As a senior in highschool I was named athlete of the week by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. They asked me who my favorite athlete was and being a wrestler, it was Gable (he is still the biggest name in wrestling 50 years after he retired) Coach Gable had zero to gain by this, and to this day I have no idea how he heard about an obscure small article in a Wisconsin paper, but he sent me a hand written thank you note. This class act of a man thanked a high school kid he never met for mentioning him in an article in a newspaper 500 miles from him (he was also in the middle of preparing his last team he would coach for the NCAA tournament). I still have that letter. My wife and I are having our first child in August, and I can not wait to pass it on to him and explain how great a wrestler, how great a coach, and most importantly how humble a human being Dan Gable is.
That’s awesome. About 4 years ago my son went and asked Gable for his autograph at the big 10 championships in Indiana. My son had a picture of himself standing next to the Dan Gable statue at Hawkeye arena. He asked him to sign it and then Gable said sure. After he signed it he asked my son “so do you have another picture of yourself that you can autograph and give to me? We all looked puzzled and Dan Gable said “because if you become a great wrestler I want to have your autograph”. So my son gave him his autograph. I guess that’s how I became a Gable / Hawkeye fan
It really does, I stopped wrestling since freshman year of high school. I’m 22 now about to graduate college tomorrow, yet nothing pushed me to my limits as much as wrestling. It toughened me up and I wish I can describe it better for non-wrestlers but it’s an unexplainable experience.
@@heinzweber7642 what exactly is "Bundesliga wrestling"? I remember hearing that term on the Joe Rogan Experience of all places back when he had the former silver medalist in freestyle wrestling and also former UFC Interim Middleweight Champion, Yoel Romero on as his guest and Romero is from Cuba, so in order to get to where he is now, he had to defect from Cuba and he did so when the Cuban national wrestling team was in Germany for some tournament and he said it was one of the easiest countries for him to defect in despite him speaking no German or English at the time because the sport of wrestling is very popular in Germany (something which surprised me), so a ton of people there knew who he was and admired/respected him enough to provide him with food and shelter and whatnot. But I was genuinely surprised to hear that wrestling is popular right now in Germany and he said it's because they have a Bundeslig there, but I had no idea what he was talking about.
“Win with humility, lose with dignity. But dang it don’t lose!” I love hearing quotes there’s so much wisdom and life changing lessons that follow them.
1 amazing quote is more valuable than a 2 hour long video with jordan peterson spouting hyper intellectual word salad that confuses u down to ur very core tbh.
As someone who grew up in Iowa, almost lived at the YMCA and a wrestler as well. He is very relatable. All through high school wrestling, we always talked about Gable
Same man lol the toughness is just coach cranking the heat and screaming PUKE AND RUN DAMMIT! NO ONE TOLD YOU TO STOP RUNNING! I never feared an opponent....I feared coach.
He talked at our school one year and since he’s such an Iowa legend a bunch of the parents were all there in the gym bleachers with us 😂 very inspiring guy
@@CarpatronSkittle right? Yelling about hawk pride and all that got us fired up....then coach ran us practically to death lol looking back it was a strat to help coach work us harder.
@@shootandscoot257 ahaha you have to be cut from a different cloth to be a wrestler imo. We would see the wrestlers conditioning during basketball season sometimes and it just looked horrendous. Wrestling coach used to ask me every year if I wanted to join and it felt like being recruited for the army.
@@CarpatronSkittle oh yeah there’s a large element of masochism lol you made the right call by not going out. Practice is one thing but the cutting will haunt me forever.....eat A saltine and spit in a cup all day then practice lol
His wrestling camps were the best. He always had a group of college wrestlers at his camps. I won a state championship in Michigan using an inside switch a college wrestler teaching at his camp taught me. He is a living legend. There is no way to count the number of lives he has affected. Especially mine.
Cee tee - when I was wrestling I never won a State Championship, but I looked up to the guy two grades ahead of me that won State, even though I outweighed him by 50 pounds. The level of work involved in accomplishing something like that, regardless of physical gifts, is immense. I remember seeing the guy (Will) through the window while everyone was on lunch break, and he was in the weight room banging out reps while the rest of us enjoyed our jalapeño corn dogs, You’re a badass, I guarantee it.
Joining the wrestling team in 6th grade was one of the best decisions I've ever made in my life. It taught me so much and set me up for the rest of my life. That old saying is so true, "Once you have wrested, everything else in life is easy"
Growing up as a wrestler in iowa I still remember the first time meeting Dan. This guy is the most genuine and sincere man you’ll ever find. We were in Des Moines for the state wrestling tournament. I was young and running around the hotel with my friends and saw my mom talking with an older man in the hotel lobby. My friends and I all recognized him immediately and went to meet him. We talked for awhile and we all asked for his autograph. When he left my mom turned and asks “Who was that?” She had no idea that she had been talking to the most famous wrestler of all time for the past 30 minutes about youth wrestling and how great the sport is for raising young men. I had multiple other encounters with him growing up as many other wrestlers could tell you he makes a point to be a part of the community and spread his wisdom to the youth. We couldn’t ask for a better advocate for the sport and for the state of Iowa.
My dad was working in China in 2009 - one day, while on the subway, a Russian walked up to my dad and while pointing at his Hawkeye cap he said “Dan Gable”...I think that was 37 years after Gable had beaten “Russia’s best” - running through the Olympics without a point scored on him - even years after Gable became the greatest coach EVER. For those who know, LEGEND. Around the world.
I had to Google Dan's name to know what the conversation was about. Now I know. My father wrestled in high school. He was hairy. And his opponents were scared at his appearance. But he told me: "When they learned I was a pussycat, I lost." I miss my dad. We had so much fun in the end of his life.
@@blaiseboy123 No, bro! He sleeps in the grave (Ecclesiates 9:5,10). We face two of the ordained resurrections to come (John 5:9). I pray you're in the first. This way, we can be friends "for ever and ever." Be smart and follow "Thus saith the LORD" and not the church. They'll betray you, bro!
Class act. I graduated in 2006 and Gable was still considered the baddest man to step on a mat. He created an intense culture of competition that runs through the entire sport.
I only wrestled during my Senior year of High school, but I learned so much about perserverence and mental toughness during that handful of months... Best sport in the world hands down
Proud Iowan here and a definite Hawkeye. Gable is loved by all Iowans, Hawks, Cyclones and (Northern Iowa) Panthers. Iowa's greatest athlete of all time.
Once a wrestler, always a wrestler. My son has followed the path and has grown immensely from it. He will be a better, more mentally and physically tough man. I am proud and humbled by his efforts.
My good cop was Wally Sudit of the Chicago PD. He would roll up on us before whatever bad thing we were gonna do and pull me out/straighten me out, then let me go far away from the scene. The "All cops are bad thing" made it so the good ones can't shine.
I first heard of Dan Gable in a movie called never back down, where they were talking about the 72’ Olympic Games and how Dan Gable was the best ever and how he was out of Iowa. Always remembered the name since I first watched the movie when I was 14. I’m 24 now.
@@lanemiller5015 probably THE best to ever live. This man had other countries like Russia pouring in government funds to their wrestling programs just to try and beat sir Dan Gable. He’s the GOAT
Mental Toughness = YMCA plug. I love it. Breaks my heart when I see communities without one. It was such a huge part of my childhood as well. Dan Gable is a wrestling legend. Even for people who have no context for him or the sport, you just know this is a guy to listen to.
I grew up in the same era. I really feel for kids now days that you don't get a chance to maybe screw up a few times. I know I did. It shouldn't ruin your life to mess up one time. I was pulled over by a cop who told me to go just down the road and get some coffee and sit for a while so I could sober up. That kind of thing is impossible now days. Later, when I quit drinking I had pos car that I got pulled over in at 2:30 AM in and the cop was fishing for drunks at the 'magic hour' . I told the truth that I was just headed home from an AA meeting. He asked how I was doing with it. I told him I was doing ok. He looked at my car and said "How are you doing for money? Could you use a bit of help?" Damn, still brings a tear even today. A decent human being not judging me to be a piece of crap and willing to give me a hand in the right direction. I did not expect a cop to do that either. In my recent past they were "the enemy".
kirk johnson, the difference now is there was 160 million people then, the population in the us has doubled since then, DUI deaths skyrocketed, abductions, rape, murder all on the rise, you cant just let a dui driver drive home cause he made a mistake, its crazy to think gables dad got drunk and beat his wife then went and played pool with cops until he sobered up and they brought him home, luckily that story didn't end up like many women dead at the hands of some drunk. I bet you drove drunk many times after that encounter before quiting.
@@timcorey8474 I don't disagree with you. I am in favor of keeping drunks (like I was) off of the road. I'm suggesting the system could still be improved.
Wrestling is the only sport I know where hs athletes will turn down scholarships. Had a few really good guys on my hs team turn down scholarships because they didn't want to deal with the practices, the weight cutting, etc., in college lol
I had a teammate beat a D2 college recruit (as a junior) and the recruit had graduated and his coach was watching the match. He went up to my teammate after the match and asked about looking into coming to their college and he flat out told the coach “no, I’m not wrestling in college.” The kid he beat ended up being an AA in college. That’s just a small example of people I grew up with in Northeast Ohio that had D1 wrestling skill but either didn’t want to wrestle or didn’t want to go to school. We’re a different breed they say lol
@@johnfraleee Yeah one guy turned down schollies to a bunch of schools including the Air Force Academy. His father lost his fucking mind. A lot of the really good guys were wrestling because of their parents.
@@jasonablah7702 exactly, I would say at least half, if not more quit after high school when their parents didn’t have a say anymore. I was fortunate to not have that pressure, but wish I had the push to go to wrestle in college. I had opportunities to wrestle at very good colleges, but didn’t have the motivation to cut weight, wrestle, and go to school. It was hard enough for me in high school let alone college. Plus add women 😂. I give my hat to these guys like David Taylor, Kyle Dake, Burroughs, etc who are around my age and still doing the grind.
@@johnfraleee Especially the guys that are grinding it out that won't make any money from it. It wasn't until the last decade that wrestlers started to make decent money outside of the ones who transition to MMA.
I wrestled throughout school and was in the heavyweight class. I went to a summer wrestling camp and Mr. Gable was there for several days coaching each and every kid that was there. He’s a first class guy and his move that he taught me became my signature reversal because of how he showed me to set it up and execute it. Thanks Dan.
I grew up in a different time and a different world as this man. That was my initial thought before listening, and now I realize how wrong I am. Something about his raw goodness shames me in a good way. Thanks JRE.
I wrestled folk style some in the Army Infantry, though I was more of a Judo and Jujitsu grappler, and we had a lot of former high school & college wrestlers in the Infantry. . .Honestly, many of the wrestlers I have known were bullies. So I'll respectfully disagree that Wrestling makes better men. I believe good parental training and Christian values makes good men.
@@SoldierAndrew I should say MOST wrestlers turn into good men! But mine also were raised right and with good Christian values. so def agree with you there! you are correct tho, there can be two different types of wrestlers for sure. Just read an article where a college wrestler strangled his team mate☹️. Neither of my boys have ever been a bully, but would be the first ones to stand up to someone who was a bully. feel like wrestling gives confidence, lessons on losing, winning etc. And at least with the ones i know, hard working and driven to be the best they can be in all aspects of life!
@@tjsoutpiel9649 of course, i’m always on the verge of a panic attack when watching them lol. And the older they get the more brutal it is, and he can be a college kid, BUT he’s still MY baby lol. have seen some pretty yucky injuries on the mat for sure. But we have to let them do the things they love even if we worry ourselves sick😅
I have no idea who this man is, i'm grateful to hear him. By the way he tells stories of his family and his past, you can see he is humble, he's acquired some sense of inner peace and he is a gracious and honest man. I'm 30 years old, born in 1990, and I don't know- but I don't think we make em like this anymore!
They haven’t made em like this in a long time. Not really true, but they’re not as common as they used to be.. every kid in Iowa growing up in the seventies wanted to be Dan Gable.
Crazy how accurate this is! The YMCA was where I got my first start wrestling as well, during senior year of high school. We had to setup mats in the back room secretly to wrestle haha!
Went to Gable camp as a high school wrestler and it was one of the best sports experiences that I had. He was a great speaker and it was a huge confidence booster to spend a week drilling with wrestlers from all over the country.
I liked the Brent Metcalf quote. “I never celebrate after a victory. I don’t want my opponent to think it was a big deal that I beat him”. Something to that effect. Powerful, nonetheless.
His story is amazing. I Remember reading his book as a kid. He was my idle in my book report. Down to earth, intense as hell but still knows how to have fun. True champ.
My old job brought him in as a motivational speaker and he talked about wrestling the whole time lol some people were like,"what the hell just happened?" but I loved it. I got to hang out with him for a bit afterwards. He was campaigning to keep wrestling in the Olympics at the time and you could tell by his energy. Intense. Great guy, living legend!
When I was in high school, one of my coaches was Carl Adams, former teammate of Gable at ISU and a 2x NCAA Champ, and I’ve heard stories from him about Gable and I’ve never had a better coach than Carl Adams.
Wrestling made me tough. Coaches work you and show you the way. I loved it. Took me to mma. And becoming confident. I also helped alot of people in dangerous situations in bars.
Would’ve thought Mr. Gable was in his early 60’s not a decade more than that, he’s clearly sharp and his cognitive awareness is still on point as well, loved this segment.
Being a great athlete and being a great coach are two different things. Gable was a legend more so as a coach than as an athlete although he only lost one match in his career. He doesn't strike me as a gifted communicator. I wonder how he was able to instill his winning philosophy in his students.
He led by example. You don't see his intensity here in the interview. As a wrestler and coach he was about as intense as a man can be. His teams won the Big Ten title every single year that he coached, 4 as an assistant and then 21 as head coach, and won 15 NCAA titles as head coach, including 9 in a row. Seems like he found a way to instill that winning philosophy in his athletes. As an athlete he was just as much a legend, winning state, national, world, and Olympic titles. He would have been a legend as a wrestler if he never coached, and he would have been a legend if he just coached and never wrestled. I have no idea how you could make your comment unless you are just too young to know.
Wrestling is so important to our culture and this video and the comments it generated exemplify that. Character should always come first. Listening to Coach Gable speak with such humilty and class is great. Such a well-rounded individual that we can all strive to be more like. Thanks Dan!!
never thought Joe would have this legend on! I grew up In Illinois and Ohio two wrestling powerhouses wrestled for 10+ years and this man and Burroughs were always a huge inspiration, once you’ve wrestled everything really does become easier. Having a bad day at work doesn’t come close to being on your back pinned down fighting with everything you got to belly out and getting a raise buying a dream car/home whatever doesn’t come close to having your hand raised after a hard fought match for me. Absolute shame the olympic committee ever removed the sport in favor of racewalking badminton and that thing where girls twirl streamers
I met the legend at one of his Wrestling Camps as well, what a story! Even though his Father was angry at him for handcuffing that Kid with his makeshift Handcuffs, he had to be proud of him as well. Hard times lead to greatness when it comes to People like Dan Gable. Great interview!
My dad wrestled at the same time as Dan and even wrestled guys who wrestled Dan. I grew up hearing about this guy in the 70s and 80s. It's weird to see him on this show with Joe. I kind of thought he was forgotten
Torturous*, especially when you listen while you're doing things, meaning you don't have hold of your phone. He does the read so poorly too. You can sorta hear him sigh as he does it. And you can hear the real annoyance too. He definitely did all this for the money.
There was far less people around in "The good old days". I think that is exactly the problem. We don't have the small town lifestyle where you care about your close neighbor. There's alot of people now and alot of them get in your way so we've lost the value of people
Dude that story about him taking his neighbors kid home like that, regardless of if it was justified, is full of “FU I’m the alpha” energy and he’s carried that his whole life. My god
So besides the whole "alpha male" study being flawed and disavowed by the researcher - this incident want about proving he was the top dog or whatever. It was childish revenge.
@@arielsavala5360 to each their own man, I’m just a kid idk how shit works or what’s best, morally speaking. Literally just saw a badass moment and wanted to recognize it
glad jre got gable on here. big fan. pretty sure he wrote a great book as well. i read it in middle school(long time ago) so i could be wrong about him being the author, but am pretty sure it was him.
My teammates had the pleasure of meeting him at the nhsca duals down in Virginia Beach a few years back, I was a little upset when I came back to them and they said they met him.
The problem with the good old days for the people who really didn't have any real problems we're just maybe stepped over the line once or twice yes the old days system works but those people who stepping out of line or doing bad things was just the start those are the people who really suffer during the good ol days, because it enabled them to continue without getting that serious help they needed
True but keep in mind people now are getting serious jail time for making little mistakes and then after the jail time they will have problems finding a job and getting back to a normal life, if you can arrest someone and then just talk to them convince them not to do whatever it was again and let em off with a warning without them having to loose thier job it is better for everyone. The way it works now people get away with stuff like that all the time as well but only if you can afford an expensive lawyer which is why poor people are doing jail time for little mistakes while rich people get away with doing the same things
I'm a retired middle school special ed teacher. I always tried to get them into wrestling because the coaches were stellar and I knew the boys would gain mental strength if nothing else.
i remember having to use to use the ymca showers before swim class. the boys locker/shower was built underground so you had to go down stairs. it was always crawling with big ol roaches. reminds me of the lockeroom-shower scene from the original "It" the clown" movie
I am on my way to the Dan Gable Wrestling Hall of Fame Museum in Iowa! I have the Dan Gable Learning Center reserved for my wrestlers today. It’s gonna be an experience they will never forget. Dan Gable is such a huge inspiration.
