Among the creatures listed in the Big Rock Blue Marlin Tournament rule book are sailfish, spearfish and, obviously, the blue marlin for which the competition is held. Ordinarily, the main attraction of this event is one of the monstrous blue marlins that anglers are sometimes fortunate enough to reel in. Last year's winning team, captain Ryan Knapp and angler Todd Dickerson, brought in a tournament-record 914 lb. blue marlin.
This year, however, the main attraction could very well be a Bull. Well, a former Bull. Now he's a Hornet.
Listed among the 205 boats that are participating in this year's tournament, held from June 5 to June 13, is 'Catch 23', which belongs to No. 23 himself, Michael Jordan. Quite a clever boat name, if you ask me. "Catch" for the action of catching fish. "23" to represent His Airness. And the clever pun of a catch-22 situation, though hopefully Jordan's yacht comes out as a winner and not a loser, as a catch-22 would suggest.
However, there's some steep competition in the name department. I like "Bow Movement", "Marsh Madness" and "Fowl Hooked" as well.
According to Caroline Brandt of NBC Sports Washington, Jordan's boat isn't a complete newbie to fishing tournaments in his 80-foot yacht, as it was registered in last year's White Marlin Open in Ocean City, Maryland. Brandt also acknowledged that while the boat was registered, it wasn't confirmed whether or not Jordan himself was going to participate in the tournament.
The same goes for this year. Though his boat is listed, he's not listed as the captain. Instead, Stetson Turney, a yacht broker, is listed in the captain slot.
No matter who's behind the wheel, the "Catch 23" is a majestic figure on the open seas. The 80-foot Viking has an elephant print base around the perimeter of the boat, acting as a reference to many of the Jordan Brand shoes that utilize the same print. The Air Jordan 3s, for instance, especially succeeded in its usage of that design. According to Haulover Inlet, the boat features freezer, tackle, and general stowage space, as well as an ice chest and a chill box for drinks, topped off with a 216-foot cockpit.
Here is some footage of Jordan's beautiful boat at the aforementioned White Marlin Open.
LISTEN NOW on the RADIO.COM App
Follow RADIO.COM Sports
Twitter | Facebook I Instagram