Will Chris Barnes Get Revenge Tonight?

Chris Barnes will have the opportunity to get revenge against the player who unceremoniously knocked him out of the tournament in the first round this week when he takes on Alex Aguiar in the fourth "Chris Barnes Challenge" tonight at 8:30 PM EDT. The match will be a 3-game total pins match contested on tomorrow's television pair employing the same dual pattern that challenged the bowlers all week, and it will be carried live and viewable afterward on PBA Xtra Frame.

A lot is made of revenge matches. We're constantly hearing sports announcers say things like: "He's going to want to get even after so and so beat him previously, so look out!" But I don't know if this is just hype or if there's something more to it. That is, even if Chris Barnes IS upset about his defeat the other day and extremely determined to return the disfavor tonight, I'm not sure if that will make him bowl better. It could conceivably make him tense up, try too hard, and bowl worse.

What's more, I don't know that Barnes carries a big grudge against Aguiar over being defeated by him Thursday. Everybody out there is just trying their best to win and earn a paycheck to put food on the table. Aguiar just came into that match warmed up, tuned up, and readier to rumble than Barnes was at the time and was skillful and fortunate enough at that moment in time to shoot some big games and put Barnes away early.

However, I'm thinking that, revenge-minded or not, Barnes will be better prepared than he was Thursday and that tonight's match, for which each has put up $1500 of his own money, could be the best "Chris Barnes Challenge" yet. I'm looking forward to it.