Catching up

 

 

Anyway, that's not why I was in L.A. I was there to meet with Toyota and I have to tell you … It really went well.

You talk about some folks that are really behind bass fishing and are making every effort to see it grow. That's Toyota.

Obviously, no details about our face-to-face, but I will say this: If they aren't standing alongside B.A.S.S. for many years and assisting the bass fishing world as it develops, it will be my fault and no one else's.

One other thing. Traug Keller from ESPN was also in this meeting; and if you ever had the notion that ESPN was abandoning B.A.S.S., you should spend the day with Traug. You would surmise that even though they may not run it anymore, ESPN is dead set on seeing it flourish and reach its potential.

Here's #3 on my list today, and it concerns the competition side of B.A.S.S. with information about the Open event schedule starting to come out. Here are some of my thoughts. 

I find it hard to call B.A.S.S. the premiere bass fishing organization when we sometimes forget the western portion of our country. Let's face it. California has some of the best bass fishing in the world, maybe the best, while Oregon and Washington are overrun with smallmouth. What do you think?

 

Anyway, that's not why I was in L.A. I was there to meet with Toyota and I have to tell you … It really went well.

You talk about some folks that are really behind bass fishing and are making every effort to see it grow. That's Toyota.

Obviously, no details about our face-to-face, but I will say this: If they aren't standing alongside B.A.S.S. for many years and assisting the bass fishing world as it develops, it will be my fault and no one else's.

One other thing. Traug Keller from ESPN was also in this meeting; and if you ever had the notion that ESPN was abandoning B.A.S.S., you should spend the day with Traug. You would surmise that even though they may not run it anymore, ESPN is dead set on seeing it flourish and reach its potential.

Here's #3 on my list today, and it concerns the competition side of B.A.S.S. with information about the Open event schedule starting to come out. Here are some of my thoughts.

I find it hard to call B.A.S.S. the premiere bass fishing organization when we sometimes forget the western portion of our country. Let's face it. California has some of the best bass fishing in the world, maybe the best, while Oregon and Washington are overrun with smallmouth. What do you think?

 

Anyway, that's not why I was in L.A. I was there to meet with Toyota and I have to tell you … It really went well.

You talk about some folks that are really behind bass fishing and are making every effort to see it grow. That's Toyota.

Obviously, no details about our face-to-face, but I will say this: If they aren't standing alongside B.A.S.S. for many years and assisting the bass fishing world as it develops, it will be my fault and no one else's.

One other thing. Traug Keller from ESPN was also in this meeting; and if you ever had the notion that ESPN was abandoning B.A.S.S., you should spend the day with Traug. You would surmise that even though they may not run it anymore, ESPN is dead set on seeing it flourish and reach its potential.

Here's #3 on my list today, and it concerns the competition side of B.A.S.S. with information about the Open event schedule starting to come out. Here are some of my thoughts.

Three things on my mind today.

Remember me telling you that I spent a couple of days in New York City recently? Well, here's my first story for you. Actually, McKinnis in New York City is a story all on its own, but that's not it.

I was there to give an induction speech for Coach Bobby Knight at the New York City Athletic Club as he was awarded their Winged Foot Legend Award for his many achievements.

It was an incredible affair, and I was kind of star struck. Speaking just before me was Jim Nance who commented about how the broadcast world missed Coach Knight not being on the basketball sideline anymore. Mr. Nance was pretty moving. Then came my turn, and after me was Louisville basketball coach Rick Pitino.

Coach Pitino talked about facing off against Indiana U and Coach Knight for the first time when he was at Kentucky.

"I didn't have as good of players as he did, so I knew I'd lose that battle. I couldn't out-coach him so I'd lose there, as well. There was only one area where I could compete with Coach Knight," Pitino said, "I could out-dress him."

Pitino then told the crowd he was disappointed when he saw the coach come onto the court and realized that "looking better" than Coach Knight was no big accomplishment.

One thing about it, I was the only guy up there who could tell fishing stories about the good coach.

By the way, there's a rumor going around that if B.A.S.S. changes hands Bobby Knight will become the new P.R. director. That is only a rumor.

My second bit of info is from the other side of the country. I spent this past week in Los Angeles, and here's a couple of questions for you.

Do I have some readers from California or the West in general? Should we be developing an Open tournament division for our B.A.S.S. members in that part of the world?

I find it hard to call B.A.S.S. the premiere bass fishing organization when we sometimes forget the western portion of our country. Let's face it. California has some of the best bass fishing in the world, maybe the best, while Oregon and Washington are overrun with smallmouth. What do you think?

Anyway, that's not why I was in L.A. I was there to meet with Toyota and I have to tell you … It really went well.

You talk about some folks that are really behind bass fishing and are making every effort to see it grow. That's Toyota.

Obviously, no details about our face-to-face, but I will say this: If they aren't standing alongside B.A.S.S. for many years and assisting the bass fishing world as it develops, it will be my fault and no one else's.

One other thing. Traug Keller from ESPN was also in this meeting; and if you ever had the notion that ESPN was abandoning B.A.S.S., you should spend the day with Traug. You would surmise that even though they may not run it anymore, ESPN is dead set on seeing it flourish and reach its potential.

Here's #3 on my list today, and it concerns the competition side of B.A.S.S. with information about the Open event schedule starting to come out. Here are some of my thoughts.

As of this writing, B.A.S.S. has not changed hands yet. When and if it happens there will be a few changes, but not quickly. On the tournament scene most of that world is already set and things might start looking differently in 2012.

I do want to say this, though.

Again, I must say that if it does happen, you'll like where it's all going.

Let me compare the B.A.S.S tournament structure to Major League Baseball.

MLB has levels from the entry or rookie league through C, B , A, AA, AAA levels and on to the big boys — the major league. Now, this is just my opinion, but here's how B.A.S.S. lays out now.

They have college anglers with high school bass fishermen on the way and that would be equal to baseball's rookie league.

The Federation and Weekend series are probably baseball C and B levels with B.A.S.S. Opens being on the level of baseball's A division.

I think the Elite Series are the top of the line when it comes to professional bass fisherman, but there are a few flaws in the system that stops them from being on the same strong level as a major league baseball player.

I also think that there are a few snags in the system that keeps "Open anglers" at an A level as opposed to AAA which is where they should be, and it's not the anglers' fault.

In a new world, wouldn't it be great if we could get rid of the flaws in the Elites that would help recognize these guys as clearly the best and competing on a "Elite" level.