Swindle Day 2 Catch DQ'd

[DJD]

After seeing the video 10 times now including the one with Trip Weldon's Commentary and Gerald's version i think he isn't in touch with reality. Maybe he just needed something to knock him down a notch or two like Iaconelli last year, things get out of hand for these guys and proper judgement gets left behind.
He keeps saying that Randy waved him through but i don't see it. If so why did Randy say "he shouldn't have done that" as Randy's boat is rocking from the waves? Then later he's asked if he will talk to Randy, he says no and then equates what he did to what Nascar drivers do! What??? How is that even close??? He's grabbing for things to explain his bad judgment. Yeah he cried on stage but it's because he was DQ'ed not for what he did. This guy has a history of being a little off center at times this is just another episode. Reminds me of a teenager who has too many good things to fast and doesn't know how to handle them. Makes for great T.V.!!!!!

[BanditMan]

Exactly, when they asked Gerald if someone would have driven past him in that manner. He said " He wouldn't have a problem with it". Give me a break. We all know he probably would have fired his boat up and chased them down and called them everything but a milk cow useing Swindle-Obonics. LOL. He got what anyone doing that should have, DQ BABY. and I dont mean a Blizzard.

[greenriverman1]

Swindle was dangerously disrespectful.

I almost got run over at Barren last year buy some nut more concerned about a tournament win than the safety of others when he blasted by me cutting my line.

[MarkW]

I couldn't even tell you how many times I have had someone blast by me at full speed, between me and the bank. Especially C-rigging----I don't know how many times I thought I was going to have my rod jerked out of my hand because the boat was going to grab my line.
I think more fishermen are more discourteous then you all want to admit. Gerald just got caught. Had the TV guy not even said anything, there probably wouldn't be a big deal about it. Randy just would have went back to fishing.
But, like I said before---I would have idled by----anything could have happened in that situation and the outcome could have been worse.

[Danny]

I've read everyone's posts, and I have a couple of thoughts. Would he have not said something to someone who did that to him?? Remember him jumping all over .... oh shoot, the name escapes me, I think it was Elias maybe, but he jumped his backside for fishing his spot, yet clearly BASS had film of him fishing it the day before.

Second, did anyone read the article about Swindle shoping just to "Piss someone off" at the angler's banquet? It was an article on the classic coverage page. They talked about the new rule for a dress code because of Swindle's dress in prior years, and this year Swindle was trying to exploit a loop hole in the dress code rules to upset BASS.

I also saw his apology. I personally did not feel it was that sincere. That doesn't mean it wasn't sincere, it just means I felt like he was acting.

Also remember, that despite never having won a tournament, G-man is the second highest paid endorsement angler, according to the article.

It is a very good read. I hope you guys get to see it.

BTW, I agree, he should have been DQ'ed. Had he passed at idle, it would have been fine.

Danny

[Jbyrd]

I would guess that Swindle was upriver as he said at yesterday's weigh-in and he made a comment, "there had better not be anybody else up there other then the 3 that was there the first day" Or something of that nature. I am only speculating that Randy was on "Swindle's water" and he was pissed. Shoot, I've seen closer boats then that many,many times---especially on the Ohio River and in some of the small creeks. Not saying it's right, but things like this happen all the time---especially when you are on "someone's spot"
Since ESPN has taken BASS Hollywood style---the Classic always has to have a DRAMA of some kind. Shoot, Swindle probably got paid more then $500,000 by ESPN to be the next IKE!!!!! I don't know---stranger things have happened---especially when big money is involved.

Man what are you saying. Look at the video as the camera follows him as he goes by. The back of his boat is less than three feet from the side of the camera boat. At around 50- 60 mph , cuttting and weaving his way thru the boats ,that is a disaster waiting to happen!! With that video I hope the water patrol writes him up!!! Life is too precious to take a dumb risk
As for happening on the Ohio river alot I have always heard that area was over run with IDIOTS !!!!!

[MrSplitshot]

Comparing this deal to NASCAR just doesn't cut it for me. NASCAR is racing, with assumed risks, and a boatload of protective devices....and no spectator cars and media cars out on the track following their favorite driver.

What Swindle did was ignorant and he deserved the DQ. Why exactly couldn't he slow down and idle through that traffic? Just because the throttle is there doesn't mean it has to be pegged all the time. Selfishness, foolishness, and ignorance. "It happens all the time" doesn't make it right. Anybody who does that, I don't care who you are, is an idiot. Most of the tournament anglers I know are great folks, but when a hollywood hero does something like that it's not good for the image of the sport. We'll get some weekend hero here at home that will decide to "pull a Swindle" at his next tournament and kill some people.

[zx150]

He got into it with Zell Roland over his spot a year or two ago. I lost a lot of respect for him when he did that. He should have come off pad and idled through. He got what he deserves. I don't think him joking with Trip got him an enhanced penalty.

Someone said that this sort of thing has happened to them before. If they would have complained they would have been a crybaby. Well if the camara boat was not there maybe, but it was and the evidence shows it was not safe.

It is frustrating when someone is in your spot. These guys are all pretty good fisherman. They all had the same amount of practise. Is it not possible that they could have just found the same water? Tommy Bifle (SP) was complaning about Skeet Reese. But Skeet was in the same area the day before but just not that far down.

If you watch the past Classics they were saying the samething 25 years ago and nothing has changed. Nothing ever will.

I just wish that ESPN would show more fishing and cut all the fluff the bling bling out. Show it like they did 6 or 8 years ago when Fish Fishburn ran it. Sorry about the rant.

[DJD]

I'm with you on the bling bling junk. I just have a heart felt problem with people who have to degrade themselves into the disrespectful company that seems to come with that way of communicating. I bet their parents are so proud of that! To each his own....

[Tnstratos283]

Comparing this deal to NASCAR just doesn't cut it for me. NASCAR is racing, with assumed risks, and a boatload of protective devices....and no spectator cars and media cars out on the track following their favorite driver.

What Swindle did was ignorant and he deserved the DQ. Why exactly couldn't he slow down and idle through that traffic? Just because the throttle is there doesn't mean it has to be pegged all the time. Selfishness, foolishness, and ignorance. "It happens all the time" doesn't make it right. Anybody who does that, I don't care who you are, is an idiot. Most of the tournament anglers I know are great folks, but when a hollywood hero does something like that it's not good for the image of the sport. We'll get some weekend hero here at home that will decide to "pull a Swindle" at his next tournament and kill some people.

Couldn't have said it better myself, Mr. splitshot. I like the way you think driver. His actions and conduct as a person, much less a proffessional figure in this sport in the handling of that boat just don't cut it in my book when he took the liberty of injurying or killing innocent people. He got what he deserved, and I for one am glad that the camera man got it on tape and rolled over on him.

[artcarney_agr]

Heck, if I had been Swindle, I would have been pissed too! It bugs the heck out of me when people don't respect the main channel as a highway! It was narrow and boats were spread out all over the place! A clear path of travel was not left open!

However, he should have slowed down and idled on by. Just because there are idiots out there doesn't mean you can act like one too! The DQ was right on.....

[elnutsmalljaws]

Could not have happened to a "NICER" guy. I remember all the whining and crying he did on the Ultimat Match Fishing when I think it was Luke that wore his butt out with a spinning rod and light line while "G Man" sat in the back skunking up the boat powerfishing and running his mouth about it being "Sissy Fishing". I sure bet he was allowed to "Sissy Fish" on Day 3 of the Classic. If another competitor had ran by him that fast and that close, Gerald would have fired her up, chased him down and buggy whipped him with a 10' FNF rod, my mistake he does not have a 10' FNF rod for that would entail light line and a bobber so it would really be "Sissy Fishing" to him. Glad to see they penalized him and it cost him his catch for he more than deserved it. Sad part was, if his first day total was large enough, he would have been able to fish Day 3 for they only DQ'd his second day catch. Been even better to straight out DQ him all together. He may be "Passionate" but what a Jerk.