About.com Bowling

League Night at the PBA Chameleon Championship

Mon, 23 Nov 2009 14:26:33 +0000

Yes, these were pro bowlers. Yesterday's telecast of the Chameleon Championship made viewers think one of two things. Either, "I can bowl a 180, therefore I can be a pro bowler," or, hopefully, "Maybe the oil really is different for the pros than for me."

As Sean Rash said early in his semi-final match against Ronnie Russell, he didn't know yet if the oil was to blame or if he and Russell simply couldn't get out of their own ways. Based on how the bowling looked throughout the rest of that match and the other matches, the oil was definitely not making things easy.

Russell edged Rash 172-170 before ESPN (probably rightfully so) heavily edited the Amleto Monacelli/Bill O'Neill, won by O'Neill. Monacelli was dealing with strained tendons in his bowling arm, and didn't stand much of a chance, throwing a 142.

The final featured two men, O'Neill and Russell, each looking for his first title. Again, the bowling wasn't pretty, but O'Neill came away with the win thanks to the very important ability to close frames.

Even though these were pro bowlers, it looked like league night at the local bowling center. Decent shots, bad shots, horrible shots, splits, missed spares, and the occasional great shot.

As play-by-play man Rob Stone said during the men's final, "The chameleon has gotten into their heads." He was right.

So what do we take from this? Joy that the pros struggle too? Or sadness that the pros aren't perfect? Do low scores like this actually raise the respect level for pro bowlers, as they deserve?

This is what I take from it: a complete shift in the sentiment of this blog so we can end on a high note. In the women's final, Shannon Pluhowsky's 268 defeated Carolyn Dorin-Ballard's 206. Not everyone had a tough day.

League Night at the PBA Chameleon Championship originally appeared on About.com Bowling on Monday, November 23rd, 2009 at 14:26:33.

Permalink | Comment | Email this

Great Moments in League Bowling History - 30 Frames With a Broken Body

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 12:04:56 +0000

It was March of 2007. The final night of bowling in my Trios league. My team was bowling for the championship against another team led by a legend named Mark.

Mark was the anchor of his team, and the last of the six total bowlers to throw in the first frame. He approached the lane, threw his ball, and fell. Not just any old fall, but a hard fall. A scary fall. He landed on his face, busting open his nose.

Hilarious? Yes. Tom Bergeron has plenty of video footage of why people falling on their faces is hilarious. But we calmed the laughter when we saw the pouring of blood all over the approach.

Everyone was concerned. His wife, who was watching, ran to get some bowling-alley napkins for the blood cleanup. She and his teammates suggested he stop bowling. He was woozy, could barely stand, and had blood dripping non-stop from his nose.

My team was patient, not knowing what to do. We wanted the championship, obviously, but not that way. We wanted to beat Mark at bowling, not at not falling. Well, actually, both. After about 20 minutes of waiting, Mark, then sporting a bloody napkin protruding from his nose, said it's time to bowl.

We were all nervous every time he stepped toward the lane, as he seemed to be losing equilibrium at an alarming rate. But this was the championship. If you knew Mark, you knew one of the most important things in life was winning this recreational bowling league championship (especially since he'd won it the year before and was going for back-to-back championships, as he pointed out all season long).

By the end of the night, Mark had thrown 30 frames of bowling. One of those involved a horrible fall, and the other 29 were in spite of the massive toll the fall took on his body.

And he won. He bowled a great series and led his team to victory. My team was disappointed, but our disappointment quickly faded away when we realized the greatness we just witnessed. If anything can compare to Kirk Gibson's hobbling mess of a body hitting the pinch-hit home run in the 1988 World Series, it's Mark's performance in the local bowling alley.

Even more impressive is what we found out later. Not only did Mark break his nose, which was evident from the beginning, but he also broke his slide ankle and his bowling wrist. The guy bowled 29 frames on a broken ankle, with a broken wrist, in a huge state of confusion, and won the championship.

Congratulations, Mark.

Great Moments in League Bowling History - 30 Frames With a Broken Body originally appeared on About.com Bowling on Wednesday, November 18th, 2009 at 12:04:56.

Permalink | Comment | Email this

Viper Championships Showcase Bowling Scoring Quirks

Mon, 16 Nov 2009 11:02:26 +0000

In yesterday's PBA telecast on ESPN, we saw the finals of the Viper Championship, taped during the World Series of Bowling in August. Liz Johnson defeated Lynda Barnes to win the women's event, and Rhino Page took out Ryan Ciminelli in the men's final.

This wasn't nearly as entertaining as the documentary-style show we got for the Cheetah Championship last week, but I guess if we got that every week, it would lose its luster. However, bowling is definitely better on TV this year than last year.

What this tournament really means to me is a chance to showcase how bowling scoring can be unfair. In the men's final, Page struck in the first, then threw a nine/spare in the second. Ciminelli opened with a turkey, then threw a nine/spare in the fourth.

Both men then went on to do nothing but strike until Ciminelli threw another nine spare in the ninth. And again in the tenth before throwing another nine on his last ball.

But let's erase all that. Let's say Ciminelli struck out after the fourth, and Page struck out after the second.

In that case, both bowlers would have thrown 11 strikes and one nine/spare. Seems the same, but it's not. Page would've won, since he failed to strike earlier.

Because Page threw a 9 and a spare in the second frame, the 9 never factored into his score (except as part of the spare). Since he was coming off a strike, his score for the first frame was 20. Striking out would've earned him a score of 280.

Since Ciminelli struck until the fourth frame, his 9 would've been added to his second frame. This meant his maximum score would've been 279. Even though both guys could've bowled identical games, the order of the striking and sparing would've given Page the win.

Of course, none of this happened, as Page won the match by a score of 268-246. But what ifs are often more intriguing than the truth. What do you think? Is it fair to bowl just as well as your opponent and lose by one pin? Or is it even considered "just as well," since you both know going in how the scores will work out?

Viper Championships Showcase Bowling Scoring Quirks originally appeared on About.com Bowling on Monday, November 16th, 2009 at 11:02:26.

Permalink | Comment | Email this

Over the Line!

Wed, 11 Nov 2009 14:34:27 +0000

One of my favorite scenes in The Big Lebowski involves Walter confronting Smokey, his opponent, when he steps across the foul line. A debate ensues as to (1) whether he really was over the line and (2) whether it should matter.

This is a great scene because it depicts what happens in almost every bowling league in America. Does anyone bowl in a league without a serial fouler? I'm sure at least one guy in every league would say no one fouls in his league...and he's the guy who fouls.

In some leagues, the foul detectors are on, and there's no question. The buzzer sounds and it's a foul. But in many (even most) recreational leagues, there are no foul detectors, or at least no foul detectors turned on.

What do you do? The rules say a foul must be called by someone and then enforced. For the rule, see this article.

However, calling a foul on someone is apparently one of the greatest insults in life. I once saw a guy step over the line, and then another guy called him on it. The fouler shouted, "It was not! I slipped!" Obviously, it doesn't matter whether he slipped or whether it was intentional, but his illogical argument isn't the crazy part. He then walked back to the ball return, picked up a ball, and threw it at the person who called the foul. He missed, but the intent was ludicrous. Almost as outlandish as Walter pulling the piece on Smokey.

Serial fouling can be dangerous. A person who is constantly stepping onto the lane is then tracking oil all over the approach. So, there are definitely safety reasons to call a foul, plus there's the justification of the rule book, and calling a foul on your opponent helps your chances to win. But should you do it? Is it worth it?

Who is the poor sport? The guy who constantly fouls and might as well walk down to the pin deck and kick the pins over? Or the guy who calls the foul? I can type from experience and say it hurts a lot to lose a game to a guy who, by the rules, should've scored a zero for his entire series. But would it hurt more to call the guy on it, resulting in being directly responsible for ruining his night, his season, and possibly his entire life?

I've been struggling with this decision for five years but have yet to call a foul. I guess that means I don't think it's worth it. I think I'm with The Dude - it's just a game. But is it? Advice, please.

Over the Line! originally appeared on About.com Bowling on Wednesday, November 11th, 2009 at 14:34:27.

Permalink | Comment | Email this

ESPN Made Cheetah Championship Worth Watching

Mon, 09 Nov 2009 13:47:19 +0000

Typically on a Monday, I'll post a blog about the previous day's bowling telecast, always taking a veiled (or not-so-veiled) shot at the fact everything they're televising was taped in August and September. Yesterday's airing of the Cheetah Championship is no different, being one of the many events taped in August and September during the World Series of Bowling.

But ESPN turned yesterday's broadcast into much more than the final match of the tournament. They gave us a documentary of the whole tournament experience.

We learned about the out-of-nowhere kid, Ryan Ciminelli, who was the top qualifier going into the best-of-seven round of 16, then went all the way to the final before falling to Norm Duke.

We saw bowlers win with good shots, and in spite of bad shots. Mike Fagan had issues with a cameraman. Chris Barnes took out Sean Rash, straddling the line between confidence and cockiness, then was promptly swept by Norm Duke in the next round.

In the final match, we got to watch Norm Duke, ranked the 7th best bowler of all time, try to coach himself to victory, struggling all the way through. When he heard the PA announcer say he was down by 42, everything seemed to change.

Duke stormed back and won the game, evening the best-of-seven final at one game each.

Better than merely the results of the matches were the comments by the bowlers throughout. I don't know if it's because they're not used to being on camera as much as other pro athletes, but they were much more honest than any standard, meaningless canned answer you'll get from any pro basketball player.

Maybe it's because pro bowlers don't get any credit. They're not shy about telling the rest of us we can't bowl on their tour, which is true. And they're not shy about taking credit when they deserve it, either.

For example, Chris Barnes was in trouble against Sean Rash. So, in what Chris Barnes called "Step 14-2," he resorted to emulating Rash, throwing a much larger hook than Barnes likes to throw.

Barnes' intent was to push around the oil and dig into the track Rash had built for himself. It worked. Rash struggled and Barnes flourished. Barnes ended up defeating Rash by bowling just like Rash.

Whereas a pro baseball player would say, "Well, I just went out there and did the best I could, and the other guy played great, but I just got a break and won it," which means nothing to anyone, Barnes said, "When you can beat someone doing what they do best, you're sending a message." Take that, Sean Rash!

It was very refreshing to see pro athletes with real emotions. These guys are actually happy to win, and don't hide it. Who knew bowling was so competitive?

Well done, ESPN. I don't care how long ago this event was taped. You gave us compelling television, and hopefully this continues into January before we get to see some live bowling for the first time.

ESPN Made Cheetah Championship Worth Watching originally appeared on About.com Bowling on Monday, November 9th, 2009 at 13:47:19.

Permalink | Comment | Email this

"Bagger" is Not a Suffix

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 11:57:07 +0000

Three strikes in a row is a turkey. Most people know this. Even people who don't bowl know this. But once we hit four, there's confusion as to what each subsequent strike is called.

Hambone is the emerging term for four strikes in a row. This is far better than its leading competitor, four bagger. A four bagger is obviously a takeoff on baseball, where a four bagger is another term for a home run.

My fight against four baggers in bowling stems from my fight against four baggers in baseball. On a baseball field, there are three bases, sometimes referred to as bags. That's fine with me. But home plate is not a bag and doesn't resemble a bag in any way. Thus, a home run should not be referred to as a four bagger. Therefore, four bagger should not be a term, and bowling should not be able to borrow a term that doesn't exist. It's simple logic.

But it gets worse. Bowling then goes on to refer to five baggers, six baggers, and more. Where are all these bags coming from? Maybe bowling isn't taking after baseball but rather taking after grocery shopping? You're knocking down so many pins you need extra bags to carry them all?

Bags have no place in bowling (with the obvious exceptions of bowling bags and the occasional popcorn bag for the weird guy who likes to shove his greasy bowling hands into his popcorn and his greasy popcorn hands into his bowling ball). We need to be more creative.

Luckily, I am. Soon, I will use this blog to name each successive strike, all the way from one strike to twelve strikes.

Maybe you already have your own names. As long as "bagger" isn't attached, I'm fine with your names, whatever they may be. Keep using them. But if you're new to bowling or simply looking for a better way to flaunt your six strikes in a row, stay tuned.

"Bagger" is Not a Suffix originally appeared on About.com Bowling on Friday, November 6th, 2009 at 11:57:07.

Permalink | Comment | Email this

Walter Ray Williams, Jr. Wins Motor City Open

Mon, 02 Nov 2009 11:26:49 +0000

A couple months ago, Walter Ray Williams, Jr. defeated Chris Barnes in the finals of the Motor City Open at the inaugural World Series of Bowling. Yesterday, we saw it on TV.

This was an excellent match most of the way through. Strikes abound from both men. Then came the ninth frame. Chris Barnes was up seven and in the midst of a hambone (four strikes in a row) when he left the 3-6-9-10. That's not a classic Chris Barnes clutch split, but he missed the 10 pin on his spare attempt, leaving the tournament in Williams' hands.

However, Williams, riding a brat (five strikes in a row), threw a 9 and a spare for his ninth frame. Had he struck out in the tenth, he would've clinched. But he threw another 9. Suddenly, Chris Barnes was right back in it.

Williams finished with a 238, and Barnes came up in the tenth with the ability to win. He needed two strikes and an 8 to clinch. To his credit, he didn't throw a clutch split...but he didn't throw a strike, either. Barnes finished with a 230, giving Williams his 46th career title.

It interests me two of the best bowlers of all time can turn a great match into a battle of futility at the end. It also interests me that a battle of futility for these two results in scores that are far better than most people can throw on their best days.

Something else worth mentioning from this tournament: at one point, when Williams threw a fourth consecutive strike, ESPN play-by-play announcer Rob Stone shouted, "Hambone!" Stone then corrected himself, saying Williams doesn't like that term and prefers "Four bagger."

Well, I don't like the term "Four bagger." In a future blog, I'll offer a list of the official names for x number of strikes in a row. And when I say official, I mean according to me. That's where the previously referenced brat (as in bratwurst) for five strikes in a row comes from.

What about you? Do you throw "Bagger" at the end of everything? Or do you use customized names for strings of strikes?

Walter Ray Williams, Jr. Wins Motor City Open originally appeared on About.com Bowling on Monday, November 2nd, 2009 at 11:26:49.

Permalink | Comment | Email this

Trick Shots

Wed, 28 Oct 2009 12:17:21 +0000

People like trick shots. That, or people think people like trick shots. Pool players have trick-shot championships. The NHL holds a skills competition during the All-Star weekend to showcase players' fancy abilities. The NBA hosts a slam-dunk contest. The PBA is no different, showcasing ridiculous trick shots from some of its best bowlers.

This past Sunday, the Trick Shot Invitational aired on ESPN (and was won by Norm Duke). If you saw that or have ever seen one of these things, bowlers stack pins on top of pins, add pins to the rack, use multiple lanes, balls, and bowlers, all in an attempt to make each other laugh, apparently.

The trick shots don't intrigue me. I always zone out very early in the telecast, but there is one thing that keeps me interested: the bowlers and their light-hearted ribbing.

They're on TV and they're completely audible, so they have to keep it family-friendly, but it feels like some sitcom writers get together to write lines for these guys. And if we can't bask in unintentional hilarity (or intentional hilarity that's only funny for the unintentional portion), what can we bask in?

A great example was this past Sunday. Chris Barnes was explaining his trick shot, which involved his two sons. His wife, fellow pro bowler Lynda, wasn't present. One of the other competitors asked Barnes, "Where's Lynda?"

Barnes responded with, "She doesn't need as much help as I do." That's a wonderful example of self-deprecating humor a sitcom might provide. And, on cue, the audience laughed.

Then, just to make sure everyone got the joke, another bowler added, "We know that!"

Everyone had a good laugh, then Barnes, Barnes, and Barnes threw a criss-crossing three-ball shot that resulted in a strike. Sitcom humor followed by a sitcom happy ending.

Some of the shots these guys throw are very impressive, whether they make the shot or not. But for me, by far the best part is watching the bowlers interact with each other. The high level of safe humor bantered about is hilarious for multiple reasons, but oddly refreshing.

While I'm sure Kirk Maltby and Sean Avery have some lovely discussions on the ice, we don't get to hear them on TV (at least not in full). But when Parker Bohn III and Sean Rash get into it, the sitcom writers race to their laptops or notepads to jot down ideas.

What about you? Do you care about the trick shots? The banter? Sitcoms?

Trick Shots originally appeared on About.com Bowling on Wednesday, October 28th, 2009 at 12:17:21.

Permalink | Comment | Email this

Kulick Wins PBA Women�s World Championship

Mon, 26 Oct 2009 15:15:56 +0000

Kelly Kulick won the inaugural PBA Women's World Championship, shown yesterday on ESPN. The event actually took place in the first week of September at the World Series of Bowling in Allen Park, Michigan.

Kulick defeated Shannon Pluhowsky 219-204 in the final match to win her first PBA Women's Series title. Also, with the win, she will be the first woman ever invited to bowl in the PBA Tournament of Champions January 19-24 in Las Vegas.

While the score seems close, the match was never really in doubt in a battle of not-so-exciting bowling. However, featuring the Women's World Championship on ESPN's debut telecast for the season could be a boon to women's bowling.

Most people assume there must be a women's pro tour, but the truth is there hasn't been since 2003. The PBA Women's Series, US Women's Open, and USBC Queens events offer optimism for the future of women's bowling

The win earned Kulick $15,000, and Pluhowsky took $7,500 for second place. Kulick led the field after the first, second, and third rounds, but Pluhowski was the leader after four, going into best-of-seven match play. Each woman won two best-of-seven matches, leading to the final against each other.

What does this mean for women's bowling? Is it really making a comeback? Or is this merely one event for optimists to hang on to?

Kulick Wins PBA Women�s World Championship originally appeared on About.com Bowling on Monday, October 26th, 2009 at 15:15:56.

Permalink | Comment | Email this

Tape Delay for the Ages

Tue, 20 Oct 2009 11:21:20 +0000

The PBA season starts this Sunday, October 25, on ESPN. For us, anyway. The bowlers have been finished with half the season for almost two months.

In a strange TV schedule putting Olympics coverage to shame, the first eight ESPN telecasts this season were already taped at the inaugural World Series of Bowling held in Detroit in August and September.

The first live broadcast will be the finals of the PBA World Championship (the rest of which was held during the final week of the World Series of Bowling), showing live on December 13. I could tell you who will be in the match, but maybe you'd rather watch it happen over the eight weeks leading up to it.

After that, the PBA goes on hiatus until January 3, when another taped event will air. Finally, starting the following week, live bowling returns over the next 11 weeks (although one of those--the Chris Paul PBA Celebrity Invitational--will be taped).

The season will consist of 20 televised events (10 of which will be aired live), ending April 4 with the PBA Marathon Open.

With this heavy reliance on taped events, it feels like the PBA is a sitcom in its dying days. Networks will cancel a show and then dump any remaining episodes into a block during a horrible time slot. Plus, with the eight-shows-taped-at-once method, it feels like 1980s professional wrestling. Neither comparison is very flattering to the highest level of competition in the sport.

Ultimately, it doesn't matter. If you're a fan of bowling, you'll watch, whether you know what happened or not. Even if the schedule makes the PBA feel like a dying sitcom combined with old professional wrestling, it's nice to see it back on TV for another year.

What do you think? Is it enough that bowling is back for another season and still has a TV contract, or is it a legitimate problem that half the season has already been taped?

Tape Delay for the Ages originally appeared on About.com Bowling on Tuesday, October 20th, 2009 at 11:21:20.

Permalink | Comment | Email this