Rules violation costs Citation win, record, $900,000-plus in Big Rock

[mad dog bite]

NO, and allow me to rephrase that...

I heard an interesting tidbit from a credible insider today, but I'm not saying a word and will wait to see what else comes out about this story. Rules are in place to even the playing field... it's that simple.

roflmao

[jackdaniels]

Where is the honor when a million dollars is at stake?
NEWS-TIMES "KEEPIN' IT REAL"
Published: Friday, June 25, 2010 1:02 PM EDT

EVANS KISTLER

Is there any honor when a million dollars is at stake?

It’s a question that begs to be answered in the wake of one of the biggest sports stories that ever came out of Morehead City. That’s in reference, of course, to the situation surrounding the once undecided fate of Citation’s then tournament record 883-pound blue marlin and the ensuing explosion of interest from local, state and national media outlets.

Ever since Tuesday afternoon when Big Rock officially announced the disqualification of the fish because one of the mates onboard didn’t have a N.C. Recreational Fishing License, I mulled over exactly what to write about in my weekly column.

I have been covering this year’s Big Rock since the Keli Wagner Lady Angler Tournament started two weeks ago to this day and was the only reporter there 10:30 p.m. Saturday to hear the announcement that a suspected rules violation would keep the Big Rock from handing out final awards.

In the Wednesday edition of our paper, fellow sportswriter J.J. Smith wrote an excellent column about the situation, entitled “Big Rock decides to take a page from Mark Twain.” His main point was that the Big Rock did what it had to do, the decision was right and, like all good Greek tragedies, there were no real villains in this story.

*
For the most part, I agree with J.J’s thoughts and don’t need to tread in that Big Rock body of water with a similar stroke.

Instead, the thing that strikes me as perhaps the most ignominious aspect of the tale is the lack of gallantry, not on the part of Big Rock, which handled the situation nobly, but on the part of those in charge of Citation.

And like all good tales of intrigue, whether draped in honor or not, in this case, there are heroes and perhaps even a villain or two.

It all began on a hot, muggy Monday afternoon where the palpable excitement was too much for any ordinary start of the workweek.

To many residents of Morehead City and surrounding communities, the Big Rock Blue Marlin Tournament is a spectacle that draws hundreds, if not thousands, of tourists to the Crystal Coast to witness the seminal fishing event of the year. And even those who don’t support the tournament cannot deny its draw or the feeling in the air. The news of a blue marlin being brought to the scales always brings out onlookers.

By the time the yellow-hulled Citation backed into Big Rock Landing, the word had already spread: the fish on deck was a monster.

An estimated crowd of around 700 watched as Big Rock weighmasters and Citation crewmembers hoisted a mammoth 883-pound, 137-inch blue marlin into the air. In the rush flowing through the crowd where whispers of tournament records and a near million-dollar prize caught the minds of spectators like a fast moving virus, one reaction was overlooked — the reaction of the Citation crew.

In retrospect, the action of captain, crew and anglers that day told the story.

There was a problem.

The humble, low-key reactions and looks stood in stark contrast to most crews who weigh blue marlin on the scales at Big Rock Landing, as evidenced by reactions from crews aboard former second- and third-place boats Carnivore and Wet-n-Wild, both acting as though they had won it all.

From a distance, it was inconspicuous as everything on the waterfront was figuratively and physically blotted out by the big fish.

But the allure of almost assuredly winning nearly $1 million, if not more, didn’t seem to faze the Citation group that Monday afternoon. They responded with an almost businesslike emotional detachment during their interviews with the media.

According to interviews later with anglers and the mate without a license, Peter Wann, the high emotions onboard the boat that afternoon died down quickly. Just moments after stretching out the large marlin in the cockpit, Wann admitted asking the captain if the boat had a blanket N.C. Recreational Fishing License since that’s the situation he was accustomed to working under on charter boats.

But the Citation was no longer a charter boat, although it had been with Wann aboard as a fill-in mate before it was sold a year prior, and he reportedly attempted to verify his license standings online from the boat after the marlin was caught. He later said the state website showed his license had expired, so he renewed it online.

In the ensuing days following the Citation weigh-in, many boats entered in the tournament felt like the top prize was now unattainable. And most of the exciting atmosphere around the event faded quickly with the final results seemingly already decided.

But as fishing picked up through the week, so too did emotional ties to the Big Rock as crowds began to grow again, reaching another fever pitch Saturday on the last day of the tournament where another large crowd appeared only to see gamefish at the scales.

While many boats in the tournament continued to make waves and top headlines throughout the week, one group stayed particularly silent — the Citation crew.

And as that silence continued through the opening of the Big Rock awards ceremony Saturday night, more warning signs appeared.

After a late start because the board of directors was in a meeting, the ceremony began like normal, however, one group of guests was suspiciously absent — the Citation crew. Their front-row, far-right table sat empty as past Big Rock President Tommy Bennett started the ceremony with thanks.

When the Citation crew finally arrived at their table, sans mate and captain, something seemed amiss. Even the usual high-dollar auction that precedes the awarding of the top three spots was amiss as none of the top boats were bidding, which is an unwritten tradition at Big Rock events. Members of the winning boat, at least captain or owner, spend lavishly on items since money is going to charity.

Then, moments before the big prizes were to be handed out, Big Rock President Randy Ramsey stunned most of the crowd with his announcement that the tournament was not handing out its top three prizes.

Crewmembers of the top three boats, however, did not appear surprised as everyone quietly filed out of the Civic Center, almost as if nothing had happened.

But one person knew something big had happened — Wann. And as he told a television station later, the tournament had taken his mistake seriously, and he was not met well by his crewmates.

The following day, rumors started to hit as various other media outlets reported that the Big Rock Tournament had already disqualified Citation’s fish and crew. Actually, the Big Rock Board had not yet voted to disqualify the fish. But that didn’t stand in the way of headlines that followed, stating “a $15 license cost Citation nearly $1 million.”

But even the incorrect news coming from the eastern half of the state paled in comparison to gratuitous rumors that spread online and elsewhere. News that the boat was fishing out of tournament bounds was the most popular rumor.

But there were others, including the big blue marlin was caught days before on a longline and held until the start of the tournament when it was transferred to the boat. More rumors surfaced that the crew of Citation cheated by catching the fish before the tournament started.

Even after the Big Rock disqualified the fish Tuesday, rumors still abounded that there was more to the story and that the Big Rock and Citation were covering up the real truth.

Now, rumors are that some of the Citation crewmembers are ready to battle in court for their top prize.

Granted, any of the above rumors could still turn out to be true, even as they presently teeter on a foundation of quicksand. But regardless of where the next chapter in this saga goes, the crescendo of preceding chapters ultimately hinges on one college student just trying to do what he loves, an apparent miscommunication and an ensuing national media event.

Wann, a George Washington University senior majoring in mechanical engineering, felt bad about his part in the oversight, but as the Alexandria, Va., resident noted in an article in The Washington Post, he was never told ahead of time by co-owner Michael Topp, a Richmond, Va., defense contractor and retired Army colonel, or Capt. Eric Holmes of Buxton that he needed a personal North Carolina license.

“I feel bad,” Wann said in the article. “I feel like a part of it was my fault. . . . I’m not the one who bought the boat and had a successful business life. I’m in college.”

Topp has chosen not to discuss the disqualification, pending an appeal. But he did go on to gallantly say in The Washington Post article, “It has nothing to do with the money. It’s about our reputation. We did not cheat. We are honorable men.”

Interesting.

Honorable men don’t throw their crew overboard or make excuses for their own shortcomings. Instead, captain and owner go down with the ship while trying to save everybody else onboard.

But when there’s a million dollars at stake, perhaps honor really has little or nothing to do with it.

In the meantime, the heat is still oppressive on the docks at Big Rock Landing as summer on the Crystal Coast is in full swing, but the massive swarms of crowds have long gone.

Unfortunately for the Big Rock Tournament and members of Citation, like with summertime heat, the story seems to be sticking around for a while.

http://www.tidelandnews.com/articles...b694148215.txt