BassBlaster

2011 Classic: Who’s Your Man?

It’s officially 2011 and the Bassmaster Classic is less than 60 days away.

That means from now ’til late February you can expect to be swamped in a deluge of Classic-related posts, stories, blogs and other tidbits from your favorite fishing websites. Half of those stories will be about how awesome Kevin VanDam is. Another 30-percent will focus on whether or not 2011 will finally be the year that Gary Klein takes home the hardware. And most of the remaining buzz will focus on Mike Iaconelli and if he can recapture the Delta magic that propelled him to a win in The Big Easy back in ’03.

It’s predictable… and it’s awesome. I can’t wait.

It’s about this time every year when I start poring over the Classic field and pick ‘my guy’. Sporting events are just more fun when you pick someone to root for. I always pick ‘my team’ that I’m going cheer on in the Super Bowl [since my lowly Texans are still yet to get a sniff at the playoffs], and I always pick ‘my guy’ that I want to see win the Classic. There’s this journalism code that you’re supposed to be unbiased about this kind of stuff, but I’m not much of a journalist so that code can kiss my bass.

Before I reveal the pony I’m riding in 2011, let me tell you who I’m not saddling up with this year. And if you want to play along [I hope you do] you’ll find the full 2011 Classic field published here.

The guys I’m not rooting for:

1. Kevin VanDam – No offense to the greatest angler on the planet, but if we’ve seen this guy win once, we’ve seen him win 1,000 times. Hey Kevin, any chance you want to let someone else hoist the trophy this year? Wait. Don’t answer that.

2. Skeet Reese – Skeet’s already won a Classic… on a river… in Louisiana. I would love to see Skeet win the Angler of the Year (AOY) title in 2011, because I think the California kid has been snubbed out of more than one AOY by the B.A.S.S. post-season structure, but watching the black and yellow take another Classic victory lap isn’t exactly on my bucket list. Skeet, you’re the man. You’ve got one of the most recognizable brands in the sport and a pile of cash to go along with it. But I’m an underdog kind of guy, and you don’t fit the profile.

3. Well, actually that’s all I’ve got. My apologies to Kevin and Skeet, but you guys are just too freakin’ good. The odds of one of you guys laying the smack down on the field is pretty darn high, and that’s why I can’t put you on my roster of root-fors. Please don’t hate me.

Here are the guys I’ll be cheering for come February:

1. Morizo Shimizu – Morizo’s easy to cheer for. He’s got the underdog thing working for him and has a fun personality, too. But the real reason I want to see MoShi score the win is because I would love to see the look on all those crazy Cajuns’ faces as they try to make sense of Morizo’s broken english. Hey Louisianans, now you know how we feel when we watch Swamp People.

2. Boyd Duckett – This one’s a completely selfish pick. If Boyd eeks out a win we’ll be talking for months about how his blog-based plea for Delta info made it possible. Mmm. Sweet, sweet controversy.

3. Jeff Kriet – How can you not root for The Squirrel? Kriet lead the 2010 Classic going into the final day only to suffer a heartbreaking defeat as he was overtaken by his archnemesis, KVD, on the final day. A lot has been made of just how much KVD lives inside Kriet’s head, and it’d be a huge confidence boost for the Oklahoma pro if he could put a whoopin’ on KVD and the rest of the Classic field in New Orleans.

On top of that Kriet lost his title sponsor, Longhorn Smokeless Tobacco, in the off-season thanks to a wonky government regulation that won’t let tobacco companies sponsor sports teams or events. If anyone deserves for something to go right in his career it’s Jeff Kriet. And that’s why he’s my guy in 2011.

Are there lots of other deserving anglers I’d like to see leave New Orleans with the Classic trophy? Sure. Gerald Swindle, Cliff Pace, Aaron Martens (just to get the runner-up monkey off his back) and Kota Kiriyama are just a few of the guys I wouldn’t mind watching take a lap, but without a doubt, Jeff Kriet goes at the top of that list. C’mon Squirrel! Get it done!

Hit us in the comments with the guys you’re rooting for [or against] this year. And remember, this isn’t who you think is favored to win the Classic, it’s who you’d most like to see in the winner’s circle. Go.

10 Comments

10 Comments

  1. Jody White

    January 3, 2011 at 4:13 pm

    Sean Alvarez. Fellow Rutland B.A.S.S. member and friend! And my man Martens of course.

  2. Chad Keogh

    January 3, 2011 at 6:15 pm

    Gary Klein. I’d like to see him really dial them in and finally get his Classic win.

  3. marlon crowder

    January 3, 2011 at 8:15 pm

    lets keep the drama going KVD wins skeet second

  4. Jim Weller

    January 4, 2011 at 7:10 am

    I admit to being a HUGE fan of KVD, but somehow I just don’t see a repeat this year. If it can’t be him, I would love to see Gary Klein hoist that trophy.

  5. Brandon

    January 4, 2011 at 9:01 am

    Kriet! One of the best fisherman without the hardware.

  6. Nancy Shelton

    January 4, 2011 at 11:59 am

    I would like to see Greg Hackney win this one on his home territory. He is a hard fisherman and would love to see him have his classic moment.

  7. Alex Voog

    January 5, 2011 at 2:11 pm

    Shimizu, interesting pick, as he’s one I love to watch when he gets coverage. I’d like to see Jeff Kriet win, Klein need to get the GORILLA off his back. Best of Luck and SAFETY to all involved.

  8. D Harrison

    January 6, 2011 at 12:22 pm

    I would like to see gary Klein win it. I wonder if he will fish in the same area as he got shot at in the previous visit? Probably a lot easier to focus without lead flying by your head.

  9. BryanT

    January 6, 2011 at 9:18 pm

    I’m going with Evers. Don’t know why, but he did pretty good in the River systems of the Ark and Red back in the day.

  10. Wade Middleton

    January 7, 2011 at 6:18 am

    Gotta pull for my little bald headed buddy also known as the squirrel since we go back so far. Of course with no trees that bear nuts down there that might make it harder on him

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