After a full season under our belts on the BASSMASTER Tour with Anheuser-Busch as a sponsor, I'd like to take a minute to fully express my opinions about Busch and bass fishing.
Many seem to think I'm vehemently opposed to Busch being involved in bass fishing. That's not true. I'm not against Busch being a sponsor of the Tour. I've said all along that their involvement could be very good for the sport: A successful Busch marketing campaign could open the eyes of other potential non- endemic sponsors.
What I've taken issue with for the past year is the idea of being forced to promote Busch, or any alcoholic drink for that matter. This is simply a personal conviction. It's not a question of right or wrong. There's nothing in the Bible that condemns drinking a beer. The Bible condemns getting drunk, but even Jesus drank wine from time to time.
I don't even consider my conviction to not promote alcohol to be one of a "religious" nature. I simply don't want to promote something that could have a negative effect on someone. If everyone in America who drank alcohol did so responsibly, I could promote Busch beer. Unfortunately, too much alcohol leads to too much pain, sorrow and death -- stuff I don't want to contribute to.
After winning B.A.S.S. Angler of the Year (AOY) this season, I have nothing but kudos for the people at Anheuser-Busch. They appreciate my convictions, and have told me that I don't have to do any promoting of Busch if I don't want to.
That is a refreshing dose of liberty compared to the plans BASS introduced to us at the beginning of the season. If B.A.S.S. had said from the very beginning that the AOY wouldn't have to promote Busch if he didn't want to, think of all the trouble and controversy they could have avoided.
I appreciate the fine folks at Anheuser-Busch, and now that I'm not forced to promote their products, I hope they're here to stay. Where freedom exists, so too does love.
