Part 1
One of the bassin’ dreams I still have is to see some sort of pro-level unification. Not of the leagues (would be nice, makes sense, won’t happen), but the fishermen. Once a year would be good, but more than that would be better.
Boyd Duckett and company’s new made-for-TV bassin’ series making the gossip rounds lately sounds like it could be something along the lines of unification. Then again, while I don’t know the deets, I hear it’s an invite thing, and “made for TV” could mean anything.
I’m talking about a tourney the fishermen have to qualify for, maybe with a few fan faves in there: I can still hear Ray Scott yelling “Bee Branch, Arkansas!” at various Classics, and I’d love to hear him or someone who can do it with the same level of enthusiasm do that again (how can you not love Larry Nixon and those guys).
The PAA has something along the lines of what I’d like to see, but not exactly. And back in my BassFan daze, we did something like it with the Top Gun Championship.
Top Gun took the Top…something (was it 20?) of the BassFan World Rankings, plus the current Anglers of the Year from both tours, maybe the championship winners too. Can’t remember now, but it was well thought out at the time, and the bottom line was that guys who hadn’t fished against each other in a long time were doing it. Cool!
Plus we paid every pro just for showing up. Yep, it’s called an appearance fee and is common in pro sports. No entry fee.
So I know this unification thing can be done and make money. But how to do it in the current bassin’ landscape?
The problem is you have two pro leagues/tours, neither one of which is going to recognize the other by, say, agreeing to have a league best vs. league best championship…like the AFL vs. NFL.
And even if they did want to do it, who would be the official sponsor of [name the category]? In other words, each league is hindered by their exclusive sponsors.
The solution is a third party: the PAA, Duckett, someone else. Then you have to get all the qualifying/invited overly busy pros to commit to show up, which isn’t easy – I don’t blame them for not wanting to slog it to yet another event(s).
Sounds tough, but I still believe it can be done – because we (the old BassFan folks) already did it…and we really did get the T-shirt.
6 Comments
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Jeremy
April 26, 2011 at 12:40 pm
I love is site and I love the idea as well. The boys on TFR were discussing this topic a week or two ago. I’m anxious to see what Duckett has in mind. He’s clearly a savvy business haas so i have to assume he has a good idea up his sleeve. Keep on rocking it guys.
Rich Arnold
April 26, 2011 at 2:48 pm
Heck of a concept! That must have been one sweet tourney that BassFan did. Essentially it would be a world championship as others from Japan, South Africa, Australia, etc. could be involved. I would love to see this develop from a Super Star tournament to eventually a unified league like the analogy you used with the NFL. Ultimate Match Fishing tried to do this a few seasons ago, but didn’t match best of the best like you are talking. This could be a sponsor’s dream!
Wacko
April 27, 2011 at 4:41 am
Yep, should happen. And like you said the top tours should merge anyway. It may be a way for them to survive if things keep going like they are.
But they both think different than I.
5bites
April 27, 2011 at 4:20 pm
I say take the top 25 either from the aoy’s or the classic and cup.
5bites
April 27, 2011 at 4:21 pm
Also they should have it in sw Missouri.
Chad Keogh
April 27, 2011 at 7:29 pm
It should happen, given how many fans would watch it and support it. However, the two tours would have to be on board, because like the Top Gun event put on by BassFan in the past, it was by invitation, and one very noticable angler was absent, therefore making it less meaningful.