Alvin Shaw, a longtime FLW Kellogg's pro, contacted Wired2Fish this a.m. and wanted to issue the following statement regarding Kelloggs no longer sponsoring a team on the FLW Tour. Kelloggs is one of the oldest sponsors of FLW Outdoors and based on uncertainty regarding Genmars Chapter 11 filing has decided not to re-up for 2010. Alvin Shaw is a class act and he felt it was appropriate to thank Kelloggs for their involvement.
Below is the statement from ATS Fishing:
Professional Angler and longtime Kellogg team member Alvin Shaw confirmed yesterday that Kelloggs would not be sponsoring a team for the 2010 FLW tour season. “It is a huge disappointment to all of us who have worked together on behalf of Kellogg's for so many years. Not only will Kellogg's be extremely hard to replace in a financial sense, it will be difficult to find a sponsor of Kellogg’s caliber. The company truly represents everything good about America – innovative, focused, fiscally responsible, dedicated to providing the best product available, and extremely loyal not only to its employees but its customer base and the communities in which it is privileged to operate. I am just so grateful to have been a small part of this wonderful company for the last 10 years.”
Mr. Shaw, who has one of the more impressive FLW Tour records with 2 FLW Tour wins, 13 top-10 finishes, 11 championship qualifyings and career winnings of $ 735,000, notes that his current 2010 FLW Tour plans remain indefinite as he continues discussions with potential sponsors. He is not alone in his search for new backing as a number of companies have made the difficult decision to cut back on advertising dollars allocated to professional fishing teams. “While the FLW organization has done a wonderful job of bringing the excitement of top-level competitive fishing to many sections of the US, for the individual fisherman it is an extremely expensive venue in which to participate” commented Mr. Shaw. “Without major sponsorship most would-be participants are unable to compete, and I am no exception. I’m currently talking with some outstanding companies and hope to have the opportunity of turning all of my energy toward representing one of them. If nothing materializes though, I can honestly say I’ve had the best 14 years possible, and with more free time, I can always just ‘go fishing’.”
