“Nobody here will ever find me…”
Dateline: Respect
“…the mysterious influence of the twelfth man on the team, the rooter.”
Author Unknown
Minnesota Magazine, University of Minnesota Sept. 1900
(The first known written reference to the 12th man.)
Give or take a day or so, a month from now a new banner will be raised to the rafters of the Bassmaster Classic, Casey Ashley’s name, last year’s winner will now always hang above the festivities below.
That is not a law that we do that, hang banners, we do it to honor.
Those rafters are a place of honor.
It is not something new to the Bassmaster Classic, this hanging felt above the seats.
I have been in many stadiums, many sporting venues, and most also have their special place of honor.
Throughout professional, and collegiate sports there is movement to give back to those players who honored the game, honored the sport, impacted the sport, and in some way, become the soul of the game.
And not to be left out in that honor, are the fans.
The 12th Man.
You.
I believe in my heart that the fans of the sport, are as much the soul of the sport, as those who take to the field of play, maybe even more so since it is the fan who carries the game into the future long after the players have cleaned out their lockers.
And that is why, I am asking my bosses at B.A.S.S. to do me a favor this year at the Bassmaster Classic in Tulsa:
Dear B.A.S.S. Bosses:
Make room in the rafters for our 12th Man.
Make room in the rafters for a banner to honor all our fans.
Honor the soul of the sport.
Raise a banner with this stitched on the felt
“In Honor of our Fans.”
db
P.S.: I’ll pay for the felt.
…but I will always be around…
At some point, those of us who carry this sport of bass fishing, have to move it up a notch, have to climb the ladder of responsibility that the big boy sports do, we have to give back.
Give back to you without asking you to give us a check.
As every sport matures, benevolence takes the field.
I’m asking that our benevolence begins with 10 square yards of felt.
I’ve been in this gig long enough now to realize that there are FOUR parts to this game…The Fish…The Angler…The Sponsors…AND THE FANS.
Lose one of the spokes of that wheel, no more game, my friends.
In the history of sports, we are but a blink of the eye, to ensure our long-term history, to hope that someday we reach the level of a professional sport played on a world wide stage and stand proudly with those household names in the business of games, to become what I know we can become, we have to give as much as take.
Thirty-bucks of felt can lead the way.
“…just like the songs I leave behind me…”
And B.A.S.S. bosses, let me ask for just one more thing.
I’ll pay.
Before the hoopla begins on the stadium floor.
Before all the fancy lights go crazy.
Before the loud music, before the announcer starts priming the crowd.
Before all hell breaks loose with boats and fish.
Raise one more 10 yards of felt, raise one banner and leave it blank.
Turn down the house lights and as that banner is raised to the rafters have one spotlight follow it up, just one light, one tiny light.
And as that banner is raised to the rafters ask our fans to please rise in a moment of silence for all the members of B.A.S.S., all the family of B.A.S.S. who passed away this year.
Say a silent prayer for the B.A.S.S. Life Members now not with us.
Say a silent prayer for all the fans of B.A.S.S. not with us now.
And for me, I will stand alone under the banner for those passed as it is raised above and I will silently say a prayer for Dylan Poche, for Bill Terry, and for two of my great friends, Uncle Buff a fan always on the trail with us, and Bassmaster Champion, Ken Cook…I am better for knowing both of these friends, I’m worse for their passing.
10 yards of felt.
One spotlight.
A few short moments.
It is the least we can do to honor all those fans of B.A.S.S. who have passed, but who have also, in their own way, helped us get to where we are today.
We need to step up and take our place in the pantheon of sports.
For one day, the rafters, will be for us.
“…I’m gonna live forever now.”
Live Forever
The Highwaymen
“Earn your leadership every day.”
Michael Jordan
db