Mike Iaconelli the most hated Fishing Pro....

How about Mike Iaconelli profiled as the 6th "most-hated" athlete in pro sports? He is the company of athletes like Kobe Bryant, Kurt Busch, Curt Shcilling & Terrell Owens. Brent Chapman, Denny Brauer and Bernie Schultz all chime in on what they dislike about IKE. The piece on GQ.com starts here and ends here. And how about pro bass fishing included as a pro sport? About time.

I am on the fence when it comes to Ike, at times its been a bit overdone, its hard to take him serious and believe that it is all genuine. When you look back at his Classic victory, I believe that was 100% raw emotion and it was "real". On the other hand, the more & more of you see him every week on Bass Saturday, you start to wonder if it is a bit of a stunt. I do think if some of the pros showed a bit more emotion it would be good for the sport. Granted, I do not scream like Ike, but if I land a key fish in a big tournament, you can bet there will be a fist pump or two and it jacks me up and gets the adrenaline flowing. Fan want to see that excitement and emotion to a certain degree. That's part of the reason Charlie Moore is still on TV. I thought Ike's book is very informational and has great info for those that are interested in pursuing a bass fishing career.


I believe that while Ike's antics are somewhat a Mirage, there will be a trend towards more guys like Ike, Skeet, Swindle and Quinn. These guys in general are attracting a wider audinece to the sport. There is a place for them, just as much as a need and a place for Brauer, Clunn & Nixon.

In the end, Ike is good for bass fishing, you and I are talking about it and GQ labeled Bass Fishing a Professional Sport, you cannot argue that is good for us all.

Rich Lindgren
http://www.richlindgren.com/