Mike Machuga Criticizes Jason Belmonte After USBC Masters

Jason Belmonte is my favorite bowler without question. I'm tremendously impressed with his physical game and with his mental strength to make the right moves and perform almost flawlessly in pressure packed matches. What's more, as his remarkable USBC Masters victory Sunday attests, he appears to be getting better and better, and I have little doubt that within another year or two he will have risen to the indisputable top of the sport in the eyes of virtually all knowledgeable bowlers and bowling fans.

And not only does he have an amazing physical game, but, from my vantage point as a viewer and reader of bowling media, Belmo has always seemed like one of the most personable people and gracious sportsmen on tour. Yes, I remember the "Bottlegate" brouhahas involving Brad Angelo and Sean Rash, but I could never believe that Belmo was deliberately trying to throw off his opponents by crinkling his water bottles. I chalked up these incidents to nervous habit under the immense pressure of televised competition.

But now there's a new scandal of sorts involving Belmo. Mike Machuga writes about it today in his bowling blog. It concerns a nailbiting match Machuga had with Belmo last week in the Masters in which Machuga had to double in the tenth if he were to hand Belmo his first defeat of the double elimination tournament.

Machuga writes that Belmo kept talking loudly to himself while he, Machuga, was going through his pre-shot routine and finally he chastised Belmo for it, Belmo stormed (no pun intended) away in anger, and, after winning the match following Machuga's failure to strike on his second ball, Belmo approached him to talk about what had happened, yet, instead of apologizing for his distracting actions, he merely berated himself for perpetrating them. I took the gist of Machuga's complaint to be that Belmo keeps doing these kinds of things in competition and then comes across as curiously self-centered in how he responds to criticism over it.

As I say, Jason Belmonte is my favorite bowler, and I never tire of singing his praises on this blog and to my friends and fellow bowlers. So many people seem to be looking for reasons not to give this great bowler his due--for example, he's not American, or the two-handed, thumbless game is not "real bowling"--that my heart sinks when I hear people calling him a "cheater" and a "jerk," and I still don't believe for a single moment that he's either.

But I hope he finds a better way to stand up to the pressure of competition than to do things that so blatantly distract his fellow bowlers at their most vulnerable moments. Until he does that, it looks like he'll be under a cloud, and it's a cloud to which he doesn't seem impervious. I believe that he feels quite bothered by these criticisms and disparagements--bothered all the way to the bank to cash his championship checks.

Jason Belmonte Interviewed About Bottlegate on Above 180 Podcast

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.”

PBA Fines Sean Rash For Bottlegate 2

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?

Belmonte Releases Impassioned Public Statement on Bottlegate

"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

Bowling's Bottlegate #2 Point/Counterpoint

Here are two adjacent Facebook comments about Bottlegate #2:

"Whats up with Belmo? This obviously was intentional AGAIN!! With all the talent he has why do this stuff?"

"You have no way of proving it was intentional either time. I think Rash needs to get over himself and worry about his own game rather than nonsensical "distractions" going on around him. Same for Angelo the first time."

Sean Rash Scolds Jason Belmonte in Bottlegate #2

"Take that you bottle bitch!...I'm tired of it. Everyone, you do it to."

--Sean Rash to Jason Belmonte after a Rash strike

Here we go again. A little over two months ago, I wrote a series of posts about the infamous "Bottlegate" incident in which Brad Angelo took Jason Belmonte to task for his noisy water bottle in a televised match. I defended Belmonte, mildly criticized Angelo, and rebuked PBA publicist Jason Thomas for disparaging Belmonte and praising Angelo.

Well, it's happened again. Somebody has called Belmo to task for making his water bottle talk at an inopportune time. This time it was during the taping of a GEICO PBA Team Shootout match in Chicago between Team Storm and Team Brunswick, and Sean Rash is the guy doing the scolding, albeit after a strike and in a very different manner from the way Angelo did it.

I'd be lying if I said I wasn't beginning to have serious doubts about Belmonte at this point. When it happened with Angelo, I thought it could very well have been an accident with an unexpectedly crinkly water bottle. But you'd think Belmo would now go out of his way to be careful about things like that. Besides, it seems to me that the sound emanating from Belmo's bottle this time is not an innocent crinkle but a fully deliberate popping of the top off the bottle just before Rash releases the ball. Now, of course, Belmo could have done this from force of unconscious habit that wasn't intended to bother Rash, but one could argue that this is being awfully charitable to Belmo under the circumstances.

Take a look at the two videos below (the first is of the incident with Angelo and the second is the one involving Sean Rash) and tell me what you think. And here is the write up that Jason Thomas did about Bottlegate #2.

Chris Barnes Looks Dominant in Second to Last Week of the 2010-2011 Season

"I’ve bowled well on TV the last couple of years, but last year the four people I bowled against shot a combined 1,012 so no one gave me any breathing room. I’ve bowled pretty well, and the season before, at the end of the year, I won back-to-back titles and left a 8 pin on the money shot in the U.S. Open to win. The things that haunted me through those TV shows Mark Baker (Barnes’ coach) addressed, and I fixed them, and when I get in those situations now there’s no fear about what’s going to happen. I know what I need to execute when I’m in those situations and it’s gone pretty well since then."

--Chris Barnes

Barnes' Vindication

A year ago, I posted a blog entry (you can click here to read it) titled "Why Do So Many Love to Hate Chris Barnes?" I wrote it a day after the telecast in which Barnes showed displeasure over a Brad Angelo crossover strike and Angelo got fired up over it and defeated Barnes during the final tournament of the season.

Barnes had had a rough year. Well, at least it was rough year for Chris Barnes, even though most touring pros would have probably considered it a good to great year. And after losing more than one "Chris Barnes Challenge" to lesser opponents, not winning a Tour title all season, and making that snide remark about Angelo's "Brooklyn," it seemed that the floodgates sprang wide open for fans to criticize and mock Barnes as an overrated, arrogant jerk who "always chokes" on TV. Never mind that, as I pointed out, he was still near the top in every statistical category and that the last three opponents he faced on TV that season shot a combined score of 811 against him.

Well, after performing superbly for Team USA in the 2010 Men's World Championships, winning the first major of this season in the PBA World Championship, sitting high in all the PBA statistical categories, and putting on a remarkable performance in his match televised yesterday against Jason Belmonte in the Regional Championships Round of the inaugural Dick Weber PBA Playoffs, I don't see how anyone can mock Mr. Barnes now.

Not only did Barnes not "choke" yesterday, but he elevated his outstanding game to a dazzling level of excellence. While all five other bowlers struggled to hit the pocket consistently and carry strikes, Barnes executed beautifully, hitting the pocket every time on a pretty tricky pair of lanes and carrying ten strikes on his way to a commanding 260-199 victory over Jason Belmonte in the final match of the day.

I don't know that I've ever seen him or anyone look sharper, and I don't think anyone has a better all-around game than his. Even if Barnes wins the title next week, Mika Koivuniemi appears to have a deserved lock on Player of the Year, but Barnes' only competition for the runner-up spot would be Bill O'Neill.

Not bad at all for an "overrated, arrogant jerk who always chokes on TV."

Other Matches

Randy Weiss def. Steve Jaros 191-179.

Dick Allen def. Jack Jurek 222-198.

Jaros and Jurek, along with Belmonte, earned $7,000 each.

You can read Bill Vint's summary of yesterday's televised matches here. As of now, I can't find any video posted online of yesterday's matches, but if and when I do, I'll present it in a follow-up entry to this one.

Carmen Salvino's Cure for the Uncommon Cough

You're probably tired of all the talk, here and elsewhere, about "Bottlegate," and, frankly, so am I. Even though I've been focusing more on how people reacted to it and to the PBA's handling of it than I have on the incident itself, it's probably time to move on, unless something comes to light that merits further attention.

However, before I move on, I'd like to share with you a Facebook comment that someone left on the PBA page soon after the "Bottlegate" story broke. The comment recounts a confrontation between the mercurial Carmen Salvino and the impassively cerebral Ray Bluth. I don't know if this really happened, but it sure sounds like it could have, and it's a delightful little story of a colorful confrontation between two bowling legends in a bygone era:

"This exchange between Brad and Belmo reminds me of an incident involving Carmen Salvino and Ray Bluth a number of years ago. Both bowlers were facing each other in a major tournament. Every time Salvino would get up on the approach and get into his delivery, Bluth would start to cough. Salvino figured Bluth was doing this on purpose, playing head games and getting Carmen to mess up. Finally, Salvino turned around, pointed his finger in Bluth's face and said: "You cough one more time, I'll punch you in the nose!" Bluth said calmly: "Go ahead, you'll hear from my lawyer!" The coughing stopped. After the match, Salvino goes up to Bluth and says: "You owe me money!" Bluth says:"What the heck for?" Salvino yells: "For curing your damned cough. Dr.Salvino will send you a bill!"

More on Jason Thomas' Praise of Brad Angelo

Jason Thomas posted an article to the PBA website the other day praising Brad Angelo as his new "favorite bowler." He said this was because Angelo is a good bowler who stands up to provocations from players like Chris Barnes and "Australian golden boy" Jason Belmonte and brings an "in your face" attitude to televised matches that gives PBA telecasts a needed dose of excitement. He also said he respects Angelo for not "bemoaning" his or the PBA's use of the infamous "Bottlegate" incident to stir up interest.

I posted an entry here Tuesday criticizing Thomas' article. I said I was "disappointed" with Thomas for defending his promotion of Bottlegate in the manner that he did, for praising Brad Angelo for his conduct, for insinuating that Belmo may have deliberately distracted him and then protested too much when called on it, and for implying that the PBA might do well to turn its telecasts into "PBA Sunday Smackdown" to liven things up and attract more viewers.

A Reader's Comment

I was pretty harsh in my criticism of Thomas and the PBA, but nowhere near as much so as one of my regular readers and commenters, Kerry, who posted the following scathing comment regarding Tuesday's article:

I read Thomas' piece on Monday. My initial thoughts on it aren't fit for publication. Angelo is now some kind of hero, to be held in higher esteem than the likes of Jack Jurek, Tommy Jones, Norm Duke, WRW and many, many others? wow........

I am completely and thoroughly disgusted with him and the PBA, for not only condoning but obviously approving of his and Angelo's behavior.

I had intended to obtain the Xtra Frame goodies, via a yearly subscription. I'll not do that now. I'll not support an organization that doesn't share and uphold the value system that I hold dear. My value system puts honor, honesty, integrity and fair play above all else.

Obviously, they think that pro bowlers have to change into some kind of reality show participant, where the folks can tune in and laugh at the dysfunctional players. Next we'll have "inside" looks at the pros double bunking in their hotels, fighting over the bathroom and TV remote and so on. We'll get to watch and listen to their phone conversations with their wives and/or girlfriends, completely revealing their dysfunctional relationships over the seasons. Of course, that won't be enough. They'll have to have several staged fights at every tournament, with lots of commercials showing teasers of the fights in upcoming matches.

No thanks. Not interested. Maybe other folks are and they'll succeed. If not, I'll wait until they go under and see what, if anything, takes their place.

I will say this about the water bottles. I have a new brand of bottled water at home, with bottles that make a lot of noise. Those bottles store energy and will make noise for some time after they've been set down. You take a drink, cap the bottle, set it down and it'll entertain you for a couple of minutes. That's something that I'm quite sure Angelo and company don't know or wouldn't share if they did know.

Lastly, I'd offer up this video clip for those that like to whine about noise ruining their shots. It's the 1999 PBA National match between Dave Arnold and Chris Barnes.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=weW8GF9BTlc

Their treatment of Belmonte has left a sour taste in my mouth and seriously dampened my enthusiasm for watching bowling.

My Response

For the record, I still think highly of Jason Thomas. I think he's a bright, knowledgeable, and creative guy who loves the PBA and works extremely hard on Xtra Frame and in other ways to promote professional bowling and its players, and I know these must be very challenging tasks given the appalling amount of apathy that seems to exist toward bowling and its top players even amongst serious bowlers. And I do hope Kerry will mellow in his displeasure and subscribe to PBA Xtra Frame to enjoy fabulous in depth coverage of the PBA like no other.

But I also hope that the powers-that-be in the PBA will not put publicity at any cost ahead of the integrity of the game and the respect it, the PBA, accords its players. Incidents like "Bottlegate" and, if I may be permitted to coin a new term, "Brooklyngate" are so noteworthy precisely because televised confrontations between the players are so blessedly rare. I hope it stays that way. Hockey players can pummel each other silly on the ice. The boys of summer can brawl on the pitcher's mound to the point of bruised exhaustion. But let PBA bowlers continue to conduct themselves on the lanes with exemplary professionalism and class and the PBA continue to encourage this.

Bowling Quote of the Day--Overblown Bottlegate

"I don't believe Belmonte intended to get into Angelo's head, and I understand why Angelo was annoyed. Moreover, I don't care. So a water bottle popped and a guy got annoyed? Bad break? Yes. Worth the PBA using this tiny incident to try to promote their show? I don't think so."

--Jef Goodger

Jason Thomas' Disappointing Article on Bottlegate

"We also saw a nice bit of controversy and confrontation between Brad Angelo and Jason Belmonte."

--Jason Thomas

Jason Thomas posted a column (you can read it here) yesterday on pba.com that I'd like to say a few words about today, now that I've had a chance to give it some thought.

Frankly, I'm very disappointed with Mr. Thomas for using "Bottlegate" to try to "generate fan interest and conversation" heading into last Sunday's show" and then gloating over the fact that "it worked" despite the unpleasant fallout that's ensued.

I'm disappointed that he would characterize what took place between Belmo and Angelo as "a nice bit of controversy and confrontation." Given the accusations and insults that have been heaped on both players ever since on Facebook and probably elsewhere, along with the hurt feelings and resentment Belmo has expressed over the whole incident, I don't see anything "nice" about it.

I'm disappointed that he would sully Belmo's well-deserved reputation as one of the most personable and, more importantly, sportsmanlike players on tour by referring to him as "Australian golden-boy Jason Belmonte" within a context that sounds like a cynical if not sneering appraisal of Belmo's integrity. For while "golden boy" can mean different things, the fact that Thomas uses the expression in an article in which he praises Angelo for rightfully confronting the "Australian golden-boy" sounds like he means the following definition from the Urban Dictionary: "The person who appears to have an untarnished record of any kind. Most people considered a "golden boy" actually do have many flaws and are not what they seem."

I'm disappointed with Mr. Thomas for writing, "The timing of the bottle noise definitely called into legitimate question the intent of the action, and Angelo was simply confronting the culprit in order to stand up for his rights as a competitor." Again, it sounds like Mr. Thomas is casting aspersions on Belmo's intentions, and he's praising Angelo for, in my opinion, handling the incident in a less than optimal manner.

I'm disappointed with Mr. Thomas for writing that after the incident went public, Angelo was criticized far more than Belmo was but that "Brad never felt the need to blame or belittle his fellow competitor after the fact...or bemoan or hassle others (myself and the PBA included) for drawing attention to the thing that led to so much negative criticism." Thomas seems to be alluding to Belmo's comments on Facebook where he expresses his displeasure with Thomas and the PBA for trying to capitalize on the incident, such as when Belmo wrote: "I'm a little sad to see the PBA try and blow this out of proportion considering the match itself is a great match and was very close all the way to the end. Clutching at straws I guess," and referred to the PBA elsewhere as throwing him "under the bus" for publicity's sake. I think Jason Thomas and the PBA have done precisely that, and, for the record, Belmo has had nothing but good words to say about Angelo ever since the incident, whereas Angelo, although generally complimentary to Belmo, continued, in this interview that Mr. Thomas cites as an example of Angelo's graciousness toward Belmo, to express skepticism about Belmo's intentions.

But what disappoints me perhaps most of all is that Mr. Thomas and, presumably, the PBA he represents, seems to think that turning PBA telecasts into bowling's version of Wrestlemania is a good way to promote the PBA. Thomas writes:

"So, if you are not currently a Brad Angelo fan, I would strongly encourage you to re-evaluate your position, if not for the sake of his fan club mailing list and highly successful bowling camps, then at least for the message it sends to his fellow players that what you want to see on TV is candid, in-your-face, bowling action, which when we get it, showcases our sport at it's very best and most dramatic."

I don't know about you, but I think PBA bowling is at its very best and most dramatic when the players let their bowling balls and not their mouths do the talking in outstandingly executed and nail-biting matches to the wire. They don't need to get in each other's faces, and, if and when they do, the PBA doesn't need to glorify it and then take snide shots at those who criticize them for doing so. If professional bowling in this country is so desperate for ratings that it's seeking to turn its telecasts into "PBA Sunday Smackdown," Jason Belmonte's right. The PBA *is* "clutching at straws,"and straws won't keep it from drowning.

You can read my previous entries on "Bottlegate" here, here, and here.

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.

More on the Belmonte/Angelo Brouhaha

I wrote Wednesday about the mini-controversy pba.com's Jason Thomas has stirred up over the recent altercation between Jason Belmonte and Brad Angelo in a televised match. Actually, the match in question hasn't even been televised yet. It will air this Sunday on ESPN. But a clip of the altercation itself has made an advance appearance on YouTube. And people are talking.

They're saying all kinds of things. Some are saying Belmo's a "jerk." Some are saying Angelo's a jerk and a "crybaby." Some are saying it isn't absolutely clear that anyone is either a jerk or a crybaby, but that if Angelo was distracted by Belmonte's noisy water bottle, he could and should have handled it better. Belmonte himself has publicly apologized for his carelessness and said that he "made up" with Angelo after the match.

However, Belmonte also seems a bit perturbed by the way the PBA has handled this "tempest in a teapot," as one commenter on my piece Wednesday characterizes it. In his Facebook comment of last Monday night, Belmonte wrote:

"I didn't attempt to open the bottle in his swing like people or the PBA are trying to suggest. That would be a D-Bag move and last time I checked I'm not a D-Bag...I'm a little sad to see the PBA try and blow this out of proportion, considering the match itself is a great match and was very close all the way to the end. Clutching at straws I guess."

I think Belmo's probably right. I think the PBA probably *is* "clutching at straws" to lure as many viewers as it can to its telecasts lest it not have enough of them to remain on TV or in business. But to what lengths should it go to "live long and prosper"? Should it slyly impugn the motives and character of one of its brightest stars in order to drum up more business, or do you think it even did this in Belmo's case?

I don't know what kind of financial condition the PBA is in today. But I do know that since it was rescued from oblivion when three former Microsoft executives purchased it in 2000, it has had trouble attracting and keeping sponsors and has hemorrhaged so much money that its chairman, Chris Peters, withdrew last year from most of his involvement with the organization and, as I wrote last year, its current CEO, Fred Schreyer, has ominously warned that the PBA's owners will "not invest the same amount of money over the next ten years as they did over the last ten."

So, short of turning PBA telecasts into bowling's equivalent of "Wrestlemania" with manufactured or real feuds, shouting matches, and even fisticuffs between the bowlers, what, if anything, can the PBA do to draw more fans and earn enough money to stay solvent and ultimately become successful again? Or have the times changed so much that the PBA can never hope to regain the glories of its past or even stay in business much longer, no matter how many provocative articles Jason Thomas writes?

About.com's bowling writer Jef Goodger has written a piece about this story on his bowling blog here.

Jason Belmonte's Noisy Water Bottle

"Was Angelo just being too picky or do you think he has a gripe with Belmo's borderline obsessive need to fondle his H2O?"

--Jason Thomas, stirring the pot

Did he or didn't he? Did Jason Belmonte mean to use his water bottle to distract Brad Angelo while Angelo was bowling, or was it an accident? Well, actually, two accidents? This is the question bowling fans are contemplating after reading Jason Thomas' recent column "Belmonte/Angelo Provide Fireworks on This Sunday's Show" on pba.com.

Before I say more, here is the video Thomas provides of the encounter that takes place between Belmo and Angelo in a match that will be shown this coming Sunday on ESPN:

My First Impression

I have to admit that when I first watched this video, it looked like Belmo was slyly trying to bother Angelo, especially the second time, when Angelo threw the ball after angrily dropping his ball on the ball return the first time. The second incident just seemed too perfectly timed to be an accident.

Moreover, when Angelo scolds him the second time, Belmo doesn't act like someone who's been falsely accused of something. If someone accuses me of something I didn't do, I'm going to deny it, not just stand there impassively like someone who knows he's been caught red handed and has no defense for it.

But when I think about it, I realize that Belmo might not have even known what Angelo was reacting to the first time, and that it may simply be his nature not to protest a false accusation against him under the television lights. Moreover, Belmo has always struck me as one of the nicest people and classiest acts on the PBA Tour. It's just hard for me to believe that he, of all people, would resort to such underhanded tricks to beat his opponents. Then again, maybe he's the proverbial wolf in sheep's clothing who only appears to be a nice guy exhibiting good sportsmanship.

Fans Weigh In

As you might well expect, people see this differently. Here are some of the opinions expressed on Facebook:

"I like both guys, but I was there about 10 feet away. Jason did NOT wait until Brad released the ball. As a matter of fact, Jason did it twice within a minute. The first time Brad stepped off and reset. The second time he was already on his way to the foul line. Jason was wrong on this one."

"Intentional or not the water bottle noise is distracting, the entire center is quiet and the guy behind you crinkles a bottle, wtf! You wouldn't see that at a PGA event, hopefully lesson learned."

"Belmo seems like he is too nice of a guy to do something like that. I never heard any water bottle make noise so I think Brad is just being a big baby. He needs to learn to block stuff from his head. I thought that is what pros are supposed to do. Must be why he is not on TV much lol."

Belmo Explains

Belmonte finally came on Facebook Monday night and offered this explanation of what happened:

"First off - Brad and I had a chat directly after the match. We hugged and made up. He explained that he over reacted in the heat of the moment and I told him how awful I felt. Brad is not a D-Bag, quite the opposite.

Now, what I told him: I explained to him the first time the bottle cracked was completely my fault. I didn't expect the bottle to crack like it did and I should have paid more attention to my competitor. The 2nd time I waited till the ball was off his hand till I unscrewed the cap to have a quick sip before I had to bowl. Problem was that the bottle made a single pop sitting in my hand. I didn't attempt to open the bottle in his swing like people or the PBA are trying to suggest. That would be a D-Bag move and last time I checked I'm not a D-Bag.
There was a noise, a single pop and it did put him off. We bowlers get 10 frames to make the 10 best shots we can on TV, I felt horrible because I accidentally took one of those shots away.
I'm a little sad to see the PBA try and blow this out of proportion, considering the match itself is a great match and was very close all the way to the end. Clutching at straws I guess.
Jason Belmonte"

What do you think? I give Belmo the benefit of the doubt and figure he's going to be a lot more careful with that water bottle from now on.

Crotch-Chopping in the PBA?

"Right here, right now!"
--Pete Weber

I think Pete Weber is a lot more popular with bowling fans than Chris Barnes is, but some don't like Pete either. This became very evident after a tournament earlier this year when Pete lashed out at a photographer who took photos of him during his approach. He stuck a 10 pin and then berated the female photographer for distracting him with the audible clicking of her camera and warned--some would say threatened--her not to do it again. I blogged about this in my entry Is Pete Weber a Bad Boy?

The dislike that some feel for Weber or, at least, for some of his antics on the lanes surfaced again after he won the Marathon Open last Sunday. I wrote that I thought he exhibited a new level of touching humility and impressive maturity during his exciting performance. But not everyone agreed with me, judging from comments on the PBA website. Here are some of the choicer ones:

"PDW is a great competitor but a horrible role model for young people tuning in to watch. There were other fierce competitors like Earl Anthony and Pete's father, Dick, who wanted to win so badly but had class Pete will never know."

"Just like every other sport, bowling is turning into all hype and no class. Pete Weber is nothing but drug head and has very little class. It's no wonder the professional tour is having such a hard time keeping its head above water."

"I agree with many of you posters that PDW offers some of the best and also the worst to the PBA. His talent is unquestionable, but his manners and attitude sometimes are. I watched him in person 2 weeks ago at the Long Island Open. He did not have a good qualifying session and finished somewhere around 82nd. His last 2 qualifying games were 171 & 156, after which he stormed off the lanes in a huff & screamed at people in his way to move so he could make a quick exit. It was not a very classy display, and unfortunately not unusual for PDW. When he's going well he's a totally different person than when he's not. I was happy to see him once again earn the winners circle, but a little more class and sportsmanship would be nice to see also. Crotch chops on TV? C'mon....."

"I like Pete, glad he won, but the telecast being on Easter Sunday made the crotch chops seem pretty shallow and insensitive in my opinion."

"The crotch chops make him seem like an uneducated fool to any casual observer."

"both the crotch-chop and the sunglasses are ridiculous looking for a member of the "professional" bowlers association."

"That is exactly what it means. It is a vulgar gesture, one of contempt, that essentially means "Right here!" (his crotch) and is comparable to means "Suck my d**k" or "B**w me." Even though he directs it toward the pins, not his competitors, it still has no place in the PBA and more than likely any other PBA member would have been fined and/or suspended. But he's a Weber."

"Pete is a great bowler. There will never be any doubt about that and he deserves respect and congrats on his victory. But with reactions like his crotch chop, as a person, he's a P-Pretty D-Disgusting W-Weasel! Just my opinion. Nothing personal."

What most of these comments refer to is a defiant gesture called the "crotch-chop" that Weber sometimes makes after he gets an important strike. He borrowed it from professional wrestling and it, along with his wearing sunglasses every time he competes, has become his trademark. If you've ever seen the wonderful bowling documentary film A League of Ordinary Gentlemen," you'll know that the PBA actively encouraged Pete to inject as much excitement as he could into the game by virtually any means he could, including the crotch-chop, and that he was plenty willing to oblige. Still, many people don't like it or him for doing it.

I used to be one of those people. I grew up watching the PBA Tour during the staid, at least in bowling circles, 60's and 70's, and you didn't see crotch-chops, shout-outs, and smack talking by the bowlers back then. The bowlers were generally quiet and very reserved and so was the audience. The atmosphere was one of respectful solemnity. Then guys like Marshall Holman and Pete Weber came along to blow the lid off traditional PBA telecast decorum. Though I admired their bowling, I thought they were jerks, and I usually rooted against them.

I think it was when I watched the aforementioned A League of Ordinary Gentlemen that I changed my opinion of Pete Weber. I came to see him not as a crotch-chopping, sunglass wearing caricature of a jerk who just happens to have a beautiful and devastatingly effective bowling style, but as a flawed but essentially decent human being struggling under great pressure to earn a respectable living doing what he loves and being grossly underpaid, like most of the other players on tour, for how well he's able to do it. And even though he's behaved in ways since then that I've found questionable at times, I continue to see the good person beneath the flamboyantly "bad boy" image he's cultivated, and I appreciate his bowling talent and skill more than ever.

Moreover, when he won Sunday, not only did I not feel put off by his trademark gestures, but I actually got swept up in the intensity they expressed. I was loving every incandescent moment of PDW's powerful performance. But now that the white hot intensity of Sunday's telecast has faded some and I've read the comments above and had time to give matters a little thought, I have mixed feelings about what went down in Sunday's telecast. On the one hand, I side with a commenter on pba.com who wrote:

"I have an overall opinion that covers all of the controversial issues when it comes to bowling as far as swearing on the air, crotch chops, smack-talk, etc. And that is that as long as it comes across as authentic from passion and intensity I am all for it. It if comes across as contrived or just being outrageous for the sake of being outrageous or on purpose for ratings, then I don't like it."

I thought Weber's antics at least appeared to be spontaneous expressions of his competitive intensity on the lanes, and I enjoyed them. Yet, on the other hand, when I more dispassionately consider what a crotch-chop actually signifies and ponder the growing incivility and vulgarity that seem to permeate our culture, I wonder if I really want the behavior of the most accomplished professionals of the sport I love most to represent that sport on the world stage the way Chris Barnes, Brad Angelo, and, especially, Pete Weber did at times last Sunday.

I don't have a quick and easy answer to the question except, at this point, to say that I wish Pete Weber would find a different way to express his competitive exuberance.

How do you feel about all of this?