It's all about time on the water and what works best for you, as well as what you can afford. The tennis example was very good- Obviously if I went fishing with a pro and used top end stuff and he used lesser quality stuff, I would still be outfished by a mile. I know what I like to fish with, having tried lots of tackle, and I can make an arguement for high end tackle making a difference for me in most applications. I have a couple of old (12 yrs. +/-)Team Daiwa rods that retailed for less then $100 that I bought in the early 90's that I always have mixed in with some Loomis GLX, and I guard those old Daiwas hard because they can't be replaced- not as high quality as a few other rods I own, but they feel right and work great for certain applications. I doubt the Pepsi Challenge for rods will ever happen, you have to see what works best for you. I think the thing I like best about those old Daiwas is the contoured hypalon handle, it just feels right, even though the graphite isn't the super premium it's definetly good enough to get the job done (mostly reaction baits).