OCEAN CITY, Md.- As Delmarva awaits basketball star Michael Jordan's appearance in the White Marlin Open, locals are having fun with the athletic angler's presence.
Jordan's yacht "Catch 23" is registered to fish in the White Marlin Open. Jordan's plane was spotted at the Salisbury Regional Airport Tuesday morning. But Jordan himself has not been seen at the tournament, though memes of him across town are all over the internet.
Harpoon Hanna's and Fager's Island are two restaurants who superimposed Jordan at their iconic waterfront dining spots. Fager's Island Marketing Manager Rob Crawford says it's all in good fun.
"I spend a lot of time working on the internet and in the computer each day and I saw the memes going around," he explains. "They were funny and clever and they made me laugh so I figured I'd throw my contribution in there and hopefully make some other people laugh and entertain them." Another meme was created by Ocean City Mayor Rick Meehan, whose photo shows him offering Jordan the key to Ocean City. Meehan says he's happy to make that joke become a reality, saying Jordan's presence is a great addition to the White Marlin Open. "It's already the largest billfish tournament in the world and that's probably what attracted Michael Jordan," he says. "The word is out: this is the place to be if you're fishing. If you're into big time fishing, you need to be in the White Marlin Open." With the memes came offers, such as Bayside Resort Golf Club's; General Manager Sean Gradomski challenged Jordan to 18 holes for the club's 23rd honorary membership (23 of course, being Jordan's famous number). "We know he's an avid golfer and a great guy and we heard he was in town so we were just like, if the best is going to play, he should play at the best in Delaware," Gradomski says. For more on the White Marlin Open,
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