Here's some more from Mr. X.

Corporate Identity Crisis?

Whenever a company starts messing with its corporate identity, you can almost bet it will begin the process by focusing on the most insignificant part of the formula. The recent logo "update" at B.A.S.S. is a perfect example. Instead of actually making real changes in how they do business, ESPN and B.A.S.S. opt instead for the perception of change by messing with a logo that has served the company well for more than 3 decades.

"After 35 years of fishing, we decided it was time to freshen up," said B.A.S.S. VP and general manager Dean Kessel. "We've made some slight modifications that we believe make the shield more representative of today's B.A.S.S. member.

"B.A.S.S. has evolved over the years and we believe the new shield is indicative of that."

Kessel's remarks might hold water if B.A.S.S. or ESPN had offered any reasonable proof of late that they know what a representative member of B.A.S.S. actually looks like. To those who support the logo change, my comments will certainly be labeled as those of a person "resistant to change" or of a "traditionalist" who can't move forward. Maybe so. But if this new B.A.S.S. logo is the bell cow of bass fishing's future, I'll take nostalgia any day.

To begin with, the problem is focusing on the design change itself. I think the changes made could have been accomplished by any high school freshman with a half hour of free time and a basic art program. Take out the splashing water, arch the top of the logo and make the bass looked like it spawned downstream from a nuclear power plant. Big deal.

But the goofiness in this situation is not in the design changes (completely unnecessary as they may be), but in the reasons for doing it in the first place. Get any B.A.S.S. employee in a heart-to-heart conversation and you will quickly understand that ESPN has raised the bar on what "cheap" really means. In other words, this new logo change is perfect for a parent company that wants a leaner and meaner B.A.S.S.. It's all about the bottom line.

Just ask some of the B.A.S.S. Federation folks who have long been the lifeblood of this organization, yet now have to face the reality that they no longer have the ear of those in charge. If Ray Scott and Helen Sevier believed that it was the pros who mattered first and foremost, they at least gave rank-and-file anglers the illusion that they were more important. After all, it was the Bass Anglers Sportsmen Society. Right there is precisely what ESPN wanted out of the logo (and it is). It's a business, not a society, so deal with it.

Class Act

Although Sammy Sosa and his corked bat only reaffirmed my belief that sports stars and celebrities should be the last people anyone looks to for opinions on life, ethics, politics or religion, I must applaud Jay Yelas for his handling of the Busch/B.A.S.S. Angler of the Year situation. What Yelas did in one fell swoop was something that the tournament organizations have yet to master – he actually put some thought into solving a rather thorny problem.

By using the $100,000 to give his new book away, he found an almost Biblical way to solve an issue that seemed as though it had no perfect answer. Not only did he put forth his own personal agenda, he did so in a way that didn't embarrass anyone at Busch.

However, the people who should have red faces (i.e., those at B.A.S.S. who didn't devote the same amount of diligence in thinking before acting when they created this mess) probably did nothing more than breathe a sigh of relief that Yelas gave them an easy way out. It was all about class and character, two things that Yelas clearly possesses.

Great, If He Said It

In the politically-correct environment that envelops professional bass fishing and the rest of life, it's nice to see a quote that doesn't sound sanitized. Too often pro bass anglers try to say the "right" thing and substitute clichés for legitimate emotion.

But following the Lake Murray FLW, I came across a quote on BassFan accredited to Larry Nixon, who after turning in a 6th-place performance clearly wasn't happy with the results.

"It feels crappy, to be honest," he said.

Anyone who knows Nixon wouldn't be surprised with that response. In that one quote, he pretty much summed up his competitive spirit. He doesn't like settling for anything less than his best, which answers the question of why someone keeps competing after achieving financial security and every goal available in the pro ranks.

Flat-Out Wrong

In a futile attempt to find adjectives to describe the young up-and-comers in the pro ranks, two examples of how the media feeds off itself cropped up not too long ago.

If you missed them, the first was in a midseason review of the BASSMASTER Tour found on the Bassmaster website, where Alan Clemons of The Huntsville Times wrote: "Skeeter pro-staffer Zell Rowland is growing and nipping at the heels of these younger flat-bellies."

Excuse me, but has Mr. Clemons every met Zell Rowland or seen a picture of the man? Rowland has probably less body fat than most runway models in New York. I understand the reference, but the connection here is laughable.

The same journalistic bumble was repeated in a B.A.S.S. press release, where a reference was made to "young flat-bellied troops." Unfortunately, the veteran pro they quoted later in the release was Gary Klein, another pro more fit and flat of belly than most of his much-younger challengers. Put me in a dark alley facing some young toughs and I'll take Rowland and Klein on my side any time.

Wrapped Up in Dreams

I believe that all the wrapped boats and trucks appearing on the professional circuit will eventually lose their impact if the pros connected with them don't actively promote the product. Yes, I understand that advertising agencies live off the number of images they can put in front of their audience, but doesn't the buying decision also come from a consumer who associates the product with a face?

The great NASCAR corollary that B.A.S.S. and FLW trot out to prove their promotional wisdom doesn't seem to hold water here. Those drivers are guiding cars around the track emblazoned with a product they endorse. They're not tossed into a wrapped vehicle and forced to compete. Remember when Michael Jordan and Nike had a problem with logos at the Olympics? At the time, many felt it to be petty and not in keeping with the Olympic ideals. Yet in view of what's happening in pro bass fishing, I'm beginning to see the logic in their stance.

Who Are Those Guys?

If you've wondered how virtually-unknown professional anglers get apparently sweet sponsorship deals complete with wrapped boats and trucks, like on the FLW Tour, there's probably several reasons.

Perhaps the most obvious is that these deals aren't all that "sweet" and the angler is at a distinct disadvantage when it comes to negotiating the contract.

The second, and more disturbing, reason might be that the companies really don't care who is in that boat. Instead, they may be relying more on graphics than a graphite rod to do the work of their promotion.

If the corporate braintrusts are expecting B.A.S.S. or FLW to match their logo with the right guy, then they will most assuredly get what they deserve. History has shown that non-endemic sponsors who don't do their homework "get rode hard and put to bed wet." And they don't come back.

Final Weigh-In

After Afghanistan and Iraq, I think it's time to put a moratorium on the word "hero" as it relates to bass fishermen. If you save a guy from drowning while imperiling your own life, you are a hero. If you have to eat lousy meals and stay in cheap motels to make it on the pro circuit, the same designation doesn't apply. I hope that at this point in history, we know where we can find the real "heroes."

The same thing goes for the word "legendary." The mere passage of time does not automatically qualify someone for legendary status. Those who deserve that title are diminished every time the word is used to describe those who don't deserve it.