahoma City were the two highest- rated metered markets, respectively, for ESPN’s combined semifinal and final telecasts. Minneapolis was third followed by Pittsburgh, Birmingham, Greensboro, Jacksonville, Nashville, Philadelphia, and Greenville. ESPN began covering the NCAA Wrestling Division I Championships in 1980.
USA Wrestler: What makes Logan Stieber such an amazing college wrestler, and how do you think he will stack up in col- lege wrestling history? Rosselli: He’s already stacking up pretty good. He’s got three national titles. He’s taken a few setbacks, but the guy knows how to win. He is a really smart wrestler. He understands what it takes to win a high-profile match. His work ethic is great. He makes it look easy. Sometimes we don’t give him enough credit. There are things he will do to guys in college wrestling who are really good wrestlers. His expectation of dominating, and trying to put it on someone, is the way he competes. He figures it out. You don’t have to always tell him the strategy. He gets it. There are always great competitors, and there are no guarantees. There are some special young people who will do well on the next level and he is one of them.
USA Wrestler: On paper, Ohio State looks loaded next year. How is excited is the coaching staff about the team’s prospects next season? Rosselli: Everybody is excited with the potential. It will be one of the best teams we’ve had since we have been here. We were second in ’08 and ’09. This is clearly one of the best we have ever assembled. We have kids in the program now who are committed, low risk, do good in school. It’s not just wrestling, it’s the way they live. This team could win. Have we penciled anybody in yet? No. There is a lot of work to be done. We know we have the people who have that potential. These are the type of guys that know how to fight and scrap every sec- ond for seven minutes. We are excited about that.
USA Wrestler: As one of our top freestyle coaches, do you believe the USA can become the best in the world, and what will it take to get there? Rosselli: Of course, the USA can do it. Anybody who wres- tles for this country knows we can be the best. American wrestling can emerge and be the best in the world again. I wouldn’t put the time into our freestyle guys, our club and spend time with USA Wrestling if I didn’t think it were possible. We have a crop of young guys now who are used to winning at every level. There are skill sets you need to be successful. There is a work load that has to happen to be ready for these events. Limiting the distractions in today’s society will be a part of it. It’s getting young people to be less distracted and commit- ted to what they are doing. We have the talent. This crop of kids can win.
33 USA Wrestler
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