Amendment Puts FLW/National Guard Ties In Limbo

By Todd Ceisner
BassFan Editor

With financial backing difficult to come by these days for anglers and tournament organizations, news of a U.S. House of Representatives amendment that would curb military spending in professional sports has the attention of FLW officials as well as members of the National Guard FLW Tour team.

Their concerns center around an amendment that was approved by the House Appropriations Committee on May 17 and included in the 2013 Defense Appropriations Bill. The amendment is co-sponsored by Rep. Betty McCollum (D-MN) and Rep. Jack Kingston (R-GA). Among the sports targeted by the Kingston-McCollum amendment are motorsports, fishing, mixed martial arts and wrestling.

Trisha Blake, president of FLW's marketing division, was made aware of the matter while in Washington, D.C., 2 weeks ago for the Potomac River FLW Tour Major, held at National Harbor, just a few blocks from the U.S. Capitol building.

“We take this stuff seriously,” Blake told BassFan last week, “and we are doing everything we can on our end to get the support we need and really get the information out as to what the National Guard has meant to the sport and what we’ve meant to the National Guard since the beginning of our partnership in 2006.”

The full $608 billion defense bill still needs to go in front of the full House for a vote and the amendment could still be defeated. However, the specter of losing a lucrative sponsorship could have far-reaching effects on FLW’s future ability to stage as many tournaments at the various levels of competition it currently offers.

“As I sit here today, we’ll adjust if we need to if that time comes,” said Blake. “In the meantime, we’re very much focused on getting the information out to the appropriate people and getting the right conversations going with the right individuals. We need to stand at the forefront of this.”

It’s worth noting that in February 2011, the House voted 281-148 to defeat a similar amendment, also authored by Rep. McCollum, which would have banned military sponsorships in NASCAR.

Next to Walmart, the National Guard is FLW’s most visible corporate partner, serving as the presenting sponsor for FLW’s Walleye Tour, College Bass Fishing, High School Fishing, TBF Junior World Championships and TBF National Championship programs as well as supporting a 14-member pro team. However, the wording of the amendment seems to indicate funding wouldn’t be cut off for college and high school programs as they would likely be considered amateur events.

FLW’s current deal with the National Guard went into effect in early 2011 when both sides decided to extend a previous agreement. As part of the agreement, Mark Rose and Brett Hite were added to the National Guard team, bringing the number of Tour pros on the bass side to six -- Brent Ehrler, Justin Lucas, Jonathan Newton and Scott Martin are the others. The National Guard also sponsors six co-anglers, who are active-duty Guardsmen, as well as two Walleye Tour pros.

The text of the amendment reads as follows:

“(a) Except as provided in subsection (b), none of the funds made available in this Act may be used to sponsor professional or semi-professional motorsports, fishing, mixed martial arts, wrestling, or other sporting events or competitors.

(b) The prohibition in subsection (a) shall not apply in the case of sponsorship of amateur or high school sporting events or competitors.”

According to a news release posted on Rep. McCollum’s website after the amendment was approved, the National Guard spent $121 million on sponsorships in 2011 and 2012, including $20 million on fishing. Citing confidentiality, Blake declined to confirm or deny the accuracy of that figure.

“At a time when Congress is increasing defense spending by cutting ‘Meals on Wheels’ for vulnerable seniors and nutrition programs for hungry children, it’s time to eliminate wasteful Pentagon spending on NASCAR, fishing and ultimate fighting sponsorships that have nothing to do with our national security,” McCollum said in the release. “If the private sector wants to demonstrate their patriotism by sponsoring military racing teams, I say fantastic! But for taxpayers to pay for racing and bass fishing teams is a ridiculous waste of money.”

Added Rep. Kingston, “We may disagree on some things, but on this we should be able to come together. The government borrows 40 cents for every dollar it spends and this is where we’re spending it? In the face of deep cuts and troop force reductions, the military should not be spending nearly $100 million sponsoring professional sports.

"After Congresswoman McCollum brought this issue up last year, the Pentagon had a year to justify this spending, but they have not. They have had the chance to prove me wrong but I just don’t see how seeing a logo on their favorite racecar or on a fisherman’s visor is going to encourage someone to join the military.”

Blake fears that Rep. McCollum doesn’t possess a full understanding of the partnerships and is focusing only on the financial aspect.

“She’s going based upon information she wants to go on and it seems to be a real black-and-white conversation,” she said. “There’s a lot of in between. Rep. Kingston has never been to an FLW event and I don’t believe he’s been to a NASCAR event. I would encourage them to get a full understanding of why the armed forces have made the investment they have in these sports.”

Plan Of Action

Rose, an Arkansas resident, and Hite, who’s from Arizona, both said they plan to reach out to members of Congress in their states to make them aware of the issue and to voice their opinions on the value of the National Guard’s support of tournament fishing not just at the pro level.

“I’m going fish no matter what. I’m a pro fisherman. This is what I do,” Rose said. “It’s an honor for me to represent the Guard because I believe in it. My heart’s in it. Through fishing, a lot of good things have happened. The National Guard has helped fishing out a lot and I think fishing has done some good things for the National Guard. I think it’s a win-win and I’d like to see it continue.”

The challenge facing FLW and NASCAR to a larger extent now is to convince legislators that the spending is justified as a means of recruiting and public relations for the armed forces. According to Blake, FLW has helped the National Guard generate almost 90,000 qualified leads to potential recruits (2009 -- 26,342; 2010 -- 22,709; 2011 -- 28,673; 2012 --11,537). Figures of actual enlistments from those leads weren’t immediately available.

“We have a very high level of exposure and reach at our events and the recruiters are there, and the numbers speak for themselves,” Blake added. “Our platform really allows the National Guard to connect with potential recruits and their families. We feel very comfortable with the value we’ve been able to deliver to them.”

According to Blake, news of the potential cuts didn’t sit well with Forrest L. Wood, the namesake of FLW and founder of Ranger Boats.

“Forrest is pretty fired up about this,” she said. “He was with me at the Potomac. He’s made some phone calls and he’s well connected in multiple states, but this isn’t about Forrest. It’s about us and we’re going to use those different networks and connections to get our message out the way we believe it needs to be told.”

Close To Home

The news was bothersome to Hite, who relishes the opportunity to represent the National Guard on and off the water. He said if the sponsorship support is eliminated, he’s hopeful he’d be able to secure other financial backing. His preference, however, is to remain with the Guard.

“That’d be a huge thing for the sport of bass fishing and the future of bass fishing,” he said. “They’ve done a huge amount not just for pro bass fishing but for collegiate and high school fishing which will further help grow the sport.

“For me, fishing for the National Guard is such a great thing. I’ve been on four or five other corporate teams, but for me it represents something and that’s the United States. For me, it’s a very emotional thing to be representing something I truly believe in and that’s our armed forces and what those men and women do for us.”

As part of its partnership with the National Guard, FLW has developed the Wounded Heroes program, which allows a soldier or veteran to spend a day on the water with a volunteer. In addition, a series of Solider Appreciation Tournaments are held in conjunction with Tour events and EverStart Series tournaments.

According to Rose, those are some of the most rewarding and memorable fishing trips. He recalls taking a lieutenant’s son out fishing and the experience had such an impact on the boy that he wrote an essay for school about it.

“A day on the water with me, I pour a lot into it,” he said. “I don’t just drop the trolling motor down and take off and try to save gas. I try to show them the best time I can. I’ve had nothing but wonderful things happen.

“Time and again, I see nothing but good things for these soldiers coming out of it. It’s just an enjoyable day for a citizen who’s trying to reach out to someone who has dedicated their life to protecting my freedom. I just try to give them a day on the water they won’t forget so it’s nice to get an email from someone letting me know how good of a time they had. It’s a big honor and I think they get a lot out of it.”

Notable

> When reached by BassFan, Ehrler said he was aware of the situation, but didn’t want to comment further until he had more time to look into the matter on his own. Other National Guard team members did not respond to requests for comment.