Sponsor brown-nosing at it's best.....or worst.

If you're a BASS geek like myself, you were likely glued to your computer screen for much of last weekend.  Coverage on Bassmaster.com was good this year though the BassTrakk numbers were usually not very accurate.  It made for an interesting weigh-in each day trying to figure out what anglers were sandbagging or low-balling their weights.  If you were watching the weigh-ins you were likely well aware of the long, grotesque, and quite frankly, awkward sponsor plugging that was going on by most anglers.  Some were so involved and lavishing that it amounted to a virtual sponsor reach-around.  When I see these scripted theatrical presentations on stage, it makes me uncomfortable.  Do the anglers think that we care what line they used to finish near the bottom of the field?  When they say "the key" was a "such and such jig" fished slowly on the bottom, yet they didn't catch a limit, do they think that is convincing enough to persuade us to purchase product?  Do the sponsors themselves not feel, atleast somewhat, embarrassed for making the viewers sit through that nonsense?  Do the sponsors believe that those ramblings provide a financial return?   I know that sponsorships are part of the game, but c'mon guys....use some tact.

If you missed the weigh-ins here's kind of how the speeches went......

"I tell you what Dave...I've got the greatest sponsors in the industry.  I got up this morning at the Holiday Inn and was taking the trip to the lake in my Toyota Tundra powered by a 5.4 liter V6 pulling my Triton TR-21 with a 250-horse SHO on the back I thought to myself man I'm a lucky guy.  I get to fish the Bassmaster Classic.  I get to throw my new prototype Smithwick Rogue on 10-pound Sunline Sniper on a Castaway rod with the new EXO reels attached while most guys are at home working.  The temps were cold this week, but thanks to my UnderArmour Base layer followed up with my Lee Dungarees and over that my Simms Rainwear I thought it was summer in Florida.  Things started out slow this morning but about mid-day I decided to have a Diet Mt. Dew and put some KVD endorsed Fish Stix fish attractant on my clown-colored Smithwick Rogue and that did the trick.  The fish started crushing that thing.  It was incredible.  One last thing Dave...I have to thank my Lord and Savior, sweet, snuggly 8 pound 6 ounce baby Jesus.  For without him I wouldn't have been able to catch my 11 pound bag and I likely wouldn't be sitting where I am in 41st place."

(That example is purely fictional but I think you get the picture.)

Not all of them made it sound that ridiculous.  Some anglers thanked their sponsors broadly or not really at all.  As spectators that's what we deserve.  Real commentary not a sales pitch.  I think anglers should spend more time addressing their sponsorship roles like PGA golfers do rather than imitating Nascar drivers.   JMO