Everstart leader wearing a BASS patch

[Marc LeTourneau]

I just saw this picture of Art Ferguson leading a Genmar/FLW tournament and he is wearing a Triton/Bass tournament shirt...lol.

 

[gone bye bye]

It is a requirement on the BASS tours from the Federation Regionals on up. Most guys do not have enough shirts to have an FLW shirt and a BASS shirt.



I did see a few guys that have the BASS patch on velcro so they can switch them.



Mini

 

[Staci Matheis]

Good for him!



Personally, I really dislike the idea that participants are told which manufacturer's boat they must fish from. What would NASCAR be like if everyone drove Chevies? The fan base wouldn't stand for it.

 

[gone bye bye]

I agree...



Mini

 

[Texas Transplant]

I could be all wet here (probably am).



I believe that early in the tourney, you can wear/drive/fish from whatever boat you want. After the cut down, you have to fish a 'sponsor' boat and are restricted in what logo's you can wear, especially on the 'stage'. His official picture on FLW site is a non-descript pullover shirt, with no logo's.



In the Championship, Clunn fished from his Nitro before being eliminated.



It's still funny to see the picture (above), is the one on the FLW site. Bet they change it before too long.



Tex

 

[Greg Meyer]

THey might be consciously lifting the curtain a little... acting all "ecumenical" about BASS... Trying to show a little less hostility to the "other" circuit. The flap over the championship dates cost them some PR points... SO tey may want to act all warm and fuzzy... Just a thought...

 

[TOMMY RICH]

I don't agree here...look what they did to Jimmy Houston and a few others about HAVING to wear certain sponsor's advertisements, which is what it all is.

TEE

 

[Texas Transplant]

You are not required to wear any particular sponsor informaiton, but are prohibited from wearing 'non-FLW' sponsor information at certain times/situations.



I don't believe that you HAVE to wear something (patch/logo/etc.) if you are not affiliated with them.



Tex

 

[Jim B]

Tex, The jimmy Huston thing was with BASS. They do try to make compteiter wear BASS sponsor patches regardless of who the competitors sponsors are. The big deal with Jimmy was the Busch beer patch they told him he had to wear. What BASS is doing is only going to hurt the sport in my opinion. The anglers make thier money off thier sponsors patches and by using sponsors products. By BASS telling them they have to wear BASS sponsors that could hurt an angler because some potential sponsors may not want to sponsor someone because it conflicts with a BASS sponsor that he also has to technically endorse by wearing a mandatory patch. Without the sponsor money there will be lass anglers. This whole sponsor deal is why BASS and the Federation are at odds as well.



The same thing is going on in Nascar since Nextel took over at title sponsor. part of the deal was no other wireless company could sponsor a driver beacuse it would conflict with them. Drivers like Robby Gordon(cingular) and Ryan Newman(alltel) got grandfathered in because they are already sponsored so iut wont hurt them much. It sure did hurt Kenny Schrader and the BAM team because ATT wireless wanted to sponsor that team but cant now because of the contract. So if BAM dosent find a sponsor they wont run and Schrader is out of a job.

 

[Rob LaMoy]

I have come to the conclusion that....such is pro tourney fishing folks. We don't have to like it, but if you want a shot at THEIR paychecks, you have to play by THEIR rules.

 

[Scott Hammer TOXIC]

Good point Rob.



TOXIC

 

[Mark Weichold]

Hey Guys the Busch Patch is Gone!!! It is now the Citgo Angler of th year.



Left Coast Mark

 

[Staci Matheis]

Yeah..... Ya gotta play by their rules..... BUT..... THEY need to get US to watch their events to sell it to television and have advertisers for the programs to be able to have income..... If WE turn our noses up, then there will be no cash flow to the sanctioning bodies and the tournament series will have to submit to what WE want or perish.



The manufacturers of the boats allowed by the sanctioning bodies pay big buxs to have an exclusive. They, of course, pass those costs on to the buyers of their product. But they can only contribute so much.....



If Nitro, Tracker, Triton, Stratos, Skeeter and BassCat Owners refuse to watch the television airings of a series that will allow only Ranger boats..... Advertisers will drop like flies.