Steve's Bowling Blog

Sean Rash Makes a Boy's Wish Come True

2012-02-06T12:03:00.000-08:00

"One thing athletes do great is give back. I enjoy opportunities like this. When I was young and asked pros for help, they were always willing." ~ Sean Rash

A lot of people don't like Sean Rash. Some even seem to almost hate him. I guess they have their reasons, especially if they've only seen him on TV or read about some of his antics online.

I had the good fortune of spending all day with him at a local bowling clinic I attended last summer, and I happen to respect him for his awesome bowling talent and skill and to like him for his earnest forthrightness, even if I take mild exception to some of the things he's said and done since he became an irrepressible force on the PBA Tour.

And I suspect that if more people were to view the video below of Sean's making a young cancer patient's wish come true, they would see, respect, and even like him as much as I do. At least I hope they would and do.

Chris Barnes Has No Competition in the Cheetah Challenge

2012-01-20T16:20:00.000-08:00

Chris Barnes showed up today at Fountain Valley Bowl at 5:30 PM EST with $5000 cash in his pocket, but nobody dared to take him on. That's right, PBA Xtra Frame was all set to live stream a contest in which Barnes and one or possibly more challengers each tossed $5000 into the pot and the highest scorer for three games would walk away with all the money. Yet, not even last year's Cheetah monster and champion Eugene McCune rose to the challenge.

If you recall, McCune not only won last year's Cheetah championship but obliterated the nine-game block scoring record by averaging an unbelievable 274 along the way in match play. I've posted a short video of part of that mind-boggling performance below.

Maybe all the players, fresh off a practice round, were resting physically and psyching up mentally for tomorrow's opening of the PBA Cheetah Open and didn't want to be distracted by a preliminary match with Barnes. Yet, I'm still surprised that no one went after him. Yes, $5000 is a lot of money for most of us, and underpaid bowlers are decidedly no exception. But surely there are well-to-do sponsors out there who would have been willing to take a gamble. After all, Chris Barnes, as great as he is, has not exactly shown himself to be unbeatable here of late on any lane condition. Yes, he had an excellent year last season despite the fact that he didn't win any championships, but HE DIDN'T WIN ANY CHAMPIONSHIPS and was completely out of the running in quite a number of tournaments.

Well, even though Chris didn't get to bowl against anybody, he did throw some impressive practice balls and talk with Xtra Frame announcer Mike J. Laneside and Fountain Valley Bowl resident bowling coach extraordinaire Mark Baker about his game, his equipment, and how to handle the Cheetah pattern, and it was quite illuminating. Chris Barnes has encyclopedic knowledge of bowling and bowling equipment and is very articulate in discussing it.

Any serious bowler who wants to get better and can afford $7.95 a month or $65 a year for Xtra Frame is crazy not to subscribe and start soaking up like a thirsty sponge the incredible information offered. And if you do subscribe and miss events like what I just described, you can always catch them in the archives and go over them as many times as you wish to learn everything you can and want to learn from them.

Not only that, but this season the PBA Tour will run several national tournaments that will be carried only on Xtra Frame. In the past, it has used Xtra Frame to cover qualifying and match play rounds, leaving the finals to ESPN or, in one instance, ABC to televise. But this year, only Xtra Frame will be carrying some of the finals as well. And the Cheetah Championship beginning tomorrow at Fountain Valley Bowl will be one of those tournaments that will be carried only by Xtra Frame from start to finish. Qualifying rounds begin tomorrow at noon EST, and the scoring promises to be high on the highest scoring of all the PBA "animal" patterns.

By the way, one of the things Mark Baker revealed on today's webcast was that he's just sent a book to his publisher entitled "The Game Changer." It is his first instructional book, and he says he's proud of it. Since he is widely considered to be one of the best, if not the best, bowling coaches in the world, I'm guessing that serious bowlers will want to grab a copy of his book as soon as it comes out. Baker surmises that it will be out around March 15.

Storm's Illustrious Staff's Advice on Increasing and Maintaining Rev Count

2012-01-18T15:09:00.000-08:00

Do you want to increase the revolutions on your ball or, at least, be more consistent with the revs you do generate? If so, and it seems that almost everybody does, the staff at Storm have some suggestions that I gleaned from Storm's Facebook page. Here are some of the more notable ones:

"Sounds to me like there are some timing issues, as well as some muscle in the swing that is causing the inconsistencies. It's tough to tell without physically seeing it, but the key is achieving effortless power." ~ Jeff Carter

"Go to the gym and work on your leg strength, flexibility, and your cardio. You should see a dramatic improvement after a few good workouts. I wanted to increase my rev rate this year so I intensified my routine at the gym and my rev rate went from 360 to 400." ~ Ryan Shafer

"I would try to use a few less revs. You should be able to be more consistent if you find a release that you can repeat." ~ Tom Hess

"Sounds like a timing issue. Make sure to get the slide foot to the foul line ahead of the ball." ~ Randy Pedersen

"It's not all about revs. Consistency is the key though, so you are right about that. Be sure to work on practicing your release. Make it as consistent as possible. One step drills and foul line drills can help with this." ~ Jason Belmonte

"It's tough to say without watching you bowl. I think it's key to make sure you have a consistent timing. Also practice hard on having the same hand position at the moment of release." ~ Andres Gomez

"Well, honestly I'm not sure. I'm not a big guy, so I won't tell you to work out more or pump iron. I'm considered a "tweener," and I would much rather be consistent in hitting my mark than the amount of revs I have on the ball." ~ Pete Weber

"Make sure to accelerate through the release area, not before." ~ Norm Duke

PBA Xtra Frame Now Indispensable to PBA Fans

2012-01-13T15:49:00.000-08:00

If you're a big fan of the PBA but don't subscribe to the PBA's webcast service Xtra Frame, tis the season to sign up. I say this not only because Xtra Frame will continue offering incredibly incisive commentary during qualifying and match play leading up to the PBA finals televised on ESPN, but it will also feature coverage of entire PBA tournaments, including the finals, for the first time, that you'll be able to see only on Xtra Frame. Moreover you'll be able to catch regional and senior finals along with other tournament action, special events, and massively archived action that you can't see on TV.

In this podcast on Above 180, Xtra Frame announcer extraordinaire Mike J. "Laneside" discusses the PBA's growing reliance on Xtra Frame as its broadcast vehicle.

Josh Blanchard's Hopeful Words About His Fall

2012-01-12T09:35:00.000-08:00

According to Jerry Schneider's "PBA Spare Shots" column this morning, Josh Blanchard is taking his hugely publicized mishap in pretty good stride. He's appeared on several ESPN program segments, on the Howard Stern show, and his fall has rapidly become a YouTube sensation. Here is what he has to say about it:

“I would have never dreamed in a million years that it would have gotten this much attention. Everything happens for a reason and I’m actually having a lot of fun with it. I’m looking at it as an opportunity to turn it into a positive for the sport.”

Below is a brief ESPN "Behind the Horn" video segment featuring his fall. I'm not sure it's possible to make lemonade out of this kind of lemon, but I applaud Josh for trying his level best to do it.

Josh Blanchard's Fall Heard Round the World

2012-01-11T14:10:00.000-08:00

"Trust me if they didn't show me and just showed Jason it would have been fine with me!!!" ~ Josh Blanchard, commenting on Facebook

My previous post featured a video of professional bowler Josh Blanchard hanging up in the thumbhole of his ball when he tried to release it and slipping on the oily heads past the foul line and falling in the channel on his butt on last Sunday's PBA telecast. I said nothing about Australian two-handed sensation Jason Belmonte bowling 300 in the next game and then defeating Brian Kretzer to advance to the PBA World Championship finals to be shown next Sunday.

And it seems that, despite the still relative rarity of 300 games on PBA telecasts (there have been only 21 in 50 or so years), Belmo's accomplishment garnered virtually no attention from the sports or news media. Instead, they were all about Blanchard's boo-boo, with ESPN even interviewing him by phone while playing endless slow motion repetitions of "the fall."

To Blanchard's credit, he handled the interview with good-natured grace, but I'm guessing that this isn't how he wanted to find himself featured on ESPN, as his quote above amply implies. Yet, should the media have ignored him or, at least, given equal coverage to Belmo's 300 and tournament victory?

This was probably the first time a bowler has ever fallen like that on TV compared to the 21 PBA perfectos that have been televised. Yet, if Belmo's 300 had been the first or only the second or third perfecto ever, I'm wondering if it wouldn't have still been eclipsed by Blanchard's fall so far as the media's concerned.

Some complained about the media's coverage. Others said they understood it, even agreed with it and that the PBA should be grateful for any mass media coverage it can get. What do you think?

Bowling Video--Bowler Hangs Up in Thumbhole, Takes Televised Spill

2012-01-09T12:46:00.000-08:00

I've seen some pretty interesting things on PBA telecasts over the past fifty years or so, but I've never seen this happen before.

Bowling Doctor Jeff Mark's Mysterious Departure From PBA and Xtra Frame

2012-01-09T10:51:00.000-08:00

Jeff Mark was known on the PBA's webcasting service Xtra Frame as the "Bowling Doctor." And if you watched any of Xtra Frame's coverage of PBA events, you know why. He was extremely knowledgeable about the technical aspects of bowling biomechanics, ball physics, lane construction and oil patterns, and how all these variables fit together in the increasingly challenging sport of bowling. Not only that, but he could articulate these concepts very clearly. Many times, I tuned in to Xtra Frame as much for his incisive commentary as to watch the action.

So, I was very surprised and extremely disappointed yesterday to learn that Jeff had parted ways with the PBA and would no longer be commentating on Xtra Frame. I was even more surprised to read one of the rumors circulating about why this happened. I don't believe the rumor and won't share it here, but I admit that I am curious about why Jeff left the PBA or was let go after years of seemingly dedicated and exceedingly capable service.

I inquired about it on Facebook's PBA page and on the PBA's Xtra Frame message board forum, but both inquiries were promptly deleted, and I received a private message from a PBA spokesperson explaining that this was a private matter and that no public discussion of it would be "tolerated" in PBA domains.

I guess I can understand and accept this. If I resigned or were let go from a public position, I might want the details kept quiet too instead of seeing official explanations or rumors galore splattered across the websites of my former employer.

Still, I don't think it's necessarily morbid curiosity that motivates fans of Jeff Mark, as I surely was, to want to know more about why he's no longer with the PBA or on Xtra Frame, and I don't think we're necessarily being unreasonable in our dissatisfaction with the seemingly tight-lipped and heavy-handed way in which the PBA has handled his sudden departure and public inquiries concerning it. I don't know precisely how these things should be handled, but I wish there were a better way to do it.

Nevertheless, the show must go on, and I've been assured by the aforementioned spokesperson that "The Bowling Guy" Jason Thomas will very capably take over Mark's commentary position, and, having heard Jason's work over many hours on Xtra Frame and having read his excellent columns on the PBA website, I don't doubt that he'll do an outstanding job in his own right.

Below is a video showing some of Jeff Mark's work on PBA Xtra Frame, even though it doesn't showcase his superb expert commentary skills.

More Praise For the Late Don Carter

2012-01-06T18:50:00.000-08:00

"He was also one of the most generous people; he and his wife Paula helped many children of drug addicts by loaning them housing, helping them with their expenses and their education. They did this without any fanfare. Anything worthwhile, Don was there." ~ Chuck Pezzano, USBC and PBA Hall of Fame writer

"In my opinion, Earl Anthony, Dick Weber and Don Carter are the three iconic people in the history of our game, and you can flip that order any way you want it. Don was that good. Back when he was in his prime, he was the rock star of bowling. He was hanging out with the Mickey Mantles and stars of that caliber. He was a larger than life figure." ~ Marshall Holman, USBC and PBA Hall of Famer

"I have often said that what made me become a pro bowler was when I was 13 years old and I went to Madison Square Garden to watch Dick Weber and Don Carter do an exhibition. From that day on, I wanted to be like them, I wanted to be a pro bowler. And through the years Carter has always been such high class. He was really a great guy who never lost his temper or treated you any differently than anybody else. Just 100% class." ~ Johnny Petraglia, USBC and PBA Hall of Famer

"There has only been one rock star in bowling, and that was Don Carter." ~ Barry Asher, USBC and PBA Hall of Famer

"This was the most influential man in the history of our sport. Back in the 1950's, the combination of the advent of the pinsetter, television, and Don Carter brought the sport of bowling into the modern era." ~ Larry Lichstein, PBA Hall of Famer

You can read more quotes of praise for Don Carter here.

Don Carter, RIP

2012-01-06T14:56:00.000-08:00

"I believe he was the greatest bowler that ever lived. He was a master of any condition, great in the clutch and great coming from behind. He had all the attributes of a great athlete. He was there to bowl and to win. I often thought that if I could build a robot of the perfect bowler, I would take most of the parts from Don Carter." ~ Churck Pezzano, PBA charter member and historian

"It's hard to explain what makes Don so great. All I know is that he's the greatest thing that ever happened to bowling. He's fabulous, above and beyond everybody in the game." ~ Dick Weber, 1962 Bowlers Journal story

"Don was one of the greatest bowlers who ever lived, but he had some other things that made him great. He was a great athlete. He won two 100-game tournaments in one year and I don't know how many other bowlers could take that kind of punishment. And he had the ability to focus better than anyone I've ever seen. On the lanes, he was in his own world, but off the lanes, he was a true gentleman. I had a lot of respect for him, as a bowler and as a man." ~ Carmen Salvino

Don Carter died last night at the age of 85.

If you're reading this blog, you've surely heard of Don Carter even though he retired from professional bowling in 1972 and was at his peak from the 1950's through the early 60's. But if you're my age or older and have been a bowling fan most of your life, the name Don Carter is almost synonymous with godhood. He was that revered by bowlers and bowling fans all over the world.

His bowling accomplishments are the stuff of legend. Between 1953 and 1961, he was six-time national Bowler of the Year. He won the BPAA All-Star Tournament (now known as the U.S. Open) four times. He won seven PBA titles of which five were "majors," five World Invitational titles, the ABC Masters, and four other ABC tournament titles. He was lead off for the awesome five-man Budweiser team of St. Louis that shot an incredible 3,858 series in 1958 that stood as an untouchable national team record for 36 years. He was the first president of the PBA. He became a charter member of the PBA Hall of Fame in 1975. Bowling Magazine ranked him as the Greatest Bowler of All-time in 1970 and the second greatest bowler of the 20th century in a 2000 poll. Bowlers Journal awarded him the title of Bowler of the Century in 2000, and in 2009 he was voted the 11th greatest player in PBA history. He also bowled the first 800 series on TV when he shot 809 on "National Bowling Champions." The list of firsts and other great accomplishments could go on and on.

Yet, there was more to Don Carter's glittering success story than his performances on the lanes and the accolades he received for them. He appeared regularly in TV commercials and, believe it or not, in 1964 he became the first athlete in any sport to sign an endorsement contract for $1 million. The ten-year contract was with bowling equipment manufacturer Ebonite. And prior to his focusing his efforts on bowling, he was a high school All-Star football and baseball player and signed as an infielder and pitcher with the Philadelphia Athletics in 1946 but quit because of all the traveling, which he hated, to pursue bowling full time. Chuck Pezzano also remembers this of Carter: "One thing that many people didn't know is that he was very compassionate and helped a lot of people who might have fallen on hard times during his career."

If one peruses the PBA message board, where irreverence toward bowling and even bowling's biggest stars seems to be the rule rather than the exception, one sees nothing but respect for Don Carter and sadness over his passing. But as commenter Fred Lowenhaupt puts it: "It's always a sad time when one of our bowling heroes passes away. But with Don we should be celebrating his long productive life rather than the sadness of his passing at age 85."

I agree in principle, but my heart is filled with sadness. For as another commenter in the forum says, "Bowling is running out of legends," and, I may add, at a time when it can least afford it.

RIP Don Carter, bowling's original superstar.

You can read Bill Vint's excellent PBA.com article on Don Carter's life here, Terry Bigham's bowl.com obituary here, and below you can watch videos of the great Don Carter's stellar career on and off the lanes.

Should There Be a USBC Open Senior Division?

2011-12-18T07:04:00.000-08:00

Should the USBC Open Championships have a senior division? Roy Rasmus of Bay City, MI thinks so. Here's his letter to this month's Bowlers Journal International:

I have bowled in 33 ABC/USBC Open Tournaments, but at this point in my life, at age 62, I can no longer compete against the younger bowlers and the PBA card-carrying members who are allowed to bowl. The average or even better-than-average bowler has little chance. I can adjust to most conditions and I expect a tough shot, but how many bowlers can play inside the third arrow or deeper? Maybe it's time to break this tournament into age groups to give us seniors a chance.

Women's Bowling Alliance Tries to Revive Women's Professional Bowling

2011-12-16T14:59:00.000-08:00

In case you didn't know it, and I didn't until today, there's a new organization called the Women's Bowling Alliance that is trying to step in for the defunct PWBA. Here is its mission statement on its Web home page:

Who are we?

An Alliance of women who have a passion for bowling.

Since the demise of the Professional Women's Bowling Tour (PWBA) in 2003, no one has "stepped up" to bring back any tournaments but the Majors. It is up to us, the bowlers, to support and create our own destiny.

Our mission is to raise money from personal donations and develop tournaments throughout the year for women bowlers. Our goal is to have 10,000 people donating $1 or more, per month. We can create 3 tournaments with $40,000 added money before any manufacturer sponsorship.

I wish them the very best with their endeavor to revive high-stakes competitive bowling for women in this part of the world. Please click here to help them do it.

Tom Clark Interview With Bowlers Journal

2011-12-16T14:19:00.000-08:00

In the December, 2011 issue of Bowlers Journal International, Keith Hamilton interviews new PBA Commissioner Tom Clark, and here is what Clark has to say about his goals:

"I always wanted to be part of the PBA, but in that [collegiate] tournament, I remember bowling near Paul Fleming...He was so much better than me; I realized that I needed to concentrate on journalism...The constant goals [as PBA Commissioner] are to get as many people as possible interested in, respecting the ability of and following the greatest players in the world. We want great PBA players to be rich and famous. There is much involved with that, including TV deals, building the stature of events and making sure the best players are in the PBA. Other goals include improving the partnerships with our endemic and non-endemic sponsors to give maximum bang for the buck, and integrate sponsors in ways that are mutually beneficial. We also want to increase PBA membership by bringing younger players along and into the PBA, as well as to have continued increases in international participation and membership. But we always have the big goals in mind: The cover of Sports Illustrated, thousands more watching Xtra Frame, record-breaking ESPN ratings and prize funds for major events, increased sponsorships, and great partnerships with the industry."

Click here for Tom Clark's official PBA biography page.

Video--Preview of 2011 PBA World Championship

2011-12-09T10:53:00.000-08:00

Bowling Video--Save Bowling

2011-11-02T15:32:00.000-07:00

"Something happened. The lanes got a lot easier. Science created better balls. Tournaments are disappearing."

Bill O'Neill's Facebook fan page has a link to the video below and to the website savebowling.com. I don't know if bowling can be saved, but it's nice to see people trying to save it even if I don't yet know how they propose to do it.

Check out the video, go to the website and type in your email address, and let's see what we can do to save this great but dying sport.

Bowling Video--An Even More "Awesome" Trick Shot

2011-09-26T09:55:00.000-07:00

Bowling Video--Awesome Trick Shots

2011-09-23T12:28:00.000-07:00

MORE AWESOME BOWLING TRICK SHOTS - watch more funny videos

Bowling Video--30 Years of PDW

2011-09-20T13:09:00.000-07:00

Bowling Video--Chris Barnes Teaches Kathie Lee on NBC's Today

2011-08-19T11:55:00.000-07:00

Bowling Video of the Day--Underground Bowling Association

2011-07-26T16:49:00.000-07:00

First, there was the PBA. Now there's the UBA. Care to join?

Bowling Quote of the Day--Mika's The One

2011-07-26T14:38:00.000-07:00

"Mika's dominance globally over the past year simply cements his status as not just one of the top 20 players to ever shoe up on the PBA Tour, but in my opinion he has been the greatest influence in bringing the rest of the bowling world to our country. Belmo may be a rock star and indeed could potentially become one of the greatest ambassadors our sport has seen, but he may not have had this opportunity if not for Mika's influence and success."

--Donnie Layman

Bowling Video of the Day--Being One of the Best in the World

2011-07-19T14:06:00.000-07:00

Should Jason Belmonte Have Won the ESPY for 2011 Bowler of the Year?

2011-07-14T08:53:00.000-07:00

"Of all the award shows, the ESPYs have got to be the dumbest award show there is. First of all, award shows in general are sort of silly and ridiculous and we know they're just for creating publicity, but at least it makes some sort of sense within that framework to have an awards show for movies, or television, because there is no way with those to know which is the best. But when we're talking about sports -they actually play the game. We don't have to give an award to the best team. We know who the best team is - they've already won! That's the great thing about sports, there's a built-in objective mechanism by which we can ascertain who the winners are. But no, you have to win a second time in a tuxedo, and a spokesmodel has to hand you a trophy; that's what's important."

--Bill Maher

"I love John Walsh, and I have a fond feeling for ESPN. But I find the ESPY Awards objectionable. We already have awards. The World Series is an award. An MVP is an award. We don't need more awards. They make up this crap so they can fill time with it - the worst."

--Bill Wolff, former ESPN producer

I apologize for not posting for awhile, but now I'm back and have a lot of news and views to cover. Let me begin with this year's ESPY's. As you may or may not know, the ESPY awards are sports network ESPN's "Excellence in Sports Performance Yearly" awards that go to athletes in a wide variety of sports. The candidates in each sport or category are chosen by the ESPY Select Nominating Committee and then voted on through online fan balloting. The winners are honored on an ESPN television program.

You may be surprised that even though bowling seems to garner little respect in the sports world or among the public at large, there IS an ESPY award for "Best Bowler." I didn't agree with last year's choice of Walter Ray Williams Jr. over Kelly Kulick, but Walter Ray did have a good enough year that his selection wasn't the travesty this year's was.

This year, Jason Belmonte was selected "Bowler of the Year" and received his award on last night's ESPY broadcast. Now Jason has been known to read this blog on occasion, and I want to make it perfectly clear to him and to everyone else that I'm not slamming Belmo when I say that he didn't deserve to win the award. As I think I've made very clear on this blog, I stand in awe of Belmo's talent and skill and think he's one of the best bowlers on the planet and destined to get better and better still. However, I don't see any way in proverbial hell that he was this season's "best bowler."

If we look at the PBA Tour stats, at least three bowlers on tour had better seasons that Belmo did. Of course, there was PBA Player of the Year Mika Koivuniemi. But there were also Chris Barnes, who led the Tour in overall points, and Bill O'Neill, who surpassed Belmo in every statistical category. So, why did Belmo get the award?

I have to think it's because people voted without looking at the stats or caring what they revealed. I have to conclude that, at least so far as bowling is concerned, the ESPY award for "Best Bowler" was the result of a popularity contest or, perhaps, a coordinated voting campaign and not the result of an informed and reasoned pick of the highest performing bowler of the year.

I'm guessing that Jason knows this as well as anyone and is not as happy about his award as he'd like to be. I'm sure he'd like to know, in his heart of hearts, that he deserved it. But the one good thing about it is that it seems to show that the Bottlegate episodes have not significantly lessened his popularity with the bowling public. Nor should they.

Do you believe that Belmo deserved to win this year's ESPY award, and, if not, who do you think DID deserve it?

Bowling Video of the Day--Young Two-Handed Bowler Wesley Low

2011-07-07T14:40:00.000-07:00

Bowling Quote of the Day--Jason Thomas' Take on Bottlegate

2011-07-07T12:24:00.000-07:00

"What I take from it personally is that what we have in this incident is genuine proof that the competition on the PBA Tour is as intense as what we see in any other major sport, and one of the goals of the PBA is to illustrate that point for fans outside the fold."

--Jason Thomas

Leanne Barrette Hulsenberg's Giant Check

2011-07-07T07:45:00.000-07:00

Last night, I bowled against a young man, Caleb Nakata, who works in Leanne and Gary Hulsenberg's pro shop and who picked up Leanne, Gary, and their son at the airport after they returned from the U.S. Women's Open in Texas. I asked him when they'd be putting up the giant replica of Leanne's $50,000 check in their pro shop alongside some of the other checks adorning the walls there, including her 1999 Queens title check. He said they were looking forward to its arrival in the mail.

After I finished bowling, I asked Leanne's husband, Gary, about the check. He said they planned to hang it in the pro shop after they get it but that it was so large, he wasn't sure where it would go. He said it was almost as large as one of the shop windows. That's pretty large alright. In fact, it's so large, I don't know where they're going to be able to hang it unless, perhaps, they remove some of her other checks.

I guess a U.S. Women's Open check supersedes just about any other bowling check even the most successful female bowlers of all time could ever hope to earn. I look forward to seeing it on The Strike Shop wall as soon as possible.

Celebrating Leanne Barrette Hulsenberg's Victory in 2011 U.S. Women's Open

2011-07-06T14:31:00.000-07:00

A belated congratulations to Leanne Barrette Hulsenberg for winning what is arguably the biggest women's bowling tournament in history--the 2011 U.S. Women's Open. Of course, my congratulations wouldn't have been "belated" if the finals had been shown live on ESPN2 on Thursday night instead of delayed to Saturday afternoon and I hadn't decided to wait until after the broadcast to write about it so that I wouldn't risk spoiling the results for anyone.

I still don't understand why the finals weren't shown live. As I wrote the other day, after the sponsors of the event went to such lengths to make the tournament an attractive, lucrative, and memorable one, why would they throw water on the fire by televising the event after virtually everyone knew the results? Speaking for myself, I would have reveled in the tension of Leanne's remarkable comeback against Lynda Barnes in the semifinal match had I not already known who was going to win.

Well, Leanne won the match and the title, the 27th of her legendary career. And I can't wait to see the giant replica of that $50,000 check hanging on the wall of Gary and Leanne's pro shop one of these days when I go to practice or bowl league at Fireside Lanes. Perhaps it will even be there this evening when I bowl my sport league.

I can't tell you how happy I am for Leanne and Gary! I've seen Leanne for the past several years at Fireside Lanes, and it seemed to me that she's been pretty disillusioned about bowling for a long time. It must have been a terrible blow to her when the PWBA folded at a time when her game was still strong. She might have gone on to surpass Lisa Wagner's record of 32 national titles. After the PWBA's demise, she just didn't seem to have the spirit to compete at the level she did before, because there just didn't seem to her to be all that much reason to. She still performed quite well at this and last year's Queens and U.S. Women's Open tournaments, but I think she really poured her heart and soul into getting ready for this year's Open. She started bowling more and more tournaments and putting in long hours of serious practice, and it obviously paid off.

What is particularly impressive about her victory this year is that it came against younger players, many of whom had the tremendous advantage of being members of Team USA and other national teams and receiving the advanced coaching that they received in state-of-the-art training centers such as the ITRC. Leanne, so far as I know, had none of that. She did it the old-fashioned, old-school way.

As I wrote previously, I was skeptical when her husband, Gary, told me two weeks ago today that he liked Leanne's chances at the Open. I wonder if even he wasn't a little skeptical too. But after Leanne's performance last week, I don't think either of us will ever doubt that Leanne can still compete with and beat the best female bowlers on the planet.

You can watch video of the entire tournament below and read a recap of the stepladder finals results here.

Bowling Quote of the Day--Chicago Bowling Lounge and Kingda Ka

2011-07-06T14:20:00.000-07:00

"Moving the action from a theme park with Bugs Bunny and Batman in attendance to a Chicago bowling lounge was tantamount to the difference between Kingda Ka and the Wiggles World (see below)...and it turned out to make all the difference in the world in transforming the event from a "silly season" exhibition into a real competition."

--Jason Thomas

Blogging Again on July 5

2011-07-02T09:17:00.000-07:00

Due to other commitments this Fourth of July weekend, I won't be blogging again until Tuesday, July 5. At that time, I'll have recaps of the U.S. Women's Open, the GEICO PBA Team Shootout and other bowling news and views for you. I hope you'll join me then.

In the meantime, have a wonderful holiday weekend, and, if you can, get in some games at your local bowling center.

Also, be sure to catch the final rounds and the "Bottlegate 2" incident of the GEICO PBA Team Shootout today (Saturday, July 2) from 4:30 to 6 PM Eastern and from 2:30 to 4 PM Eastern tomorrow (Sunday, July 3) on ESPN, and the stepladder finals of the U.S. Women's Open today (Saturday, July 2) from Cowboys Stadium on ESPN2 at 6 PM Eastern.

Bowling Video of the Day--Mike J. Laneside Interviews Mark Baker About Coaching Philosophy

2011-07-01T18:21:00.000-07:00

Bowling Quote of the Day--What Mark Baker Looks At First

2011-07-01T15:08:00.000-07:00

"The first thing I look at with any bowler is, How good's their rhythm? How much momentum do they create and where do they create it? And how good is their balance when they throw a shot? And once I figure out those three things, then I start talking about footwork, or timing, or the release point."

--Mark Baker, arguably the most respected bowling coach in the world

Why Weren't the 2011 U.S. Women's Open Finals Shown Live?

2011-07-01T09:32:00.001-07:00

I know who won the U.S. Women's Open last night, and I'd love to be able to write about it here today. But I don't want to spoil it for any of you who wish to wait until you watch the show tomorrow to find out. If you read this blog, you probably know already or will know well before the show airs, but I still don't want to risk spoiling it for anyone.

Of course, if this were not a blog about bowling, and I wanted to write about what happened in the finals of the U.S. Women's Open in tennis or golf the morning after, I wouldn't need to wait. It would likely have been shown live on one of the major networks, and sports headlines around the country if not the world would have blared the results minutes afterward.

But, as we all know, that's not how it is with bowling. Bowling is the Rodney Dangerfield of sports. More people do it on some level or other than probably any other sport, but it "don't get no respect" by the media or, it seems, by the public at large.

That being said, I'm puzzled by something. Bowling may not get much respect, but we're still taking here about the U.S. Women's Open. Not only that, but we're talking about a U.S. Women's Open finals held in the grandest venue--Cowboys Stadium--in which ANY bowling tournament, men's or women's, has EVER been held. Not only that, but it attracted the largest field of any U.S. Women's Open ever, almost 300, from 17 countries, and offered the richest prize fund ever. And to top all that off, it offered a monumental $1 million to anyone who shot 300 in the championship match.

It seems to me that the sponsors of this great tournament--the BPAA and Ebonite International--pulled out all the stops to build interest in this wonderful tournament and its stepladder finals and to draw viewers to television coverage of the finals except for the one measure that might have been the most effective. They were unable or unwilling to do whatever it took to have the finals shown live instead of two days after they took place.

Now just how many people do you think are going to spend Saturday afternoon or evening (depending on your time zone) of a Fourth of July weekend watching a women's bowling tournament of which almost everyone who'd be likely to watch already knows the results? And how many people do you think are going to be drawn to watch by the prospect of seeing whether someone wins the $1 million if they already know whether or not someone won it two days go?

Yes, hardcore bowling fans and bloggers like me will watch no matter what. Besides, I have a horse, so to speak, in the race. Leanne Hulsenberg and her husband Gary bowl league and have a pro shop in my home house. Of course, I want this already legendary bowler to win the one women's major that has so far eluded her during her remarkable career. But there apparently aren't too many like me. As I wrote yesterday, even the preponderance of fairly serious bowlers and self-proclaimed bowling fans appear to be afflicted with a chronic case of the ho-hums. So how many of THEM are going to watch the finals on a holiday weekend or even record it to watch it later when they already know who won, what all the scores were, and whether or not the champion shot 300?

I don't want to be overly critical of the BPAA and Ebonite, mind you. After all, if they hadn't stepped in and rescued a tournament that the USBC abandoned after last year, there'd have been no U.S. Women's Open this year or perhaps ever again. I'm grateful to them. And if I'M grateful to them, just imagine how grateful the women are who cashed or who made the finals of the tournament!

And I'll be the first to admit that I don't know anything about securing live television time on ESPN2 or any other network any time of the day or night. Perhaps it was all but impossible to work out logistically or financially. Yet, it seems to me that there had to have been a way to show the grandest women's bowling tournament ever live, and that someone blew it somewhere, somehow in its not happening.

I don't know what the future holds for the U.S. Women's Open. But if it has a future, I hope I get to see the finals of the next one and of all the ones thereafter live on television and to blog here about them immediately thereafter.

On the off chance that you don't know who won the Open but want to know now instead of trying to hold out until you watch it tomorrow, or perhaps you won't or can't watch it tomorrow, you can click here for a recap of the finals. If you want to watch or record the finals tomorrow, they will be shown Saturday, July 2 on ESPN2 in HD at 6 PM Eastern.

Link to U.S. Women's Open Results For Those Who Have to Know Now

2011-06-30T20:57:00.000-07:00

I'm not going to post the results here now, because I don't want to spoil it for those who'd rather wait until the delayed airing of the show Saturday to find out. But for those impatient souls, like me, who want to know NOW, click here to find out who did what in the U.S. Women's Open stepladder finals tonight at Cowboys Stadium.

Bowling's Enthusiasm Problem

2011-06-30T15:00:00.000-07:00

Last night I bowled my sport league in the house in which Leanne and Gary Hulsenberg bowl league and have their pro shop. Given the fact that Leanne is seeded second in tonight's stepladder finals of the biggest women's bowling tournament in history, I kind of thought I might hear the place buzzing with excitement. After all, most of the people present at that time were pretty serious bowlers or solid bowling fans, and many of them knew Leanne and Gary well, were customers of theirs, or were even friends of theirs. Yet, I heard nary a word about Leanne most of the evening.

Finally, I said something about Leanne making the finals to a guy who, I think, helped Leanne and Gary get their pro shop up and running, and he responded with a very matter-of-fact and underwhelming, "Yeah, she bowled pretty well."

"Pretty well?" I said silently to myself. "She bowled fantastically well against some of the best freakin' female bowlers on the planet and is just two matches away from the biggest title in women's bowling, to be won on the grandest stage, Dallas Cowboys Stadium, in bowling history, and all you can say, in an indifferent monotone, is that she's bowled "pretty well""?

He then followed that up with a quip from a PBA star friend of his about the U.S. Women's Open shot this year being "Houseshot.com," thereby, if inadvertently, devaluing Leanne's accomplishment by suggesting that she performed it on easy conditions.

And so we have illustrated here what may be one of the biggest reasons why elite bowling and even bowling in general seem as though they may be in an inexorable death spiral: hardly anybody seems to give a sh*t. I say "seems to," because maybe, deep down, a lot of people are as excited as I am that Leanne is in the finals and about elite bowling in general, but, for some perverse reason, they don't dare let it show because it wouldn't look "cool."

Then again, maybe they really just don't give a damn, like the commentators on bowl.com who were ho-hum about a high school senior holding his own with the PBA's best in the recent Team USA tryouts for the upcoming Pan Am games. Or the scratch level junior bowlers in my "PBA Experience" league a few summers back who were too busy playing on their smartphones to watch Leanne Barrette when she threw the ball. Or the guys in my scratch league who don't know who won the PBA tournament of the week before or who's doing well on tour. Or the fans who virtually ignore Walter Ray Williams Jr. when he walks into a bowling center before a big tournament.

Am I being silly, or does bowling have a serious under-enthusiasm problem? ESPN's much maligned bowling announcer Rob Stone once sat in with the guys of PBA Xtra Frame and talked about how bowling fans need to get more solidly behind the players and show more enthusiasm, and how PBA telecasts need to rise above the somber occasions of yesteryear. I am now more and more convinced that he was right, just as I am equally convinced that his advice will continue to be ignored and even ridiculed by "bowling fans" throughout the land until the PBA has gone the way of the PWBA and all you'll be able to see in what few bowling centers remain open amidst a mass extinction of bowling centers far and wide is kiddie birthday parties and adolescent rock n' bowl.

In the meantime, I'll continue to unabashedly celebrate the sport of bowling here in this blog and brim with enthusiasm for tonight's U.S. Women's Open finals, even if I wont' be able to watch it live.

2011 U.S. Women's Open Finalists Reflect on Upcoming Finals

2011-06-30T14:01:00.000-07:00

"I am so excited. I kind of struggled last night and struggled a little bit today physically, and so I kept looking up at the scoreboard and thinking 'How am I still in the running when I'm throwing it this bad?' So, I'm really excited to be in the show, to go bowl in the Cowboy Stadium in front of all my home crowd and just have a great time."

--Lynda Barnes

"I actually get a chance in helping to break those down and hopefully get to break them down the way that I want them. 'Advantage' is a way that YOU look at it. I'm looking at bowling the first match as an advantage."

--Shannon O'Keefe

"We've bowled at some big stadiums but nothing like this. So, it's going to be an absolutely exciting, exciting day. I'd love to make it to the final match and see what goes from there. You know it's going to be a great show regardless."

--Liz Johnson

"Very seldom have I won being in the top position. I don't look at that as a plus or as a negative. But, considering as well as I've bowled this week, I'm just going to take that as a positive, see how the lanes play...I'll have the practice pair to warm up and I'll have a few minutes before the show starts for me. So, if I get lined up quick enough, I'll be alright."

--Kelly Kulick

"It's an even playing field. There's no advantage to anyone, I think, going in there."

--Shannon O'Keefe

"This venue is new to all of us, so we're all on equal playing ground. I'm just going to try to go out there, see what the lanes are doing...hopefully they're going to be similar to what they were like all week long. If I have the same look over there like I did now, I'm going to be tough to beat."

--Kelly Kulick

"It would be icing on the cake. I've always bowled well in the U.S. Open, so it would be a dream come true."

--Leanne Hulsenberg

A Critic Alleges Unfair Favoritism in Elite Women's Bowling

2011-06-30T12:16:00.000-07:00

Someone who claims to have participated in this week's U.S. Women's Open posted an anonymous comment to one of my recent blogposts about the Open that I want to share with you, because I think it raises a very important issue.

The gist of her post is that elite women's tournaments, such as the U.S. Women's Open, unfairly favor established "pros" such as Kelly Kulick and virtually ignore "up and comers" who then sour on the game, stop entering top tournaments, and, before you know it, there are no more big women's tournaments, just like there is no more PWBA, because not enough women feel competitive enough to enter. Here are her provocative comments:

In your comment you reference the demise of the PWBA in 2003. Well let's just say that if Ebonite doesn't do a better job of running the U.S. Open tournament, this will demise as well. They had a record turn out this week with 296 bowlers, last year they had 100. If they didn't get the turn out they got this week, the tournament surely would've gone away.

Well let me say this, "professional" bowlers that are bowling in this event for one, have a GREAT advantage when competing in these types of tournaments. When you enter the tournament you're limited to 8 ball, but the "professionals have Ball Reps, that are at their beck and call to drill up balls for them at anytime during the competition, when the up and coming bowlers are limited to the 8 balls they have because the Ball Reps who should, (I would think) be there for everyone as they are trying to sell balls for their company, but the truth is they are not there for or interest talking to any one if you're not a "Pro".

These guys stand behind the pros during practice ignoring anyone else on the lanes with the "Pro", tell the where to stand and throw the ball they're using and if it's not working, they tell them that they will have another ball drilled up for them immediately. The up and coming person has the odds totally stacked against them when they're competing.

To make this an even playing field, there should only be an allowance of 8 balls for a given day,(that are weighed and serial numbers check) as I'm sure you know this is not done. If your ball or balls are not working, you need to make adjustments without help from your Professional husband or Professional Bowler Ball Rep/Reps, with you being the "Pro" should know how to make your adjustments on your own with out other professional help, as this is what the up and coming bowlers have to do when they are competing. Sounds fair to me!!!

But is this what happens ummm no!!! I bowled this week and I saw all of the "Pros" being told where to line up and what shot to shoot. With that said, I believe this is why the WPBA went away in 2003 and if they don't watch out, this will go away as well. It's obvious that the up and coming bowlers are set up to fail when this type of thing is going on, just look at who the bowlers are that continue to win these tournaments.

Take a look at how the cards are stacked against the up and coming bowler compared to the "Pro".

Up and coming Bowler
1.Pays $300-400 entry fee
2.Pays $150 per ball/8 balls
1200.00
3.Pays for room and board
4.Pays for travel
5.Has to figure out lane
conditions/make adjustments
on their own/no help from
Reps you are not acknowledged
by them.

Pro
1.Sponsor pays (Ebonite, Columbia etc...)
2.Sponsor supply balls for free (Ebonite, Columbia etc...)
3.Sponsor pay for room/board (Ebonite, Columbia etc...)
4.Sponsor pay for travel (Ebonite, Columbia etc...)
5.Sponor Reps line them up, tell them what
adjustments to make when they struggle. (Ebonite, Columbia etc...)

It's obvious who the Tournament or Sponsors want to win these tournaments, and it's blatantly in your face. I guess they think the up and coming will continue to donate to the prize fund for their "Pros" to continue to win with their help. The up and coming made a statement last year and years priors (2003) hoping this year things would change but if it doesn't I'm sure this will be short lived as the women who compete in these tournaments are not STUPID!!! When you have bowlers being lined up and told where to shoot, you don't have a chance because by the time you figure out the shot or make adjustments, it's too late. But if the Pros had to figure things out on there own the field would be more equal but right now it's not.

There are other people that feel like me, the playing field should be equal. If they have sponsor, so what, but they should be restricted to the maximum amount of balls and allowed no help at all like everyone else and definitely everyone should have their balls check and weighed like they are in Nationals.(WHY AREN'T THEY)hhhmmmm!!! At Nationals a Woman Professional Bowler had a illegal ball and was told the ball couldn't be used unless she had it fixed, she refused to have it fixed and got caught trying to use it any way. I know this is a long post but, just wanted to voice my opinion. So let it be known the up and coming bowlers are talking!!!

Do you think these are valid complaints, and, if so, what, if anything, do you think can and should be done to address them?

Mike J. Laneside Interviews Leslie and Parker Bohn at Bowl Expo

2011-06-30T11:53:00.000-07:00

Video--Games 9-15 of 2011 U.S. Women's Open Match Play

2011-06-30T11:46:00.000-07:00

Video streaming by Ustream

Mike J. Laneside Interviews Above 180's Tim Burg and Joey Cerar

2011-06-30T10:33:00.001-07:00

"We're trying to help bowlers of any skill level become better bowlers."

--Joey Cerar, co-host of Above 180 bowling podcasts

Bowling Video of the Day--Doing it Bigger in Texas

2011-06-30T10:32:00.001-07:00

"They say they do things bigger in Texas? Well, you can't do it much bigger than Cowboys Stadium."

--Matt Lawson, USBC Spokesperson

Bowling Quote of the Day--Leanne Hulsenberg's Gift to Her Husband

2011-06-30T08:47:00.000-07:00

"It's really personally cool for me because my husband, we didn't meet each other until after I quit bowling when the tour ended, so he hasn't really seen me have any success in bowling. So, it's kind of going to be really cool for us tomorrow."

--Leanne Hulsenberg, on the eve of her bowling in the second seed of the stepladder finals of the 2011 U.S. Women's Open

Video Preview of Stepladder Finals of 2011 U.S. Women's Open

2011-06-30T08:18:00.001-07:00

Tonight's the night. Not that you'll be able to see it tonight, for some unfathomable reason (more about that in an upcoming blogpost). But tonight's the night that Lynda Barnes, Shannon O'Keefe, Liz Johnson, Leanne Hulsenberg, and Kelly Kulick will meet on the grandest bowling stage in human history for the championship finals of the tournament jewel of women's bowling. And below is a USBC video preview of the participants and the glory and riches to be had.

Leanne Who?

2011-06-29T19:18:00.000-07:00

"i must admit to a funny story .... my sweet hubby didn't recognize you as "hulsenberg" .... kept watchin' you bowl on live streaming, totally fascinated by how good you were & the fact that he'd never heard of you!!! when i said "leanne BARRETTE", he said "duh"....... you're good under any name ....."

--Comment on Leanne Barrette-Hulsenberg's Facebook page after she bowled her way into the second seed of the stepladder finals of the 2011 U.S. Women's Open

Bowling Quote of the Day--Is Bowling Only for Nutters?

2011-06-29T16:01:00.000-07:00

"Is bowling coming back, or is it just nutters like me that do it in the closet?"

--Fox News reporter to BPAA Executive

Video Profiles of the 16 Match Play Finalists in 2011 U.S. Women's Open

2011-06-29T12:15:00.000-07:00

Leanne Barrette-Hulsenberg Seeded Second to Kelly Kulick for 2011 U.S. Women's Open Stepladder Finals

2011-06-29T11:48:00.000-07:00

"It's great to be a part of the biggest tournament ever. I actually have a second, third, fourth, and a fifth in the Open, and I've led the Open and lost. This would be totally huge."

--Leanne Barrette-Hulsenberg

Okay, I'll admit it. When Leanne Barrette-Hulsenberg's husband, Gary, told me a week ago that Leanne was bowling "very, very well" and that he liked her chances at the 2011 U.S. Women's Open this year, I had my doubts. I didn't have any doubts about Leanne's bowling ability, mind you. Her 26 national titles, two PWBA Player of the Year awards, Queens title, multiple U.S. Open stepladder finals appearances, and over 100 televised bowling appearances amply proved her ability to perform masterfully at the highest level of women's bowling.

But what had me feeling a little doubtful was the fact that after the PWBA folded in 2003, Leanne's competitive fire seemed to wane somewhat. Oh, she bowled the Steve Cook Classic league at my home house, still bowled local tournaments, still performed admirably at the USBC Women's Opens, and placed seventeenth in last year's USBC Queens, fourteenth in last year's U.S. Women's Open, and thirteenth in this year's USBC Queens, but I still had the feeling that the absence of a professional tour, recent motherhood, the demands of work, and the fact that she'd be up against most of the finest female bowlers in the world, many of whom were young and hungry and superbly trained members of national teams, including Team USA, would make it difficult for Leanne to crack the top 16 into match play much less have a realistic shot at making the televised finals of the biggest tournament in the history of women's bowling.

Well, my doubts were dashed to pin dust by Leanne's remarkable showings in qualifying and match play over these past few days. She finished seventh in qualifying, rose to third after a blistering block last night in the first round of match play, and, following today's 8 games of match play, she finds herself seeded second for tomorrow night's stepladder finals. That's right, Leanne Barrette-Hulsenberg needs to win only two matches tomorrow night to accomplish about the only great thing she has yet to accomplish in her storied bowling career--a U.S. Women's Open title.

The USBC's Lucas Wiseman reported during the live streaming of today's match play that when he talked to Leanne briefly this morning after it became certain that she'd make the stepladder finals, she confessed that she'd be feeling very "nervous" when it came time for her to bowl under the television lights on specially constructed lanes in the middle of Cowboy's Stadium in Texas tomorrow night. But I'm guessing that her less experienced and less accomplished opponents will be feeling just as nervous if not more so, and that she has a very good chance to win the title.

For even if she wins her first match and faces top seeded Kelly Kulick--who in one mind-bending five game stretch of match play today strung together games of 279, 278, 269, 279, and 248--in the final match, anything can happen in one game, and anyone can win. Leanne can certainly beat any female bowler on the planet, as she did this morning when she defeated Kulick in the position round to close out match play. She can do it again tomorrow night, if she gets the chance.

Unfortunately, we won't be able to watch the action until ESPN2 airs it Saturday at 6 PM Eastern. But I know I won't be able to resist finding out what happens as soon as possible after it happens.

You can watch the position round of today's match play below.

Video streaming by Ustream

PBA Xtra Frame's Mike J. Laneside Interviews Mike Fagan at Bowl Expo

2011-06-29T11:42:00.000-07:00

Bowling Video of the Day--Amanda Vermilyea's Comeback

2011-06-29T11:22:00.000-07:00

Kulick Shines, Hulsenberg Rises, and Pluhowsky Falters in U.S. Women's Open

2011-06-29T09:11:00.000-07:00

The first 8 games of match play of the U.S. Women's Open were not kind to Shannon Pluhowsky last night. After residing in first or second place throughout most of the qualifying rounds, Pluhowsky went a disastrous 1-7 and averaged only 210 in match play to drop like a rock from solid second to shaky seventh place with only 8 games of match play remaining today.

However, while Pluhowsky stumbled, Leanne Barrette-Hulsenberg was busy going 6-2, shooting 300 in her sixth game and 279 in her eighth, and amassing the highest match play total of the field with a 1909 scratch total for a 238 average to rise to third place.

Meanwhile, Kelly Kulick cruised along to a 6-2 record and 231 average for her eight games of match play to increase her imposing lead over the rest of the field.

The ladies will bowl eight games today to determine the field for the stepladder finals. Stay tuned for the results, click here for the details on yesterday's match play round, and check out the video below of yesterday's match play.

Video streaming by Ustream

Video--Lynda Barnes Shoots 299 in U.S. Women's Open Qualifying

2011-06-28T18:46:00.000-07:00

Actually, this is one of two 299's Lynda shot in her third round of qualifying yesterday. They helped propel her to near the top of the field.

Bowling Quote of the Day--PBA Credibility Crisis

2011-06-28T15:55:00.000-07:00

"Only 4 events outside of California/Vegas? And at least 4 events with no television coverage? That can't be a good sign at all. Something's got to change or this sport is completely going to lose what bit of credibility it has left."

--Andy Siebert, commenting on the PBA's Facebook page about the just released PBA 2011-2012 Schedule

U.S. Women's Open Top 16 Qualifiers Head Into Match Play Tonight

2011-06-28T15:45:00.000-07:00

At 8 PM Eastern, the top 16 qualifiers of the U.S. Women's Open will take to the lanes for 8 games of round-robin match play tonight, followed by 8 more games tomorrow to decide who makes the historic finals to be held in Cowboy's Stadium Thursday evening and telecast by ESPN2 this Saturday, June 2 at 6 PM Eastern.

After four rounds of qualifying (32 games), Kelly Kulick leads second place Shannon Pluhowsky by 153 pins, followed by Liz Johnson, Shannon O'Keefe, Jodi Woessner and Lynda Barnes (tie), Leanne Barrette-Hulsenberg, Stefanie Nation, Lisanne Breeschoten, Rachel Perez, Tennelle Milligan, Diandra Asbaty, Helen Johnsson, Kristal Wilson, Kim Terrell Kearney, and Mai Jinge Jensen.

This year's USBC Queens winner, Missy Parkin, finished 20th, and Carolyn Dorin Ballard finished 30th. It's interesting to speculate on how these outstanding bowlers might have fared on tougher, tighter lane conditions than the score-a-thon lanes they faced this year, but it looks like Leanne Hulsenberg's husband Gary was right when he told me last Wednesday night that Leanne was primed and ready for the tournament. I would love to see Leanne and Kelly in the televised final match, and, as of right now, that's a real possibility.

Click here for a summary of the fourth and final round of qualifying and the top 32, and check below for video of today's fourth and final round of qualifying. Also don't forget that Bowl.com and ustream will be live streaming tonight's and tomorrow's match play rounds. That is where some of our USBC membership dues go each year, and this hardcore bowling fan thinks it's well worth it.

Video streaming by Ustream

Preliminary Details on the PBA 2011-2012 Season

2011-06-28T14:07:00.000-07:00

The PBA has just released its tournament schedule for the 2011-2012 season. There's no mention yet of prize funds for any of the tournaments, unlike last season when the unprecedented prize fund for the TOC was front and center news, but it appears that this coming season will supplement TV coverage with more online coverage via the PBA's excellent and ever-improving online video streaming service Xtra Frame. In fact, for the first time, some PBA Tour tournaments will be carried only by Xtra Frame.

Unfortunately, it also looks like there will be even fewer tour stops this season than last, with the majority of tournaments taking place as parts of a grand World Series of Bowling multi-event in Las Vegas in November and culminating in the fabled Tournament of Champions in Vegas in April.

I don't know what to say about any of this except that I'm glad there's still a PBA Tour, but I wonder how long it can continue to hang on for dear life.

Click here for Bill Vint's PBA.com story on the 2011-2012 season.

Bowling Video of the Day--Shannon Pluhowsky at the U.S. Women's Open

2011-06-28T14:02:00.000-07:00

Kelly Kulick is Back in the Saddle Again

2011-06-28T11:26:00.000-07:00

After Kelly Kulick's "annus mirabilis" or year of wonders in 2010 when she won the TOC, the Queens, the U.S. Women's Open, the Malaysian Open, and a PBA regional, expectations for her may have soared to impossible heights this season, only to see her unsuccessfully defend her TOC and Queens titles. However, she did dominate her Women's Team USA teammates on all four sport patterns at last month's Pan Am trials, just as she is dominating the qualifying rounds of the 2011 U.S. Women's Open.

In fact, she put on a spectacular performance yesterday by shooting games of 278, 247, 279, 258, 238, 268, 277, and 255 for a blistering 2100 series and 262.5 average for eight games.

Yes, I know the lanes aren't especially challenging for a U.S. Women's Open, but I don't care how "easy" they are, Kelly Kulick bowled great to do what she did, and she is the best female bowler on the planet. And she was already leading by an appreciable margin after 16 games, but her block yesterday rocketed her to a commanding lead over second place Shannon Pluhowski after the end of yesterday's third round and overall total of 24 games.

This morning, the top 32 qualifiers bowled 8 games to determine who made the cut to the top 16, and tonight those select bowlers will bowl 8 games of match play followed by 8 more games tomorrow to decide the top 5 for Thursday night's stepladder finals that will be televised on delay Saturday, July 2 at 6 PM Eastern on ESPN2.

Click here for a wrap up of yesterday's action, and look below for video of all three squads yesterday.

Video streaming by Ustream

Bowling Quote of the Day--Del Ballard Doesn't Mind Bowling Controversy

2011-06-27T19:22:00.000-07:00

"I don't mind a little controversy one bit. Throw it in the gutter and see how much controversy you get."

--Del Ballard, when asked about the Sean Rash-Jason Belmonte "Bottlegate" controversy

Video-U.S. Women's Open Qualifying, Round 2

2011-06-27T16:24:00.000-07:00

Video streaming by Ustream

Live Streaming by Ustream.TV

Video streaming by Ustream

Preview of My Upcoming Story on Bowling Clinic Coached by Sean Rash

2011-06-27T15:56:00.000-07:00

I had the privilege of attending an all-day bowling clinic at Fireside Lanes in Citrus Heights, CA last Saturday. Coaching the clinic were Sean Rash, P.J. Haggerty, Dr. Dean Hinitz, Ric Hamlin, Nick Smith, and Debbie Haggerty.

Dr. Hinitz had much to say about optimal bowling psychology, and Sean Rash shed a lot of light on bowling at the elite professional level and on his own triumphs and struggles on the lanes.

Please stay tuned for a story that I plan to post to this blog about the highlights of the clinic. And you can read my posts on a previous clinic that I attended last year here and here.

Video of GEICO PBA Team Shootout--June 25, 26

2011-06-27T14:53:00.000-07:00

Bowling Video of the Day--Kelly Kulick Anchors Her Team to Intercollegiate Championship

2011-06-27T12:49:00.000-07:00

Some things never change.

2011 U.S. Women's Open Qualifying--Second Round

2011-06-27T12:26:00.000-07:00

Left-hander Shannon Pluhowski led the U.S. Women's Open after the second round of qualifying, shooting 268, 204, 277, and 269 for her last four games Sunday to amass a 3872 pinfall total for 16 games. In second place was defending champion Kelly Kulick, followed by Liz Johnson, April Ellis, and Jacqui Reese. Sacramento area bowler Leanne Barrette-Hulsenberg sat in 22nd place.

The bowlers will complete their final round of qualifying today, and the top 32 will advance to match play tomorrow. The scores have been very high, with Del Ballard predicting that it will take somewhere around +550 to make the cut.

Click here for a summary of the bowling and standings after the second round.

Bowling Video of the Day--2011 U.S. Women's Open International Bowlers

2011-06-26T11:36:00.000-07:00

2011 U.S. Women's Open Qualifying--First Round

2011-06-26T08:32:00.001-07:00

Bowling is underway in Texas for the U.S. Women's Open, and a bowler from the Netherlands is leading after the first round. Lisanne Breeschoten averaged almost 250 for her first 8 games. Shannon Pluhowsky sits in second, Shannon O'Keefe in third, Liz Johnson in fifth, defending champion Kelly Kulick in seventh after shooting 1014 for her last 4 games, Lynda Barnes in tenth, and Sacramento favorite Leanne Barrette-Hulsenberg in sixteenth.

The record field of 286 bowlers is divided into three squads, and each squad will bowl 24 games of qualifying, with 8 games each on fresh oil, on intermediate breakdown, and on "the burn" before the field is cut to the top 32 on Tuesday and the top 16 on Wednesday. The finals will take place on Thursday night in Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, TX and, for some inscrutable reason, be telecast by ESPN2 on Saturday at 6PM Eastern. The winner will receive a record $50,000. Furthermore, if anyone shoots 300 in the title match, she will receive $1 million. I can't imagine the pressure of going into the tenth frame with all strikes, but I hope somebody does it. Unfortunately, those of us who watch the telecast will almost certainly know not only who won the tournament but also whether she shot 300, which kind of takes away the tension.

You can click here for the story and standings of the first round, and you can view yesterday's first round of qualifying action below. Moreover, you can access live streaming of all the qualifying and match play rounds on bowl.com.

Video streaming by Ustream

Xtra Frame Video of Ron Mohr-Hugh Miller Title Match

2011-06-25T14:57:00.000-07:00

I blogged the other day about how Ron Mohr seems to be almost unbeatable on the PBA Senior Tour after winning his second consecutive tournament over the likes of Walter Ray Williams Jr., Mark Williams, Wayne Webb, and Hugh Miller.

Well, below is a video clip from PBA Xtra Frame of the last frame of the nailbiting title match between Mohr and Hugh Miller in this week's PBA Senior Northern California Senior Classic in Brentwood, CA. The clip is lower resolution, for some reason, than the actual video streaming that Xtra Frame provides its subscribers, but it still gives you a good look at Mohr's game and tremendous ability to perform under pressure, and at the quality of Xtra Frame's coverage.

GEICO PBA Team Shootout June 25-26

2011-06-25T06:40:00.001-07:00

Today and tomorrow, ESPN will show the first installments of the GEICO Team Shootout. You can catch it today from 12-2 PM Eastern, and tomorrow from 4-6PM Eastern.

Of course, the infamous "Bottlegate 2" incident between Sean Rash and Jason Belmonte has been the talk of the bowling world here of late, but, from what I understand, the bowling action itself is exciting in its own right and well worth watching for its own sake. So, I hope you'll tune in and enjoy it.

Below is a short PBA promotional video of the event.

Jason Belmonte Interviewed About Bottlegate on Above 180 Podcast

2011-06-24T20:21:00.000-07:00

If you're interested, as I imagine that many readers of this blog are, Above 180 recently did a podcast featuring an interview with Jason Belmonte. And, as you can well imagine, "Bottlegate" was a big topic of discussion. I've taken the liberty of doing a rough transcription of key parts of the interview, but I strongly suggest that you listen to the entire interview to get the full flavor and all of the content contained therein. You can click here for the interview and read my partial transcription below.

Jason was asked if there was anything more he’d like to say about the Bottlegate incidents with Brad Angelo and, more recently, Sean Rash, and Jason said:

“Going on in my career, I’m definitely not going to stop drinking water, but I’m definitely going to have to be a lot more aware of my surroundings. I was fortunate enough with Sean that when it did happen, it wasn’t in his actual approach like it was with Brad. When it happened, when I picked the bottle up off the ground and it popped in my hand there, I already knew that he was going to turn around.

What I didn’t know, I didn’t expect to see the next part of the story unfold, but I think it’s quite clear that I just can’t do that again. I can’t give anyone any reason to ever think that this was intentional. A few of my friends have said after Brad, what possessed you to even put a bottle in your hand? And I said, “Look, I drink water, and that’s what we’re given. I don’t have another bottle with me, and, at the time, I definitely wasn’t thinking it would ever happen again.” So, I guess that’s where the fault lies with me. Anything that is possible can happen, so I think from here on in, you definitely won’t be seeing me drink out of a crackly plastic bottle again. I think actually in the shows thereafter, I drink out of a glass, which, at the time, was more of a tongue in cheek, but I think it’s probably the smartest thing to do is have something in my hand that isn’t going to create any noise...”

When asked if he agreed with the PBA’s promotion of the event, kind of like Wrestlemania, but then handing out a fine to Rash, Jason said:

“I think there are two sides of the coin to that particular argument. Obviously I would hope for both Sean and I that it wasn’t publicized and it wasn’t marketed because obviously it’s probably something that, well you’d have to ask Sean, but if it was me who did what Sean did, I would definitely not want millions of people around the world to see that. And, from my point of view, I definitely don’t want people to ever assume or ever have a shadow of doubt [about] my character that I was doing something like this on purpose. So, from that point of view, I would obviously say no, I would not like this to have been promoted in the way that it has been.

But then the other side of the coin is that you have to look at it from a news point of view. I don’t think I’ve ever seen what he did happen on the PBA Tour. People want to know that stuff and...even I, between our football and cricket back home, it doesn’t matter what happens to those plays, if it’s a negative review, it gets spoken about through the media outlets. The bad thing for bowling is we’re actually our own journalists, we’re actually marketing and writing about the sport within the industry, unlike these other sports where it’s a completely outside the square entirely. Talking about it, they can say whatever they want, but, with us, we don’t have all the newspapers and TV crews and all these people coming in to write about us, so...the PBA has to do something about it. So, like I said, I wish it never did, but I understand the reasons why it was publicized...It’s very hard to say to the PBA you shouldn’t be writing about this, because it happened, and no one else is going to write about it. So, it’s a really gray area in what should have been done.

Like I said in my letter, the thing that I might have been upset about was the way in which the first incident was written and advertised, and I expressed my views pretty clearly about that as the fact that I don’t care that they want to write about it. It was some of the quotes, headlines were making the assumption that I was a villain on tour, that I was doing these things on purpose, or it was a possibility that I was doing this on purpose. And that was very hurtful, because I pour my heart into this sport, and just to see things written in a way that you know are completely false is very disheartening. So that was my gripe with it all. Not the fact that they were talking about it.

The same thing with the Angelo incident. It happened. It happened on TV. People want to know about it. We live in a world where people don’t just forget about those things. They want to know more about those kind of blow ups It’s the same in any other sport. If there are two football players on the field who are having a go at each other, I’d love to know a little bit more about it, what caused it, why they did it, but as long as the article is written honestly and in a way that didn’t imply that he was doing something on purpose, unless, of course, he was, that’s probably where I would draw my conclusion from."

Jason was asked if he’d spoken to Sean since the incident and whether there’s anything he’d like to say to him.

“He did come over to me directly after the incident. He was wishing the rest of the Storm staff good luck for the rest of the matches. He called me ‘mate’ and wanted to wish me luck. I was a bit fired up after that, and I definitely said some things I definitely shouldn’t have said because I was embarrassed because I just realized what a friend, what I thought a friend had done to me on national television. So I told him in maybe not so polite a way to go away.

That’s probably the one thing I would change is at least give him the chance to say his thing, and I didn’t give him that chance. Then again, I look back and I was so upset I really couldn’t even look at him. I was just very, very disappointed and heartbroken, because this is a guy who, you know, we’ve traveled around the world together, we eat at the same table when we’re away, we golf together, all these things, and it just kind of welled up inside, and when he did that to me it was like I don’t want to see this guy.

But, you know , like I said, looking back, I should have given him the chance to at least wish me luck for the next match and perhaps there we could have spoken about it a little bit and perhaps this wouldn’t have been so bad on a personal level. But since then, no, we haven’t had a chance to talk.

Obviously, we’ve both going to be in Texas for Bowl Expo, and we’re on the same staff for some companies, so I’m pretty sure there’s going to be a time when we’re going to be in the same room, so we’ll see how it goes, and, look, I’m a pretty forgiving kind of guy and it’s not like we’re going to be best mates again, but I’ll definitely like to hear his side of the story and why it was fueled so much as the way it was. You know, everyone’s got a reason for doing something, and he’s not crazy, you know. He obviously had a reason, so I’d like to know that, resolve that reason, and what happens to our friendship thereafter will probably be something that we resolve next time we talk."

It was suggested that Rash is a very competitive and emotional guy who probably just had to let things out “in the heat of the battle” instead of keeping them “bottled up inside.” What’s more, he may have felt a need to defend his friend Brad Angelo, kind of like a big brother sticking up for his little brother. Jason replied:

“Well, that’s true, but at the same time, I wasn’t doing this on national or international television with children present. Whatever anyone ever did to me on a TV show would never warrant that outburst. I would never use the language. And if some of it was premeditated, that was the other part that really kind of upset me was listening to the footage and seeing the extended version, the strike before, he tells me to “Step up to that shot” and he uses a word that you wouldn’t call a friend.

I understand the whole concept that when you’re on the lanes, no one’s your friend, but there’s a respect there for each other. And I think the best example of that is probably Pete Weber. There isn’t a guy I know who is more passionate and emotionally charged on TV than that guy, and yet I’ve never heard him, in all the years that I’ve been watching him, call another player a name. It’s always been a very emotional outburst, and whether it was directed to another player, he never actually used a curse word to call a player.

So a bit of me was thinking maybe this was slightly premeditated to, like you said, get me back for Brad. A little childish, if that was the case, and we’ll obviously have to ask Sean if that was the reason. But we had ample opportunity to discuss what happened with Brad if he was taking it on a personal level with himself or his company. We bowled all weekend. I think actually we spent a week and a half in the Middle East together prior to that showdown in Chicago. There was plenty of time then if he wanted to come up and say to me that he thought what I did against Brad was wrong or to discuss that, but there was no chat. We were friends, we went to dinner, we golfed together in Kuwait, and then, that’s probably where I’m a little bit confused.

I’m sure, if he ever does come up and talk to me about this, we can definitely find out the reason behind it, because I’m just so shocked about the reaction. I mean if it’s the fact that he just doesn’t like the bottle crinkling, then talk to me about it and say, ‘Look, you’re crinkling this bottle, everyone hates it, stop crinkling the damn bottle, get another thing, whatever.’ He could say it in so many different ways. I couldn’t believe what he had done.”

Jason was then asked if he believed that this was the result of some “built up animosity from Sean” and of the fact that he and Sean are on competing ball company staffs, and Jason replied:

“If he comes up to me that’ll be the first question I ask him. Was this a premeditated event? Was it on your mind from the beginning about somehow defending Brad’s honor in any way. That’s going to be one of the first questions that we’ll talk about.

I’m sure one of his first questions will be if I did it on purpose, and I’ll look him right in the eye and tell him I’ve been drinking water all of my entire career and this is the first time anyone’s ever said anything to me about a bottle crinkling, and, on top of that, it’s completely accidental and unintentional. That’s the part that I think I really want to stress to him and anyone else for that matter who has any doubts about what has happened.

It’s disheartening to think that someone would leave their country, their family to go and bowl against the best bowlers in the world, who has the talent to compete on their own, and then feel like I would have to purposely put people off with a simple crackle of the bottle. Like I wrote in my letter, if I’m going to put them off with a bottle, I’ll throw the bottle at their head. That’s how I’ll put them off with a bottle. That’s what just absolutely spellbounds me.

And then on top of all this, after the Angelo incident, if this was an intentional crinkle to put someone off, I would have to be the dumbest person in the world to do it again with about fifteen ESPN cameras and PBA cameras watching our every move. On top of that, it would be even dumber to do it in an event which I’m not going to earn a title from, and even dumber to do it in an event in which Brunswick and Sean were no threat to myself or Storm. There is absolutely no motive in my doing that to Sean that day.

And, like I said, the reason why I didn’t apologize to Sean was because the timing of it wasn’t horrible, it was accidental, but it wasn’t during his approach. That’s why I was apologetic to Brad, because it was in his third step, it put him off, and I felt absolutely horrible and distraught about it. But I’m not going to apologize to Sean because I feel like I haven’t done anything wrong.

What I have to do in the future is take that bottle out of my hand, giving no one the reason for anyone to imply that I’m trying to do something intentionally. So, that’s something that I’m going to have to do, and that’s where I hope it stays. I hope after everything that’s happened, and if any other guys on tour or around the world doubt me, come up to me, talk to me, look me right in the eye, and I’ll tell all.”

Bowling Video of the Day--Funny Sean Rash Commercial for ESPN

2011-06-23T19:32:00.000-07:00

Bowling Quote of the Day--PBA Should Disclose Amount of Rash' Fine

2011-06-23T17:25:00.000-07:00

"Why won't the PBA disclose the amount of his fine? It seems to me that the main reason to fine somebody is to act as a deterrent to others engaging in the same behavior. How can that deterrent be effective if the amount of the fine is unknown?"

--Comment in PBA Forum regarding the PBA's "undisclosed" fine amount of Sean Rash

Sean Rash Apologizes, Sort Of

2011-06-23T15:07:00.000-07:00

In the wake of the PBA's announcement yesterday that Sean Rash was being fined "an undisclosed amount for conduct unbecoming a professional" over the "Bottlegate 2" incident with Jason Belmonte that has yet to be aired on TV but has made the Internet rounds, Rash today released this arguably grudging apology for his actions:

To the PBA, my fellow bowlers, and fans:

I would like to apologize for my poor choice of words used during the taping of the 2011 GEICO PBA Team Shootout which will air on ESPN over the next couple of weekends. I would like everyone to know that this is not the type of image I want to portray as a professional bowler.
As for what happened, it is important to note that I stepped off the approach twice during the match against Jason Belmonte because I could easily hear the water bottle crunching. For the first water bottle crunching, I did not acknowledge the distraction, but after the second incident, I felt that it was more than coincidental and had to call him out on his unusual gamesmanship. The fact is that Jason has been warned before about his untimely bottle crunching, and I did not appreciate that he had not learned from his past actions and was continuing this tactic against me.
While I do apologize for my choice of language, I do not apologize for my actions on calling out Belmonte. In the heat of the moment, the words came out well before I could even think about what I was going to say. I can assure you that I will most certainly call out Belmonte or any other player who tries to use these unprofessional tactics against me in the future, but I will be sure to use a better choice of words.
While I have a great deal of respect for Belmonte as a fellow competitor, the fact is that he is still my competition on the PBA Tour, and bowling is a sport with intense competition. When I step onto the lanes, friendships are set aside. This is our chosen profession and our livelihood, and at times, things get heated.
As for how things are between Jason and I, let’s just say that we will settle it on the lanes.

Sincerely,
Sean Rash

Are you satisfied with Rash's apology? Do you think he even needed to make one?

Ron Mohr Seems Unbeatable in PBA Senior Competition

2011-06-23T10:19:00.000-07:00

"The dream continues I guess—it’s absurd. What can you say but that I’ve been extremely fortunate this year. It’s all been so unexpected coming into this season after not having bowled competitively for seven months."

--Ron Mohr

It seems as though the only thing that will definitely stop Ron Mohr (watch a video clip of his shooting 300 in last week's Senior U.S. Open here) from winning the next PBA Senior Tour tournament is a wedding. That's right, Mohr won't be competing in the USBC Senior Masters in Columbus, Ohio in August because he'll be attending his stepson Justin's wedding instead. If not for that, you'd have to make him the solid favorite, judging by his amazing accomplishments this season.

Of the six PBA Senior Tour tournaments that have been held so far this season, Ron has placed second, third, fourth, and won three titles, including last week's PBA Senior U.S. Open in Las Vegas, and this week's PBA Senior Northern California Classic in Brentwood, CA.

He achieved the latter yesterday by defeating PBA Hall-of-Famer Mark Williams 3 games to 2 in the Round of 16, two-time regular tour titlist Kent Wagner 2 games to 1 in the Round of 8, PBA and USBC Hall-of-Famer and last year's PBA Senior Player of the Year Wayne Webb 223-195 in the Semifinal Round, and 7-time regular tour titlist Hugh Miller 223-215 in the title match.

Miller, who has been called one of the most underrated PBA bowlers ever, scorched the lanes the day before by averaging a near record 264 for the second round 8-game block on games of 238, 237, 300, 268, 279, 248, 300, and 247 and led second place Walter Ray Williams Jr. by nearly 200 pins in qualifying while Ron Mohr was sixth in qualifying. But Mohr continued to show his indomitable spirit and skills in match play all the way to yet another title and a huge, if not overwhelming, lead in the Senior Player of the Year race.

I really wonder what this guy might be able to do on the regular tour.

You can read Jerry Schneider's official PBA.com recap of Mohr's victory here.

Leanne Barrete-Hulsenberg Looking Forward to 2011 U.S. Women's Open

2011-06-23T07:59:00.000-07:00

As I was leaving the bowling center last night after my sport league, I ran into Gary Hulsenberg, husband of female professional hall-of-famer Leanne Barrette-Hulsenberg. Gary and Leanne operate a pro shop at Fireside Lanes in Citrus Heights, CA. They're departing for Texas today so that Leanne can compete in the U.S. Women's Open.

Leanne has appeared in televised bowling competition over 100 times, has won 26 PWBA titles including the USBC Queens Championship in 1999, was twice voted PWBA Player of the Year, and is a member of the USBC Hall of Fame in the Superior Performance category, but she's never won a U.S. Women's Open.

But Gary says she's been bowling very well lately and that he and she both like her chances this year. For one thing, the U.S. Open format favors her game because it's a long tournament where the lanes will have a chance to break down and Leanne can keep moving left into her wheelhouse and open up the lane with her unusually powerful release. This gives her an edge over all but a handful of elite female bowlers who'll be competing this year.

I hope to see her in the televised finals broadcast live from Cowboys Stadium on July 2 at 6 PM Eastern, and I'd love to see one of The Strike Shop walls adorned with a bigger-than-life copy of the $50,000 first place check for winning the title.

Go, Leanne.

Bowling Quote of the Day--Tom Clark on GEICO Team Shootout

2011-06-22T17:36:00.000-07:00

"For bowling fans who may think the GEICO Team Shootout was a so-called ‘silly season’ exhibition, I think they will find out otherwise. It was a fierce competition for the second annual Manufacturer's Cup, with significant money and a great deal of pride on the line. It featured 20 of the best players in the world bowling with one goal - to win - and that shines through in this series."

--Tom Clark, PBA COO and Deputy Commissioner

Walter Ray Takes on Wayne Webb at PBA Northern California Senior Classic

2011-06-22T16:02:00.001-07:00

If you have PBA Xtra Frame and a way to watch it this evening, check out the featured match coming up between Walter Ray Williams Jr. and Wayne Webb in the Round of 8 at the PBA Senior Northern California Classic. The match begins around 5 PM Pacific. I won't be able to see all of it before I have to leave for my sport bowling league tonight, but I look forward to catching all of this very promising match in the Xtra Frame archives later.

Wayne Webb looks very sharp coming off knee surgery and his outstanding showing last week in the PBA Senior U.S. Open, and he seems to be picking up from where he left off in this week's tournament in Brentwood, CA.

Catch him and Walter Ray if you can and let the PBA know that you value their Xtra Frame webcasting service and senior bowling.

Bowling Video of the Day--Justin Bieber vs. Shaq in Trickshot Competition

2011-06-22T15:42:00.000-07:00

PBA Fines Sean Rash For Bottlegate 2

2011-06-22T14:57:00.000-07:00

Many were wondering what would happen to Sean Rash for his profanity laced tirade (see video below) against Jason Belmonte at the GEICO Team Shootout recently. Even though the incident won't be shown on TV until the first weekend of July, video clips of it have made the Internet rounds, and there has been much discussion of it on this and other bowling blogs as well as bowling forums.

Belmonte even weighed in Monday with a very strong public statement denying that he deliberately sought to distract Rash with his water bottle and expressing profound disappointment with Rash and others for impugning his character over this. Yesterday, I posted my "blow by blow" breakdown of the incident and said what I thought about it.

Today, the PBA announced that they're fining Rash "an undisclosed amount for conduct unbecoming a professional." Your guess is as good as mine as to how much the fine will cost Mr. Rash. I suppose I could ask him at the all-day bowling clinic I plan to attend this Saturday at Fireside Lanes in Citrus Heights, CA, but I think I'll pass on posing that particular question to him. Perhaps you'd like to mosey on over and ask him yourself.

I will say, as I did yesterday, that I don't think Rash should be punished too severely for his outburst, but he and the other players should be strongly discouraged from future very public behavior of this kind. As for Belmo, a lot of people think he should be fined too. But for what? I still think the "Bottlegate" incidents with Brad Angelo and Rash were accidental and that, in any case, there's no proof that they were intentional. However, I think Belmo needs to be officially warned, if he hasn't been already, to keep his hands off his water bottle at crucial times during his matches with opponents, and if he fails to do this, then the PBA would be justified in imposing sanctions.

What do you think? Do you think Rash should have been fined or otherwise disciplined? If so, how much, or how? What about Belmonte?

Two-Handed Women and One-handed Thumbless Senior Bowlers

2011-06-22T11:51:00.000-07:00

One of the great features of PBA Xtra Frame is that you can submit questions via the PBA Facebook page and get them answered almost immediately on the webcasts. Today, during Xtra Frame's coverage of the PBA Senior Northern California Classic, someone asked Jeff Mark and Jason Thomas if any seniors on tour bowl two-handed.

The answer was that no one, except for Walter Ray fiddling with it from time to time, does, probably because the two-handed delivery places too much strain on the lower back to lend itself to use by older bowlers. But, both Mark and Thomas opined that we might start seeing more elite female players using this style.

For, whereas a man using this style gets only a relatively small rev and speed advantage over the more powerful one-handed stylists on tour, an effective two-handed female bowler would have a tremendous power advantage over all but, perhaps, Michelle Feldman. So, if a woman were to start throwing the ball well two-handed, it could entice many other women to adopt the style, and this could have a huge impact on elite women's bowling.

I followed up this question by asking if any seniors on tour bowled with no thumb one-handed. Thomas answered that no one on the senior tour does now but that there's a guy in Southern California approaching seniorhood who might soon make a dent on the tour with his one-handed thumbless style and that Mike Miller, who cashed in the Tournament of Champions this year, would also be a senior soon and could be a thumbless force to be reckoned with.

If I don't beat him to it with my own thumbless style, that is. :-) Or maybe I should further develop my two-handed game.

Bowling Quote of the Day--Old School Doesn't Cut It Today

2011-06-21T19:26:00.000-07:00

"If your position is that any iota of anything other than blind devotion to the gentlemen's chess match of professional bowling is anathema, then please direct me to the bowling center or other professional bowling tour using this model to generate massive fans and profits."

--Mike Jakubowski, PBA announcer and publicist, commenting in the PBA Forum

Team USA Roster Announced for Women's World Championships

2011-06-21T17:05:00.000-07:00

"This is one the strongest, most experienced teams we have ever fielded to compete in the Women's World Championships. It was difficult to narrow down our roster to just six players because we had six other players on the team who were just as deserving to represent the United States."

--Rod Ross, Head Coach of Team USA

I can just hear the legendary Mr. T saying, "I pity the fool who bowls against this team." Team USA has just announced its roster for the 2011 World Tenpin Association Women's World Championships in Hong Kong later this year.

How would YOU like to bowl against the team of Carolyn Dorin-Ballard, Liz Johnson, Kelly Kulick, Stefanie Nation, Shannon O'Keefe, and Shannon Pluhowsky?

You can see how this juggernaut of a team does against its competition by watching all rounds of the tournament live on BOWL.com on Sept. 3-11.

Breaking Down Bowling's Bottlegate 2

2011-06-21T13:40:00.000-07:00

Point/Counterpoint

Belmo did it on purpose. He didn't do it on purpose. Belmo's a cheater and a liar. Belmo's a good guy who made mistakes and just needs to be more careful from now on. Sean Rash is a jerk. Sean Rash is a tough competitor who doesn't take crap from anybody and gave Belmo what he deserved. The PBA should punish Belmo and/or Rash. The PBA shouldn't punish Belmo and/or Rash. The PBA is milking these Bottlegate incidents for all they're worth. The PBA is simply sharing the news of what happened. The PBA should use these incidents to stir up interest and attract viewers to the telecasts. The PBA should say nothing about these incidents and should edit them out of the telecasts. Impressionable children and society at large will be scarred for life by seeing these incidents. Children already see much, much worse, and neither they nor society will be harmed in the least by it.

If you read the various bowling forums about Bottlegate 1 and, especially, 2, these are the diverse opinions you'll encounter about these incidents. I never cease to be fascinated by how human beings can see and judge the same events in such wildly contrasting ways.

I think I've already made my opinions regarding Bottlegate 2 pretty clear, but I wrote yesterday that I planned to post my updated "take" on the matter today with the help of the extended video the PBA released yesterday (see below), so here goes.

What I see when I look at the video

Extended Clip: Rash/Belmonte Bottle Incident - Funny bloopers R us

At the beginning of the video, there is some kind of "roll off" competition between Rash and Belmonte. Rash is on the approach while Belmonte takes three sips from his water bottle. Then, as Belmo puts the cap back on the bottle and begins to set it down on the floor, Rash puts his ball back on the rack but doesn't say anything. It's not clear if Rash is reacting to a bottle noise or not. I can't hear any bottle noise, but this isn't to say there isn't one. Rash has a well-publicized tendency to balk on his shots, so maybe he didn't hear anything that made him put his ball down and regroup, and maybe he did. Then he grabs his ball, throws a strike, and says not very loudly but loudly enough to be heard, "Step up to that, Bitch," as he walks back and Belmonte gets up for his shot. Belmo throws a strike and sits back down. Rash gets back up, picks up and wipes off his ball and steps up on the approach while Belmo reaches for his water bottle and can't find it at first, finally does find it, picks it up and just holds it from the bottom with one hand and from the near the top with the other, Rash turns around, Belmo apologetically says, That was...," and Rash puts his ball back on the rack while saying, "Really. Lot's of fu*king class right there," resets himself, and Belmo waits until Rash releases the ball before he picks his bottle back up and it seems to make a crinkling sound when Rash's ball is more than halfway down the lane. Rash says, "Go through it!" as his ball looks like it might go high but strikes, and then he turns around and yells, "Take that, you bottle bitch! Come on! [Bleeped inaudible] Come on! Let's go! Let's have some fun!" while he walks back and high fives his Brunswick teammates and then sits down and says, "I'm tired of it. Everyone, you do it to."

What I think about it all

I won't bore you with a long winded exposition on what I think. I'll simply say that I believe Belmo when he says he didn't purposely distract Rash, and even if he were lying, I don't think anyone could prove it, and, therefore, no one should flatly accuse him of what they can't prove, especially given the way he's conducted himself in all other respects. I think Rash was out-of-line to act the way he did but that this doesn't make him one of Keith Olbermann's "worst persons in the world." I think the PBA should fine Rash or at least strongly warn him that profanity won't be tolerated in televised events. I don't think the PBA was wrong to report on the event and even use it as promotion of its upcoming telecasts. I don't think the PBA needs to edit out the incident although it probably should and probably will be required by FCC regulations to edit out a choice word or two. I don't think airing the incident will significantly impact children who watch it or society at large. I think Bemo needs to consciously adjust his pre-shot routine so that he doesn't touch water bottles while his opponents are on the approach and in the process of making a shot in the finals of a PBA event, or he needs to use a water container that doesn't make noise. No, better just to not touch ANY water container while opponents are bowling.

You've seen the most revealing video, you've read my take on it. What do you think? Or do you think you need to see it all on TV first?

PBA GEICO Team Shootout Information

2011-06-21T13:30:00.000-07:00

ESPN's telecasts of the PBA GEICO Team Shootout, complete with "Bottlegate 2," get underway this Saturday and Sunday, the 25th and 26th, and conclude next Saturday and Sunday. Unlike past summer team competition, this event is held in an upscale Chicago bowling center instead of outdoors at an amusement park, and it features several different kinds of singles, doubles, and team competition.

Word is, the competition is unusually intense and high quality for an off-season event, and, of course, Sean Rash calls Jason Belmonte a "bottle bitch" for making a crinkly noise with his water bottle. So, it sounds like it has something for everyone, and maybe, unfortunately, something that is NOT for everyone.

Interestingly enough, I'll probably be getting a bowling lesson from Sean Rash at a bowling clinic on Saturday while the first episode is being shown, so I'll have to watch the program on my DVR later.

Jerry Schneider has the lowdown on the competition and this weekend's telecasts here.

Bowling Video of the Day--Roh Mohr Shoots 300 on PBA Xtra Frame

2011-06-21T10:55:00.001-07:00

For those of you who have never seen the leading player on the PBA Senior Tour, Ron Mohr, bowl, or even for those of you who have but can't get enough of watching this great senior in action, especially when he shoots a 300 game in the PBA Senior U.S. Open, this one's for you.

Walter Ray Leads First Round of PBA Senior Northern California Classic

2011-06-21T05:17:00.000-07:00

"I can’t complain because I’ve been bowling great overall. My mindset is always to move on to the next tournament and try to win that one."

--Walter Ray Williams Jr, speaking of his opening performance in the PBA Senior Northern California Classic after losing the title match last week to Ron Mohr in the Senior U.S. Open.

As the TV sitcom character Gomer Pyle used to say, "Surprise...surprise...surprise," Walter Ray Williams Jr. is leading after the first 8-game round of the PBA Senior Northern California Classic in Brentwood, CA. His very first game was a 300, and he followed it with games of 205, 249, 258, 225, 215, 259, and 277 for a 248 average.

Not far behind him is Sacramento's Noel Vazquez in second, Harry "The Legend" Sullins in eighth, Hugh Miller in ninth, the venerable 71-year-old Dave Soutar in thirteenth, Mark Williams in fifteenth, and last week's Senior U.S. Open winner and leader in the Senior Player of the Year race Ron Mohr in sixteenth place. You just know he's going to be in the thick of it at the end.

The players will bowl another 8-game round today, and the field of 100 will then be winnowed down to 32 for match play on Wednesday, with the Round of 8 followed by the championship match beginning around 5 PM Pacific. PBA Xtra Frame will be covering the action today and tomorrow, so be sure to tune in.

Click here for the full story and standings.

Belmonte Releases Impassioned Public Statement on Bottlegate

2011-06-20T14:22:00.001-07:00

"I will say this loud and very clear and I say it to those who have bowled against me in the past, those I will play in the future and to the fans watching. I am a respectful, honourable and honest bowler and person. If you beat me, you did it because you were better than me on the day and the same goes if I beat you. Simple as that."

--Jason Belmonte

When Jason Belmonte's water bottle first became the center of controversy back in March in his televised match with Brad Angelo, I didn't know what to think. Here I'd been writing posts of glowing praise not only of Belmo's awesome bowling talent and skill but also of his sterling sportsmanship as a competitor and gracious affability as a human being, and then along came this unfortunate incident that, to the superficial eye, cast doubt on Belmo's character being all it was cracked up to be. After all, it would be pretty underhanded of him to deliberately crinkle his water bottle to distract Angelo, and it would downright mendacious of him to lie repeatedly about it afterward.

But when I examined and reexamined the video of the incident, listened to and read what both Belmo and Angelo had to say on the matter, and weighed all of that against my observations of Belmo's actions and character ever since he came to my attention several years before, I came to the tentative conclusion that Belmo was speaking the truth when he insisted that he hadn't purposely crinkled his bottle to distract Angelo, and I felt sad that a good many people in the bowling forums I frequented were accusing Belmo of cheating and denigrating his character.

I also took strong exception to Jason Thomas' article that appeared to me to effusively praise Angelo for standing up to Belmo the way he did on the telecast and to indirectly chastise Belmo and to cast aspersions on his character for defending himself and criticizing the PBA's handling of the incident.

Then along came the more recent incident with Sean Rash, and I was left wondering if I'd been too quick to jump on Belmo's bandwagon. After all, you'd think that after the incident with Angelo and all the controversy it stirred up and the upset it caused Belmo, the last thing in the world he would even think of doing is going near a water bottle when his opponent was up on the approach.

I subsequently posted an entry to my blog about this, and Belmo read it that same day and sent me a private message denying that he had deliberately sought to distract Rash and explaining exactly what happened. I then watched the only video available at the time over and over and came to the conclusion that Belmo's denial and explanation seemed credible after all. Later, another video came out that showed a little more of what happened, and it too appeared to me to support Belmo's comments to me.

Well, today Belmo released a lengthy public statement (click here to read it) on both "Bottlegate" incidents. In it, he denies, as he did to me, that he deliberately tried to distract either Angelo or Rash, insists that he has tremendous respect for the sport of bowling and for the PBA and that he would do nothing to tarnish either one, states that a person's character and integrity is of vital importance to him and that he resents the aspersions that have been cast on his by people too quick to jump to the worst possible conclusions about these bottle incidents, and explains exactly what happened with Sean Rash and how he feels about it and Rash's reaction.

Here are some of the highlights of Belmo's statement:

"Over the last few months my credibility as a bowler, as a person and as a friend has been cast over a shadow of doubt. I have been labeled a cheat, a child, and much worse things by fans, and other pros. Even worse, pros that I considered friends.
For what? Because I drink water out of a bottle? Don’t all athletes during pressure filled situations?
I said sorry to Angelo during and after our match at the Dick Weber Playoffs last season. I felt like the timing in which the bottle popped was extremely unfortunate. It caught him and even though I didn’t agree with how he reacted, I did the right thing and told him it was accidental, that I felt horrible about it and in no way did I intend to put him off. This incident was then blown out of the water by certain staff at the PBA, blasted all over Facebook and PBA.com, with poorly chosen headlines and edited YouTube clips to not only cause doubt over my intentions while bowling against Angelo but also to cause doubt over who I am as a person. To say after that incident I was upset was an understatement. I hate that it happened and I thought I made that clear by how apologetic I was on the day and in interviews there after that show.

Fast forward to June for the PBA Summer Series, one of the last matches of the summer series ended up with Sean Rash and I being the last bowlers left standing. Like I had for every single other frame of every other match I start my pre-shot routine by taking a drink from the water bottle given to me by the TV crew on the set.

On one of the closing shots of our match, while Rash was preparing, I had searched for my bottle that had fallen under my seat. I picked my bottle up off the floor. I held it by the bottle cap waiting for him to complete the shot. It popped in my hand, well before I was ever thinking about opening it. Not in his 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th or 5th step, but before he had even taken a single step on the approach. I didn’t hold the bottle on the sides, pressing it in, trying to pop it during his approach. I simply was waiting. He pulled back, set himself again and bowled a great shot. When it struck, the verbal abuse started and his language with children present and the fact that it was on TV was appalling. He claimed in his rant, between the cursing, that what I do with the bottle I do to everyone else on tour and that he took it upon himself to express that for everyone...

I have spent my entire career labeled a cheat because of the technique I have developed. I have spent years proving that I only beat you on the lanes because I was better than you on the day, not because I am breaking rules or trying to put people off...

I am completely insulted and disappointed by Rash and his actions. I am embarrassed and feel so stupid that I once not only called him a friend but when Rash was away from his family and friends in foreign lands across the world it was I who was there for him...

This blatant verbal abuse and disrespect is not what the PBA deserves from one of it’s current and for sure future stars, nor do I deserve it as a player or as a human being."

In addition to Belmonte's passionate statement, a new video clip of the Rash incident was released today that shows more of the entire incident and from a different camera angle than before. I hope you'll read Belmonte's statement in full, check out the video below, and tell me what you think. I plan to post my take on these most recent revelations tomorrow.

Extended Clip: Rash/Belmonte Bottle Incident - Click here for more blooper videos

The Secret to Ron Mohr's Success?

2011-06-20T13:44:00.000-07:00

There are many reasons to subscribe to the PBA's outstanding video streaming service Xtra Frame. One of them is, of course, the opportunity to see what is arguably the most important part of a PBA tournament--the match play (and sometimes even qualifying action) that leads up to what you see on TV on Sunday morning or afternoon.

Yes, the televised finals determine the top places and payouts, but what you miss without Xtra Frame is all the competition, adjustments, ups and downs, and drama that got the finalists on TV in the first place and kept the others off the show. And you miss the incredibly incisive commentary from the most knowledgeable people and, often times, most celebrated performers in the game. If you really love bowling and want to learn as much as you can by those best able to teach it to you, an Xtra Frame subscription is priceless.

One thing I learned about not long ago on Xtra Frame was PBA senior superstar Ron Mohr's exercise regimen. I don't remember the name of the Xtra Frame guest who said this, but a PBA senior bowler and friend of Mohr's was with Mohr in his motel room on a senior tour stop not long ago when Mohr announced to him that he had to do his workout routine before heading to the bowling center for competition. And what was the 50+ year-old Mohr's routine? He got down on the floor and reeled off 400 pushups in perfect form without a break and then followed that with 700 consecutive situps. He then showered, got dressed, headed to the bowling center, and bowled his squad, presumably performing better than everybody or almost everybody else.

Now I don't know about you, but the mere THOUGHT of doing 400 nonstop pushups followed by 700 nonstop situps exhausts me. To think that Ron Mohr actually performs this Herculean feat that would do the late, great Jack LaLane proud and then go out and kick bowling butt in PBA senior competition boggles my mind!

I'm not a PBA bowler and never will be. But maybe I ought to start doing my pushups and situps. When I worked my way up to Mohr's level of superhuman fitness, it would be interesting to see if it improved MY bowling game.

Care to try it yourself and report back to this blog with YOUR results?

Bowling Video of the Day--Jason Belmote Lofts the Big One

2011-06-20T11:43:00.000-07:00

Bowling Quote of the Day--Bottlegate is Good For Business

2011-06-20T11:21:00.000-07:00

"I think these antics are great television, and the many prime time cable TV reality shows that have brought in HUGE advertising dollars are a testament to that. And I do not think it turns our sport into a spectacle. If anything, it dramatizes before the viewer's eyes the kind of intensities and pressures that come along with competition at the highest level of a sport, particularly in a sport where there is comparatively so little to gain and so much to lose. Poker-faced dopes throwing the ball and sitting back down again without the slightest word or gesture is boring and will do nothing for PBA or the sport as a whole. We're not trying to shape the culture here. The PBA is not the 700 Club. If you want the Howdy Doody Show check your local listings for reruns."

--PBA Forum commenter

Bowling Quote of the Day--A Fellow Aussie Defends Jason Belmonte

2011-06-19T10:35:00.000-07:00

"I presume you have personally spoken with Belmonte and asked him if he did any of it on purpose at any stage? Everyone has the right to their opinion but the vitriol towards someone like Belmo who is a pretty humble guy with good family groundings is a pretty disappointing thing to see, as I have no doubt most of these guys including you with the hate agenda probably haven't even met the guy or if you have, may have spoken to him for 5 secs.

You feel equally fine sitting here behind your computer hammering someone for possibly crinkling a bottle (could have been accidental) but not condemning the reaction. There is no justification for any reaction like that except for someone with the mentality of a two year old. If either player wanted to be professional and (people calling Belmonte a coward for not getting in face is a joke), they should talk about it off set, however that doesn't always work, just look at the Angelo incident where both bowlers did talk about it, agree that it was an accident then Angelo goes and calls him out again about it on public radio. I think Belmo did well to maintain a steady reaction after the childish outburst.

Because someone is from another country, does that make their input any less significant? This is America, top statement, I forgot America was the be all and end all of the world. You have a great country filled with many nice people, but gees. And saying that someone defending Belmo as having no integrity, however you are sitting here praising Rash for a dumb and over the top reaction is equally crazy."

--PBA Forum comment

A Columnist Looks Into Bowling's Scoring Picture

2011-06-18T20:18:00.000-07:00

"It’s time to look into bowling’s scoring picture. It is long overdue. It should have been done long ago. It’s not getting out of hand, it is out of hand. There was a time when a bowler with a 200 average was the elite. That kind of average today means you’re just another bowler. This is not to say 200 isn’t a fine achievement. It just doesn’t carry the luster of years gone by. And the same goes for honor scores. They’re just too frequent..." Click here for the rest of the story.

Bowling Despite Handicaps

2011-06-18T16:31:00.000-07:00

I posted an entry in May about a guy who battled his way back from a catastrophic accident to bowl a 300 game at this year's USBC Open Championships. Well, now we have the story of a Pennsylvania family in which the father bowls using a cane to steady himself in his approach and delivery, his wife bowls two leagues a week even though she's legally blind, and his son bowled with him at the USBC Open Championships this year even though his own eyesight is fading from retinitis pigmentosa. Check out bowl.com's story of this remarkable bowling family here.

Southwest Region Wichita Open Draws Top Bowlers

2011-06-18T15:50:00.000-07:00

"I could have had another weekend of golfing, but I felt like bowling was more important than golf."

--Pete Weber

If you're a garden variety PBA regional player with visions of winning this weekend's Southwest Region Wichita Open at Thunderbird Bowl, I hope you brought your A game and have some help from "upstairs." Because you're going to need both in spades to beat exempt players Chris Barnes, Pete Weber, Sean Rash, Lonnie Waliczek, and Nathan Bohr along with the rest of the kind of talented field you can rightly expect to encounter in Wichita if you're going to cash that winner's check at the end.

If I were a regional player looking to earn some money in this tournament, I don't know if I'd be thrilled to bowl against these guys and to measure my game against theirs, or cursing them for picking on us little guys.

Well, actually, I think it would be the former, at least at the outset. But if I didn't bowl well and they did, it might end up being the latter. I know one thing. Even though I wouldn't bowl this tournament, there's only one place I'd even think of being today if I lived in or anywhere near Wichita.

You can read more about the tournament and its stellar participants here.

The Perfect Bottlegate Solution?

2011-06-18T14:47:00.000-07:00

In the wake of the recent "Bottlegate" incidents involving Jason Belmonte and his crinkling water bottles, someone in the PBA forum came up with quite the solution to the problem. You can check it out here.

Bowling Quote of the Day--Bottlegate 2 Was Not Contrived

2011-06-18T12:18:00.000-07:00

"I can't believe anyone thought the Rash/Belmonte incident was contrived. Why on earth would Belmonte ruin his image for the sake of creating some drama on a couple of PBA telecasts?"

--Comment in pbaforum.com

Bowling Video of the Day--Anne Marie Duggan vs. Leanne Barrette in 1991 Women's U.S. Open

2011-06-18T11:44:00.000-07:00

Ron Mohr Triumphs at 2011 PBA Senior U.S. Open

2011-06-18T06:08:00.000-07:00

"Walter’s the best out here and everyone kind of expects him to be the guy. It’s nice to become the top senior player in the world by winning the toughest tournament we bowl but right now I’m just going to enjoy the moment."

--Ron Mohr

Ron Mohr didn't get off to the best of starts in this year's PBA Senior U.S. Open in Las Vegas. He was in 67th place after the first round of qualifying, and only 56 players in the field of over 200 would make the first cut. "I was concerned at that point but not overly worried. At that point there was a lot of bowling left...so I just made the adjustments and took it a day at a time, which you have to do in a marathon tournament like this," said Mohr.

He made those adjustments, made the cut, and sat in 7th place entering match play at the end of 27 games of qualifying. 24 games of round-robin match play later, he had edged out Bo Goergen to secure the fourth and final spot in Friday's stepladder finals.

His first opponent was the reigning Senior Player of the Year Wayne Webb. Webb bowled tremendously well this week after coming back from knee surgery a few months ago and limited practice since then to nail down the third seed, and when he started the first stepladder match with his first six strikes, it looked as though he might give Ron Mohr more than he could handle. But Mohr began with a five-bagger of his own before leaving a 4-10 split that looked, given Wayne's hot start, like it might spell his doom. He then masterfully converted the split, Wayne left a light pocket 7 pin on his next ball, and before you knew it, Mohr had emerged victorious with a 265 game to Webb's 258.

In Mohr's next match with Harry Sullins, the scores weren't as high, but the competition was no less thrilling, ending with Mohr's narrow 220 to 211 victory over Sullins in a back-and-forth affair.

This left only one person standing in Mohr's way to his first senior major title. But that person happened to be Walter Ray Williams Jr., who dominated the later rounds of qualifying and much of match play before struggling a little in the final round. Walter Ray Williams Jr. and Ron Mohr. The two best players on the senior tour this season by far. One could not have asked for a better match up in the final game of arguably the biggest and most challenging senior tournament of the entire season.

But, as things turned out, it wasn't much of a match. Walter Ray never really got lined up, and Mohr cruised to an impressive 246-189 victory. "She was my guardian angel and she was with me today," Mohr said afterward, referring to his wife, Linda, who passed away in January after complications following surgery months earlier. Mohr, who was the 2009 Senior Player of the Year, had taken off much of the 2010 season to care for his ailing wife and, after she died, had been despondent and reluctant to return to the senior tour. Yet, he decided to give it a try and see how he did in the first few tournaments. His second, third, and fourth place finishes in addition to two titles this season have certainly vindicated his decision and placed him solidly in the lead for Senior Player of the Year as the senior tour heads into the second half of its season.

"Both the support back home and out here on tour has been unbelievable, and that has been very important to my success this year," said Mohr.

The senior tour now moves to Brentwood, CA for the Senior Northern California Classic at Harvest Park Bowl, June 19-22.

You can read Jerry Schneider's entire wrap up of the Senior U.S. Open for pba.com here and catch all the round-robin match play rounds and the stepladder finals on PBA Xtra Frame.

My Description of Extended Bottlegate 2 Video

2011-06-17T16:52:00.000-07:00

I wrote previously that PBA Xtra Frame was going to show a longer clip today of Sean Rash confronting Jason Belmonte for making noise with his water bottle while Rash was bowling, and I pledged to blog as soon after that as possible about what I saw.

Well, to tell you the truth, I'm disappointed. I expected a significantly longer and more revealing clip than I saw. The clip I saw today was only a few seconds longer than the original clip, and all it showed that the original clip didn't was Sean setting up on the approach, hearing a noise, presumably from Jason's water bottle, setting his ball back on the rack, and saying something like, "That's real class" to Jason before picking his ball back up and making the shot we've already seen in the original, somewhat shorter clip.

I thank the PBA for showing the video via Xtra Frame, but, like I said, I'm a little disappointed in it given how much the guys on Xtra Frame had been touting it as a more revealing look at this increasingly controversial incident that "Bowling Doctor" Jeff Mark has characterized as far and away the most intense confrontation he's ever seen between two PBA competitors.

Now I've heard that there's still more to see and hear than what's been released so far, and some if not all of that is supposed to be released in some fashion Monday or Tuesday of next week, but I'll believe it when I see it in terms of it shedding significantly more light on the controversy.

Judging from what I've seen so far and think it's likely that I ever will see of "Bottlegate 2," Belmo may very well have been telling the truth when he wrote to me personally last Tuesday to state that the noise was unintentional. And, barring my seeing good reason not to, I'm going to take him at his word and hope that this whole thing is laid to rest and that Jason continues to receive the respect of his competitors and of bowling fans for being the great bowler and fine human being he has long appeared to be.

However, he really does need to find a way to stop making distracting noises when his opponents are on the approach, and I have no doubt that he will.

Brian Ziesig Writes About Bowling With Emotion on the PBA Tour

2011-06-17T13:26:00.000-07:00

Brian Zeisig beat Jason Belmonte in sudden death in the thrilling title match of the 2010 Mark Roth Plastic Ball Championship. I've just read his comment in the PBA Forum regarding "Bottlegate 2," and I'd like to share it with you here:

"Based on the number of calls, and people I have talked to since the day after the incident(NOT the day it was put on the PBA website), I have come to the conclusion that all the emotion that you will see on the shows starting on the 25th is 100% real. I've heard words like contrived, WWE Style, they were told to do that, etc, etc, etc. I understand it's an "exhibition", but they are bowling for real money on those shows. Sometimes, I just don't understand what the people on the forums want. Each individual has their own personality. There were complaints about Dave Arnold when he was on shows, or any of the guys today when they are on the show if they aren't exciting, or show some emotion. They get ridiculed for being a robot, dull, what have you. Maybe that's just not in their nature to be emotional. Then guys make shows and are boisterous, do the crotch chop, and wear their emotions on their sleeve, and they get ripped too if they say or do something that may not be PC. So in short, what do you want from them?

I've made 1 show in my 15+ years as a PBA member(ironically against one of the participants in the most recent controversy), but I know a lot of those guys out there, and known them for a long time. Maybe I'll get in trouble for this, maybe it will get deleted, but I'm going to speak for them in a way that I believe they would want their collective voices to be heard. This goes out to all of their fans, and the fans of the PBA. Here goes...

"WE(the men and women that compete on the show) really wish that every show, every game on the show, and everything involved for people watching the show has the utmost in drama and excitement that people(bowlers and non-bowlers alike who watch our show)want to see. Unfortunately, that doesn't happen all the time. There are blow outs where matches are over in the 7th 8th frame. There are times when we just plain old struggle to find it. And there are times, when in the heat of the moment, we say or do things we regret during these matches. But the one thing that you can not take away from us is the REAL emotion we feel while bowling on National TV. We understand that we are not playing for millions of dollars, but the will and the drive to win that we all have can not, and must not be described as fake, contrived, or made up. We all want to win as much as any athlete in any of the major sports, whether as an individual as most PBA events are, or as a team in the PBA Summer Series, and sometimes, that emotion spills out in ways you may not like. But to say that we don't feel sadness when we lose, pride when we win, and downright anger if something occurs that we don't like and feel is unjustified, is just not fair. So to all of our fans who watch us either in person, or on TV, do us a favor. If you have a question about the emotion of an event, just ask. We will be more than happy to tell you exactly what was going through our minds at different points of the match. If you don't believe us, that's your prerogative, but if you really think that anything you will see on the shows on June 25th, or any other show for that matter is fake, made up, or contrived, I don't know what to tell you, other than thank you for watching, and that you're wrong."

Disclaimer - The above post is the opinion of the writer himself, and does not necessarily reflect the opinions of the PBA, its management, or its members."

Walter Ray Widening His PBA Senior U.S. Open Lead Going Into Final Day of Competition

2011-06-17T09:18:00.000-07:00

"I’m still throwing the ball well. I had to migrate left a little tonight as the lane condition broke down, but it wasn’t much – which was fine with me. There are no guarantees heading into tomorrow, but I like what’s going on. I’d be very happy to have to bowl only one game in the stepladder finals for the title."

--Walter Ray Williams Jr.

After 35 games of match play and qualifying, Walter Ray Williams Jr. entered today's final day of competition in the PBA Senior U.S. Open with a 203 pin lead over second place Wayne Webb, last year's Senior Player of the Year.

PBA Xtra Frame is covering all of today's action, albeit with some unfortunate technical glitches thus far this morning. The bowlers will bowl two eight-game round-robin match play rounds this morning and afternoon, and the top four will advance to the stepladder finals beginning at approximately 3:30 pm Pacific.

Extended Bottlegate 2 Clip Promised

And bear in mind that Xtra Frame is supposed to be featuring an extended clip of "Bottlegate 2" this afternoon between the final round of match play and the stepladder finals. Xtra Frame announcer Jeff Mark and commentator Jason Thomas have said that this could well be the "most intense confrontation in the history of the PBA."

If you don't subscribe to Xtra Frame, I'll be blogging about what I saw in the clip as soon as I can after viewing it.

Click here to read the story on Thursday's action and see the standings going into today's concluding action.

PBA Xtra Frame's Announcement About Bottlegate 2

2011-06-16T15:33:00.000-07:00

"I did get to see it today, I saw it, and you don't want to miss it."

--Jeff Mark

Today, I had meant to post a lot more about the increasingly infamous Bottlegate 2 incident where Sean Rash called Jason Belmonte a "bottle bitch" for crinkling his bottle while Rash was bowling. But I've been watching PBA Xtra Frame's live coverage of the PBA Senior U.S. Open, and I heard PBA publicist Jason Thomas and "Bowling Doctor" Jeff Mark explain that there's a lot more to the story than is revealed in the short clip of Rash's outburst that's been making the rounds.

Apparently, some pretty heated confrontations occurred before and after Sean's angry words that were caught by the cameras and will be shown the second weekend of ESPN's airing of the GEICO Team Shootout. The first week's airing is on Saturday, June 25. So, I'm reluctant to say much more about Bottlegate 2 until I've seen all of this.

PBA Xtra Frame Exclusive

Fortunately, as a subscriber to PBA Xtra Frame, I may not have to wait until early July to see it. For Jason Thomas and Jeff Mark announced this afternoon that they've obtained video from ESPN that shows more of the incident and that they've asked for and expect to receive permission to show it on Xtra Frame. If they do get that permission, they plan to show it tomorrow between the final match play position round and the beginning of the stepladder finals. This means it should air shortly before 3:17 PM PDT tomorrow. I wouldn't be surprised if it also ends up on YouTube shortly thereafter, but I wouldn't hold my breath waiting for it. In the meantime, I'll watch it tomorrow and blog soon after about what I saw.

Besides this, while watching Xtra Frame, I got a chance to ask Jeff Mark and Jason Thomas, via the PBA's Facebook, page the following question:

"Do you think Belmo is crinkling his bottle to purposely distract his opponents and is lying when he says he isn't, or do you think he's doing it out of unconscious, nervous habit?"

Jason Thomas replied on Xtra Frame by saying that given the frequency of Belmo's bottle crinkling and the problems it's been causing, there are essentially two "options": (1) Either Belmo IS deliberately distracting opponents and then lying about it when called to task for it, or he's pretty "clueless" or careless. In either case, Thomas said, Belmo needs to stop doing what he's been doing and should "come out and address it" publicly before he suffers irreparable damage to what's left of his good reputation.

Belmonte Writes to Me

Now it just so happens that after I posted my first blog entry about this issue on Tuesday, Jason Belmonte wrote to me privately to give me his side of the story, and I would love to share with you what he said. But I'm still trying to secure his permission to share it. In the meantime, I will only say that he denied purposely crinkling his bottle to distract Sean.

When I look at all the coverage I and other people are giving this relatively minor incident and issue, I feel a little sheepish continuing to write about it here. Yet, I won't lie and say that I'm not kind of jazzed over it and that I'm not having fun writing about it, and I've received many more hits on this blog over the past couple of days than I normally do. So, it seems as though a lot of you are interested too.

Please stay tuned for further developments.

Bowling Quote of the Day--Sean Rash's Comeuppance?

2011-06-16T15:18:00.000-07:00

"I can see 'balk bitch' in Sean's future."

--Anonymous comment referencing Sean Rash's frequent balking and his calling Jason Belmonte a "bottle bitch" for crinkling his bottle while opponents are bowling.

PBA Senior U.S. Open Enters Match Play on PBA Xtra Frame

2011-06-16T14:08:00.000-07:00

"You always want to be as far up in the standings as you can get. I’d like to have a 200-300 pin lead, but I don’t have that. We still have a long way to go, but I’m just hoping I can keep throwing the ball well and win some matches. I’m looking forward to match play. I haven’t bowled round-robin match play for quite a while."

--Walter Ray Williams Jr.

The PBA Senior U.S. Open finished its qualifying rounds earlier today in Las Vegas, and after 18 games of qualifying, Walter Ray Williams Jr. sat solidly in first place, followed by Kevin Croucher, Bo Goergen, Wayne Webb, Harry Sullins, Brian Voss, Ron Mohr, and Eric Forkel. PBA Xtra Frame has begun its coverage of the first round of top 24, round-robin match play and will cover the rest of the tournament right through the final matches Friday night.

If you haven't subscribed yet, sign up and enjoy these great senior bowlers in the biggest senior event of the season. And if you're already subscribed, you know what to do tomorrow night. But if you can't watch it then, you can always catch it later in the archives.

Click here to read Bill Vint's summary of the qualifying rounds and see the top 24 and their pinfall.