Photograph #51: Family…Kevin VanDam & Family
I have dozens and dozens of photos of Kevin and myself doing various things, even have a photo of me with his mother (who I’m a huge fan of) but there is only 1 photo of Kevin that sticks with me, truly etched within my soul…this one.
You always hear of the “legend” stuff before you meet who it is that is supposedly a legend.
From experience I can tell you that the title does not always match up to the person labeled with it.
I was aware of the legend of KVD, I was not though aware of the guy, the angler named Kevin Van Dam.
I wasn’t about to go all GOAT right away.
Don’t get me wrong, I have always thought he was a nice guy but there are lots of nice guys out there, but few legends in any sport.
Legends are not just the most talented on the field of play, most pro-athletes are very talented in what they do, good for them, but legends have the game within their core.
LEGENDS.
HAVE.
THE GAME.
WITHIN.
Kevin became KVD to me as I was looking through my camera lens and snapped this photo as he hugs his Bassmaster Classic trophy.
It is the exact moment I understood how the man felt about the game he played…
…and I smiled.
ETCHED!!!!
Photograph #52: And Slowly He Stood.
UPFRONT…while I’m not a fan of it, nor do I do it, I believe that as long as it is peaceful that a person can protest by standing for the national anthem as a matter of free speech. UPFRONT
I have been where some have stood, and some have kneeled during the national anthem before a game. I stand.
I saw the man come from the parking lot to the weigh-in via his powered scooter, thought to myself the ordeal he must have gone through to be here, made a mental note to go over and make sure he was ok, or see if he needed anything.
Suddenly, as happens before all the BASS events, the national anthem began to play, out of the corner of my eye I saw movement and when I turned to see what it was, I watched as this man struggled to stand for the anthem.
I watched as he took his hat off, watched as he sort of wobbled back and forth, watched as he bowed his head for the entirety of the song, watched as he slowly backed up and sat down when the music stopped.
It is your right to kneel.
But after watching this man and the honor he gave to that song, please know this…
…I will support your right to take a knee…
…but don’t expect me to help you stand back up.
ETCHED.
Photograph #53: The Backstage Crew
They drag all the equipment all over America, they set it up, they tear it down, they fix what breaks…
…they are on the road weeks at a time, their day starts before the sun comes up and ends as the sun sets.
They work when it is very hot out, they work when it is very cold out, they work in the rain, I’ve seen them work in the snow, they sign the anglers in at registration (when I was there), they care for the fish, they return the fish to the water…
…and they always, ALWAYS watched over me.
They kidded me, played jokes on me, called me “Yankee,” but they did so as any family does within the family, because we were family, they had my back.
I don’t know who is there now, don’t know if I even know anyone on the current Backstage Crew but if you are at an event and you see any of the crew, say Thank You to them, shake their hand, they are the hardest working backstage crew I’ve ever been around…
…and they do it all for the sport…
…and they do it all for the anglers…
…and they also do it all for the fans…YOU.
Best in the BIZ in my opinion.
Photograph #54: The WBT
One of my first couple of assignments with BASS was to cover the WBT, and I had a blast.
The women who fished the tournament were very good and passionate about the sport, two women from the WBT made it to and fished the Bassmaster Classic: Kim Bain-Moore and Pam Marin-Wells.
Since that time women’s professional sports has grown and is now a $1-Billion dollar a year enterprise (Forbes added that up not me).
I’m not sure why we tend to pay attention to just half the population of the planet when it comes to sports but that is changing, professional bass fishing should change as well.
Here’s hoping BASS, or someone else, can get the women back out on the water in a national high level organized professional league with television rights and a championship.
The time is right.
Photograph #55: Olympic Bass Fishing Competition
Photograph #55: Bassmaster Tournament Weigh-in
40 MILLION Fishing Licenses in America….
…Bass fishing clubs throughout the United States and NINE foreign countries..
More people fish in the United States than play Golf or Tennis…COMBINED.
$51.2 BILLION dollars in retail sales of all things related to fishing.
In the 2024 Summer Olympic games in Paris Break Dancing, Sport Climbing & Surfing were included in the competition.
Five new sports have been added to the competition slate for the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles: Baseball, Softball, Lacrosse, Squash, Cricket & Flag Football.
Why not add Tournament Bass Fishing to the 2032 Summer Olympic Games which will be held in Australia where BASS fishing is very popular,
The infrastructure of the sport is already there as are the fans, the anglers…
…and the Bass.
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