When ESPN held the “Greatest Angler Debate” in 2005, it came down to a battle between Rick Clunn and Roland Martin, with Clunn eventually emerging the winner. While both competed in many of the same events, during the same general time period, the achievements that propelled them to the top were very different.
Clunn had won four Bassmaster Classics, but only one Angler of the Year (AOY) title. Martin had won nine AOY titles, but no Classics. They weren’t quite apples and oranges, but a voter’s subjective view of how those achievements mattered.
Clunn eventually came out on top.
Of course, at the time, Kevin VanDam “only” had one Classic title (he’d earn his second that summer), and three AOYs to his credit. A decade later, he’d have four Classic trophies and seven AOYs and he’d likely be
a near-
unanimous winner, if a new vote were taken. He’s that good, both over the long haul and in a three-day event.
So, can someone else take away his title at some point in the future?
It doesn’t seem likely, but it’s not impossible.
Part of the problem for the current crop of anglers is that KVD got such a big head start on the field. Pros including Skeet Reese and Mike Iaconelli have far fewer titles (one Classic and one AOY for each) and they’re approximately the same age as KVD. Either
could go on a hot streak, but so could Kevin,
and while his subpar 2014 season
has been taken as a sign of decline,
both of them have been far more
inconsistent over the past five
years than the GOAT.
he only
Aaron Martens would seem to be the next most likely candidate. He’s five years younger than KVD, but his career
seems to be on the ascent,
with two AOY titles
in the past three
years, and
three of
the top
11. Of
course,
has
SPRING 2016
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