®
Spring 2018
Christie’s Chances
3
CNLEAASRS-IMCISSES
are a heavy load to bear
by Pete Robbins
God it’s so painful Something that’s so close
And still so far out of reach.
- Tom Petty, “American Girl”
page 42
I
f a competitor finishes second in every Elite Series
tournament, he’ll win the Angler of the Year title
running away. If he finishes second at every Classic he fishes, he’s the Buffalo Bills…
from behind in 2016 at Grand Lake to win the Classic. The angler who led heading into that final day? None other than Christie.
After the 2018 Classic, that now marks three times that
... or Aaron Martens -- four runner-up Classic finishes. Christie has been a favorite or legitimate contender heading
... or Ricky Green – two runner-up finishes and five top- into the final day of Classic competition only to fall a little
fives bit short. I’ve been in the camera boat assigned to him for
... or Roland Martin – nine Angler of the Year (AOY) titles, all or part of those three tournaments and it has been both
but no Classic wins.
fascinating and heartbreaking to lose.
So, will he win one? That’s hard to answer. There can
It’s one of those “kissing your sister labels” to be deemed only be one winner each year, and loads of Hall of Famers
“the best never to win the Classic.” The only thing potentially – Roland, Bill Dance, Gary Klein – have never found that
worse is “best never to win a major title.” At least AMart
winning combination on the right week. Not only do you
and Roland have those AOY trophies on the mantel. Jason
have to have a magical, nearly flawless performance yourself;
Christie, despite three
but, you have to hope that no one
Elite Series wins,
else in the field performs more
two Bassmaster
transcendently.
Open wins, two FLW
Tour wins, an FLW Series win and a PAA
MORE RUNNERS-UP
victory, does not yet
As the Classic leader,
Some anglers are clearly
have one of those
Christie waits for the Day rattled by coming close and not
titles.
3 blast-off on Hartwell. taking home the big check. Another
His close friend
Seigo Saito/B.A.S.S. Oklahoman, Jeff Kriet, came
Edwin Evers, another
close to dethroning KVD in 2010,
near-perennial
ultimately being kicked aside by a
winner, didn’t
characteristic KVD performance.
have one of the
Kriet was already seeing a
big notches on his
sports psychologist at the time,
belt until he came
and the inability to close the deal