For those of you looking for some inside advice on who to pick as the winner of this year's Total Outdoorsman Challenge, help is on the way. We've compiled a list of strengths and weaknesses of all 16 competitors. Remember, you have till Thursday at 9:15 a.m. to make your pick.
Here's the list (in alphabetical order):
Dennis Billingsley
• Strong in the shooting sports
• Likable guy and will fit in with the veteran competitors
• Will struggle in the Endurance Discipline
• First time on TV, and those little red lights can make ya a little tight
Thomas Cooprider
• Outstanding practice regimen; not just time, but quality practice
• Beaming with confidence
• If he suffers through a poor performance in a discipline, he will struggle to recover
• Has put a target on his back as one of the favorites
Brian Cramer
• Has spent the year honing a good skill set
• Will pick up steam coming out of the Bas Tournament
• He must stay in the top half in his two weakest events, Endurance and Fly Fishing, to contend
• Knows what a single poor performance can mean and that could him to press
Tim Gajewski
• Quiet and very perceptive; will figure out the game pretty early for a finals rookie
• Will contend for the win in the field’s overall strongest discipline, Archery
• Could be overwhelmed by the size and difficulty of the finals courses, as opposed to the qualifier courses
James Harrod
• Will win the Shotgun Discipline going away
• Has spent a lot of time practicing with Coop, so he is well versed in the finals routine, and got some quality practice
• Hard to practice fly fishing for rainbows in Florida
• Table Rock’s technical fishing may throw this Florida angler
Scot Marcin
• Three previous finals; 1st, 2nd, 4th. He obviously has a good skill set
• Will push James Harrod in Shotgun
• Fly Fishing has always been his weakest discipline. Can’t see that it has changed.
• Has a tendency to “plow” through events, and will cause him to lose valuable points in his weaker events
Daniel Lee Martin
• Has a very good overall skill set, but extremely talented in the Rifle Discipline
• Very comfortable with TV cameras
• His tour schedule has left little time for practice
• He’s a “pro” which only adds pressure
Peter Mosby
• Will be in the top three after the first event, Fly Fishing
• He was in the mix in ’07; a year of experience is only going to make him better
• Has a few things on his mind; his fourth child just arrived and a new school year just started. These have had to affect concentration and practice.
• Bass Fishing is a huge concern; it could erase the strong finish in Fly Fishing
Bill Moses
• His experience gives him a perspective that most of the other competitors don’t have. He’s not going to be shaken by anything.
• Very strong in the shooting disciplines
• The hectic schedule of the finals could wear him down
• Endurance may give him fits
Dan Powell
• Has gained a confidence that he didn’t have in ’06 and ‘07
• Bass fishing replacing accuracy casting is definitely to his benefit
• Ghosts of competitions past could haunt him
• Needs to improve in Fly Fishing
Scott Ritchlin
• Very competent outdoorsman (self-guides)
• The pressure of meeting a bush plane on time is much greater than making a shot in front of a TV camera
• The Wild Card selection has never seen a TOC competition in person
• Has to learn to focus on the competition, not all the peripheral events
Al Roberts
• Hard-core outdoorsman; spends all his time hunting, fishing, filming and editing
• Strong in the three shooting sports
• Practice time has been limited
• Has the pressure of being a “pro”
Jeremy Scott
• Favorite in the Rifle Discipline; He’s a naturally good shot who has the benefit of USMC training
• Will be strong in Endurance
• Very little competition experience
• Table Rock may eat him up
Matt Stedina
• Matt is extremely talented, especially Fly Fishing, where he is the favorite
• Has the most competition experience in the field
• He has an “incident” that costs him dearly
• Has never actually been in a bass boat
Paul Thompson
• Been in the TOC finals twice and won it twice. Not sure what else to say.
• Cool headed and immensely talented, picks apart the courses like a surgeon
• Has a big ol’ target on his back; everyone wants to knock him off the throne
• Paul is struggling with the death of a co-worker, and is finding it tough to regain his focus for the event
Cory Yarmouth
• His excitement for the event is unmatched
• Has done superb fishing information recon
• Could be a little over-excited and implode before the event
• Must talk less and listen more