Once in a great while opportunities come about that can dramatically change the future. One of those opportunities happened to the sport of bass fishing when Anheuser-Busch became involved. Hopefully it is not being squandered away.
Three years ago I had the privilege to start working with the Busch brand of Anheuser-Busch. I suggested that they also get involved with B.A.S.S., which they did in a big way. You can imagine the disappointment I feel right now over the bashing Busch has taken this year. A handful of people that personally had a problem with a beer company being involved in bass fishing spoke up. Controversy sells so those individuals certainly got the attention they desired. Unfortunately, the vast majority of anglers just stood by on the sidelines.
Hopefully by doing so we have not lost the future of this great sport. It would be sad to go back to smaller payouts and to start fishing for merchandise again. It really goes beyond that. I am sure a lot of major corporations pay attention to where Anheuser-Busch spends marketing money because it always seems to be the leader. What message will it send if Busch decides it doesn't need to put up with this anymore? I think you know.
The people I work with at Busch are super. They have families, they have religion and they have feelings. My family and I also have religion. Those of us that are of legal age also enjoy a cold Busch beer now and then. I don't think that makes us bad people. Anything is bad if it is abused, including religion.
Anheuser-Busch is a very responsible company. They spend a lot of money doing responsible-drinking campaigns and commercials. They are not in bass fishing to get more people to drink beer. They are involved to get the people that enjoy a beer to try the Busch brand.
I could write a whole article about all the money Anheuser-Busch spends on conservation and good causes, but I am sure they would not want me to. Busch really is not into tooting their own horn. In fact, I asked them a few months ago if they would care if I responded to all that was going on and they asked me not to. Obviously I didn't ask this time. It was time.
I've written these thoughts not to point fingers or inflame any controversy. My hope is that everyone can put this year behind them and build for the future. If we look at the big picture, which we must to move forward and grow, we can only hope Busch stays involved.
As a sport matures, its participants also need to mature. Hopefully we can all do that together. The best thing our sport's participants can do is let Busch know that the vast majority certainly appreciate their support.
