2011 World Series of Bowling Highlights

Bowling Video--2013 PBA Japan Cup

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

"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

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?

Ask the PBA and You Shall Receive

I posted an entry the other day about PBA Player of the Year Mika Koivuniemi being slated to throw out the ceremonial first pitch at a Cubs-Astros game at Chicago's Wrigley Field. Well, that event came to pass, even if it apparently didn't so much as make a blip in the media, bowling or otherwise. Indeed, I wonder how many people watching the game either in person or on TV even knew who the tall, lanky guy was who took to the mound to throw that pitch. And even if they knew who he was, did they even care the way they probably would if it were a pop star or top athlete from just about any other sport?

The PBA posted a video of Mika's pitch to their webpage soon after the fact. But I couldn't embed it here, so I wrote to them on Facebook and asked if they could create a YouTube version that I could embed. I was happily surprised over how quickly they obliged. Thanks PBA. Maybe that's one good thing about a sport not being too popular. It isn't too big to heed the comments and requests of the little guy. And there's none littler than me.

What do you think of Mika's pitch (see below)? Should he do like Michael Jordan a few years ago and quit his other job?

Mika Koivuniemi Will Be Looking for Another Kind of Strike on Memorial Day

I've posted many times that I think Walter Ray Williams, Kelly Kulick, and other great bowlers have not received the respect they deserve not only from the general public but also from bowling fans and the bowling industry itself. But at least 2010-2011's PBA Player of the Year Mika Koivuniemi has garnered enough respect in the sports world to be accorded the honor of throwing out the ceremonial first pitch at next Monday's Cubs-Astros baseball game at Chicago's famed Wrigley Field.

Koivuniemi and a bevy of other bowling stars will be in Chicago from May 29 to June 1 participating in this year's GEICO PBA Team Shootout at Chicago's luxurious 10-Pin Bowling Lounge. In the past, this competition has been held outdoors at amusement parks, but this year the PBA decided to go indoors and upscale. The action will be taped next Tuesday and Wednesday to be shown on ESPN beginning on June 25.

Given the fact that Mika grew up in Finland playing basketball, soccer, and hockey but has never so much as thrown a baseball, it will be interesting to see if he fires a perfect strike Monday night.

Here is the PBA press release about Mika.

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.

PBA Announces Its 2010-2011 Award Winners

Congratulations to Mika Koivuniemi for winning the Chris Schenkel PBA Player of the Year award, to Scott Norton for winning Harry Golden Rookie of the Year honors, and to Jack "The Ripper" Jurek for taking the Steve Nagy Sportsmanship award.

Koivuniemi won the PBA Tournament of Champions, was the only player to make it into the televised finals of all four "majors," earned the third highest amount in prize money for a season in PBA history at $330,040, and led the PBA Tour in average at 222.50. Norton, who won the Pepsi Chameleon Championship his first time on national TV, was the only rookie to win any national title this year. And Jurek, who also won the Steve Nagy award in 2006, was, according to the PBA press release, "an overwhelming choice" to win the award again this year.

I can't say that I disagree with any of these choices. The only question I have is about the Rookie of the Year voting. Scott Norton received 445 votes, while "no other player received more than 15." My question is, Wasn't Dan MacLelland also a rookie this season, and didn't he qualify for four telecasts and outpoint Norton by a wide margin in the major statistical categories? If so, why did he lose to Norton by such an overwhelming margin? It seems to me that either he wasn't officially a Tour rookie, or a grave injustice was served in his receiving so few votes relative to Norton.

You can read the PBA press release on the award selections here.

PBA Tour 2010-2011 Season's Most Memorable Moments

I just saw the PBA post to its Facebook wall the following question: "What was your favorite moment from the 2010-2011 Lumber Liquidators PBA Tour?"I pondered this question for a moment and came to realize that not only did I not have a "favorite moment" from this season, but I could scarcely think of any that I'd consider particularly memorable.

By contrast, last season was chock full of indelibly memorable moments. Chief among them were Tom Smallwood coming almost literally off the GM unemployment line to win the PBA World Championship; Walter Ray Williams Jr. shooting 290 against Chris Barnes to claim the Masters title and, eventually, his seventh Player of the Year award at the age of fifty; Chris Barnes losing the hotly anticipated first Chris Barnes Challenge to a collegiate bowler; Bill O'Neill establishing himself as the game's next superstar with his stunning dominance during the televised finals of the U.S. Open; Mark Roth rising almost literally from the dead to appear at the inaugural Mark Roth Plastic Ball Championship and even sit in the X'tra Frame booth with "Bowling Doctor" Jeff Mark and bowling announcer extraordinaire "Mike J. Laneside" for an extended session of his colorful storytelling about bowling's Golden Age and his insightful commentary about the action down on the lanes; "amateur" Brian Ziesig's sudden death victory over Jason Belmonte in the Mark Roth Plastic Ball Tournament after Belmo stuck the "atomic stone 7 pin" from hell on his one and only sudden death shot; and Pete Weber's impressive victories over Brad Angelo and Mark Scroggins to win the final tournament of the season, the Marathon Open, after a long hiatus from claiming any national titles.

And then there was my favorite moment of all, a moment that brought tears to my eyes and which ranks, in my humble estimation, as the most memorable and electrifying moment in the history of the PBA--Kelly Kulick's stunning performance in the finals of the Tournament of Champions to become the first woman ever to win not only this hallowed title but *any* PBA national Tour title.

Contrast all of this to the "most memorable" moments of this year: Mika's big miss and subsequent dejected sprawl at the U.S. Open, "Bottlegate,"Cinderella and the bleating vuvuzelas, and the Dick's wrong-footed strike against Barnes.

Well, actually, I'm being a little harsh. There were some fine moments on Tour this year, including Chris Barnes joining the rarefied ranks of Triple Crown winners, South Korea's "Dr. Gu" winning the PBA Scorpion Championship, Scott Norton stringing his first eight in his TV debut to win his first national title, Osku Palermaa winning his first PBA title, Tom Hess's emotional Masters win, Tom Daugherty's comical 100 game, Mika's 299 and title in the $1 million TOC and superb showings in all the majors, and Norm Duke's U.S. Open title.

Still, I wouldn't say that this was the year that was. I don't blame the PBA for this. It's just that the stars can't be in alignment to produce magic every season the way they were in the 2009-2010 season, and any season that has to follow such a magical one is bound to be under-appreciated.

Still, the PBA has my best wishes and hopes for next season.

Which were your most memorable and favorite moments of the 2010-2011 season?

Below is a short PBA video of 2010-2011 season highlights.

Special Olympian Bowls 857

You may not have heard of Kolan McConiughey, but President Obama has, and so has Mika Koivuniemi.

Obama learned of the Special Olympian after appearing on the Tonight Show and self-deprecatingly comparing his bowling game to that of a Special Olympian, prompting McConiughey to publicly challenge him to a match. Koivuniemi heard of McConiughey after the 37-year-old cognitively impaired man shot a sanctioned 857 in league at Colonial Lanes in Ann Arbor, MI on Feb. 3, and Mika, whose highest sanctioned series is 847, subsequently appeared recently at a public ceremony at the bowling center to honor him for it. "It's a great, great accomplishment. I've heard about him before, and finally I get to meet him. It was great," said Mika.

By the way, this isn't McConiughey's first honor score. He's rolled four other sanctioned 800 series and at least seven 300 games. I counted seven on the the USBC site. His scintillating 857 came via games of 299-258-300.

It seems doubtful that President Obama will ever accept McConiughey's challenge or make another unflattering remark about the kegling skills of Special Olympics bowlers.

You can read more about Kolan McConiughey in Rich Rezler's article here, and you can view a YouTube video of McConiughey bowling below.

2011 Dick Weber Playoffs: First Week's Telecast

"Why does that happen every time? Every time I bowl, it happens every time.”

--An understandably exasperated Ryan Shafer

I didn't get to watch the PBA telecast on Sunday. Actually, it was filmed long before that but broadcast Sunday. I don't know why they can't show these events live. I don't know about you, but it's much more exciting to me to see them live and not know who wins until it happens then and there than to know it was taped weeks or even months ago and who won. But if you do a bowling blog like this one or just spend any time online, it's all-but-impossible not to know who wins ahead of the showing, and that takes away from the whole experience.

However, given the format of this year's inaugural Dick Weber PBA playoffs, I guess they couldn't show all the matches on the same day. They had eighteen players, three in each of six different regions, competing against one another to crown the champion, and that takes more matches and more time than any network commanding a decent sized audience could hope to show in one day.

In any case, having aired my mild gripes about the Dick Weber broadcast format, I have to say that I did manage to watch a recording of Sunday's telecast yesterday, and I very much enjoyed the action. It took place at Woodland Bowl in Indianapolis, IN on the 39' Dick Weber oil pattern. Commentator Randy Pederson explained that the relatively short oil coupled with more than the usual PBA concentration of oil in the middle of the lane allowed the bowlers to "play to their strengths," "maximize creativity" and attack the pattern from "multiple angles." In other words, it made the lanes higher scoring than we see on tougher patterns.

But higher scoring made for a very entertaining 90 minutes. In the first match, the top three finishers arbitrarily assigned to the Eastern region--Scott Norton, Tom Smallwood, and Steve Jaros bowled one match to determine who advanced to the next round. Norton, the California native, part-time attorney, only lefty among the eighteen finalists, and son of female bowling legend Virginia Norton who seems firmly on track to win Rookie of the Year honors and who won a national title earlier this year in Dublin, CA couldn't buy a strike until the sixth frame, leaving four pocket 7's, while Smallwood opened with his first five before leaving a 10 pin and Jaros with his first seven before sticking a 10 pin. Jaros went on to finish first with a 258. Smallwood stepped up in the tenth needing a strike on the first ball to win outright and left a light pocket 7. He then needed to strike on the fill ball to tie and pulled the ball slightly leaving a four pin and losing by 1 pin to Jaros while Norton finished with a distant but respectable 224.

The next match featured South region contestants Tommy Jones, "underrated" Ryan Shafer, and Randy Weiss. Weiss first shot ever on TV was a solid strike while Jones kept getting tapped. All three were in the match until near the end when snakebit Shafer went into the tenth frame with a lead only to get shafted with a pocket 7-10, Jones doubled and left a four pin for 238, and Weiss needed to strike out to win by one and did, shooting a 239.

The final match of the telecast had Central region finalists Dick Allen (formerly Ritchie Allen until he decided that he should adopt a more adult sounding name after recently becoming a father), Player of the Year shoo-in Mika Koivuniemi, and Walter Ray Williams Jr. This was Walter Ray's first television appearance of the season and last chance to extend his record 17 straight year streak of PBA national titles. When asked why he'd struggled so much this year compared to his fabulous Player of the Year season last year, he surmised that his recent hernia surgery, shortened grip to lessen the pain in the knuckles of his arthritic bowling hand, and the fact that his old body was simply "falling apart" had something to do with it.

Nevertheless, he and Allen opened with five baggers before Walter left a stinging pocket 7-10 while Mika was never in it and Allen struck five more times before sticking a ringing 10 and sparing for a 289.

Next week, the finalists from the Midwest, Southwest, and West/Northwest regions will compete, and they include such luminaries as Bill O'Neill, Chris Barnes, Wes Malott, Jason Belmonte, Brad Angelo, and Jack "The Ripper" Jurek.

If I haven't spoiled it for you by recapping Sunday's highlights, or you'd like to see the telecast again, you can watch all of it in the videos below, and you can read PBA.com's official summary of the action here.

Why Would Anyone Not Like Norm Duke?

Yesterday, I posted about how some have criticized Mika Koivuniemi for "choking" and being too theatrical and unsportsmanlike at the end of the U.S. Open last Sunday. And some in my bowling league have said they can't "stand" him. By contrast, bowling fans everywhere seem to adore and almost revere Norm Duke, and one hears nary a bad word about him.

Yet, someone said to me the other night that he's heard that Norm's fellow touring pros don't like him very much. I was surprised to hear this, and I asked, if this happens to be true (and I greatly doubt that it is), what they don't like about him. He said he didn't know but speculated that it might be Norm's intensity and seriousness as a competitor as well as the fact that he beats their butts on the lanes more often than not.

I think Duke is unquestionably one of the most skilled and overall greatest bowlers who ever lived, and I love his intensity on the lanes and earnest demeanor and graciousness behind the microphone. It seems to me that he is the epitome of what a PBA bowler should aspire to be.

What do you think? Have you heard anyone say anything bad about Duke or have any idea why they might? The only bad thing I can say concerning him is that I would sure hate to have to bowl him in the final match of a major, because I know he would come at me with almost superhuman skill and iron willed determination to win by any means necessary. I would respect that, but I sure wouldn't like it. But not liking THAT is different than not liking HIM.

Unless you know something about him I don't, Norm Duke is one of the PBA bowlers I'd most like to meet and, if I actually liked beer, "have a beer with" or even befriend.

Norm Duke interviewed Monday on Inside Bowling

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?

Duke Defeats Koivuniemi in Shocking U.S. Open Finale

The 68th Lumber Liquidators PBA U.S. Open ended Sunday afternoon not with a bang but with a gutter ball as Mika Koivuniemi sprawled face-down on the approach in despair and Norm Duke sat behind in shocked disbelief as the new and unexpected holder of the most prestigious title in professional bowling.

It was unexpected because Mika Koivuniemi who, this season, became the first bowler in PBA history to appear in the televised finals of all four majors in a single season, had won the Tournament of Champions’ stratospheric $250,000 first prize a few weeks earlier, had made the brutal U.S Open lane conditions at the Brunswick-Zone Carolier in North Brunswick, N.J. look almost easy in mowing down Ryan Shafer and Tommy Jones with 236 and 241 games respectively in his two prior matches and had bowled equally well against Duke in the final match, and, as inarguably the hottest bowler on earth with a virtual lock on PBA Player of the Year honors, entered the tenth frame frame needing only 16 pins to win the title.

He stepped up confidently on the approach, executed an almost perfect delivery, and buried the ball in the pocket, leaving a solid 10 pin. He needed only a spare and eight count to clinch the victory. But Mika, one of the best spare shooters on tour, uncharacteristically threw the ball in the gutter only inches before it reached the ten pin, and the match was over. Norm Duke had won his second U.S. Open title, and Mika sat dejectedly behind a now jubilant Duke after loudly berating himself in Finnish while lifting himself off the approach.

“You’d like to say to yourself I just won the U.S. Open, and maybe I’ll grow into that, but right this minute, I feel like Mika lost the U.S. Open,” Duke said after his stunning victory. “I had conceded the match. I knew the last four strikes were important, because you never know what’ll happen. But missing the ten pin is like having your ace pitcher on the mound, and he throws four straight balls and you lose...That’s what happens under pressure. That’s why guys miss three foot putts. And it’s fatigue. I’m exhausted. If I had to make a ten pin to win, it would be suspect at best.” But, Duke added, “It’s not that I didn’t deserve to win. I was the top qualifier. I did throw four strikes in a row after leaving a solid 8 pin in the eight frame. I did what I needed to do.”

This was the 7th major and 34th national title of Duke’s fabled career, tying him with the legendary Mark Roth for fourth place on the all-time PBA Tour title list, and his win earned him an $80,000 first place check, a beautiful trophy adorned with a bald eagle on top, and a green jacket several sizes too large for the diminutive champion.

“Duke is one of the greatest players ever. I knew it was going to be a tough match,” said Koivuniemi graciously in defeat. “I took the biggest shot of my life in the 10th frame and left the ten pin, but unfortunately I didn’t make my spare. It was my nerves, I guess. I was thinking about the wrong things. This is the first time in my life I’ve lost a title like that.”

Nevertheless, Mika Koivuniemi’s $40,000 runner-up check lifted him over the $300,000 mark in earnings for the season and further strengthened his claim to Player of the Year honors as the Lumber Liquidators PBA Tour heads this week to AMF Thruway Lanes in Cheektowaga, N.Y. for the Mark Roth Plastic Ball Championship. Amateur Brian Ziesig won it last year in a thrilling sudden-death overtime victory over Jason Belmonte by striking after Belmonte left "an absolute atomic stone 7 pin" heard round the world.

Final Standings:

1. Norm Duke, Clermont, Fla., one game, 225 pins, $80,000.
2. Mika Koivuniemi, Hartland, Mich., three games, 693 pins, $40,000.
3. Tommy Jones, Simposnville, S.C., one game, 158 pins, $20,000.
4. Ryan Shafer, Horseheads, N.Y., two games, 415 pins, $13,000.
5. Bill O’Neill, Southampton, Pa., two games, 387 pins, $11,000.
6. Dan MaClelland, Saginaw, Mich., one game, 150 pins, $10,000.

Playoff Results:

Match One (Saturday night): O’Neill def.MacLelland, 204-150.
Match Two (Saturday night): Shafer defeated O’Neill, 193-183.
Match Three: Koivuniemi def. Shafer, 236-222.
Semifinal Match: Koivuniemi def. Jones, 241-158.
Championship: Duke def. Koivuniemi, 225-216.

Below are Parts One and Two of the Final Match:

Bowling Bytes--6/4/10

~ PBA Spare Shots: Koivuniemi's Win in Istanbul Extends Global Title Portfolio to 12 Countries -- "Professional Bowlers Association players are spanning the globe during the “off season,” some of them helping to create international exposure for the bowling product companies they represent, and others gaining more competitive experience. In mid-May, native Finlander Mika Koivuniemi won the 7th Istanbul Open in Turkey, defeating Mykhaylo Kalika of Ukraine, 548-424, in the two-game title match for a first prize of $10,000 Euros. For the globe-trotting Koivuniemi, it was the 12th different country where he has won a title. American two-handed player Cassidy Schaub set a tournament record with a six-game qualifying block of 1,591. Fellow 2009-10 Lumber Liquidators PBA Tour competitors Tim Mack, Brian Voss and Stu Williams of England also bowled in the Istanbul event..."

~ Don Sylvia Wins Senior Northern California Classic -- "Don Sylvia of Reno, Nev., defeated J.P. Muller of Gervais, Ore., 209-173, to win his third career Professional Bowlers Association Senior Tour title in the PBA Senior Northern California Classic at Harvest Park Bowl Wednesday.Sylvia, who won his last title in the Lake County Indiana Open in Hammond, Ind., three years ago, earned $8,000 while Muller, a non-titlist bowling in only his seventh Senior Tour event, won $4,500 as runner-up...The PBA Senior Tour now heads to Las Vegas, Nev., for back-to-back major championships. Wayne Webb of Columbus, Ohio, will try for his third consecutive Senior U.S. Open title June 6-11 at Suncoast Bowling Center on the north side of Las Vegas. The following week, Dale Traber of Cedarburg, Wis., will try to defend his USBC Senior Masters title across town at South Point Bowling Center, June 13-18..."

~ Many strikes, few gutters for former Stockton resident -- "Life just seems to keep getting better for Walter Ray Williams Jr.The former Stockton resident has won more events on the Professional Bowlers Association Tour than anyone in history. His 47 titles and seven player of the year awards are records. He's won 17 tournaments since turning 40 years of age, also a record, and his most recent POY award came in April at the conclusion of the 2009-10 Lumber Liquidators PBA Tour season..."

~ O'Keefe assumes new role as coach with ITRC, Team USA -- "USBC silver-level coach Bryan O’Keefe has assumed a new role as Assistant Coach with the International Training and Research center as well as with Team USA. O’Keefe, who posted scored of 275, 286, 258 and 235 for a 1,054 total in Singles at the Bowlers Journal Championships this year, brings unique coaching expertise to his new position...O’Keefe, who has a career average of 213 in 16 years of competing at the USBC Open Championships, is a chief architect of the USBC’s two-handed bowling instruction curriculum. O’Keefe will also supervise the ITRC pro shop in his new role, and looks forward to bringing his experience and knowledge of lane play and transition to his position as an assistant coach with both the ITRC and Team USA..."

~ USBC's Bowl.com honored for its online videos -- "Matt Lawson, Director of Video Production for the United States Bowling Congress, recently was honored with a Telly Award for his video work that appeared on BOWL.com, the USBC website. The Telly Awards honor the best local, regional and cable TV commercials and programs in addition to video and film productions, and work created for websites..."

~ Kansas bowler tied for Classified Singles lead at USBC Open Championships -- "After two games of singles at the 2010 USBC Open Championships, Don Clayborn of Kansas City, Kan., had his sights set on the first 700 series of his tournament career but had no idea a big finish also would give him a shot at a Classified Singles title.The 62-year-old right-hander started singles with games of 202 and 246, and while his 221 finish left him short of his goal Thursday, he now is tied for the lead in Classified Singles with 669. Clayborn shares the top spot with David Garcez of Merced, Calif., who set the bar on March 14...Clayborn isn't the same bowler he was prior to a heart attack in 2003, but his passion for the sport and appreciation for the Open Championships keep him coming back to the tournament every year..."

~ Surasak Manuwong, Kristel Oh lead Singapore Open Masters qualifiers into the finals -- "Surasak Manuwong (pictured left), Thailand, and Kristel Oh, Singapore, held on to the lead in the qualifying of the 43rd Singapore International Open Masters competition Thursday at Orchid Bowl at Orchid Country Club in Singapore en route to lead 42 men and 30 women into the finals on Friday and Saturday. Manuwong's 1061 total, an average of 265.25, was the sole 4-game series over 1000 in both divisions. Aaron Kong, Malaysia, was second in the Overseas Pool with 970 andSomjed Kusonpithak, Thailand, was third with 962...Kristel Oh set the tone in the women's division leading the Local Pool with 963 or an average of 240.75. PBA Women's Series bowler Shalin Zulkifli (left), Malaysia, had the second highest 943 total to lead the Overseas Pool..."

~ USBC 'Gift For Life' program awards 12 scholarships -- "Twelve United States Bowling Congress Youth bowlers have been selected to receive $1,000 college scholarships through the USBC Gift For Life Scholarships program. Gift For Life Scholarships are annually awarded to USBC Youth members who are high school students, have a GPA of 2.5 or better (on a 4.0 scale) and can demonstrate financial need. Recipients were selected by a committee of USBC staff members and the scholarships are managed through the SMART program..."

~ The nose knows -- "Because I have a nose for news, I can tell you that 2010 is the 10th anniversary of the introduction of scented bowling balls by the folks at Storm Products.You may recall that the first scents used were green apple and citrus. In ensuing years, just about any aroma you can think of has been utilized, including black cherry, lemonade, banana and, of course, the one scent that nobody can resist — chocolate..."

~ Bowling ball maker finds sweet smell of success -- "Odors associated with bowling traditionally include smelly feet, cigarette smoke and beer. But what about grape, amaretto and cherry? One bowling ball manufacturer — Storm Products Inc. — is putting fruit and other popular scents into its mid- to high-end bowling balls, resulting in a steady increase in sales. More than half the bowlers on the Professional Bowlers Association tour last year used them, including four-time PBA champion Ryan Shafer..."

Bowling Bytes--5/24/10

I'm back from something of a blogging hiatus, and today's entry is chock full of recent bowling news.

~ Pennsylvania bowler rolls 47 consecutive strikes -- "Tommy Gollick of Oberlin, Pa., set a United States Bowling Congress national record by rolling 47 consecutive strikes during league play at the Red Crown Bowling Center in Harrisburg, Pa., on May 11, pending the submission of certification paperwork. Gollick didn't exactly get off to a great start during his Tuesday night scratch league with a 4-10 split and open first frame. But the split did not foretell what would turn out to be a record-setting evening. After knocking down the 4 pin for a 9-count in the opening frame, Gollick struck out for a 279 game and then proceeded to throw three consecutive 300 games to finish the four-game set with a total pinfall of 1,179..."

~ Ohio bowler shoots 300 and 811 at USBC Open Championships -- "Earon Vollmar (pictured left) of Toledo, Ohio, got off to a rough start in singles at the 2010 USBC Open Championships, failing to mark in two of his first three frames. The 21-year-old right-hander decided to make a ball change, and everything fell into place. He rattled off a near-record 28 consecutive strikes on the way to games of 247, 300 and 264 for an 811 series, which is tied for second place in Regular Singles. Terrence Syring (right) of Bay City, Mich., leads with 833..."

~ Former champions challenge lead at USBC Open Championships -- "Five years ago, KR Strikeforce of Decatur, Ill., conquered a very demanding lane condition and outdistanced its nearest competitor by 119 pins to take home the Regular Team title at the United States Bowling Congress Open Championships. With success comes added pressure, and one of the team's main goals since winning has been to prove that the victory wasn't just a fluke. The group has only cracked the top 100 one time since winning, but nearly reclaimed the top spot at the National Bowling Stadium on Wednesday night..."

~ PLAYER SPOTLIGHT: Mike Scroggins -- "The player who impressed me the most out on Tour this past season was Mike Scroggins. Although he doesn't throw the big power ball like Jason Belmonte or Tommy Jones, have the ability to throw the ball a gazillion different ways like Chris Barnes or possess an uncanny nose for the winner's circle like Walter Ray Williams Jr., the things Mike Scroggins does with the talent he has is a testament to what you can achieve by setting goals, believing in yourself and working hard..."

~ PBA Senior Tour Starts Western Swing May 30-June 2 With Northern California Classic -- "The Professional Bowlers Association Senior Tour resumes action May 30 with a stop in Northern California followed by two Senior majors—the Senior U.S. Open presented by the Suncoast and the United States Bowling Congress Senior Masters—both to be conducted in Las Vegas. Reigning PBA Player of the Year and Hall of Famer Walter Ray Williams Jr. and defending champion Dale Traber head a list of more than 100 players scheduled to compete in the Senior Northern California Classic at Harvest Park Bowl in Brentwood May 30-June 2...PBA Hall of Famer Wayne Webb will try for an unprecedented third consecutive Senior U.S. Open title when the event returns to the Suncoast Bowling Center June 6-11. Webb, who recently moved to Columbus, Ohio, won the Senior Columbus Open in his new hometown April 27 for his third Senior Tour title...The Senior Tour will move to South Point Bowling Center in Las Vegas for the Senior Masters June 13-18 where Traber will try to defend his Senior Masters title...PBA.com’s Xtra Frame video service will provide coverage of the Senior U.S. Open and Senior Masters. Click on http://xtraframe.pba.com/Info.aspx to subscribe to Xtra Frame to catch all the action..."

~ The 11th Frame: Jaros wins 43rd PBA Regional Title -- "Steve Jaros won his 43rd PBA Regional title over the weekend, pulling him within one of the all-time PBA record. Jaros, who earned $2,500, beat Anthony LaCaze in the title match of the Illinois Valley Classic in Peru, Ill. LaCaze won $1,300. The event, which was contested on the Shark pattern, was "old school" with qualifying, 16 games of round robin match play and a stepladder finals..."

~ PBA West Leaders Through May 24, 2010

~ PBA Southwest Region Leaders through May 23, 2010

~ PBA Central Region Leaders through May 23, 2010

~ PBA Hall of Famer Andy Marzich Dies at 74 -- "PBA Hall of Famer Andy Marzich of Torrance, Calif., died Tuesday after a battle with cancer. He was 74. Inducted into the PBA Hall of Fame in 1990, Marzich was a six-time PBA Tour titlist who won all six of his titles between 1962 and ’64 with three titles coming in 1963 and two in 1964..."

~ Andy Marzich--R.I.P.

~ Donnie Layman: Andrew Koff's Rising Star -- "As many of you have already read, 18 year-old Andrew Koff of Miami won the Southern Region Jupiter Open this weekend. If you haven't seen this young man bowl yet, you're truly missing out on a potential legend in the making (yet another reason to subscribe to Xtra Frame). Being a South Floridian myself, I had heard his name making the circles as the "next big thing" in bowling in our area. At that time I had never seen him bowl in person, but had been told that there were a few videos from a couple of JBT stops in which he had made the finals. After doing some Google searches I came across the videos, and though at the time he was all of 13 his game sure didn't reflect it. He was playing angles on the lane that most kids that age haven't dared to attempt or been coached to "see", and he was doing it with accuracy and consistency. To say I was impressed by the video would be an understatement to say the least...This kid has the potential of becoming one of the all time greats in our game if he continues to pursue it..."

~ Mika Koivuniemi regains lead in European Bowling Tour rankings -- "With the victory in the 7th Istanbul Open, his second win on the European Bowling Tour this season and the fourth of his career, Mika Koivuniemi, Finland, regained the lead in the men's ranking..."

~ Mika Koivuniemi shoots big games to win the 7th Instanbul Open -- "8-time PBA champion and PBA Player of the Year 2003-04, Mika Koivuniemi (pictured left), Finland, posted some big games en route to win his second European Bowling Tour title of the 2010 season in the 7th Istanbul Open Sunday at Timeout Bowling Center in Istanbul, Turkey. In the title match, Koivuniemi fired games of 258 and 290 to fly past Mykhaylo Kalika, Ukraine, 548-424, and to pocket the 10.000 Euro top prize..."

~ Team USA's Edwards, Janawicz blog from Guatamala -- "Today, three-time Team USA members Brenda Edwards and John Janawicz wrap up their blog from Guatemala City after concluding their experience at the 2010 Pan American Championship of the Champions tournament with a Gold medal in Mixed Doubles. The event was the first competition on the schedule for Team USA 2010, which recently visited Arlington, Texas, for the first Team USA training camp to be held at the International Training and Research Center..."