Offense, it seems, has become the main focus in the world of sports, due principally to modern technology.
Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa revived interest in baseball by shattering home run records that have endured for over 35 years. Fans flock to stadiums hours ahead of game time for the Mark McGwire batting practice show.
In addition to this, Ken Griffey Jr. had 58, Greg Vaughn, 50, and a record number of others had over 40 dingers to their credit.
Several reasons have been cited for the escalation of round-trippers in America's favorite pastime. Expansion has diluted the quality of pitching. Fences have been drawn in. Experts believe technology has tightened baseballs, creating a greater impact when struck by a bat. Applied science in baseball has placed all its attention on the offensive segment of the game.
But, cheating in baseball has yet to be detected. Aluminum bats, corked bats, and spitballs are still illegal in professional leagues.
Tennis parades countless performers who serve in excess of 100 miles per hour, a feat accomplished years ago by Roscoe Tanner and possibly one or two others. Technology, featuring tighter strings on larger rackets, has enabled diminutive stars like Michael Chang to serve bullets across the net and compete with the bigger hitters. Nevertheless, nothing has been done on the courts to indicate cheating.
Tiger Woods has electrified golfing fans with booming 325- to 350-yard tee shots. Numerous PGA players are able to blast drives in excess of 300 yards, and PGA seniors hit 50 to 75 yards farther than they did in their heyday. Technology has played a major role in this increased offensive power.
Callaway, Cobra, and others manufacturers have designed drivers that add anywhere from 25 to 50 yards to one's game. Irons are patterned to eliminate slices and hooks, and ball companies continually design balls that go farther and farther.
Golf courses are graded on distances, fairways, sand traps, water hazards, and putting surfaces. But, golf courses are never designed with greens that provide channels to the cup.
Bowling enhanced scoring with the advent of urethane balls. It was further advanced by the introduction of reactive urethane coverstocks. Technology played a major role in the game, particularly among the ranks of elite players, as sophisticated core configurations and defined pin placements afforded top bowlers an added advantage for controlling desired break points. These innovations were designed to add offensive advantages to the game.
Many proprietors and tournament directors will contend that blocking lanes is a technology designed for increased scoring. This strategy merely placates players whose egos far exceed their ability, as they scatter shots into channeled paths to the pocket—thereby placing them on par with shotmakers who rely on skill rather than fraud and deceit. Artful players utilize talent, coupled with modern technology, to achieve success.
The standard of measurement is the PBA Tour. The greatest players in the world are recipients of the best and most technological equipment available. However, PBA players who average from 15 to 25 pins less than some league players are making their marks on conditions demanding proper execution; the majority of league bowlers in the 220- to 240-average range take advantage of blocked lanes that steer the ball into the pocket.
Lane blocking is not a technology—it is out-and-out cheating!
Bowling must assert itself: Is it a sport or recreation? It can be both, but to establish the game as a viable sport, it is absolutely imperative, as well as obligatory, that ABC/WIBC exercise all available technology to separate recreation from sport.
PBA Hall of Famer John Jowdy is a past president of the Bowling Writers Association of America.