Men's and Women's Singles Highlights at 2013 WTBA World Championships

Bowling Video--Save Bowling

"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.

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

"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?

Deputy Commissioner Tom Clark Discusses the Present and Future of the PBA, Part 1

Many have criticized the PBA mercilessly over the past few years for everything from its comparatively meager prize funds and diminishing tour stops to ESPN announcer Rob Stone's sacrilegious "hambones" to recent telecasts featuring blaring rock bands, cheerleaders, smack-talking Dicks, and bleating vuvuzelas.

Critics complain that the PBA is demeaning professional bowling and selling out its base supporters who deeply love and respect the sport by resorting to crude marketing gimmicks to grab hold of younger, uninitiated fans with gnat-like attention spans, iPhones, Facebook, and a zillion-and-one increasingly gaudy, glitzy, and energetic entertainment alternatives vying for their attention and their dollars.

These complaints are especially prevalent in the PBA Forums of the PBA website. So, it's not surprising that Tom Clark, the Deputy Commissioner and Chief Operating Officer of the PBA, recently chose that very forum to meet his harshest critics head on. Challenging questions and thoughtful suggestions were submitted to him, and he responded with trademark forthrightness and wit.

Over the next few days, this blog will present and consider some of the highlights of Mr. Clark's responses and invite your comments.

Some Season Highlights

Yesterday, I quoted Mr. Clark's overview of the challenges the PBA and its players face in today's market and of the misperceptions he thinks a lot of the PBA's most vociferous critics have of the organization's struggles. These words followed a litany of what Mr Clark considers to have been some of the highlights of the 2010-2011 season. Some of the highlights he listed were:

~ The first PBA telecast on ABC-TV in 14 years and Nelson Burton Jr's participation in that telecast.

~ The TOC boasting the largest prize fund "in bowling history."

~ Extended live television coverage of some of the majors.

~ Chris Barnes accomplishing an extremely rare Triple Crown victory with a dramatic strike in the 10th frame of the WSOB.

~ An unsung competitor from Korea winning a title by beating his Korean opponent in the final match of the PBA Scorpion Championship.

~ Bill O'Neill's masterful domination of "a WSOB qualifying marathon across five patterns and 60 games in one of the most demanding tests of bowling ever."

~ Widespread media coverage of Mika Koivuniemi's 299-100 victory over Tom Daugherty in the TOC.

~ Unprecedented live match play round coverage of a major.

~ The first "all-two handed match in PBA TV history."

~ Mark Roth throwing the ceremonial first ball of the Mark Roth Plastic Ball Championship.

~ Former Miss USA Kimberly Pressler "working the sidelines" of a televised event.

~ Jason Couch and Parker Bohn reviving the past by meeting in the final match of a plastic ball tournament.

~ Mika Koivuniemi making the finals of all four televised majors.

~ Howard Stern talking on his radio show about the PBA for a month.

~ The Chris Paul PBA Celebrity Invitational making the PBA "look cool played by the coolest people on the planet."

~ Tom Hess' "emotional win at the Masters."

~ Norm Duke's "stone 8-pin" followed by Mika Koivuniemi's 10-pin miss to hand Duke the U.S. Open title.

Clark Criticizes Misreporting

Mr. Clark believes that the highlights he lists demonstrate that the 2010-2011 PBA season was a "super year." But he laments that the critics flooding the PBA message boards and other forums with unreasonable complaints and misinformation obscure this.

For instance, he tells of how he once joked on Facebook that the three "cheerleaders" working the crowd during the final telecast of the season were paid $7,000 (they were actually paid $50) each out of the "PBA player buffet budget," and a bowling webcast host who should have known better reported Mr. Clark's "facetious comments" as fact. This same host reported numerous other falsehoods as fact over the course of the season. Clark says:

"I share that story with you because it is just one small example of the type of incorrect information that somehow becomes accepted as “truth” or fact because of the lack of a filter on the burgeoning new social media on the internet. Unprofessional, unqualified, uninformed, often bitter, often frustrated, agenda-driven people suddenly have a voice, often an anonymous one like on this board, and too many spread lies, rumor and paint inaccurate portrayals that somehow shape public opinion and somehow in today’s world that is OK. It’s really sad, it’s unfortunate that it happens on serious issues that shape our lives and even here on this relatively trivial message board almost every single day."

Mr. Clark also writes about how commenters on Facebook's PBA page were criticizing the PBA for allegedly paying only 16 of 250 spots in the WSOB when, in fact, it had a "better than 1:3 payout ratio," and about how other commenters insisted that the "exempt tour model was keeping people from their dreams (when the reality is most events were open last year, none were completely closed, and some of the most compelling stories of the year came from players who were not exempt at the start of the season)."

Mr. Clark concludes the opening part of his response with the following:

"I understand the frustration people in and around bowling have. But they shouldn’t have to make things up or wildly exaggerate to make a point...Thankfully, for every negative person there are many positive voices being heard because of the new media, and greater opportunities for people to share them so I suppose it all works out in the end...I personally appreciate the passion most of you here have for this sport. But pro bowling needs your help, not your venom. Please redirect that passion by demanding the media give coverage and respect to our sport, by thanking sponsors with your letters and financial support, by making sure your local center promotes the pro game, by supporting the professionals you admire on the lanes. Don’t get me wrong, criticism is great. Complaining and pointing out what you don’t like or think is wrong is great. As long as it is based on reality. Merely proclaiming bowling is dead or rooting for the PBA’s demise, and dishing negative facts without any confirmation or characterizing things as “atrocious” and the like while not doing anything positive is just really lame and really you should just go away. But wow, I’ve beaten that point to death."

I agree with Mr. Clark that people should check their facts before criticizing the PBA for things it hasn't even done and that they should keep in mind the tremendous challenges the PBA faces in making its product appealing to sufficient numbers of fans and sponsors and do everything they can to support the PBA in its herculean efforts to live long and prosper. On the other hand, I hope that the powers-that-be in the PBA don't defensively dismiss legitimate criticisms and suggestions that the PBA's most ardent fans serve up in the PBA Forums and social media. If we all work together, perhaps the PBA can survive and even thrive.

What's Next?

In my next post, I'll start addressing Mr. Clark's responses to the questions and suggestions that were put to him, beginning with Why the vuvuzelas?

If you wish, you can jump ahead of me and read the whole discussion here after, if need be, registering.

Men's Team USA Takes Two Golds and One Bronze in the Final Two Days of the PABCON Championships

"We had a good run this week, and it's hard to be too disappointed. This format is a total crapshoot and for us to get a couple medals is OK. We're always disappointed when we don't win, but we brought home the gold in the important events."

--Bill O'Neill

Congratulations to Men's Team USA for winning the gold medal in the five-person team event and to Bill O'Neill (photo above) for taking the gold in all events and co-winning, with Chris Barnes, the bronze medal in the Masters event of the now concluded PABCON Championships in Guadalajara, Mexico.

Team USA ended up winning four out of six golds, 1 silver, and 1 bronze medal. Meanwhile, Canada's Dan MacLelland, who shined on the PBA Tour last season, took the gold in the Masters event.

After the five-person team competition that Team USA narrowly won over Puerto Rico, Chris Barnes had this to say:

"There's no doubt that the talent in the American Zone has gotten stronger and that showed today. It's always a good feeling when you get in a close situation and win. The bottom line is when it came down to the last game, we bowled well enough to pull it out while everyone was scrambling."

If Barnes is right, the era of Team USA's dominance in international bowling competitions, like its dominance in many other areas, may be swiftly drawing to a close. But it was fun while it lasted.

You can click here for the round-by-round results of the Masters competition.

Men's Team USA Now Competing in PABCON Men's Championship in Guadalajara, Mexico

While the regular PBA Tour may be on hiatus, some of its biggest stars are busy this week bowling for Men's Team USA in the PABCON Men's Championship in Guadalajara, Mexico.

Team USA is one of sixteen national teams competing in the five-player Team, Trios, Doubles, Singles, All-Events, and Masters events at the Pan American Bowling Confederation's Men's Championships. It probably comes as no surprise that Men's Team USA has won 25 out of a possible 30 gold medals since 1997, and should do well again this year with Walter Ray Williams Jr., Chris Barnes, Bill O'Neill, Patrick Allen, Michael Fagan, and Wes Malott making up the team.

Everybody practiceed last night on all the oil patterns, and the action officially begins today. Stay tuned to this blog for the results as they unfold.

Below is a video of Men's Team USA practicing on the PABCON lanes.

Bowling's Bottlegate Between Jason Belmonte and Brad Angelo Continues

Summary of Matches

Congratulations to Jack Jurek, Jason Belmonte, and Chris Barnes for their victories in their regional championships of the 2011 Dick Weber Playoffs that were televised yesterday. Jurek bowled 221 to Wes Malott's 206 and Bill O'Neill's 178 to win the Midwest region. Belmonte shot 211 to Brad Angelo's 201, and Dino Castillo's 160 to win the Southwest region. And Chris Barnes rolled 217 to Lonnie Waliczek's 201 and Lenny Boresch Jr's 177 to take the West/Northwest region. All three bowlers will now advance to the next round where Steve Jaros will take on Randy Weiss, Dick Allen will bowl Jack Jurek, and Chris Barnes will bowl against Jason Belmonte in semifinal matches to be televised next Sunday.

Yesterday's scores were lower and the bowlers seemed to struggle more than in the previously televised regional matches because, as Chris Barnes explained, the front part of the right lane especially was burnt and hooking a lot while the backends of both lanes were tight. Barnes addressed the challenge by using a weaker ball to get as cleanly as possible through the front part of the lane while still getting enough hook and hitting hard enough on the back end to carry, albeit barely, strikes. Other bowlers had trouble keeping their balls from hooking early and either missing the pocket left or rolling out into the pocket to leave flat 10's.

You can watch all three matches below.

Bottlegate Crinkles and Pops On

There's been much ado in this blog, the PBA website, and other blogs and media sources about what is now being called the "Bottlegate" incident between Jason Belmonte and Brad Angelo where Angelo complained to Jason about Jason's distracting him with a noisy water bottle. You can find my previous take on all of this here and here as well as watch the incident here. However, it seems that there's more to say that may be worth saying about it all.

Angelo Podcast Interview

Above180 featured a recent podcast interview with Brad Angelo that you can listen to here. Of course, he was asked about the "Bottlegate" incident, and here is some of what he had to say:

Well, over this last week I’ve gotten a few phone calls about that, and a lot of people kind of saw what I felt, and so I went on yesterday to see the clip, and I don’t know...I don’t really know what to say about it. I don’t want to throw Jason under the bus or anything like that, but it was a little peculiar that he had picked up the water bottle when I stepped back up on the approach, and then he was very quiet, and then right during the silence of me walking to the foul line that he had, I guess, squeezed it loud enough for me to hear it again. I mean even when I’m explaining it, it sounds a little goofy and it sounds a little petty, but when you’re bowling on TV and every person in the crowd is silent and sometimes you can barely even hear Rob Stone or Randy Peterson that are way down at the other end of the lane...so it’s pretty quiet, and then to have that happen at that point in the match, it was just frustrating at that time when it happened, and I guess that’s all I really have to say about it.”

Belmonte Interview

On PBA Xtra Frame's post-telecast show, "Bowling Doctor" Jeff Mark asked Belmonte about the incident and this is how Belmo described it:

“We had a chat at the end of it. There was a slight pop in a watter bottle that I was holding that caught him in one of the frames, and it was completely accidental. And we had a chat, and had a hug at the end of it, and everything’s fine. I think it got blown up out of proportion, and the way that I am, I just felt miserable at the time because you only get ten shots on TV, and to have one of those shots catch you or put you off...I know the feeling, and so I just felt really bad. But he was a gentleman and just basically said it was no problem, no hard feelings, and he ultimately said he had a chance to win the match, so no hard feelings...”

You can watch the entire interview by clicking on here.

One Person's Unflattering Take on Angelo

Kerry, a regular and thoughtful reader of this blog, saw something while watching yesterday's entire match between Belmo and Angelo that I hadn't noticed. This is how he describes it:

Yesterday, I watched and, for the most part, enjoyed all 3 matches in the telecast. Today, I've been reviewing this match on youtube.

My initial impression of Angelo was fortified by his behavior in the total context of the match. Being blunt, Angelo was determined to be a jerk from the start, and he certainly fulfilled that objective.

Angelo had a teenage "fan club" dressed in green shirts, carrying signs designed to show that Angelo was spoiling for a fight. One sign said, That's BAD Brad Angelo, another Pimpin' Brad Angelo, and other signs with That Ain't Brooklyn, to remind folks of his conflict with Barnes. At least twice, I observed Angelo look in the direction of the fan club and give a thumbs up. Clearly he was enjoying the juvenile adulation.

Angelo made a bad shot in the 5th, going through the nose, but only leaving 2. On the way back, he gave a dirty look to Belmonte. Belmonte's water bottle was on the table and he was standing behind the ball return, so Angelo was off base there. If he heard anything, it was LONG before he started his approach.

Angelo picked up his spare and then showed his true colors. Belmonte was on the left lane, the other side of the ball return. While Jason was preparing for his split conversion, Angelo started messing with the balls on the ball return, banging them together and directly in Belmonte's peripheral vision and very close to him. You can barely hear the sound of the balls in the video clip, so Belmonte certainly could hear them. Why did Angelo do that? Then, Angelo goes back to his seat and immediately starts squeezing his water bottle on the table. Clearly, he's seeing what kind of noises the bottle makes.

Now, here's Angelo, who's just made a terrible first shot in the 5th, but his focus on the water bottle instead on his game. That's way out there, IMO. I can't imagine any pro making a bad shot and then not trying to figure out how to fix it. At this point, it's clear that Angelo is fixated on Belmonte and the water bottles. Then, they go to commercial break.

Why didn't Angelo talk to Belmonte during the perfect opportunity afforded by the commercial break? I think he intended to throw the fit on camera hoping to rattle Belmonte and throw him off of his game. At that point, Dino was pretty much out of contention, so Angelo could win the match if Belmonte flubbed another frame or 2.

Jason Thomas wasn't very observant. If he wanted to show gamesmanship, he picked the wrong player. Belmonte wasn't the bad guy here. Watching the entire match gives you the proper perspective and information. Belmonte tried several times to talk to Angelo, but Angelo rebuffed him. Belmonte is a true gentleman and sportsman and was visibly upset over the incident. Fortunately, it didn't affect his game.

The really funny thing was that if Angelo had concentrated on being a "GOOD" bowler instead of a "BAD" man, he could have won the match.

At this point, I don't ever want to watch Angelo again. I don't enjoy that kind of behavior at all.

Now I have to say that I watched the match again today, and I can't say that I saw all of what Kerry did. But what about you? Do you think Belmonte tried to distract Angelo, or that Angelo overreacted or even tried to distract Belmonte in retaliation? Finally, do you think people, myself included, have made too big a deal out of this whole "Bottlegate" thing and that it's time to talk about more substantive matters?

PBA publicist Jason Thomas wrote a column today about how much he now admires Brad Angelo. I'll have a few words to say about this tomorrow, and that should pretty much lay all of this to rest so far as I'm concerned.

EJ Tackett and Men's Team USA

Unless you follow bowling pretty closely, you've probably never heard of EJ Tackett. But he deserves a lot more attention in the bowling world and beyond than he seems to be getting. At least that's the point I tried to make to PBA Xtra Frame's "bowling doctor" Jeff Mark and USBC announcer Lucas Wiseman the other day as Xtra Frame and bowl.com collaborated to bring us live online video coverage of the recent Team USA tryouts for the Pan American Games.

The tryouts, which took place Tuesday and Wednesday at the USBC's amazing International Training and Research Center (ITRC) in Arlington, TX, had all eleven members of this year's men's Team USA bowling eight games on each of four different patterns to partly determine which two bowlers would represent the USA in Guadalajara, Mexico this summer in North and South America's version of the Olympics held every four years.

The competing members were PBA stars Bill O'Neill, Chris Barnes, Patrick Allen, Wes Malott, Tommy Jones, Mike Fagan, and Walter Ray Williams, along with Scott Boyle, Steven Smith, Jarret Mizo, and EJ Tackett. The top two were determined based 60% on where they finished in the tryouts, 20% on their finish in the USBC Masters, and 20% on where they finished in the U.S. Open. By virtue of those calculations, Bill O'Neill, who ran away from the field for most of the tryouts, and Chris Barnes were the top two point-getters and will represent the USA in the men's bowling competition at the Pan American Games. I can't think of two better choices, can you?

But what impressed me almost as much as these two bowling superstars during the tryouts was the performance of EJ Tackett. For much of the competition, he held his own with bowling's big guns on challenging patterns, even sitting in fourth place after 17 games, until he faltered at the end, and by virtue of his performances during the tryouts and the U.S. Open earlier this year where he finished 15th overall, he was the highest overall point-getter among the non-touring pros on Team USA, finishing behind Walter Ray Williams.

What was so impressive about this? Well, EJ Tackett is only 18-years-old and is still in high school, and he throws what looks to me to be one helluva ball. I can't imagine how gratifying it must have been for him to make men's Team USA this year, finish so high in the U.S. Open awhile back, and then bowl so well against such a stellar field of pros in Arlington earlier this week. Talk about a kid's dream come true!

Well, not quite. EJ's biggest dream is probably not to win a PBA "major" or represent men's Team USA in international competition, but to win a PGA major. That's right, EJ Tackett says he loves golf more than he does bowling, is currently a 2-handicapper, and will be attending college on a golf scholarship next year.

As I watched him bowl during the tryouts, I wrote a Facebook message to Jeff Mark and Lucas Wiseman that I was surprised they weren't paying more attention to EJ instead of treating him like just another competitor. Mark's response was that unless and until he wins a big tournament, he hasn't really done anything all that noteworthy and doesn't deserve any more attention or coverage than he's been getting.

I respectfully disagree. I think one of bowling's biggest problems right now is poor public relations. It doesn't know how to market itself to the masses in a way that gets people interested and makes them respect the sport and the players more. When a young phenom like EJ Tackett or Kamron Doyle comes along, bowling publicists should jump on the opportunity to bring them to the public's attention. How many boys and girls and young men and women, who are the future of bowling, might be inspired by the stories of young competitors such as these to take up the game and get serious about it? When guys like Jeff Mark and Lucas Wiseman take the ho-hum attitude that they do, they're just shooting themselves and bowling in general in the foot, and they're not giving superbly talented and accomplished young competitors like EJ Tackett their due.

I wish EJ Tackett well with his golf game. He's certainly right when he says there is more "opportunity" in professional golf than there is in professional bowling. But I hope he keeps bowling too. I really like his game and would love to see him shine as a star on both the PGA and PBA Tours.

Below you can watch two video stories on EJ Tackett and video of the Team USA tryouts for the Pan Am Games. And you can click here for the official USOC press release on the selections for the Pan Am Games.

Who Didn't Vote for Kelly Kulick, and Why Not?

The Bowling Writers Association of America (BWAA) just selected Bill O' Neill and Kelly Kulick as the BWAA male and female Bowlers of the Year for 2010. I can't think of more deserving choices, and they are the candidates I would have voted for. Wait a minute. As a card carrying member of the BWAA, I did vote for them.

But what astonishes me is that not everyone voted for Kelly Kulick to win. Yes, she received 46 out of 48 first place votes, but two people cast first place votes for Wendy Macpherson.

Now I have nothing against Wendy Macpherson. She's inarguably one of the greatest female bowlers in history. But female Bowler of the Year after the unbelievable season Kelly Kulick had? Come on now! What "bowling writer" would fail to give proper due to what is very possibly the greatest year a female bowler has ever had?

I blogged recently about how Kelly Kulick has never received the respect she deserves for what she's accomplished. Her not garnering all 48 first place votes for Bowler of the Year is just another example of it. And the fact that the two dissenters were bowling writers with presumed expertise in the sport makes it all the more striking. It seems to be either a manifestation of abject ignorance and incompetence on the part of those voters, or a deliberate and spiteful slap in the face for Kelly Kulick for heaven knows what. Or maybe it just reflects a perverse fixation on Wendy Macpherson.

Here are the stats for Kelly Kulick and Wendy Macpherson. For whom would YOU have voted?

Kelly Kulick

1st, 2010 PBA Tournament of Champions

1st, USBC Queens

1st, U.S. Women's Open

1st, PBA regional, Lakewood, Wash.

1st, Pan American Confederation Women's Championships doubles

1st, Pan American Confederation Women's Championships team

1st, Malaysian Open

2nd, Pan American Confederation Women's Championships all-events

3rd, Pan American Confederation Women's Championships singles

3rd, Pan American Confederation Women's Championships trios

5th, PBA Earl Anthony Memorial Women's Series

7th, PBA Don and Paula Carter Mixed Doubles

PBA Women's Series average - 219.32

PBA Women's Series earnings - $46,440

Wendy Macpherson

1st, Japan Open including a 300 game

6th, PBA Don and Paula Carter Mixed Doubles

PBA Women's Series average - 198.42

PBA Women's Series earnings - $3,000

You can read more about the BWAA's selections here, and watch the championship match of the 2010 USBC Queens below.

Bowling Against a Legend

I bowl league at Fireside Lanes near Sacramento, CA. Yesterday afternoon, I subbed for a team in an excellent senior scratch league there. These are three-person teams, and each person is matched against his or her opposite member. My opponent yesterday was Betty Morris-Laub.

If you've followed bowling for a long time, the names Betty Morris and Laub should sound familiar. A certain Betty Morris was female Bowler of the Decade for the 1970's, three time female bowler of the year, and a holder of 17 women's professional national titles and numerous other bowling awards. In other words, she's one of the most accomplished female bowlers ever. And PBA Hall of Famer Larry Laub was voted the 37th greatest bowler in PBA history.

Well, it just so happens that Betty Morris married Larry Laub, and that same Betty Morris was my opponent yesterday in the Fireside Senior Classic. With her husband Larry looking on, she put on a veritable bowling clinic, shooting over 900 for four games and winning three out of five match points against me.

She bowls only once a week yet still averages well over 200 and retains the famous form and smooth execution of yesteryear. And although I haven't seen Larry bowl recently, I understand that he's still got game too, except that he now projects the ball a lot further down the lane than he famously used to.

As I've written previously, I feel blessed to bowl in a center that has one of the finest junior programs and junior coaches (Debbie Haggerty) in the nation, features the Steve Cook Classic and other fine leagues, has a pro shop owned by Gary Hulsenberg and Leanne Barrette- Hulsenberg, and in which I've been able to compete against the likes of bowling legends Steve Cook, Leanne Barrette, and Betty Morris, and even be coached by Bill O'Neill, P.J. Haggerty, and bowling psychologist Dean Hinitz. Every bowler should be so fortunate.

Just don't expect to be able to beat the "old legends" there. Like I said, they've "still got game."

Mika's Detractors After the 2011 U.S. Open

I’ve had the misfortune of reading some online comments about what a “choke,” “drama queen,” and “jerk” Mika Koivuniemi was Sunday when he missed that 10 pin and afterward. Here is one fairly representative comment on the PBA Facebook page:

I loved Mika the "Drama Queen" missing the 10 pin, he should get an Oscar for that, the falling on the approach was one thing, sitting with his hands in his head when he should have gotten to his feet and congratulated Duke was inexcusable. Suck it up boy, you made a bad shot. If Duke does not stone an 8 pin you are a dead duck anyway.

This is how I replied:

I'm guessing that Mika's loudest detractors not only won't ever have to "handle something like that," but that, if they did, they'd be so nervous they'd miss the 10 pin by throwing the ball in the opposite gutter several feet down the lane, and then they'd bawl like a baby afterward. ;-) What's the old saying, "Those who can, do, and those who can't, teach."? Well how about, Those who slam sports competitors can neither do nor teach.? ;-)

Mika bowled almost superhumanly well all day to find himself in that pressure-packed situation, and then he made a very human mistake at the end, just as Norm made one earlier in the game. Both bowled like champions, and both deserve praise rather than blame. Yes, Mika was upset, but only at himself, and he later said nice things about Norm. And life goes on.

Actually, I don’t accept the saying, “Those who can, do, and those who can’t, teach.” I understand that there are some excellent teachers among the ranks of the finest men and women bowlers in the world, including Norm Duke and Kelly Kulick. I’d gladly take lessons from them any day, and I was fortunate enough a few months ago to receive some coaching from Bill O’Neill. Now, if only I’d follow his advice.

I personally didn’t take offense at Mika’s reaction at the end. He had just lost $40,000 and the most coveted title in bowling by a mere few inches. Well, actually, he would have still needed an eight count on the next ball to clinch it, and that’s no gimme on a flat oil pattern. Remember Walter Ray, of all people, needing an eight count to make it to the U.S. Open TV finals last year and getting six? But the point is, I don’t think anyone can reasonably blame Mika for being as upset as he was, and I don’t think he acted egregiously in his upset. Furthermore, he did compliment Norm in his post-game comments.

What do you think? Do you think Mika’s conduct was inexcusably unsportsmanlike? Furthermore, do you think his missing that 10 pin will haunt him and, when and if he faces a similar situation in the future, cause him to miss again?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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