Bass Fishing Riots?!

You Don't See This Stuff On The Lake!

The last few months have seen a lot of action in professional sports including the NBA championships and the world cup. It seems as though these, along with other sporting events, carry with them warnings and discussions of what may happen in the aftermath of the event. It seems as though there are always reports of reprehensible conduct by so-called fans after their teams win. I have been and am a fan of some of these sports but it has never occurred to me, after watching “my” team win, to go out and burn or loot or commit some other form of mayhem as a way to celebrate that win. 
               
What has occurred to me however is, what if bass fishing fans celebrated the winning or losing of their favorite professional angler in the same way as some of the fans of other sports do. Would that mean that immediately following the weigh-in at the classic that some individuals would, out of their enthusiasm for an amazing win, go out to the parking lot and burn a few trucks and the attached boats to show their support for an angler? Or would frustration from watching their guy lose by a mere few ounces drive them, out of their despair, to burn or break all of the docks around the initial launch area? Or possible the sheer excitement of the moment as they wait for the final six anglers to make their way to the scales, produce a stampede that eventually would see the crushing deaths of several on-lookers from the mass of humanity as they rush the stage to get close-up photos of the winning moment.  
               
No, I don’t recall any of these things happening in my years of following the sport. On the contrary, all I see evidence of is appreciative fans applauding their favorite pro’s and seeking autographs or some other token by which to remember the moment. But maybe that’s the wrong tact. I suppose you could make the case that panning the crowd at the Classic and the camera finding several young fans shirtless, a single letter painted on their chests and wigs that would make Bozo the Clown proud would for some lend an air of credibility to the event. Oh, we cannot of course forget to get close up’s of them yelling and waving their beer of choice in the air as it is spilling on the fans in front of them. 

Why Does This Violence Sell?
               
Another thing that might liven up the broadcast and make it more news worthy is for there to be a stabbing or other near fatal confrontation in the parking lot of the selected venues. After all, in the news business, if it bleeds it leads. And this would spawn, like other sporting events, all the talk prior to the actual game and give the sport of bass fishing some free press.  
               
On the other hand, these events are currently ones that draw families who come to see and interact with their fishing heroes because they tend to make themselves more available to the public than other sports figures do. And the sponsors who bring their new products to the various venues to make them available to the audience, and the fishing clinics hosted by other professional anglers and the kids ponds where so many kids catch their first fish. We can’t forget the care, time and money spent to make these events into something more than just a contest with a singular prize for an individual contestant but to transform them into a family friendly destination with activities for every age group. 
               
So in the final analysis, I’ll take the low key approach of bass fishing and its fans. I can always, if the spirit moves me, go attend another more ”exciting” sporting event if property destruction, riots, fires or other examples of depravity appeal to me as the apex for fan appreciation. But for now, I’ll stick with the family friendly approach of the major fishing events and not having to worry about possible maiming or death in the parking lot from an opposing fan simply because I was wishing for a different outcome than he was.