Mika Koivuniemi of Finland became the first foreign-born player to win Bowling's U.S. Open, Sunday, Dec. 9 at Fountain Bowl in Fountain Valley, Calif. It was a history-making event, with a first place prize of $100,000.
But, I have to tell you, it was a very boring telecast. None of the bowlers displayed any emotion, and I was wishing for Pete Weber and Ernie Schlegel. The banter in the booth was terrible, as Randy Pedersen continued his Holiday Inn act, and Jim Kelly couldn't pronounce the bowlers names and referred to the BPAA as the PBAA. Pedersen's pronunciation of Koivuniemi was embarrassing.
I really did enjoy the history and old footage they played throughout the telecast, even if Kelly didn't have a clue who was on screen while obviously reading from a script.
The U.S. Open ends the first half of the 2001-2002 PBA Tour season. The second half resumes Jan. 1-6, with the PBA Earl Anthony Memorial Classic at Tech City Bowl in Kirkland, Wash. ESPN will televise the championship round live, Sunday, Jan. 6, from 1 to 2:30 p.m.
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Kim Terrell of Daly City, Calif., captured the largest purse in PWBA history by winning the $300,000 Women's U.S. Open Bowling Championship. Seeded fifth, Terrell posted victories in the opening shootout and the semifinals before defeating Wendy Macpherson of Henderson, Nevada 234-220 in the championship match. Terrell took home a first-place check worth $55,000-the largest ever in a women's pro bowling event.
In addition to great bowling, the telecast was a much better product. I especially liked the fact that there were no commercials during the matches.
The professionalism in the booth far exceeded that of the PBA event. Jan Schmidt and Carolyn Dorin-Ballard were excellent, as was Cathy Dorin-Lizzi among the crowd.
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Whenever I watch a bowling event on television, I always scan the audience to see which bowling writers are present. I did not see one bowling writer at the Men's U.S. Open. I'm not saying there were no writers, I just didn't see any on camera.
However, at the Women's U.S. Open, I saw four male bowling writers and a writer/illustrator, seated center stage and on camera. I also saw several ladies who are members of the Bowling Writers Association of America as well as an award-winning woman writer, all seated with the outgoing WIBC President Joyce Deitch.
I think that show of support is great, but what is it that attracts writers to the women's competition and not the men's? Is the competition better? Is the gambling attraction and accommodations in Nevada the reason? I don't get it.
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There are a lot of things I don't get. For example, every week we hear about the Sport condition, and every week we see more and more winners playing a more direct line to the pocket.
Yet, there are still those bowlers who come on television after having watched a match or two in which the bowlers are rolling a more direct line and still insist on moving left and throwing right and getting their butt kicked. Why?
It seems to me that if you have a "ball rep" and unlimited equipment and professional drillers, you would have equipment that matches the conditions.
Robert Smith, during an interview at the U.S. Open, said, "I had to loft it half way down the lane to get it through the break point." The follow-up question should have been, "Why not change equipment?"
If I were sponsoring a player who either wouldn't change equipment or change his game, and was sitting in the bleachers being interviewed, he'd be looking for a new sponsor.
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Well, that's my take on the historic U.S. Opens. I'd love to hear your thoughts and comments.
See you on the lanes.
Don Wright is a member of the Bowling Writers Association of America. Visit his home page.