Interesting angler tidbits

8/13/2008 3:28:34 PM

Scanning the list of 154 anglers, we ran across a few interesting items:

-- Alabama pro Steve Kennedy wears an orange "AU" cap to signify his allegiance to Auburn University, which is ranked among the top 10 in several football rankings with the Tigers' season set to open Aug. 30 against Louisiana-Monroe.

-- Ron Shuffield and Spencer Shuffield of Arkansas are the only father-son combo in the field, Ron on the pro side as one of the legends of the sport and Spencer as a rising co-angler.

-- Pro contender Michael Rooke is from Lake Havasu City, Ariz., which is the home of the original London Bridge built in 1831. It was purchased for $2.4 million by two men who moved it from London, where it was sinking into the Thames River, and reconstructed it in Arizona.

-- Pro contender Nick Gainey isn't far from home, Charleston, which was the site of the beginning of the Civil War when Fort Sumter was fired upon by the Confederate army and captured 36 hours later. The Union fought four years before reclaiming it.

-- Longtime FLW pro Andy Morgan is from Dayton, Tenn., which in 1925 was the site of the famous State of Tennessee v. John Thomas Scopes, more commonly known as the "Scopes Monkey Trial." Scopes, a high school teacher, was charged with teaching evolution and the high-profile trial pitted legendary attorneys William Jennings Bryan for the prosecution against defense attorney Clarence Darrow.

-- Co-angler Todd Lee of Alabama won the FLW Tour co-angler championship in 1996 and 1998. His longtime friend, David Hudson, has finished in the top 10 four times. They are both from Jasper, near Smith Lake, and are making their 11th championship appearances this week.

-- Co-angler Justin Lucas lives in Folsom, Calif., which is home to the infamous Folsom Prison. It was immortalized 40 years ago by country star Johnny Cash with a live performance there. The ensuing album, "Johnny Cash at Folsom Prison, was ranked No. 88 on the Rolling Stone list of 500 greatest albums in history.

-- With baseball season winding down, it's fitting to note that co-angler Steve Redwine lives in Blue Ash, Ohio, and that's where you'll find a replica of the fan-friendly Crosley Field. The original field was the home of the Cincinnati Reds from 1912-70 before they moved into the ugly monstrosity known as Riverfront Stadium. One cool quirk about Crosley is the outfield was sloped toward the wall where today's "warning track" is located.