Sports from the past week.

Past sports article for the week of 5/31/05

Sport Fishermen Cry Foul
By, Grey Sports

During the last, desperate gasps of the extreme sporting craze many new ideas came about that probably could have used a little more thought than what the initially received.
Motor Snooker, Freeway Hopscotch, British Cooking, all of these ended shortly after beginning, mostly because those who attempted these events died during play, normally before the first game was even finished.
A few cling on, despite a lack of support, notoriety or even clearly defined rules, Extreme Sport Fishing is now one of them.
At first people thought that Extreme Sport Fishing would just be like Sport Fishing, except with leather jackets, loud promotions by beverage manufacturers. Alas it was not to be.
Extreme Sport Fishing was a one on one battle of wits and equipment between an angler and a fish. Normally held in a confined area, such as a dammed off section of river of pool-style arena it was generally considered that the fish held the advantage in wits while the angler had the equipment.
While this sport has largely collapsed it has also done something few other extreme sports have, that is merge with its parent event.
Sport Fishing now encompasses the original and Extreme forms. This not good because one of the last ditch efforts to invigorate the Extreme version of the event was to equip the fish. Not that this made the event any more fair, the move was to make things more interesting. After all, there are only so many times one can watch a fisher with all the latest equipment be outsmarted by a fish. After the first five matches the only time anyone paid attention to the sport was where a fish managed to start a fire underwater.
Experts are still trying to figure that one out.
However while the Extreme version of the sport may be dying out it is the original that is suffering. Fish have had a taste of power and are now unwilling to surrender it.
Now everyday anglers, from the serious to the contemplative must concern themselves with the distinct possibility that one of the fish they may encounter is a hardened veteran with the knowledge to use his environment to maximum effect.
And so those with a passion for fishing everywhere are up in arms, demanding the same Green Beret training that the fish received and are now passing on in successive generations.
Others, less patient for official support have taken firearms along with them, hoping to at last be able to defend themselves. The result has been a lot of shot feet.
Until this matter is closed, in one form or another, fishing enthusiasts everywhere are being warned to take care in rivers and streams, and never travel in groups of less than seven on large, open bodies of water.