On my desk in the office I use to write my columns is a box that seems to collect pieces of paper in various sizes and shapes with cryptic notes, hen scratchings, and stuff I think I can use in future columns. They are usually things I want you to ponder about or I to rant about or both. Let's look at a few here.
I have a "Spare Shots" letter from the Professional Bowlers Association that says, "Twelve-time champion Del Ballard Jr. and 23-time titlist Parker Bohn III have been added to the Performance ballot for 2000 PBA Hall of Fame voting. Ballard and Bohn join nine-time winner Bryan Goebel and 12-time champion Randy Pedersen on the ballot." The column adds that Pedersen and Goebel were on the ballot last year.
I looked up the qualifications to be selected for the PBA Hall of Fame in the Performance category, and according to the 2000 PBA Media Guide, "PBA members who have served the Association for a minimum of 12 years, have won at least three PBA titles and are at least 36 years of age" are eligible.
Okay, both Pedersen and Goebel are older than Ballard and Bohn, but that's where the comparison ends. Remember, the category is performance, and Pedersen and Goebel have a long way to go to catch either Ballard or Bohn. Ballard has won the BPAA U.S. Open twice and the Tournament of Champions. I won't even get started on Bohn's record.
All of them are great bowlers and credits to our sport. Let's hope the voting is on performance and not personalities.
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I remember being told that one of the things I would get for the increase in ABC dues was a new magazine. Every member of the ABC would get one, and the darn thing was gonna be informative and worth every cent we might have to pay. Of course, the magazine is free, but we're still going to raise the dues. Yada, yada, yada.
Well, I got my first American Bowler yesterday, and the cover says it is "The official membership journal of the ABC." Volume 1, Number 1 has football players on the cover. On page 2, it tell us to "Relax, it's free," and claims that ABC introduces American Bowler as a membership communication tool.
I'm not impressed. There is one page devoted to trying to sell us something if we mail in to Bowling Magazine. Two full pages are devoted to awards that, if I am not mistaken, are found in the ABC rule book. The "Opening Frame" column is a self-serving attempt to justify ABC dues. Most of the information looks like it was cut and pasted from the June/July issue of Bowling Magazine: "Up Front" on page 3 of American Bowler is on page 47 of Bowling Magazine; the "Festival of Bowling" information on page 5 of American Bowler is on page 37 of Bowling Magazine; and the "Ultimate League" on page 12 in American Bowler is a spinoff of the "Creative Leagues" column by Mike Hennessy on pages 14 and 15 of Bowling Magazine. I am sure I could go on.
If Rory Gillespie, editor of American Bowler, and Bill Vint, editor of Bowling Magazine, want to collaborate, that's fine. But, if ABC wants to really give us something, why not a subscription to Bowling Magazine? Then, they won't have to cut and paste.
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I continue to try to go to pba.com, and I get a message saying that site will soon belong to the Professional Bowlers Association, and of course I end up back at pbatour.com. Anyone know what the hold up is? Other than a new logo, I haven't seen a lot of changes to the PBA since Chris Peters et al. took over. Everyone, including myself, thinks this is an exciting time for the PBA, but we sure would like to see some news releases on anything.
Come on, guys, help us out here.
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A team of researchers from Griffith University in Brisbane, Australia reported in the Journal of Sports Science that bowling is more a matter of character than physical strength. In a comparison of good and bad bowlers, they found the best bowlers showed greater mental focus, more planning and evaluation, greater consistency, more interest in improvement, and greater competitiveness.
Duh! I hope they didn't receive a grant for that blatant statement of the obvious.
The study went on to say better bowlers had more self-confidence and didn't rely on luck.
As for the difference between younger and older bowlers, there was only one: The younger bowlers were more interested in the game. Obviously, they did not attend any senior leagues. In my area, the older bowlers are more knowledgeable, more interested, and definitely more competitive.
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Well, that made a dent in my distribution box and gave everyone something to ponder. I love this sport, and I am never surprised at some of the comments I hear and some of the notes I make.
At a recent tournament, I overheard a conversation about synthetic lanes. Apparently, they had just installed synthetic lanes at a center where this lady bowled, and she did not like them. She commented, "Those synthetic lanes are so synthetic no one can bowl on them."
I had to write that down.
See you on the lanes.
Don Wright is a member of the Bowling Writers Association of America. Visit his home page.