(Editor's note: The following holiday-themed piece comes from Alan McGuckin of Dynamic Sponsorships, who's involved with marketing and communications for clients such as Toyota, BoatUS and Zebco/Quantum. You'll have to keep reading until the end to find out what it has to do with the world's top-ranked angler and the nation's highest office. Enjoy.)
Elite Christmas Wishes
It’s often perceived that professional anglers are the luckiest guys in the world. If you subscribe to the theory that making a living doing something you love is among the first steps to a happy life, then for sure, the Bassmaster Elite Series pros are a fortunate bunch.
But they too have hopes, dreams, fears and concerns all interwoven into a daily pile of thoughts not drastically different than your own. And at Christmas, they have wishes. Some of their wishes are serious, some humorous, some tied to fishing – and all of them tied to the heart.
BoatU.S. Angler member and Elite Series angler, Marty Robinson feels like he’s already had a few Christmas wishes come true. First, Robinson qualified for his first Bassmaster Classic this past Elite Series season. Secondly, he got his wish with a recent change in the B.A.S.S. scoring system.
“B.A.S.S.’ recent rule change to award tournament points in one-point increments is a wish come true,” said Robinson. “As opposed to years past, now, guys that consistently finish in the middle of the pack will be rewarded, versus before, when the Top 12 at each event were awarded so heavily compared to the rest of the field."
Robinson thinks the new scoring rule is as fair as possible. “To me, one-point increments where the guy that finishes first gets 100 points, second gets 99, and so on down the line, is the only fair points system. If that was Jerry McKinnis’ idea, then kudos to Jerry,” said Robinson, who runs a family plumbing business from his Lyman, S.C. home when he’s not competing in B.A.S.S. tournaments. And lastly, if it’s not too much to ask, Marty is wishing for a 20-pound sack on Day 1 of the 2012 Bassmaster Classic in Shreveport.
Believe it or not, bass fishing’s funniest man, Gerald Swindle, is a deep thinker. Never at a loss for words to compliment his thoughts, Swindle rattled off a series of wishes dripping with heart, soul and humor.
“I wish that people who have plenty would give more. I wish that people who want everything for free would get a job. I wish that the federal government would stop trying to take, and give away, all my hard-earned money. I wish toothpaste would stick to my brush as well as it does my sink,” said the long-time Quantum pro.
And then came Swindle’s heart. “But what I really wish for is one more frosty November morning with my brother Tony in the deer woods, and to see him smile when a whitetail buck hits the ground,” said Swindle, who tragically lost Tony to pancreatic cancer in 2008. “And Santa, if it ain’t too much to ask, how about one more summer day fishing in northern Mississippi with my Grandpa,” concluded Swindle, closing out a long list of wishes, with priority placed on things that certainly can’t be bought, and that sadly, he can only have as a memory.
Speaking of government, Edwin Evers has a wish that involves Kevin VanDam.
“I’m wishing that somehow Kevin would stop being so dominant on the water, lose interest in fishing and go run for President of the United States. That way, the rest of us would have a chance to win more often, and if we can get Kevin elected, I’ll promise you, our country will be way better off. I’ll vote for him,” grinned Evers, who for two years in a row has settled for second place behind KVD in the Toyota Tundra Bassmaster Angler of the Year points race, yet mustered ample class to spotlight VanDam’s good character.
Virginia pro John Crews is simply wishing more folks, especially our military members, were able to be with their loved ones at Christmas.
“Christmas is a time of the year that I always get together with my family and extended family,” said the crankbait fishing guru. “I feel blessed that I'm able to spend the holiday season with my loved ones. Many people, including our Armed Forces, are not able to do that. Those people need a prayer to come home safely,” concluded Crews in heartfelt fashion, regarding a Christmas wish we can all hope will come true.
