Monday, April 22, 2013

Joe Scarborough Bowls PBA's First Ever 900 Series

"It's unbelievable, especially to be the first in the PBA to do it." ~ Joe Scarborough, PBA press release

Some people have bowled two consecutive 300 games in a PBA tournament. And Norm Duke once finished a block with two consecutive 300's and began the next block with a 300 game. But nobody had ever bowled three consecutive 300 games in the same block until PBA50 Tour rookie Joe Scarborough began his first qualifying block with an awesome 900 series yesterday in the PBA50 Sun Bowl at Spanish Springs Lanes in Florida's The Villages.

Yes, I know what you're thinking. This was on a soft Cheetah pattern put out to coddle the decrepit seniors. But if that's so, why didn't this year's "decrepit" TOC champion Pete Weber, bowling in the second PBA50 tournament of his fabled career, average higher than 233 for his first eight games, and why didn't the still great Walter Ray Williams Jr. average higher than 242 for his first qualifying round?

Yes, these are high scores, to be sure, but wouldn't these outstanding bowlers' scores be even higher if Scarborough's 900 series was made possible only by ridiculously easy lane conditions? No, the fact of the matter is that Scarborough deserves praise for shooting the first 900 series ever over three pairs of lanes with five guys on a pair on a PBA pattern in a PBA tournament, and I hope his effort will receive the respect it deserves.

Below is video, courtesy of PBA Xtra Frame, of the final three shots of Scarborough's claim to PBA immortality.