OK, I don't want to start a war here but I have been following all the buzz about this fellow since the day he caught this fish. I use to think that he caught the fish and the world was looking to exploit the fish and him for whatever it is worth...but now my opinion is changing...

I have been fishing sb for over 40 years and I find several odd things about this article.

The biggest problem I have is that he hooked it at 8pm and landed it at midnight? I find this very hard to believe. While he was in heavy weather still...4 hours? OK it is a big fish, no doubt, 78 is a big one esp on 20# test. All I know is I landed a 58 on 20# test in 15 minutes from the shore in similar conditions. I find it very hard to believe it took 4 hours. I know of NO SB that EVER took so long to land. I did have a 30# leader he tied direct.IMO this should have taken no longer then 30-45min AT THE OUTSIDE..4 hours is so insane I just can' believe ANY SB lasting 4 hours.

2) I have read on what an "experienced" bass hotshot this guy was many times...but he says his largest fish to date (prior to the record) was only 39 lbs! What I find it odd he did not put a leader on his 20# class line. Generally if you are going for a record, you fish with tournment line, as he did but the rules allow for and most experienced anglers will fish with a leader...he tied direct. if you are fishing light line in hostile waters with big fish and seeking a record...well I think most would have a leader of some kind. Tying direct with class line is not smart as it is designed to break at 20 when in perfect condition, when knicked up as it will get during the battle it will break at much less then that. I know he had serious drag on it from his description of the rod bending. Also I know some guys tie direct for some fishing but class line...rough condtions, rocks, fins, direct? Seems like the wrong call to this experienced angler.

3) He says he wanted to "gut the fish" to make it lighter to carry up the beach. Does this sound like someone seeking a record to you? Fish with IGFA class line, land a giant fish, then want to gut it?


4) The fish fought like no bass I have heard of. Maybe it happened that way but this in and out and in and out and in and out each time to the end of the line seems like a stretch to me.


I am looking forward to the rest of the article but I have to say, something does smell fishy more now then ever.

I am glad he is saying this in his own words so we can finally clear the air.


IMO he has the record and that it is and has been the target for the last 20 years. But this "fish story" and his life story is too much!

I would like to get Tony Stetszkos take on this. I know his 73 did not take 4 hours.


Also I think for some records you have to agree to subject yourself to a polygraph test...did this happen?
what do you guys think?

Like most fishermen, even Al is prone to exaggeration, too.

:)

Why would he lie about how long it took to get the fish in?

Like some people lie about the biggest fish they ever caught, they tack on an extra foot or somethin''....

I could really care less about his fish.....I got to concentrate on catching my own 78 pound striper!!;) Life is way too short to worry about a fish that was caught so long ago.....move on folks and leave the guy alone......either he really caught it and he should be happy for himself and leave it at that or he didn't really catch it and he has to live with himself forever......either way....I don't care!:smash:

It still stands as one kicker of a fish. all the rest of the stuff is just human nature. Hope to have the same challanges in my life.

I agree, it is a monster and I think he caught it (some how)and in my eyes he has the record...but this story is just not believable...possible? I guess, likely....not in my eyes. Is it still the record? YES! 78lb 8oz is the record.

Last night I read it to my wife her quote was "Sounds like a whack-o...but then again, most of you bass guys are whack-o anyway"

I read the SWS article, at first I was in awe of the fight but then started doubting many of the points already brought up. Most of us would think that a fish of that size would have no problem cutting/rubbing through 20 lb test line during a 4 hr fight from a jetty that I would guess has more rocks out beyond it. Then when he gets the fish into gaff range he misses it and it nearly spools him again after a 3 hr fight, that fish would be exhausted at that point and that just doesn't seem likely. then on his second shot at the fish he slips off the jetty into chin deep water and amazingly that 78 lb fish is right in front of him so he gets his arm through it's gills and pulls himself back onto the jetty with some assistance from his buddy. He would have had to do that with no hands then f he held on to his pole? Unless he let go of his pole and used that free arm to get himself back onto the rocks, then in theory he could have pulled the rod and reel back up if the plug was still hooked into the fish, which I assume it was? I guess it's possible that all of these things went this way just not real likely!

I know that the fight originally was 1 and 40 minutes. Now all of a sudden it's 4 hours. I don't know what to make of this. To be honest, I hope someone, (maybe even me) hooks and lands an 80# and then we won't have to be stuck in this 1982 bull$hit story time warp with all of it's discrepencies and we can ALL MOVE ON!!

in hindsight it would have been great to see his gear afterwards.

maybe the friggin record washed up at his feet (the lucky(?) basstard) and the only true part of the story is him swimming after it and his buddy pulling them both up the rocks.

i done know. i admit with whoever it was that said they would have missed it. i have missed so many fish in my life it is ridiculous.

fish stories are great though aint they ? :D

Maybe it was a typo

I would love to believe this guy, and I have but its true that the holes keep getting bigger: The story about how long the fish was fought has changed. Also, why would someone who pays extra and goes through the trouble to use IGFA line talk about gutting a fish like that? Very strange.

I fully agree with Sandman; something doesn't ring true. Hey maybe he hooked the fish and the next big wave rolled the fish up on the rocks. Who knows.

I didn't read the article, so all I know is that a guy named Al from NJ caught a 78.8# striper. If he's lying, those are demons that he'll have to live with...as for me, I'm going to take him at his word and believe that he landed the fish.

Originally posted by bluefish
To be honest, I hope someone, (maybe even me) hooks and lands an 80# and then we won't have to be stuck in this 1982 bull$hit story time warp with all of it's discrepencies and we can ALL MOVE ON!!

Harsh, dude! :laughs:

There is also a article in Mens Journal(not a subscriber)this month by the "On the Run" Author Dibenedeto.Says in there the fight was 1:20 mins.The Veiw i got from the article is that Al who quit school at 13 before he could read never really got any smarter as his life progressed.I have a friend who was fishin the Long Port Bridge that night an he said there was no way they where on that jetty that night.I would like to hear From his friend Pat Erdman who 's name is kept out of the SWS article for some reason.:confused: Lots of strange things happened after, like the fish bein thrown away.There was a $100,000.00 insurance policy taken out on the fish after a hunting club offered 250,000.00 for the skin mount.Now If i had a fish worth that much in 1982 which would be like 1 mil today I would watch it very carefully.Makes U wonder Either Al is a dope or some kinda payola took place there.When Al got the Check for $250,000 form Abu he said he was gonna buy a good used car.The next day he cashed a check for 10,000 an wrote a checkTo Erdman for 10,000.U could buy a new truck for 10 grand in 82.Hmmm..... Now this is my view from information read in this article who knows what true or Not.

If someone was lucky enough to land the new world record today, are those manufacturers still offering cash rewards?

Any idea what type of reel he used? Conventional, spinning??

I think he said it was a Penn Spinning Reel, something like the 710 or 712?

In the SWS article he showed a photo of the Rebel Minnow he used. He mentione he added a heavy duty hook in the back and he also mentione that the fish was hooked in two places, maybe to reduce questions of how he landed such a big fish with auch a fragile lure?:confused:

In the SWS article I didn't think he mentioned the reel manufacturer at all. Maybe a lack of support$$$$

True, he purposely left out the names of a lot of stuff, just like he mentioned "my friend" about fifty times instead of just giving his name.

I'm not calling anyone a liar....

but, :)...one of the very first things that came to mind after reading the story was...the 4 hour battle. It seemed like a story-book catch. Al shouldn't have dressed it up as much as he did...good story for someone who doens't fish, questionable story for those of us who do. Doesn't really matter to me...just thought I'd chime in with my thoughts. The story definately smells fishy though :huh:

IGFA story... 1 hour 40 minutes to land, 20 pound test, Penn 710, 5 1/2-inch long Rebel Black-back silver minnow plug. The fish measured 53 inches in length with a 34 1/2 inch girth, and was estimated to be 20 - 22 years old. 78 pounds 8 ounces.
4 hours.... :confused: stories change over time...................

can anyone point me to a link with the article in it?

There is an article with him being interviewed on another bass site as well in DiBenedetto's book.
The newest article is in this month's Salt Water Sportsman.
Compare all the stories and note that they all have different details in them.
Someone once told me, if you are honest, you don't need to have a good memory!

Originally posted by fishweewee
Harsh, dude! :laughs:

Thanks weewee.... I aim to please! :smash: how ya been?

In a few weeks, Al himself will be speaking of his story at a surf seminar in NY.

Good Luck To Him.

Originally posted by TheSpecialist
Good Luck To Him.

You got that right :laughs: :smash:

no matter what .
Al has , and has held, the "all tackle, world record",for striped bass"

recognized,
submited,
approved,
mike

I think i read somewhere that the poor bastard wishes he never caght it. What a pain in the ass all this hype must be.

ya the $250 g's must have sucked :laughs: :laughs:

Originally posted by PurpelNoon

Someone once told me, if you are honest, you don't need to have a good memory!

Indian Larry, the NY Bike builder, when asked for words of Wisdom from a young fan...."Always tell the truth, theres less to remember that way"

Good Advice!

Originally posted by NIB
There is also a article in Mens Journal (not a subscriber)this month by the "On the Run" Author Dibenedeto.

Sure you're not a subscriber. :heybaby: :rtfm: :hee:

U callin me a subscriber.:mad: :smash: :laughs:

People still raising a stink about this guy?

Jesus H. Christ on a crutch I'm so tired of hearing about Al.

We'd all be lucky to get one chance at 15 mins. of fame.
Apparantly this guy gets 30 minutes.

Time to sweep this crap under the rug and go fishing!

Look at the photo of his rig in SWS..you got to be kidding me. I would love to know the true story. The truth is out there. So lets get one of these writers to find it.

I’ll be with Al tomorrow night and might ask him a few of the questions you guys raised. I don't really want to talk about the fish, but if it comes up we will discuss.

I must say from talking to him lately he is a real class act, and a great guy. He's just a regular good hearted guy that loves fishing just like most of us here on this site.

Only difference between him and us(well most of us) is that he had a date with destiny, maybe one of us will be next;)

S-Journey I think the biggest question on our minds is how the fight went from 1hr 40 min to 4+ hrs???

Originally posted by TheSpecialist
S-Journey I think the biggest question on our minds is how the fight went from 1hr 40 min to 4+ hrs???

I will ask him...

Originally posted by S-Journey
I will ask him...

Ever get an answer to this question?

IMO there is no way in hell it took 4 hours. Since this is in his own words I feel this makes him an outright lier. If he lied about this...what else did he lie about?:confused:

ande green?
scallop dredge by catch?
I would like to see a polygraph test of him and the witness now.
any number of other things come to mind now. He should have kept his mouth shut.

Yes it IS in the past and we *should* forget about it but lying is lying and this that story was such a load of crap it is just to hard for any serious bass fisherman to ever believe it.

That "Clintonian" description of the in and out and in and out fight sounded like the Monica story....

The fact that he even made mention some of these stupid things (like the gutting of the fish, ande green, leaders, the description of the fight, time involved and no witness name, ect ) makes me think he does not know much about about surfcasting at all and might have gotten the fish some other way to be honest....

sad, I use to believe he had caught the record....now I don't and I think he is lying about serveral things and think he should take a polygraph test. If it is proven he is lying I think he should pay the money back with interest....Seriously.

Just tell the truth, that is all we ask. 4 hours is not the truth any bass fisherman that has caught a big fish knows that.

:yak:

I don't even thing I want to waste my time reading the story now, why bother.

Man, this guy who wrote the article sure did Al no favors.:smash:

Polygraph and "Witness Protection Program" are the only way to settle this,:D

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Mr. Sandman
4 hours is not the truth any bass fisherman that has caught a big fish knows that. [/QUOTE

foul hooked, snaged in the eyeball, i belive it!

I don't think this thread is a case of "wanting the truth" but more of a case of jealousy.

:laughs:

He caught a fish, it was made official, get over it.

Originally posted by likwid
I don't think this thread is a case of "wanting the truth" but more of a case of jealousy.

:laughs:

He caught a fish, it was made official, get over it.

Nope, HE brought it back up. I have never been jealous over a fish....ever. Its just a fish.
yes it is offical, he has the record, I have no problem with that.

But I suspect there are several mis-truths in his story. Since it is a "record" fish, I would like the record to be set straight and accurate.

I wonder why now after 20 years he is bringing all this back up? It was water under the bridge and no one really cared anymore...Maybe he is sensationalizing it to secure the movie rights or something...:confused:

Why are you guys so hung up on the fact that Al McReynolds caught or did not catch this fish? Will it change your life in any way one way or the other......or how you fish, or why you fish?:confused: I read the article.....thought it was pretty good but like everything else I hear come out of any fishermans mouth....I tend to take it with an open mind as most fisherman do tend to exaggerate....don't you all agree? Also with each time a story is told....does it not become a little more "enhanced" with each telling?:huh: Who am I to doubt him...or you for that matter if you tell me you caught a nice fish? I would simply wish you well and move on to get my own dream fish! Can't we all just move on?:rolleyes:

After spending this weekend with Al I have no doubt in my mind that he caught the fish, and he would have no reason to lie about it. He is one of those guys that just catches fish. The same type of guy that could be sitting five feet next to you on the beach with the same plug, same exact rod/reel/line setup and out fish you 10/1, he’s just one of those guys. I’ve seen it first hand and I know you guys have seen people like that too.

I said I would ask him about the story for you guys, and I did, BUT, I don't think that it is my place to quote anything he said to me. Let me tell you that I have NO DOUBT that he caught the fish; something’s are just meant to be and can't be made up.

He’s just a great guy that loves fishin', someone I'm very proud to call my friend. Not because he's the world record holder, but because he has a heart of gold and really truly cares about his country and fellow man. He took such great pride talking to some of the guys in the local tackle shops. Some of them had doubts such as yourselves, and came right out and asked him about specifics. Let me tell you, when we were done talking there were no doubts left in there minds, nor mine.

This is the last thing I have to say about this subject; just imagine if YOU or I caught that fish, we would ALL have to listen to this same crap:smash:

The sequel

McReynolds' record striper was not the biggest one in the sea. Commercial fishers and government agencies have spotted or caught 90- and 100-pound stripers. Because those catches did not follow IGFA rules, however, McReynolds' record still stands. He predicts someone fishing from shore will break his record with "that triple-digit fish."

But McReynolds says he is onto something even better. Two years ago he and his sons spotted what they believe is a 150-pound striper in New Jersey waters.

The sighting happened while Tom was reeling in a 50-pound striper from a bridge. The spot of water was illuminated by a streetlight. Tom could clearly see his struggling fish ... "and then I stopped. They (Al and Al Jr.) said, 'What are you doing? Reel him in.' I just pointed," Tom said.

The huge fish swam by, and the men could not believe what they were seeing.

"It had to be twice as big as mine. It had eyes like oranges. Its tail had to be 3 feet long," Al McReynolds said.

Is this a fish story?

"I'm as sure as God gave me the (record) fish, it's true," McReynolds said.

They saw the fish again last year, and McReynolds wants to catch it.

"It has taken up residency in this area," he said. "The first thing you have to think about is what you'd use to catch it. My son said, 'Dad, we don't have tackle that could handle that. We don't have tackle that could catch a whale.' You'd need a boat. We would need big-game tuna rods that you would use for a marlin or a shark.

"If I could get somebody with a boat ..."

To e-mail Neal Buccino at The Press:

NBuccino@pressofac.com



There is a big catch to this odd fish tale
By NEAL BUCCINO Staff Writer, (609) 272-7211, E-Mail

At the start of their most recent return to Atlantic City, Al McReynolds and his sons went fishing near the piers behind Harrah's Atlantic City.

McReynolds, 56, who holds the all-tackle world record for catching a 78-pound striped bass in 1982, stood over the ledge and looked into the water, which was about thigh-deep. While the evening tide came in he pointed at a cloud of tiny peanut bunker, barely visible beneath the surface.

The hundreds of fish churned in a figure eight, returning again and again to the same spot. McReynolds said they were in a panic, desperate to move but afraid to go too far because they could see what we couldn't - larger predatory fish, perhaps stripers, waiting in the dark.

The figure eight got tighter and the panicked fish whirled faster and faster, becoming a rippling blur and then an optical illusion. Quick flashes of moonlight sparked off their bellies here and there as individual fish turned slightly in the water.

The effect was, in a way, as dazzling and confusing as the strange things that happened after McReynolds caught his record striper from an Atlantic City pier Sept. 21, 1982.

Journey of a lifetime

McReynolds, an Atlantic City native, went from being a lifeguard and electrical inspector to a celebrity, to an outcast, to what he is now: a man who travels year-round with his wife and sons, living in hotel rooms and following striper and other fish migrations from Texas, along the Gulf and East Coasts to Maine and back, by car.

McReynolds, his wife, Karen, and their sons say it has been a great life. They say they travel not because they have to, but because "the catch" set them free to do what other fishermen only dream of doing.

But, 20 years after the big catch, the family still doesn't quite understand what happened to them.

Sons Al Jr., 23, and Tom, 21, can't imagine what life would be like without the record catch. They have grown into expert fishermen themselves and enjoy traveling. But, Tom said, "I don't have any childhood friends."

Al McReynolds plans to write a book called "The Day I Caught the Devil."

"It would be a warning, telling people what to do if you catch a world-record (fish), told by a man who received his world record and lived through the whole process," he said. "I used to say that if someone wrote a book, even a little paperback, about what to do if you win the lottery, it would be worth more than winning the lottery. What would you do?"

Catching Leviathan

Here is what happened that strange day, according to published accounts that McReynolds confirms are accurate:

A northeaster blew across the New Jersey shore, churning up waves and slamming baitfish into the rocks here. Most people weren't willing to fish in such terrible weather. But Al McReynolds and his friend Pat Erdman lived to fish. They knew that the little fish would attract bigger fish from out of the depths. Al knew the chances of breaking his personal record - a 39-pound striper - were good.

The men headed out to the Vermont Avenue rock jetty, on the street where McReynolds lived, in the wind and rain. Some waves were so high they broke over the jetty, up to the men's knees.

By 10 p.m., the men saw a huge tail flash out of the water. McReynolds braced himself and cast his line toward it. The fish bit.

Fishermen love stripers for their strength, tenacity and ability to break fishing lines. The challenge is exhilarating, especially for someone fishing from a beach or pier. You have to give them enough slack to tire themselves out. Some fights last a half-hour.

McReynolds' fight lasted an hour and 40 minutes. It was back- and arm-straining work on the slippery, storm-battered jetty. Finally, at about 11:40 p.m., the fish turned on its side and came closer. McReynolds reeled it in, nearly slipped and fell, and almost lost the fish on the jetty rocks.

The female fish was a monster, more than 4 feet long, with a head bigger than McReynolds' own and an eye as large as his nose. The distance from its dorsal fin to its belly matched the distance from nose to tail on an "average" striper.

McReynolds caught the fish with tackle that met International Game Fish Association standards, which meant it could be considered for an IGFA record. He needed to have it weighed and examined as quickly as possible. McReynolds and Erdman drove the fish to Campbell's Marine and Tackle on the Margate Bridge Causeway. They waited there until 7 a.m., when an employee opened the store.

Since then, McReynolds said, many people have challenged his record. Some said he bribed a commercial fisherman for the fish. Others said he stuffed it with lead weights. But the IGFA holds record fish to rigorous standards, and IGFA spokesman Doug Blodgett said this week that there is no controversy: McReynolds' fish was what he said it was.

McReynolds had to hand over the fish and his tackle for verification. Testing even included taking the fish to a doctor's office and having it X-rayed.

It wasn't until Christmas Eve that McReynolds finally got a call from the IGFA. The caller said the catch was acceptable, and McReynolds held the new world record.

Stranger than fiction

It was there that the weirdness began. McReynolds would have wanted to keep the fish, but was told it had been destroyed during testing. He suspects that it really was sold to some rich guy in Nebraska, and now is mounted in his den.

The New York Times called and said the Abu Garcia tackle company was offering a $250,000 reward to anyone who might catch a world-record striper that season. The offer was really a publicity stunt, and no one expected the company to have to pay, McReynolds said. Still, he gladly took the money.

Many friends and relatives are still close, and were happy for the family's success. But the big catch made some seem to lose their minds.

One relative physically attacked McReynolds. Someone - he suspects a relative - began sending anonymous letters to the IGFA, claiming McReynolds was a tax cheat and the catch was faked. Friends told him he wasn't welcome anymore. His union turned him down for job offers, "because they said I was a rich boy. I wasn't rich; I didn't have that money yet," McReynolds said.

Bait and tackle companies tried to get what they could out of him, including asking him to endorse products he knew nothing about. McReynolds wouldn't go into detail, but said his book would include hair-curling descriptions of what goes on in the fishing industry.

His family finally decided to use the money to travel to New Zealand, Hawaii, Australia and elsewhere. And they gave money to friends and relatives.

"I can't understand (when people say he squandered the money). This was found money. It wasn't saved or earned. If you wanted two lobster tails, you got two. If you wanted to get a $50 haircut instead of a $5 haircut, you got the $50. We did a great thing, man. We lived before we died. We discovered America. We lived a life that people only dream of," McReynolds said.

The family built a house in Massachusetts and settled into their current lifestyle: Traveling and fishing. They make a decent living at it, and have thousands of fish stories with striking photos to back them up.

And still, for reasons they do not understand, the family is hated in their hometown, and throughout the East Coast.

McReynolds and his sons competed last year in the Atlantic City/Atlantic County Surf Fishing Derby, winning 12 awards. People stalked them at night with binoculars. Someone said their domination of the contest "made good people upset."

Tom McReynolds remembers being in a restaurant with his father as a boy. Someone asked if his father was, in fact, the Al McReynolds. Tom said he was.

"Then some other guy came up and said, 'If you say you're the world record holder one more time, I'm gonna break your jaw,'" Tom said. "Whenever somebody gets close we have to be careful. We never know how they're gonna act."

Karen McReynolds feels she and Al did a good job raising their children under such bizarre circumstances. The hostility from "friends" and strangers nearly outweighs the good things their new life brought, but she focuses on the good.

"Whoopie Goldberg was in an interview, talking about how she would get together with her friends ... and talk about what they would do when she made it. Well, you know she did make it, and her friends don't talk to her anymore," Karen said.

The sequel

McReynolds' record striper was not the biggest one in the sea. Commercial fishers and government agencies have spotted or caught 90- and 100-pound stripers. Because those catches did not follow IGFA rules, however, McReynolds' record still stands. He predicts someone fishing from shore will break his record with "that triple-digit fish."

But McReynolds says he is onto something even better. Two years ago he and his sons spotted what they believe is a 150-pound striper in New Jersey waters.

The sighting happened while Tom was reeling in a 50-pound striper from a bridge. The spot of water was illuminated by a streetlight. Tom could clearly see his struggling fish ... "and then I stopped. They (Al and Al Jr.) said, 'What are you doing? Reel him in.' I just pointed," Tom said.

The huge fish swam by, and the men could not believe what they were seeing.

"It had to be twice as big as mine. It had eyes like oranges. Its tail had to be 3 feet long," Al McReynolds said.

Is this a fish story?

"I'm as sure as God gave me the (record) fish, it's true," McReynolds said.

They saw the fish again last year, and McReynolds wants to catch it.

"It has taken up residency in this area," he said. "The first thing you have to think about is what you'd use to catch it. My son said, 'Dad, we don't have tackle that could handle that. We don't have tackle that could catch a whale.' You'd need a boat. We would need big-game tuna rods that you would use for a marlin or a shark.

"If I could get somebody with a boat ..."

To e-mail Neal Buccino at The Press:

NBuccino@pressofac.com

Originally posted by Team Rock On
"If I could get somebody with a boat ..."

:laughs: :laughs: :laughs:

By 10 p.m., the men saw a huge tail flash out of the water. McReynolds braced himself and cast his line toward it. The fish bit.

Started at 10pm.


[QUOTE]McReynolds' fight lasted an hour and 40 minutes. It was back- and arm-straining work on the slippery, storm-battered jetty. Finally, at about 11:40 p.m., the fish turned on its side and came closer. McReynolds reeled it in, nearly slipped

Finished at 1140pm.

So how in the other story did it get to 4hrs?? Now I am not saying Al lied, maybe it is a typo or he was misquoted, but he should correct the inconsistancy.

I can really see how catching something like this can derail your life. Put it into a direction where you didn't want to go. Giving you a "priority" that you didn't want to carry for the rest of your life.
So now I ask the question: if you caught the world record and you were fishing alone....would you let it go?

Originally posted by Surely Bassey
I can really see how catching something like this can derail your life. Put it into a direction where you didn't want to go. Giving you a "priority" that you didn't want to carry for the rest of your life.
So now I ask the question: if you caught the world record and you were fishing alone....would you let it go?


Who wouldn't keep it should be the question:D

I can really see how the largest value of Al's trophy striper may be the movie yet to be created.
The inital surprise of how a record breaking fish makes you a hero to some but a pariah to many others. How it changes the relationships of your family and friends. How winning a $250K contest check is really selling your soul. The games that tackle manufacturers play to help move merchandise.
The end of the movie should be Al catching the 150 pounder; then letting it go.