MINNEAPOLIS (Aug. 21, 2008) - Michael Thompson has dreamed of becoming a law enforcement officer, some day. He and his wife, Penny, have dreamed about building their dream home, some day. And with a 12-year-old son and an 11-month-old daughter, they've dreamed about saving enough money for their children to go to collegesome day.
Some day is closer than they think, because today, Michael Thompson, 33, a stay-at-home dad from Minneapolis, Minn., who is studying to become a police officer, made fantasy sports history by becoming America's first FLW Fantasy Fishing champion, and the official winner of its $1 million grand prize. Thompson's payday is the largest payday in fantasy sports - ever - even including fantasy football.
In a suspense-filled moment from the Colonial Center in Columbia, S.C., before a throng of fans, Thompson ripped open a three-foot card to reveal that he had come in first place in the season-long chase for the FLW Fantasy Fishing $1 million grand prize.
"This is unbelievable, I simply can't believe itit's a dream come true!" said Thompson, an avid bass angler. "I simply started playing FLW Fantasy Fishing because I love fishing and because it was fun. We have a lot of dreams and this will help us make many of them come true."
Irwin Jacobs, chairman of FLW Outdoors and the creator of FLW Fantasy Fishing, an international online fantasy fishing game launched in February 2008, presented Thompson with his $1 million check. FLW Fantasy Fishing is an international, online fantasy fishing game (www.fantasyfishing.com). Fantasy fishing players in 122 countries around the world picked bass pros who fished in seven Walmart FLW Tour tournaments.
"A $1 million prize for pro fishing seemed unbelievable 15 years ago. That's why today's $1 million FLW Fantasy Fishing grand prize is so incredible. Imagine, winning a million dollars with the click of a mouse from the comfort of your living room," Jacobs added. "With the excitement that FLW Fantasy Fishing has created all over the world in the past year, I have no doubt there will be many more like Michael Thompson who will become FLW Fantasy Fishing millionaires in the years to come."
A graduate of Buffalo (Minn.) High School and a resident of St. Michael, Minn., a suburb of Minneapolis, Thompson has been a stay-at-home dad while he works toward finishing law enforcement school, with a goal of some day working in the Wright County Sheriff's office, where he volunteers. In his spare time, Thompson is an avid bass angler and bow hunter.
And what will he do with $1 million? Thompson and his wife, Penny, say they'll pay off Thompson's Ranger Z20 bass boat, buy Penny a new car, and start thinking about building a new home on a piece of land that they've dreamed about buying for many years.
To reach first place, Thompson entered all seven FLW Fantasy Fishing tournaments, which began in February 2008 with the kick-off of the Walmart FLW Tour. Before each tournament, Thompson, like other FLW Fantasy Fishing players all over the world, would log on to www.fantasyfishing.com and select ten bass pros who fished in the Walmart FLW Tour tournaments. Thompson had learned about FLW Fantasy Fishing by watching FLW Outdoors, a weekly, hour-long television program broadcast on FOX Sports Net.
The key to Thompson's success was his ability to consistently score a significant number of points in each of the seven FLW Fantasy Fishing tournaments. Thompson, like many of the other top 15 winners, subscribed to Player's Advantage, an online "tip" tool offered by FLW Fantasy Fishing. Packed with stats and expert advice about FLW Tour bass pros, Player's Advantage provided Thompson an extra edge in picking the ten FLW Tour bass pros for his fantasy team before each tournament.
Thompson solidified his first place spot by selecting Michael Bennett, 24, a bass pro from Lincoln, Calif. (Sacramento area), to come in first place in last weekend's Forrest Wood Cup. Bennett won the Cup and its grand prize, $1 million.
"FLW Fantasy Fishing has been the single best thing that ever happened to professional and recreational bass fishing," said Forrest Wood Cup champion Michael Bennett. "It's setting a new benchmark and attracting record numbers of new fans to our sport."
Coming in second place was James Brown, 26, a resident of Lodi, Calif. An avid bass angler who dreams of one day becoming a bass pro and fishing the Walmart FLW Tour, Brown won a brand new Ranger Z19 bass boat powered by a Yamaha engine, valued at $52,000. Earlier this season, Brown won a $5,000 Walmart gift card, which he says, was quickly used to purchase items for his eight-month-old baby daughter, Tatim. With his new bass boat, Brown says he will sell his existing Ranger Z20 bass boat.
"This is absolutely great. I love Ranger bass boats and it will be great not to have a monthly boat payment anymore," said Brown, a foreman with a company that installs septic tank systems. "Playing FLW Fantasy Fishing has been a lot of fun and I can't wait until the start of next season."
In addition to Thompson and Brown, the other top 13 FLW Fantasy Fishing winners including:
3rd: Steve Reed, Davis, Calif. -- Chevy Silverado truck, valued at $40,000.
4th: Carl Trussell, Orange, Tex. -- Ranger Reata boat, valued at $36,000.
5th: Steve Braun, Hartland, Wis. -- $25,000 Walmart Gift Card,
6th: Tim Potoczny, Gurnee, Ill.-- $20,000 US Savings Bond,
7th: Jim Stallard, Wilmington, N.C. -- $20,000 BP Gas Card
8th: Dixie Canterbury, Odenville, Ala.-- $15,000 Walmart Gift Card,
9th: Jeff Nelson, New Brighton, Minn. -- $10,000 Walmart Gift Card,
10th: Madge Austin, Elmhurst, Pa. -- $10,000 Walmart Gift Card,
11th: Peyote Perryman, Raleigh, N.C. -- $10,000 Walmart Gift Card,
12th: Gary McMullin, Overland Park, Kan. - Prize: $10,000 Walmart Gift Card,
13th: Ron James, Oshawa, Ont. - Prize: $8,000 US Bank Cashier's Check
14th: Brent Meyer, Crawfordville, Fla. - Prize: All-Terrain Vehicle, valued at $8,000.
15th: Ken Sessions, Pace, Fla. -- Can-Am All-Terrain Vehicle, valued at $8,000.