New Bassmasters ... Mail Call (long)

Ok, I know Iaconelli is a touchy subject here, but I am going to post my opinions and then let it go from there. Reading this months bassmaster I couldn't believe that so many people feel the way they do about Ike, then I realized, well 3 or the 5 posts were people hating Ike. Ok, so this was done intentionally by B.A.S.S to spark some controversy and get some blood flowing in the community, stew on it for the winter.

I admit, After 2003, Mike wasn't one of my favorite guys. I actually went as far as saying "I didn't like him", maybe I said Hate, I don't remember, but it was negative. As I had posted before, I bought his book just to see what he had to say about himself. Like I just wrote in my email to bassmaster, I told them I came away with a different opinion of Mike than I had before reading the book. I guess respect is a word I would use, appreciate is another good one. It wasn't strictly the content that changed my opinion instantly as it made me aware of how I consume information fed to me by publications, and television, as well as radio shows, and billboards, etc etc etc.... I made a commitment to myself that I will not immediately judge someone any longer by what I happen to catch in passing on a television in a 10 second time frame. I had no idea what a chore that would end up to be, but it is a work in progress.

I would hope I am not alone, but Mike is always right there in almost every tournament. The guy eats , sleeps, and breathes fishing! He has reached levels most if not all of us only dream about. When we see him scream, most of us call him a idiot, or "clown" "bassmasters Oct. 2005".
I personally I see excitement displayed a different way than I show excitement, and you know, that is ok. We all know that competitive fishing is not just fishing, that might even be the smallest part of it. Mike found something that compliments his fishing abilities. Who talks about a guy who finishes 4th consistently, and make a living I can only dream about, but just sits in the corner and does his job. B.A.S.S isn't going to give him more camera time, therefore no sponsors are going to pay $2 million to put a logo on his shirt per season, and so on. Outside of being unethical, and doing my best to follow the written as well as unwritten rules, I would do whatever it took to put myself at the front of the pack, and taking what is mine. Reality is , B.A.S.S and FLW make a lot of money off these guys with them getting next to nothing back financially (from what I have come to understand, please help me on this if I am wrong ? Rich? Warren?).

I guess I just have a hard time not respecting someone who sets a goal, and reaches it. Fighting through everything else, this wasn't just a overnight success, and except for maybe Bryan Kerchal, I don't many really are. Yeah, maybe Mike does go overboard to "market" himself, but this is a business, and what he brings to the sport with passion, and skills should not be overshadowed. And postings like the one in Bassmaster (again, achieving their goal of people talking about Mike without having to give him a kickback (maybe camera time is that kickback? both parties benefiting?)) may have influence on people that might just be beginning, established, children, teenagers,etc etc. It makes me cringe when I hear people say, "He gets how much for catching a fish???". I don't think there is enough "readily available" information as to how they pro's got where they are, and I think that type of information would possibly cross into several demographics in a Televised format. Ikes book was just the tip of the iceberg of what I believe could be done.

Oh well, that is all I got.


PS:  You should see my wifes face when Mike screams, it makes me laugh!

Chris.
.

Relevant Pages

  • Re: New Bassmasters ... Mail Call (long)
    ... >>>I couldn't believe that so many people feel the way they do about Ike, ... >>>I admit, After 2003, Mike wasn't one of my favorite guys. ... I told them I came away with a different opinion ... >>>fishing is not just fishing, that might even be the smallest part of it. ...
    (rec.outdoors.fishing.bass)
  • Re: The Ranger and the Pronto Are No More
    ... Mike attempts to hijack the thread with an OA advertisement. ... All I said was, at nearly 1000mm, I'd rather have the OA4... ... Dob mounted and absolutely color free. ... Mike's comment was harmless enough, and mine, an opinion based on preference ...
    (sci.astro.amateur)
  • Re: "Right now" that was the worst NASCAR broadcast in history
    ... Does anyone know if ABC will make any changes to the broadcast team or are will they stay with ESPN team? ... Perhaps since Jimmie is the Champion now Joy's comments & attitude have changed, but it took -many- examples for me to finally start disliking him as I was a such a big fan previously. ... FTR This is just my opinion and I still think Mike is a great play-by-play guy, ...
    (rec.autos.sport.nascar)
  • Re: dealing with addicted sheep/ cry cry cry heh
    ... statment of opinion, "You didn't answer my question," when the reality ... question and if rooster didn't provide the right answer - the answer ... Mike was looking for, rooster must therefore be "dense." ...
    (rec.skydiving)
  • Re: Ranger drops Ike
    ... Bass fishing was kind of a last frontier for me personally, where it "WAS" about competition, and the best won, not everyday, but where always near the top. ... I take pride in the fact that in cold muddy water, I can flip a jig where I want it to go and catch fish, I can run out to the middle of the lake reading my electronics and find a suspended school of baitfish and jig walleyes in the middle of the summer, I can walk 10 miles on a river looking for a specific run in crystal clear water and spot a summer run steelhead just waiting to blast a spinner, or burn a crankbait through rip rap in a sub 40 degree day. ... The negative publicity put out by B.A.S.S is going to influence boat buyers, therefore people "won't" buy a Ranger just because Iaconnelli is sponsored by Ranger. ... I don't want to come off that Iaconnelli gets a free pass no matter what he does, my issue is with how B.A.S.S has created this (along with Mike), facilitated it, and now are stomping it out. ...
    (rec.outdoors.fishing.bass)