Cashing In On Sports
Pittsburgh Lands A Lunker
By Guy Junker

Merriam-Webster's: lun-ker-something large of its kind; used esp. of a game fish.

Money to be raised for Pittsburgh to host the Bassmaster Classic fishing tournament next year? $2 million.

Money expected to be pumped into the economy that week? $34 million.

Impression that viewers get when they see our rivers and city on national TV? Priceless.

When the 2005 Citgo Bassmaster Classic comes to Pittsburgh next July, it will not only be a big shot in the arm to the sagging local economy, it will be a golden opportunity for the rest of the country to see that Pittsburgh has gotten it's act together environmentally.

You mean there are bass in them rivers? You betcha, and plenty of them. Gone are the days when my brother and I would ride our bikesto the Mon and pull cats out of the rainbow chemical slick floating on top of the water. Large- and small-mouth bass are so plentiful around here these days that tournament organizers don't think they will even have to stock the waters.

The tournament and surrounding events can potentially attract 100,000 people. The professional anglers have their own legions of fans, friends and family who follow them. "Then there are the media: crews for ESPN and ESPN 2, writers for the outdoor publications, and biologists," says Laura Ellis of the Greater Pittsburgh Convention and Visitors Bureau. "It will have a huge impact on local businesses from hotels and restaurants to taxi service."

If you think this seems like a lot of excitement over a fishing contest, consider this. The Bassmaster Classic is considered the Super Bowl of fishing tournaments with a total purse of $700,000. First place is worth $200,000. Robert Imperata, the executive vice president of the Greater Pittsburgh Convention and Visitors Bureau, says, "This will be the biggest event ever held in downtown Pittsburgh, on a par with or above the Major League Baseball All-Star Game in 1994." Earlier this year, Pittsburgh hosted the successful National Rifle Association convention.Bassmasters is expected to generate five times the revenues as that event.

While the tournament itself is the main attraction, huge throngs are expected to fill the convention center for the outdoors show and expo that week. Imperata says they are expecting the largest crowds yet in the new convention center.

One of the things that attracted the tournament to Pittsburgh was the close proximity of the venues. The convention center is right on the river, and Mellon Arena is a short walk from there. The weigh-ins will take place at the arena each night with the pros bringing in their catches of the day. In New Orleans two years ago, more than 23,000 attended to cheer on their favorites.

The current Bassmaster champion, Mike Ioconelli, has made quite a name for himself by break-dancing at the weigh-ins. If I won $200,000 fishing, I might be inclined to break-dance myself. The outdoors show and weigh-ins will be free to attend.

Pittsburgh was chosen for the event over Hartford, the one close to Bristol, home of ESPN, which not only is televising the tournament, but is the parent company of BASS, the tournament owner and organizer. Overcoming that hometown advantage speaks volumes about what Pittsburgh has to offer.

Ken Komoroski, who heads up the local organizing committee, will be in Charlotte this month to check out this year's Classic and hopes to make next year's version in Pittsburgh not only successful, but unique as well. "We are even hoping to have a celebrity fishing competition with some former pro athletes."

The Bassmasters Classic will be the last weekend in July, so it will piggyback nicely with the Senior Olympics, which come to town in early- to mid-June. At a time when attendance at Pirates' and Penguins' games is an issue, and the city is struggling to overcome financial hardships, the two events "will be a real windfall for the community," says Imperata. He says about 85 percent of the organizations who inquire about bringing a convention or event to Pittsburgh eventually do so.

Getting over that smoky city perception that outsiders still have from their grade school geography and history books is the key. Once you get them here, they usually return home with nothing but positives to say about the town. And while it doesn't overshadow the economic impact the fishing tournament will have, national television exposure of anglers yanking bass out of our rivers will be invaluable in helping change Pittsburgh's image. Priceless indeed.

Guy Junker covers sports business for Pittsburgh Sports Report.