Classic Pivots
Posted by Pete Robbins on Aug 16th 2020
Even though I’ll never compete in one, the Bassmaster Classic is the event that I look forward to most each year. I power through the drive to the host city in the blink of an eye, get excited when I walk into the venue, and leave a week later on a complete high. Right now, we are just about 210 days away from the start of what promises to be one of the best Classics ever, the 2021 iteration in Fort Worth. I’ve assumed all along that this COVID crap will be done by then, but it just hit me the other day – WHAT IF IT’S NOT?
There’s a very real possibility that we won’t have this under control by then, that gatherings of thousands of people will be ill-advised, and that Fort Worth might not want to tempt fate and their budget by persevering. In fact, in hindsight we’re very lucky that the 2020 Classic took place when it did, and not a week or two later.
B.A.S.S. has done a remarkable job so far of rescheduling and relocating regular season events. That’s not an easy task, and certainly not one that’ll ensue without criticism, but they’ve minimized the pain and maximized the gain – the latter most notably in the form of ESPN2 coverage.
Could they extend that flexibility to March, or is the Classic a whole different animal? If anything, this pandemic has taught us not to let the perfect be the enemy of the good, and I’m sure that the folks at B.A.S.S. have been “wargaming” out the possibilities. People like Bruce Akin and Eric Lopez and Steve Bowman are just too smart to let this one sneak up on them. They’re going to be prepared either way, and while the ideal outcome would be a full-fledged Classic with an overstuffed arena and massive expo, I have full confidence that they’ll pursue the proper course. There is some Venn diagram of the anglers’ interests, the fans’ interests’ and the sponsors’ interests, and while the overlap may be small, I trust them to find the sweet spot.
While I’ve occasionally agitated for a return to summer or fall Classics, in this case I’m glad there are seven more months for planning. Even if the winner celebrates in front of a crowd consisting only of B.A.S.S. employees and the other anglers, the trophy will be every bit as real.
