There might be a lot of big fish in the sea, but there is only one GOAT on the record-breaking 270 boats participating at the 2021 Big Rock Blue Marlin Tournament in North Carolina.
Six-time NBA champion Michael Jordan took his talents back to the high seas to once again compete in the high stakes ($3.4 million) fishing tournament alongside the crew of his boat, an 80-foot Viking Yacht named Catch 23. I would detail the significance of that name, but if you don't know, this is the part of the journey where you need to go it alone.
While Jordan & Co. reeled in a monster 442-pound blue marlin at last year's event, they fell short of the grand prize, with their big fish being the fourth-heaviest catch of that day.
Knowing MJ's propensity for taking thing personally, er, competitive nature, I was certain he returned this year to avenge his loss. But unfortunately things haven't gone exceptionally well this time around, as His Airness' haul of a 25-pound dolphinfish -- that's Mahi Mahi for the untrained eye -- landed him in eighth place on the "heaviest dolphin" leaderboard.
Michael Jordan and his 'Catch 23' crew is back at Big Rock for the second straight year! Last summer, his team reeled in a 442.3 big blue marlin. On Day 1 of the 63rd annual Big Rock Blue Marlin Tournament, MJ and company caught a 25-pound dolphin. The event runs until Saturday. pic.twitter.com/zAtAMc4EjT
— Tyler Feldman (@TylerFeldmanTV) June 15, 2021
To add insult to injury, a tournament representative confirmed to "Insider" that the other fish Jordan's crew caught on Tuesday was the wrong species and had to be thrown back in the water.
But far be it for me to count the GOAT out. The tournament runs through Saturday which means there is plenty of time for him to bounce back and embarrass the competition like they're Scott Burrell.