This morning I impulsively fired off an email to a couple of my favorite sports writers whose opinions I respect. I thought I would repost the email here in case anyone wanted to share their thoughts.

Assume an unexpected moment of sanity overtook the BCS commissioners so that they finally yield to reason and support a “Plus-One” playoff format. In the new Plus-One system, would you support a rule that states only conference champions are eligible to enter the Plus-One mini-playoff tournament? (ie, each conference could only send one team to the National Championship Tournament).

Initial thoughts about such a rule:

1. With such a rule, playoff critics could not claim that the playoff detracts from regular season games or traditional rivalries. Had such a rule existed for this season, the excitement and drama of the regular season games would have been enhanced—not harmed.
2. With such a rule, in addition to the SEC championship, three other conference championships would still be relevant for national championship purposes. (Stanford would still be in the hunt Ivan.)
3. With such a rule, Georgia could potentially proceed to the tournament to represent the SEC.
4. In such an event, LSU and Alabama fans should not blame the BCS for not being fair, since the SEC had 13 games to fairly and objectively determine who it would send to the championship tournament. (They would complain of course, but they should voice their complaints to the SEC office–not the BCS.)

As a college football fan it defies all logic that the SEC had 13 games to determine which team was the best out of it’s 12 teams. Yet here we are at the end of the regular season and it can only limit the list down to 3 teams. We could potentially have LSU as the AP National Champion, Georgia as the SEC Champion, and Alabama as BCS National Champion.

It defies all logic. Another year, another BCS fail.

I will be very disappointed if we move to a “Plus-One” format and one conference can send multiple teams to the Plus One tournament. 13 games during the regular season is enough for each conference to pick one team, and one team only, to represent it.

You would probably still love the animal–and might even love it more because it is so unique.  But you would definitely be surprised.

That is exactly how I felt today after I learned that our beloved Alabama Spotted Bass aren’t even Spotted Bass at all!  Think of all the records that have been misidentified over the years, starting with the famous catch on Lewis Smith Lake!  Check out my post on the The Armchair Anglers Blog.

BassFan posted an opinion article I penned today.

Instructions:  I highly suggest that you right click the video and choose “Watch on You Tube” so that you can view on a larger screen.  Youtube also has a “HQ” button that stands for high quality.  It is worth watching this video in high quality.  At the end of each chapter you can choose the next chapter.

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Four teams going for one available bye week left.  As a Saints fan I’m not sure which NFC team I want to get the remaining spot–anyone but Minnesota or Dallas I think.  I think the Cardinals scare me the least.

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The following is a press release from the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources dated March 4, 2009:

Bo Crawford of Alabaster, Ala. holds the new lake record after catching a 4 pound, 14-ounce spotted bass from Lake Purdy near Birmingham. The fish, weighed on certified scales, was verified by Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (ADCNR) Fisheries Biologist Graves Lovell. It measured over 21 inches in length, with a girth of nearly 14 inches.

This was the fifth lake record bass accepted by the ADCNRs’ Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries Division since the “Alabama Angler Recognition Program” began in January 2007. The program recognizes anglers who catch large sportfish from Alabama waters, and seeks to establish lake records for black bass in all of Alabama’s public reservoirs.

The Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources promotes wise stewardship, management and enjoyment of Alabama’s natural resources through five divisions: Marine Police, Marine Resources, State Parks, State Lands, and Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries.

—End Release—

It has been almost a year since this fish was caught.  My project for 2009 was to set more lake records like this in lakes around the state.  What made me think that it was possible to establish multiple lake records?  It is not that I think I can catch the biggest bass on these respective lakes.    In fact, I know for certain that lake record sized bass have been weighed in at many fishing tournaments around the state, with many of these catches trumping my personal best.  However, the lake record submission process with the Alabama DCNR is complicated enough that the average fisherman is not willing to submit his catch and see the certification process through to the end.  This Lake Purdy fish, for example, was caught on December 5, 2008 and was not certified until March 2009.   The fish had to be weighed on a Dept. of Agriculture certified scale, examined by a biologist, and submitted with notarized signatures of witnesses on the application.  Considering that the official lake record for many lakes remains vacant, I think it is safe to assume that the bureaucracy is complicated enough to deter the average fisherman from submitting his catch for consideration as a lake record.

This is not to say that I disapprove of the bureaucratic process–on the contrary I think it is necessary.  Having discussed the submission process in detail with the biologist heading the program, I fully agree with the procedures in place to submit a lake record.  The submission process has been carefully considered with the overall goal of protecting the integrity of the records.  Basically, the unfortunate fact of the matter is that there is enough dishonesty in the world of fishing that if the ADCNR did not carefully examine each fish, then the lake records would be doubted by the entire fishing community.   This is the just the way of the modern world.

As for my Lake Purdy spotted bass submission, in the end I only received credit for 4 lbs 14 oz (4-14) even though the fish weighed 5-00 on multiple scales.  None of the scales I used initially were certified by the Department of Agriculture.  This was not due to lake of effort on my part in searching for a certified scale immediately.  Have you ever tried walking through a uppity Greystone grocery store carrying a five pound bass?   I have.  I discovered that I should not assume that managers of such grocery stores share my passion for fishing.  In the end there was a lengthy multi-day delay before the fish was weighed on an approved scale, and during that time the fish lost 2 ounces in weight.  This was disappointing to me because breaking the 5-00 barrier is an important benchmark for all of us bass fisherman.

I chalked my fish’s lost two ounces up to a beginners lesson and vowed to not make the same mistake twice.  I spent considerable effort getting my fishing club’s scale certified by the Alabama Dept. of Agriculture so that I would be prepared the next time I had a potential lake record catch.  A few days later  I took the scale to my fishing club’s weigh-in and proudly showed everyone the important official looking Dept of Agriculture sticker on the scale.  It was “certified” official.  Enter Murphy’s Law. The scale did not make it to the end of that weigh-in before it registered a sub-par 8 pound stringer as weighing 57 lbs.Our Dept. of Agriculture certified scale died on that day as did my enthusiasm for my “lake records” quest.

Those who know me best have little doubt that my quest-like enthusiasm will return one day.

The FLW tour crowned its champion at the Forest Wood Cup a few weeks ago and BASS just declared its Angler of the Year (AOY) after its first “made-for-TV” post season. Thus ends the 2009 professional fishing season—with a resounding thud. For some reason I didn’t feel the magic this season like I have in years past. As a fan of the sport I can’t help but wish for more.

College football fans know the feeling – it’s the same empty feeling you get when the BCS system fails to put the two best teams on the field in the national championship game. Everyone knows that the BCS is a flawed system, but once the last whistle blows in that final game all the fans can do is dream about what could have been.

Dream about what could have been is exactly what a sports reporter named Dan Wetzel did with college football a couple of years ago. He wrote a column called The Wetzel Plan that detailed how a college playoff system could work. He even put in a mock bracket for college football fans to salivate over.

In that same spirit, I humbly submit to you The Crawford Plan. The Crawford Plan calls for the Top 6 FLW anglers to fish against the Top 6 BASS anglers to compete in a made-for-TV tournament. Each team would consist of three boaters and three non-boaters. The teams for 2009 could be:

A real "superbowl" scenario

Most of us would tune in just to see what would happen when you stuck Tommy Biffle and Mike Iaconelli together on the same boat. Off the water, the reality TV style drama of seeing each team’s captain attempt to get his fellow teammates to work together would make for good entertainment. On the water, it would be fun to watch the giant bass these all-stars could catch if you sent them to the premier fishing locations on the planet.

Now is the time for someone to step-up and deliver a real made-for-TV tournament. Someone to create excitement like Ray Scott did when he put those first classic competitors on a plane with an unknown final destination.

No doubt, were I to post this dream idea on a message board I would get multiple replies listing all the reasons why such a tournament could never happen. Chief among these objections is the idea that BASS and FLW organizations would never support it. I find that particular objection interesting. I wonder if Joe Thomas had to have the blessing of BASS or FLW when he started Ultimate Match Fishing?

After the season is officially over, college football teams do not have the option of suiting up to take it to the field one more time. Luckily, grown men do not need permission from the NCAA or anyone else to go fishing with a few friends. If during that fishing trip they happen to be representing their respective organizations in an unofficial capacity so much the better.

From the weekend angler to the highest executives, FLW and BASS members have laid down vast amounts of smack talk over the years. Are we ever going to see this rivalry taken to the lake where it belongs? I hope that day comes soon. It will be the perfect way to end the season with a resounding bang.

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Bo Crawford is recreational fisherman from Alabaster, AL. He can be reached at bo@tmtanglers.com.

The Crawfords adopted me from a family that gave me up because I ate their back porch.  That’s right–not something left on the back porch–I ate and destroyed their ENTIRE back porch.  It was so so fun when my old master came home and chased me around the yard while I had his window screens in my mouth.  Yippee that was fun!  It was so worth it.

Now I am with my new family.  Anna is my master and I’ve already got her pretty well trained.   But that stubborn Bo is so silly.   He thought that giving me exercise would make me not chew so much.  Surprise!  Giving me exercise just builds my stamina so that I can chew even more!  He tried to put everything away where I can’t get to it.  Little did he know how good I am at climbing, jumping, crawling, digging, and dragging stuff out of the way so that I can always find new stuff to destroy.  Apple Bitter Spray?  Please–that stuff is delicious.  I’ll drink it right out of the bottle.

Here are some of my favorite chew toys:

• 1 G-Loomis 843 Fishing Rod ( Bo is so funny when his face turns red)
• 1 Gas Can (with gas)
• 1 Bottle Windshield Washer Fluid (Yummy! Antifreeze kills other dogs but not me)
• 1 Table ( I taught Bo what happens when he teaches me on a “training table”)
• 3 bicycle pedals, 3 bicycle seats, 4 bicycle handlebars, 1 helmet.
• 1 seat cushion
• 1 electric chain saw
• 1 power drill
• 1 split ring pliers
• 1 fly fishing vest, 4 spools florocarbon line, 3 fly boxes
• 1 sleeping bag
• 1 dog kennel ( how you gonna lock me in now Bo?)
• 1 boat trailer light (you take that boat without me again and see what I destroy next time)
• 1 smoke detector

Listen to this one…this is so funny.  Bo thought that getting me fixed would calm me down.  So just try to follow his logic: you take me to a quack doctor,  let her take my manhood, and my favorite things to lick.  And this is suppose to make me act better how?  You somehow thought that my response to this was going to be positive because why?   Ummm…right.  How about I now eat every single thing you own you sorry bastard.  Try to punish me and I’ll play the puppy dog eyes card with your children.  They’ll think I’m an angel and you see you as the devil you are.  If you ever take me to some quack vet again I’ll make you regret it buddy.

So anyway, Anna always reminds her daddy that the Dog Whisperer says “there are no bad dogs, only bad owners”.   It is so funny to watch Bo’s face when she says that.  Wait….What’s that tickle I feel on my back?  Oh, that’s just Mrs. Mary beating me because I chewed her gardening tools.  Too funny.  You gotta hit harder than that lady.  Hey Honey, when you’re finished why don’t you do something useful like throw my ball or get me some food…

…Anyway, what was I saying?  Oh yes, life is pretty good here at the Crawford house.  They are all stubborn but I’m making progress.  Pretty soon they will learn who is in charge.  Now what can I find to chew next?  That spare tire over there is looking mighty tasty.

Me

I read an article in the Wall Street Journal called A Web Page of One’s Own by Jason Fry. After reading the article I couldn’t help but wonder if I was missing the boat by not participating in the whole online networking thing. So here I am. I’m Linked-In, Facebooked, and ready to go. I’m sure sooner or later I’ll have something interesting to share, so check back soon.