Having grown up watching the gnarly world of college football in the Southeast, and being a fan of college athletics in
general, never is the grind so bad as when there is a coaching change or upheaval in a university's athletic program.
Alabama and Auburn are the two main schools in my home state. We also have eight or 10 others that might be considered
well-known, from perennial D-II power North Alabama to rising "mid-major" Troy University and HBCU stalwarts Alabama A&M, Alabama State and
Tuskegee.
One thing you can count on is an incredibly churning rumor mill whenever there's even the slightest hint of a coaching
change. It shows up on chat boards, where because this coach is leaving then these "star" recruits have reconsidered their thoughts about Old State
U.
When Florida coach Urban Meyer had his recent flippy-floppy episode before the Sugar Bowl, some fans didn't wonder who the
next coach would be. They worried about how it would affect recruiting. At least one top recruit did change his mind and agreed to play for a rival.
We rarely see much of this in the fishing world. But we're getting a glimpse of it now with the FLW Outdoors situation in
relation to the Genmar bankruptcy auction last week. The two-day hearing ended Friday with a subsidiary of Platinum Equity of Beverly Hills gaining 11 Genmar
brands for $70 million, including Ranger Boats.
Because FLW Outdoors tournaments and Ranger boats have been owned, in whole or part, by Irwin Jacobs, they were linked to help
each other. The tournament circuits helped drive sales of Ranger, and Ranger's legendary brand name was a platinum seal on the tournaments and anglers
driving the rigs. There was no mistaking that one of FLW Outdoors' missions, if not the mission, was to sell boats.
Now, Jacobs doesn't own Ranger anymore and the rumblings are beginning like with coaches and football teams. Will Ranger
and FLW still get along? Will they part ways? Will anglers who had Ranger deals get their boats?
If Ranger did leave FLW, and after losing Walmart and Pure Fishing among other sponsors, would the tour fall apart and shut
down? That may be the big kahuna, because for a long time people have wondered if the tour was a house of cards built on Walmart's name and whether it
would fall apart should the two part ways.
ESPN Outdoors reported over the weekend that Ranger president Randy Hopper said the company is staying with FLW Outdoors for
the 2010 season.
"We just signed a new contract with the FLW a couple of weeks ago," Hopper said. "Obviously, it's been a
very trying economic environment for everybody in the boating business, but we look forward to another season with the FLW and better times ahead for all of
us."
There were no official statements from FLW Outdoors last weekend, or recently, about the Ranger association. Neither Platinum
Equity nor Genmar released statements about the auction.
But Hopper's statement is good news in a time when some stability is needed among the masses, especially with the boat
show season ramping up and tournaments starting to take place in Florida, Texas and California.
A hearing is scheduled Wednesday to finalize the auction proceedings, and afterward we may learn more about the future. Stay
tuned.
World record largemouth approved
The International Game Fish Association approved Manabu Kurita's 22 pound, 4.97 ounce largemouth bass caught last summer
in Japan's Lake Biwa as the co-record holder for the all-tackle mark.
It ties George Perry's 77-year old record. The approval came after an exhaustive four-month review of documents and
numerous questions, along with a polygraph examination of Manabu in Japan.
Congratulations are in order, certainly, and we now expect a surge of sorts among big bass anglers who might be enthused to
top this "new" record.
For a range of stories and video, visit http://www.bassmaster.com/bigbass
-- Alan Clemons











