I was not going to add my comments to the myriad of Mike messages.  Thought I would write about all the mandates that did not happen at the presidents meetings at the Classic.  Then he made his version of an apology, failed miserably and I have been distracted.

    I am climbing the stump,  gather round.

The Flag.

Two words and everyone in America has the same vision.  At least for a second. then our thoughts diverge as we stop and think, however briefly.  I think about the flag that I have from my grandfather's funeral. I think about the flags that I presented to many loved ones at their grandfather,  father or son's funerals.  There will be a flag on my coffin.  Sad,morbid thoughts? No at all. Those flags say "There lies a soldier!"

The flag represents many things to many people .You have heard them all before:  Honor, courage, freedom and sacrifice.  I have even read that some believe it stands for taxes. I have never heard that it stands for excuses.

But in the "heat of the moment..."  is a cowardly excuse.  The men lying under those flags did not forget where they were or what they were doing in much hotter moments. Matter of fact those men tended to think much more clearly, much more focused  and made less mistakes when challenged by adversity.

Mike did not make an apology, he made excuses and accusations after he mentally gave up.

B.A.S.S. disqualified him.  FLW would have disqualified him under Rule#7. Now he is squirming with the weight of the bass fishing  world upon his shoulders and trying to blame B.A.S.S. for him not being allowed to use his boat.  Why does he not make this complaint about FLW? Because they use his brand of boat and FLW has banned individuals before for loudly or quietly complaining. Mike is flirting with being suspended or banned by B.A.S.S. and if B.A.S.S. does suspend him, FLW Rule #7 will ban him from FLW events.  Mike may be crafting the end to his own career and the two major tournament organizations will have no choice but to enforce their own rules.

He would then be the perfect pitch man for those "banned" lure companies. 

Mike the B.A.S.S. Manchurian Candidate? There is not a livewell in any boat that can  keep that stinking fish alive.  Mike makes his own choices. Mike crafts his own image, but we have Classic and classic images that he can not surpass with crafty marketing or passing blame techniques.

We have the Classic image of Rick Clunn's hands shaking when he landed a true giant.  He was aware of the camera and taught us something good and showed us something better.  Quiet class and real emotion.  He doesn't tell us to never give up,he shows us.  They teach that in Missouri.

 We have the Classic image of Mike bending and throwing down the light pole with the flag attached.  We have the classic image of the soldiers raising the flag on Iwo Jima.  Kind of a weird super-imposed image of two completely different displays of the character of men. 

   I made mistakes.  I apologize. That's pretty good.

   I made mistakes.  I apologize.  It won't happen again. That's better and if promises are kept, it's near perfection.