Fantasy fishing promoter lands wrestler Hulk Hogan

By James B. Kelleher

CHICAGO (Reuters Life!) - The creator of a new fantasy fishing league hopes Hulk Hogan, the former wrestler who hosts the U.S. reality TV show "American Gladiators," will help the pastime reel in enthusiasts.

Irwin Jacobs, the one-time U.S. corporate raider behind the league, said Hogan was the natural choice for spokesman for the angling game, even though Hogan is better known for his atomic leg drop than his fly-casting finesse.

"He's the most recognizable face in the world," Jacobs said in an interview. "He could be walking down the street in Tokyo with the Japanese prime minister and the crowds would be following him."

Jacobs said the instant buzz Hogan, who was born Terry Bollea but known worldwide as "The Hulkster", creates makes him a good promoter.

And buzz is precisely what Jacobs, who also runs recreational boat maker Genmar, wants. That's because his league is as much about selling fishing boats in a tough marine market as it is about celebrating professional anglers.

Just like fantasy football or cricket, fantasy fishing players pick a team of professional tournament anglers and earn points based on how their team members perform in seven FLW tournaments and the annual Forrest Wood Cup championships.

Fantasy sports leagues have existed in the United States for decades. But until the rise of the Internet, they were largely informal, local affairs focused mostly on baseball and U.S. football.

Today, an estimated 15 million statistics obsessed people play fantasy sports of one kind or another, according to the Fantasy Sports Trade Association, creating virtual teams made up of athletes who -- in real life -- may be rivals.