MONTGOMERY, ALA., Feb. 8, 2000 -- "We're going to one of the greatest sports cities in America!" stated Helen Sevier, CEO of Bass Anglers Sportsman Society in announcing that Chicago, Ill., would be the site of the 2000 BASS Masters Classic. The 30th annual "Super Bowl of bass fishing" will be contested July 20-22, 2000 on Lake Michigan with daily weigh-ins being held at historic Soldier Field.
"I vividly recall Hall of Fame running back Walter Payton and Mike Ditka's incredible defense taking the field each week during the Bears' championship run a decade and a half ago . . . we can't think of a more fitting site for the BASS Masters Classic weigh-in shows," said Sevier.
Vacationers from around the world are attracted to the award winning weigh-in production and trade show to see the fishing prowess of legendary anglers firsthand. The ASA/ICAST Sportshow will be held in conjunction with this year's BASS Masters Classic Outdoor Show at Chicago's McCormick Place. Visitors will witness the largest collection of outdoor related merchandise ever assembled.
The 45 Classic competitors will launch from the south lot of Soldier Field at Burnham Harbor. Great anticipation and nail-biting suspense will surround the final day weigh-in as the championship crown, $100,000 and endorsements reaching up to $1 million will be up for grabs to the winning angler. Crowds topping 30,000 have congregated in the past to experience the final chapter of Classic showdowns - Chicago fans could double this number.
"We are excited and honored to host the world's most prestigious fishing competition, the 2000 BASS Masters Classic world championship. This year, from July 20 through July 22, we will welcome 45 of the world's top-ranked bass anglers, who will meet in Chicago to compete in one of the world's premier sporting events. The City of Chicago is an excellent location for a gathering of this magnitude. We offer some of the best in restaurants, hotels, cultural attractions, and world-class fishing," said Mayor Richard M. Daley.
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