Cool Article about AIM on ESPN

[No They Didn't]

Check this out. Go Todd Riley and AIM!

http://sports.espn.go.com/outdoors/fishing/columns/story?columnist=landahl_dave&id=4456149

[wondering]

I just read that article...

I guess I'm not sure who her intended audience is, and why they should care??? This was a very poorly articulated non-argument to a pretty broad ESPN audience.

She says:

"Why aren't we tuning in? Perhaps what is turned out for TV is so colossally boring our therapists all recommend against watching it for fear all their hard work will be sucked out in one 30-minute show. That one show could counteract a happy pill.

Whatever the reason, we need to start watching..."

Um...so why would who ever reads this be motivated to start watching and start caring? She says no fans attend the tournaments or the championships, few follow it on the web and the TV coverage is boring.

Her only argument is that the reader (for some undisclosed reason) should feel compelled to give a hoot just because she says so.

[bbbbbbbbbbbb]

I don't know how this was a cool article for the walleye world. It didn't make walleye tourneys sound attractive.

[um uh]

The ESPN audience all of those articles are for are outdoors people. It's ESPNOutdoors.com and not the general ESPN site.

I think the points were subtle and suscinct.

Both the anglers and tournament trails need to get off their collective backsides and participate in a proactive attempt to save the sport. Whether its through more fans tuning in or the tournament groups creating something more worthwhile to watch and support and learnbing how to proeprly promote it.

I'm not sure what la la land you guys live in, but a call to action to save what is obviously a dying sport and to bring it to light on the massive ESPNOutdoors stage is pretty cool.

Seeing both AIM and Todd Riley get some ink on ESPNOutdoors is cool to me.

Sorry you folks don't think its cool.

[wondering]

The ESPN audience all of those articles are for are outdoors people. It's ESPNOutdoors.com and not the general ESPN site.

I think the points were subtle and suscinct.

Both the anglers and tournament trails need to get off their collective backsides and participate in a proactive attempt to save the sport. Whether its through more fans tuning in or the tournament groups creating something more worthwhile to watch and support and learnbing how to proeprly promote it.

Sorry you folks don't think its cool.

I don't have a problem with a call to action to the pros and the tours...but that's not how she positioned it. She positioned it as a call to action to a non-existant fan-base to become magically interested in something they are not currently interested in.

If you want to bring fans to a sport, you don't do that by saying how BORING it is (saying how boring it is is how you position it to the people who can make it less boring. I.E. the tours and pros).

All I'm saying is that her objective in that article makes no sense. What was her objective? A call to action to the pro tours (in that case it's the wrong forum)? Or, an attempt to attract fans (in that case it was the right forum, but the wrong message)?

[funny]

A weak, uninformed article penned by someone who wasn't even at the event. This it why it is so important to actually be at the event if you are going to write about it. Anyone who was there got the feeling that something special was happening before their eyes. It was an incredible event. This is what ESPN does; throw a bunch of stupid what-if's and innuendos out there without ever making a point.

[Just another guest]

Instead of sharing some of the great things that went on, she (they) continue to try to shame people into going to a tournament weigh in. If I wanted to listen to people tell me how badly I'm behaving and how I'd better change my ways, I'd go to church, not a tournament weigh-in.

Why not talk to one of the interesting angler fishing the event? A spectator that choose to come down to view the festivities? Even a decent fishing report with a bit of where and why would have been a step in the right direction. A few of the funniest fishing related stories from the anglers at the event would be cool as well.

[Robert M]

Ive been to a couple PWT weigh ins and it isnt all that exciting as its the only thing going on.Nothing for the wife and kids to do and no sponsors even around with product to look at.Heck I even fish some small tournaments and those weigh ins arent very exciting either and most guys not in the money clear out right away.Heck you think you could at least sell some hot dogs and have a swap meet or something.Basically what I am saying is you need more than the weigh in to draw a reasonable crowd.The biggest crowd I ever saw at a weigh in was in Dubuque Iowa for the NTC but they had other stuff going on and things to do.But I think Cabelas put up a lot of cash on that deal.I actually thought the internet coverage of the AIM Championship was better than actually being there.Nice job WC and AIM!!!!! If nothing else I think AIM is being a little more creative and willing to try other things and if the economy improves I think they will pick up some sponsors that they desperatly need and things will improve.Ya the payout was a little weak for the Championship but to throw this all together in a short time and make it threw the first year especially in these times was pretty good for any business.If my math wasnt so good I would think about fishing one of these myself.lol Maybe Ill be a co pilot if they are close by or catch a weigh in.But I still hope they make it and keep up on the internet coverage as I still like to watch to see what they are doing.I also did hear a brief statement about a grass roots deal if they get this going and that would also be interesting.Not sure what they meant by that though.

Good luck and no whinning

[lame writers]

Check this out. Go Todd Riley and AIM!

http://sports.espn.go.com/outdoors/fishing/columns/story?columnist=landahl_dave&id=4456149

Dave and Kristin really need to learn how to write an informative, interesting article. Truly, they write some mind numbing stuff. Not even sure how they hold down the positions.

[stevefellegy]

Interestingly, most or all the big time writers that cover sports in the StarTribune (MPLS.), get the same kinda of comments. Everyone hates old Sid or Patrick Ruesse. 50 years or more later......Sid still is the lead sports writer.

Go get'em Kristin!!lol

[stacker2]

I just want to say this in regards to her call for action.

I was at the pwt's very first saginaw bay event in 1990, mwc's in the 80's and have been to hundereds of weighins since that time. I have watched this sport develope, slow down in the 90's, and then coomes 2001 and it gos gang busters. weigh ins were very boring for the most part however. RCL championship in green bay was fun. For the most part at any weigh in you hardly ever saw fish and that made it tough for my kids to want to go with me.

2009- AIM, dudes, this is the real deal. You get to actually see the fish and if you are not a tourney guy, you actually get something out of it now. Otherwise, the non touney fisherman, really could care less. I believe this is the way they will bring new blood into the sport. I hope one of the sony's of the world see an opportunity to show case there tv's to the fishing world by giving AIM many screens for the weigh ins. If there is one gripe, its because there are not enough screens.

[AKuffer]

So what else is new? It takes money to make money is an old saying but true. I won't say no one is willing to invest $$ because who really knows about that one. AIM is making an effort for sure. I will keep on saying Pro-Am is dead & team formats are the answer. Not to mean there still couldn't be some pro-am tournaments just that circuits as such are not what is needed today. TV? Ice road truckers, ax men, etc. is more interesting to watch. How do those shows get air time? We might want to find that out and air shows at those times to. Of course that costs money and who is going to pay? It would be cool to show what really goes on in a tournament? The good, the bad and the ugly(hear the music?). Fishing in a blizzard, stuck on sand bars, waves over our heads etc. Competitive walleye fishing is not your weekend trip to the lake like our fathers used to do. For years us walleye guys tried to fit into a mold that wasn't made for us and still are. We need to break the mold. Here is something to contemplate: All sports have a gate, that is people paying to come and watch it. We don't have that and those dollars are important to any sport. How can we create that? Figure that out and there could be the start for a new beginning. I know that alot of non fishing people would find what we really do fascinating and entertaining. BUT we are never going to get that audience if we don't create a format for TV that will air all the real stuff for them to see. It may be true what has been said and our sport is dying. Maybe that is a good thing, so the next generation of walleye competive fishing can begin. Unless a seed fall to the gournd and die it can bear no fruit. What was before we cannot blame either for all those efforts may yet prove to be the seed for the future.
Good fishing