The footprints have broken dirt. The blueprint has been crafted. The beginning of a new idea has been formulated. The planning of the Pennies for Norm Tournament has begun.
This concept, truthfully, has been crafted for years. However, it only really started to take form once my father passed away.
My father, as you may have heard him discuss on Episode 110 of the Hardway Podcast, was a die-hard wrestling fan. For over 40 years, he truly was a passionate believer in what was good about the sport. A frequent visitor of Madison Square Garden in the 1970s and 80s, as well as the Shea Stadium supercards and spot shows at the Ridgewood Grove and Sunnyside Gardens, my Dad consistently told story after story of his incredible wrestling moments and passed down those memories to me. I might be a wrestling nerd of the ultimate levels, but Big Norm was even more so.
Dad, believe it or not, was also a giant fan of tournaments. Whether it was NCAA March Madness, MLB Playoffs, Greatest Ever polls, the old man ran the gamut. Every chance he was able to get involved with a pool to predict or make an educated guess on a winner, Big Norm would go for it and more likely than not, make the right choice. He always had a gift of picking a winner.
Pro wrestling tournaments always intrigued him. His personal favorite was always the Jim Crockett Sr. Memorial Cup Tag Team Tournament, the 1987 one most of all. The WCW King of Cable in 1992, the WrestleMania 4 WWF championship tourney, and the first King of the Ring in 1993 were also among his faves, as well.
Lastly, my father was a man who truly believed in everyone deserving an opportunity to succeed. My brother Greg told a story at my Dad's wake when he would coach for the South River Recreation programs, he would make sure every single player on his team had the chance to get some real earnest playing time in every single game he led. The more and more I process that story, I realized on how true it was. He cared about developing the next generation of the world and showing them fairness, respect, and honor when it came to sports.
So when it came down for me to develop an idea to help bring remembrance to a one-of-a-kind individual, the Pennies for Norm Tournament was it. Young wrestlers that were hungry for an opportunity and passionate about the craft of wrestling would be placed into a single elimination, 8 man tournament.
Not only would it open up wrestling fans to check it out, but it would also place itself as a show to help awareness of a certain cause near and dear to my heart. A portion of the proceeds will go towards the Colon Cancer Alliance to help raise awareness of colon and colorectal cancers.
Venues have been looked at. Talent is being scouted. This is going to happen. Keep your eyes peeled for the Pennies for Norm Tournament. Time to do some good.
To help support online, http://support.ccalliance.org/goto/penniesfornorm
Jon Harder
[email protected]
This concept, truthfully, has been crafted for years. However, it only really started to take form once my father passed away.
My father, as you may have heard him discuss on Episode 110 of the Hardway Podcast, was a die-hard wrestling fan. For over 40 years, he truly was a passionate believer in what was good about the sport. A frequent visitor of Madison Square Garden in the 1970s and 80s, as well as the Shea Stadium supercards and spot shows at the Ridgewood Grove and Sunnyside Gardens, my Dad consistently told story after story of his incredible wrestling moments and passed down those memories to me. I might be a wrestling nerd of the ultimate levels, but Big Norm was even more so.
Dad, believe it or not, was also a giant fan of tournaments. Whether it was NCAA March Madness, MLB Playoffs, Greatest Ever polls, the old man ran the gamut. Every chance he was able to get involved with a pool to predict or make an educated guess on a winner, Big Norm would go for it and more likely than not, make the right choice. He always had a gift of picking a winner.
Pro wrestling tournaments always intrigued him. His personal favorite was always the Jim Crockett Sr. Memorial Cup Tag Team Tournament, the 1987 one most of all. The WCW King of Cable in 1992, the WrestleMania 4 WWF championship tourney, and the first King of the Ring in 1993 were also among his faves, as well.
Lastly, my father was a man who truly believed in everyone deserving an opportunity to succeed. My brother Greg told a story at my Dad's wake when he would coach for the South River Recreation programs, he would make sure every single player on his team had the chance to get some real earnest playing time in every single game he led. The more and more I process that story, I realized on how true it was. He cared about developing the next generation of the world and showing them fairness, respect, and honor when it came to sports.
So when it came down for me to develop an idea to help bring remembrance to a one-of-a-kind individual, the Pennies for Norm Tournament was it. Young wrestlers that were hungry for an opportunity and passionate about the craft of wrestling would be placed into a single elimination, 8 man tournament.
Not only would it open up wrestling fans to check it out, but it would also place itself as a show to help awareness of a certain cause near and dear to my heart. A portion of the proceeds will go towards the Colon Cancer Alliance to help raise awareness of colon and colorectal cancers.
Venues have been looked at. Talent is being scouted. This is going to happen. Keep your eyes peeled for the Pennies for Norm Tournament. Time to do some good.
To help support online, http://support.ccalliance.org/goto/penniesfornorm
Jon Harder
[email protected]