Kelly Kulick Should Win the 2009-2010 Best Bowler ESPY Hands Down, But Will She?

I won't say who it is, but right now a famous bowler is on Facebook urging his friends and followers to vote for Bill O'Neill for the ESPY award for "best bowler" this year. The ESPY is ESPN's equivalent of an Oscar.

And I'd gladly vote for Bill O'Neill if it weren't for the fact that his competition is Walter Ray Williams Jr and Kelly Kulick. But because those two are his competition, I think either one of them should win the award over him.

Now don't get me wrong. I think Bill O'Neill is an outstanding bowler and that he had a great season. But I think Walter Ray had an even better season, and the fact that he did it at his age makes it all the more outstanding, in my opinion.

Yet, it seems to me that even Walter Ray's accomplishments pale in comparison to what Kelly Kulick achieved this season. She won the PBA Women's World Series Championship, the PBA Tournament of Champions, the Women's U.S. Open, the USBC Queens, the women's title in the Malaysian Open, and a PBA Northwest Regional. This is stupendous! It's monumental! How many bowlers, male or female, have had a greater season against the likes of today's level of competition from all over the world?

What's more, Kelly Kulick has represented herself and the wonderful sport of bowling with as much eloquence and class as anyone I've ever seen. She has been a fantastic spokesperson for bowling.

Yet, for some reason, she still fails to receive her due. The media buzzed about her for a few days after her TOC championship, and then she was all but forgotten. Oprah never called her, nor did any of the other female media bigshots you'd think would have jumped over, under, around, and through hoops to have her on their shows, although such exertions would hardly have been necessary.

Very few probably even know about Kelly's Malaysian Open or Northwest Regional titles. Even after she won the Women's U.S. Open and USBC Queens, there was deafening silence.

And now, a famous male bowler who should know better is on Facebook exhorting people to vote for his friend Bill O'Neill for the ESPY, lots of people there are saying, "Consider it done," and I'm just scratching my head and wondering what's up with these people and with the world at large. Is there no justice in the world?

I can understand a guy wanting his friend to win. But should friendship trump justice? I don't think so. And if you're not Bill O'Neill's or Walter Ray Williams Jr's best friend forever, how in the world could you give even a nanosecond's consideration to voting for anyone OTHER than Kelly Kulick for this year's "best bowler" ESPY?