Iowa State wrestling coach Cael Sanderson didn’t know if his wrestlers read his blog, though he hoped they might.

“I know when I would hear something that meant something to me, I would go write it down,” he said.”I hope they’re doing the same thing.”

The last time Sanderson asked the webmaster, the website received couple hundred page views in a day. Most of the topics on his blog are things he talks to the team about.

“We circle back, we cover the same topics over and over again,” he said. “It’s just like technique. There are about three- or four-master, fundamental positions that we need to get. [It’s the] same way with how we think. There are just a couple things we need to do.”

When asked last week, junior heavyweight David Zabriskie hadn’t looked at his coaches’ website for about a year. The specific post he rememberd was from the “Ask Cael” question-and-answer section of CaelSanderson.com, which Sanderson has operated for the past four years.

“Advice from his great, but…the one I read said something about trapping yourself in a closet with a badger,” Zabriskie said of the Feb. 14, 2008 post. “You’d have to read it. The general point was great, but he just threw that in there as comical relief to what he’s saying.”

Zabriskie said people might not expect Sanderson’s sense of humor.

“If you don’t know him, you’d think he’s reserved and held back,” Zabriskie said. “But then he’ll throw those things out that you’re like ‘what?’”

Volunteer assistant coach Shawn Contos said he reads the blog weekly, and he though that the it “definately” represents Sanderson’s personality. Contos joined the staff this year after serving as the head coach of the Ohio Junior National Freestyle team in 2008.

Contos said the blog connects fans to the team and is a good recruiting tool.

“I know a lot of people want to hear what he has to say,” Contos said. “And especially about our program, and about just what’s on his mind in general.”

Sophomore 125-pounder Tyler Clark said he has never read Cael’s blog, but he had seen the question-and-answer section.

“It’s great for aspiring athletes to communicate with the greatest wrestler to come through the sport,” Clark said. “I don’t know too many coaches who do that, you know, allow people to get in touch with them to ask questions.”

Sanderson said he thinks some of the questions come from the assistant coaches Cody Sanderson and Casey Cunningham.

This question, in particular, seems suspicious.