Give Great Bowlers More Respect

During last week’s U.S. Open, two excellent bowler profile articles appeared in the New York Times that had more in common than I would like to think.

The first was about Walter Ray Williams Jr. It began with the words: “The man many consider the best bowler in history arrived at the United States Open virtually unnoticed.” Later, it described how he “parked his motor home in the lot, walked into the site of the United States Open--his favorite event and one he has won twice--and received roughly the same reception as everyone else in the building.” I also remember someone commenting on PBA Xtra Frame recently that there were very few people watching Walter Ray bowl qualifying.

How is it that this man, of whom Norm Duke is quoted as saying, “He’s the very best, I think, ever,” receives so little recognition outside or even inside his sport from sports and bowling fans?

The article attributes much of this to Walter Ray’s self-described “loner” personality. No doubt there’s some truth to this, along with the fact that Walter has never been a flashy player or personality like, say, Pete Weber. But does one of the greatest bowlers if not the greatest bowler of all time need to be a raging extrovert or a master of flamboyance to receive his due from no less than the bowling fans who flock to major tournaments such as the U.S. Open?

Can you think of any other sports where active all-time champions can walk amongst their biggest fans “virtually unnoticed”? I’m not a golf fan, but Jack Nicklaus never struck me as a particularly outgoing or flamboyant guy, and neither does Tiger Woods, yet neither had any trouble being noticed if not mobbed by adoring crowds. So, why not Walter Ray Williams Jr.?

Some might say it’s because bowling fans are too intelligent or classy for hero-worship. Oh, they respect what Walter Ray has accomplished, but they’re too cool to let it show. Too “cool” to even stand behind him and watch professional bowling’s all-time champion and seven time Player of the Year bowl in a big tournament?

The second New York Times article was about Kelly Kulick. It detailed her unbelievable season last year and how little recognition, beyond an initial flash of limited media attention, and financial reward she received from it all. “No endorsement offers. No big payday...No calls to appear with Oprah, Ellen, or Rachel Ray, which she really wanted. No lasting mainstream recognition. No new car,” says the article. And I’m guessing that she doesn’t receive much more notice from bowling fans at tournaments than does Walter Ray despite her miraculous accomplishments last year.

Why does bowling draw so little appreciation from even its own fans that even its biggest stars go “virtually unnoticed”? And how can bowling thrive at the professional or any level as long as this continues to be the case?

I’m glad America’s premiere newspaper featured articles about these two great bowlers last week. But if bowling fans themselves don’t start giving players like Walter Ray and Kelly Kulick more attention and respect, professional bowling's future doesn't look very bright.

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:

Back to Blogging

After watching the thrilling finals of the Lumber Liquidators PBA U.S. Open yesterday, I decided that I love watching and writing about bowling so much that I just have to resume posting to this blog. So, here is my first post since last July.

This time I plan to continue providing basic coverage of PBA Tour and other elite bowling events, but I will focus especially on reporting news, opinions, heads-ups on instructional tips, and other tidbits that aren't easily found elsewhere. I'll be scanning bowling blogs, newspapers, magazines, websites, and other sources for information that you bowling lovers will surely enjoy. And don't forget to check out the links and updates in the right column of this page for the latest bowling news.

So, please stay tuned.

Bowling Bytes--5/26/10

~ 18-Year-Old Matt Gasn Continues Trend of Youth Excellence in PBA Events -- "The youth movement in PBA competition continued last weekend when 18-year-old Matt Gasn of Laurel, Md., won the PBA East Region Non-Champions Open at Faxon Lanes. Gasn’s win is the latest in a wave of outstanding showings by youth bowlers in PBA regional events. Bowling as a non-PBA member, he had a 7-1 match play record, averaged 233 and defeated Michael Bohner of Allentown, Pa., 2-0 in the best-of-three championship match to win a $1,500 scholarship for his SMART account...He bowled in his first regional three years ago at age 15 finishing 12th and has a previous best regional finish of fifth...Among Gasn’s other accomplishments in PBA competition include a seventh-place tie finish in a Lumber Liquidators PBA Tour TQR narrowly missing the Shark Championship field in December 2008. In April 2009, Bowlers Journal named him as one of seven bowlers to watch in future PBA Tour seasons, but for now school remains the priority..."

~ Xtra Frame Top Moment #4: U.S. Open Position Round Shocker -- "This week's Top Moment may have been THE top moment I witnessed the entire season. It was definitely the most shocking. The Open was an extremely pivotal event, even aside from the fact that it's often considered the most prestigious event on Tour. Bill O'Neill, Walter Ray Williams Jr. and Mike Scroggins were each jockeying for Player of the Year positioning and all were in contention for spots on the telecast. O'Neill, Scroggins and Tommy Jones were safely in (they bowled for the top three seeds), but Williams (the eventual PoY winner) was involved in a five-way battle for ONE spot..."

~ Caroline Lagrange, Art Oliver Jr. are the Canadian National Champions -- "Caroline Lagrange (pictured left) of Montreal, Quebec and Art Oliver Jr. (right), Hamilton, Ontario are the 2010 Canadian National Champions. Defending women’s national champion Lagrange led the women's field by 78 pins to win her second consecutive national championship. Oliver had a comfortable 206-pin lead in the men's divison to cruise to his first title. Both Lagrange and Oliver are multi-year Team Canada members..."

~ Marcelo Suartz wins XIX Copa AMF Brazil -- "Marcelo Suartz won the XIX Copa AMF Brazil to earn the right to represent his country in the 46th QubicaAMF Bowling World Cup at Bowling 300 Zagreb in Zagreb, Croatia (Oct. 15-24, 2010)..."

~ Three players move into top 10 in qualifying at Bowltech Aalborg International 2010 -- "Three players from qualifying squad 2 moved into the top 10 in the qualifying of the Bowltech Aalborg International 2010 Tuesday at Lovvang Bowling Center in Aalborg, Denmark..."

~ Harry Smith for Manhattan (1948)

~ "Easy" House Shots -- "You may have read, heard, or experienced the phrase "easy house shot." But what does it mean? Is any shot in bowling actually easy, especially for a beginner?..."

~ Breaking free from the house condition mindset -- "A bowler can come to harbor many delusions over the course of 20 years in house shot leagues, but few compare to the delusion that I myself once entertained as a member of the same league as the great Bo Burton at Stuart Lanes in Stuart, Fla. in the 2004-2005 season. There, as I watched Bo rack up one 700 series after another and, on occasion, an 800 series, I almost believed that the discrepancy between the 214 average I myself recorded there and the 235 average that Burton maintained was merely a matter of 20 pins or so. After making the leap from that walled-up house shot to local sport shot leagues and tournaments, I very quickly realized that the discrepancy was not merely one of pins, but also of a wisdom that I could only hope to possess with some very hard work and skilled coaching..."

~ The 11th Frame: Wolfe and his Blue Hammer smash Reno again -- "For years, the National Bowling Stadium in Reno, Nev., was known as a haven for left-handers. One of the most visible instances was the triumph at the 2002 Masters by relatively unheralded lefty Brett Wolfe, who used an old urethane Blue Hammer throughout that tournament...On Sunday and Monday, Wolfe and his Blue Hammer -- the same model but not the same ball he used in the 2002 Masters -- resurfaced in the headlines by slamming the Stadium again, moving into second in all-events at the United States Bowling Congress Open Championships with a 2,245 total, USBC reported. The score is behind only the all-time record 2,326 of -- you guessed it -- fellow southpaw Matt McNiel of Chanhassen, Minn. With Minnesota lefties Steve Bohn and John Kreyer Jr. also leading doubles at 1,514, this year as shaping up as the most lefty-friendly USBC OC since 2006 in Corpus Christi, when lefties populated much of the upper reaches of the all-events leaderboard..."

~ Bowling ball manufacturers: Interview with Ebonite International, Inc. -- "I recently had a chance to interview Brenda Green, who serves as marketing services manager for Ebonite International, Inc. since she joined the company in 2003, She oversees the company’s pro shop support programs as well as leads and coordinates the marketing activities between brand managers, communications agencies and sales teams. She is currently a Silver Level USBC Certified Coach and organizes a youth bowling league in Clarksville, Tenn., with approximately 150 youth, ages 3-22..."

Bowling Video of the Day--Tammy Boomershine in 2009 Women's U.S. Open

Final Thoughts on the U.S. Open

I'm still shaking my head over Walter Ray's six count in the fill ball of the final game of match play. But it may not have made that much of a difference if Tommy Jones had bowled as well against him as he did against Jason Couch that first game. Walter finished as high as he did because he just kept grinding away through qualifying and match play, making all his makable spares and getting a double or turkey every now and then to salt away some decent, if unspectacular, games. But he didn't seem to match up with the lanes as impressively as he often does, and I didn't see him shoot any big games during the week. Still, I wish he'd thrown the "high hard one" on that fill ball. Don't you think that, with his accuracy, he'd have likely knocked down more than six pins, or am I suffering from hindsight is 20/20 itis?

In following the U.S. Open throughout the week, one of my convictions was strongly reinforced. If you subscribe to Xtra Frame and watch the qualifying and, especially. match play, you get so much more out of the tournament than if you watch only the televised finals on Sunday. One thing you would have gained last week is greater respect for Jason Belmonte's dazzling talent and skill as he dominated the lanes, the pins. and his fellow bowlers through much of the tournament until his hamstring injury reduced him to mere mortal status. "Bowling Doctor" Jeff Mark was certainly dazzled by Belmo's ability to adjust his axis tilt to suit his angle of attack, to throw reverse hooks to convert difficult right side spares, and to put the ball where he wants it and repeat shots on the tour's most formidable oil pattern in a way that seems miraculous for a two-handed, thumbless cranker. This guy's got game like we've never seen before, and we'll be seeing a lot more from him as soon as his hamstring heals. I'd love to see how he does in the plastic ball championship coming up shortly.

If you didn't watch Xtra Frame, you also missed Ken Simard's insightful commentary during the final round of match play. Simard bowled the tournament but didn't make it to match play. Too bad. I would have liked to see him bowl. I didn't know this, but he said that a few years ago, his ball was measured in the 690 RPM range at the Kegel Center in Florida. I thought only Robert Smith was capable of that. But he's been trying to tone it down to make his ball more controllable. You can watch a YouTube video of him bowling Wes Malott here.

Without Xtra Frame, you also missed Rob Stone's commentary during the opening part of the final round of match play. He sat in for two or three games and was even more animated and jocular than he is on the ESPN telecasts. If you don't like him, he might have driven you crazy. But if you do like him, you would have probably enjoyed him. You certainly can't deny his energy and enthusiasm. One of the first things he said was that he was disappointed when he walked in the building and it was as quiet as a church. He said bowling fans need to make more noise, show more enthusiasm, and inject more excitement into the sport.

Do you think he's right?

Finally, congratulations to Bill O'Neill who seems poised to attain PBA superstar status. As Jason Thomas reports in his article today, no less an eye for bowling talent than Chris Barnes says that O'Neill is "scary good." He may very well end up this season's Player of the Year with the year he's having.

Why Is Belmonte Dominating the U.S. Open?

I just don't understand it. As I wrote the other day, the U.S. Open is supposed to feature the tougest lane conditions on tour, with a flat oil pattern that separates the men from the boys and makes even the men weep and wail and gnash their teeth. So it would stand to reason that the low to medium rev, board-splitting, grind-it-out sparemeisters like Chris Barnes, Walter Ray, Norm Duke, Jack "The Ripper" Jurek, Danny Wiseman, and Mike Scroggins would sit atop the standings after 18 games of qualifying.

But one quick glance at the leaderboard reveals that it's bowling's powerballing elite who seem to occupy a disproportionate share of the top places with big-handed guys like Robert Smith, Amleto Monacelli, Tommy Jones, P.J. Haggerty, and Jason Couch planted in the top twelve. And at the very top, almost 200 pins ahead of anybody else, is none other than two-handedm thumbless throwing wunderkind Jason Belmonte, the King of Crank, the guy who puts the P in power game.

Indeed, of all the big names on tour, Belmo, God bless him, is perhaps the last guy you'd expect to be first in the U.S. Open. Sure, you wouldn't be too surprised to see him make the first cut and maybe even squeak into the final spot for match play, but who in their right mind would predict that he'd average almost 230 for 18 games of qualifying, average a blistering 249 for the last 6 of those games, and shoot an unbelievable 278-278-280 for 836 in the middle of that set? Well, I can tell you one thing. I would never have predicted it. And I don't understand it. What does it all mean?

Does it mean that the disparaging remarks we often hear that guys who crank the bejesus out of the ball can score well only on blocked lanes where there's a Grand Canyon of area is a bunch of male bovine manure? Judging from Belmo's awesome performance thus far, it would seem so.

But having said that, one never knows, at this point, where the power players will end up in this tournament. The aforementioned Barnes, Williams, Duke Jurek, and Scroggins are also near the top and firmly in contention not only by virtue of their present standings but also because of their track records.

Nevertheless, I'm still baffled over why so many power players, like Wes Malott, a guy who seldom practices and admits that he plays areas rather than boards, are doing so well on the allegedly toughest oil pattern in bowling, and I seriously wonder if I shouldn't go back to throwing my stike ball without my thumb.

“What he’s doing is like dropping a champagne glass from an extension ladder onto asphalt without breaking it."
--David Ozio describing Walter Ray Williams' awe-inspiring performance at the 1992 U.S. Open

As a follow-up to my previous article about the U.S. Open, I want to call your attention to Jason Thomas' account of his own experience bowling in this great tournament as a college freshman in 1992. He had been, along with his friend and arch rival Robert Smith, one of the best junior bowlers in Southern California, had entered the adult bowling world like a house afire, doing very well in scratch tournaments and taking first place in a U.S. Open qualifier in San Diego that gave him a free entry into the big one in Canandaigua, New York, and, with feverish visions of a stellar career on the PBA Tou dancing in his head, this was his mentality as he began the tournament:

"When I arrived in New York, I was pumped up to bowl. I didn’t just want to bowl with Walter Ray and company, I wanted to kick their butts and make the show! In the practice session, I was sure I had a chance."

Well, you can guess what happened once things got started. I urge you to read this very entertaining story about just how challenging the U.S. Open is and how great bowlers like Walter Ray Williams, who ended up leading the field at one point by over 500 pins, are to conquer these supremely difficult conditions.

How Tough Is the U.S. Open?

"The U.S. Open Pattern features the toughest lane oil design in all of bowling. The U.S. Open condition is a "flat" oil pattern with equal oil being placed on each board, gutter to gutter. Premium shotmaking and precision accuracy are required to conquer this difficult condition."
--PBA website

This week, the most prestigious tournament in American bowling, the U.S Open. is being held at Woodland Bowl in Indianapolis. This is the tournament that everybody who's somebody (and even everybody who's nobody) in the bowling world would love to win. If you win THIS tournament, you are guaranteed bowling immorality, even if you never win another tournament or make another splash of any kind in the sport for the rest of your life.

Yet, most of those who win this tournament are decidedly NOT nobodies in the bowling world. They are the greatest of the great, and for a very simple reason. Unless you have a miraculous amount of luck. you don't beat the best bowlers in the world on the most demanding lane conditions the PBA has to offer unless you are great yourself.

Just how demanding are these lane conditions. Jason Thomas explains in his excellent article on pba.com. Here's the essence of it:

"What makes the pattern so hard? Well, like it says in the PBA's description, there's no help if you miss your target because the oil is laid out evenly from one edge of the lane to the other. "So what," you say?

Well, the area you have down the lane to hit the pocket in a manner that gives you a reasonable chance to strike is less than 2 inches wide. On a league shot, where there is typically 5-10 times as much oil in the center part of the lane than there is to the outside, so a bowler throwing a hook might have as many as 6 inches of area at the break point (about 40 feet down the lane) in order to hit that 2 inch spot at the pins. At the U.S. Open, you're lucky to have 1 inch at your breakpoint (and the more you hook it, the more inversely proportional the ball's final destination relates to where it crosses at the break point). So you figure out how much harder that makes it to score.

I wish I were good enough and rich enough to even think about bowling in this fabled tournament. I've bowled on the so-called U.S Open pattern in a PBA Experience league and tournament in my home house, but I know that what I faced is nothing like what the bowlers will face in competition this week at Woodland Bowl, and God knows I struggled enough as it was.

I have no business bowling in the U.S. Open. But I'll be joyfully watching those who do, and some who don't, this week live on Xtra Frame and ESPN, and I hope you will be too.