Bowled Over
Category: notes
Jan 29th, 2009 by OutdoorsFIRST
Modified Jan 29th, 2009 at 12:00 AM
Bassmaster Elite Series pro Timmy Horton of Muscle Shoals, Ala., is getting ready for his 10th consecutive appearance to the Bassmaster Classic, set for Feb. 20-22 Bassmaster Classic on the Red River out of Shreveport-Bossier City, La.
He recently made an appearance at a college football bowl, the NCAA Division I Papajohns.com Bowl at Legion Field in Birmingham, Ala. Horton participated in FanZone, an event for fans before the Dec. 29 game between the Rutgers Scarlet Knights and Wolfpack of North Carolina State. (Rutgers won, 29-23.)
“It was a lot of fun. I really enjoy college football and the atmosphere,” Horton said. “I was amazed at all of the fans there who knew all about our sport. It was pretty cool to see.
“I had fans from Rutgers and NC State who came up and wanted to talk fishing. A lot of folks from Rutgers talked about my win (Bassmaster Elite Series) at Lake Champlain,” he said, referring to his July 2007 Elite victory in the Champion’s Choice out of Plattsburgh, N.Y.
Outside the gates of Legion Field, Horton signed autographs, handed out BASS-branded goodies and answered questions about being a professional bass angler. Many people, attracted by Horton’s Booyah-Bass Pro Shops Nitro wrap, simply stopped by to find out why there was a bass pro with his boat at a football game.
The connection is that Papajohns.com Bowl is one of six college bowl games owned and managed by ESPN Regional Television, a subsidiary of ESPN, which also owns BASS and its tournament trail, including the Bassmaster Elite Series. In its third year, the 2008 Papajohns.com Bowl drew more than 38,500 fans, setting an attendance record for the bowl game.