Titans Cast a Lure To ‘Fish For A Cure’
Tennessee Titans defensive tackle Jason Fisk welcomed both large-mouth and small-mouth opponents as he hosted “Fishing For A Cure,” a fundraiser (6/5) for the T.J. Martell Foundation's Frances Williams Preston Laboratories. Cedar Creek Yacht Club on Middle Tennessee’s Old Hickory Lake was the site of the exclusive bass fishing tournament and post-party "Bass Bash" that raised more than $60,000 to support research into the cures and treatment of cancer, leukemia and AIDS.
 Bass Bash emcee Gary Chapman, Steve Cropper, Jason Fisk, Triton's John Sappington, Glen Palmer, and T. J. Martell Nashville board president Bill Hearn |
Celebrities casting their lures included Fisk's Titan teamates Jevon Kearse, Randall Godfrey, Fred Miller, John Thornton, Joe Salavea, Eddie Robinson, Brad Hopkins and Benji Olson, along with former Titan Mike Jones, NFL Hall of Famer Larry Csonka, and country artists Charlie Daniels, Pam Tillis, Troy Gentry of Montgomery Gentry, Chely Wright, Andy Griggs and Coley McCabe.
 Former Titan Mike Jones, Pam Tillis, Triton pro bass fisherman Randy Howell |  T. J. Martell's Crystal Caviness, Jason Fisk, BMI's Patsy Bradley |
The winning team was Steve Cropper, Triton pro bass fisherman John Sappington, and Glen Palmer: their five large-mouth bass had a total weight of 11.9 lbs. For his 4.27-lb. catch, Palmer also took home the “Biggest Fish” award: a Yamaha guitar autographed by the day’s celebrities.
 Andy Griggs and Chely Wright |  Jason Fisk, Joe Salavea and Scat Springs |
Cropper and his house band raised the roof at the Bass Bash, particularly with a special version of “Sittin on the Dock Of the Bay,” belted out by Fisk and Salavea. Other hits were sung by Charlie Daniels, Andy Griggs, Troy Gentry and Coley McCabe.
 Charlie Daniels and Steve Cropper |  Coley McCabe and BMI's Patsy Bradley |
This first professional bass tournament to benefit the T.J. Martell Foundation was sponsored by Triton Boats, Trifecta Entertainment, Coach, Music Services Unlimited, American Airlines and The Premiere Event.
 Triton pro bass fisherman Stephen Browning, Glenn Chambers and "The Freak" -- Titan Jevon Kearse |
The T.J. Martell Foundation was founded in 1975 by music industry executive Tony Martell and his colleagues in memory of his son, T.J., a victim of leukemia. To date, the Foundation has raised more than $160 million for cutting edge research into the cures and treatment of cancer, leukemia and AIDS. Locally the Foundation funds the Frances Williams Preston Laboratories at Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center, and is also nationally recognized for support of research facilities at Mt. Sinai Medical Center in New York, Children's Hospital in Los Angeles, and the Mayo Clinic in Rochester.
photos by Alan Mayor
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