I am always amazed when a group of people selects an athlete for things such as the Hall of Fame, Player of the Year, or Jock of the Month. No matter how you slice the pie, personalities enter into the voting.
I recently read a column by Sports Illustrated senior writer Phil Taylor in which he wrote, "The five men who were voted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame last Saturday—Dave Casper, Dan Hampton, Jim Kelly, John Stallworth, and the late George Allen—should be congratulated for having distinguished NFL careers and remembered as among the best of their eras at their particular specialties. They just shouldn't be in the Hall of Fame."
That's sort of the way I felt when I read that the Bowling Writers Association of America (BWAA) selected Brett Wolfe as its Bowler of the Month for January. Wolfe, an amateur, captured the ABC Masters in his hometown of Reno, Nevada by qualifying as the tournament leader, the first amateur to do that in the tournament's history. He should be congratulated for that and remembered in the record books—but not as BWAA Bowler of the Month.
On the same ballot with Wolfe was Ricky Ward of North Fort Myers, Florida. Ward won the PBA Medford (Oregon) Open, finished second in Las Vegas, and was third in the ABC Masters. Those accomplishments seem to outweigh winning a single tournament, even if it is the prestigious Masters. In fact, I thought it was good enough to get my first-place vote in the selection process.
I have written many columns in which I have expressed winning "majors" should count for something. I still feel that way; however, it shouldn't be the sole factor, and those voting should be looking at the overall accomplishments of the athletes.
Ward had a far better month.
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While I am on this roll, I want to mention a hot topic that is on the PBA's web site, and that's Pete Weber and his comment about the St. Louis Bowling Hall of Fame. As with most athletes, "PDW," as he likes to refer to himself, has his detractors. But, again, I go back to what I wrote earlier: Vote on the record.
I don't know what the requirements are for selection into the St. Louis Bowling Hall of Fame. I don't know if there is an age or residency clause. What I do know is that when I searched the Internet, I found people in the St. Louis Bowling Hall of Fame who certainly don't have Pete's credentials.
I just don't understand how someone in the PBA and ABC Halls of Fame could be overlooked by St. Louis. But, as Phil Taylor said in his column, "After all, the Hall of Fame, any Hall of Fame, ain't what it used to be."
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Let's continue with PDW! Everyone knows I am a PDW fanatic, and what a show he put on in the PBA Columbia 300 Tar Heel Open. If anyone doubts that Pete Weber is the best bowler on tour, those doubts should be at rest after that event.
After totally intimidating Jason Couch and beating him 245-182, he stepped up to the line, needing a mark to win against Roger Bowker, and leaves the 3-4-6-7-10. Undaunted, Pete picked it up, won his 28th career title, and is 7-0 in three TV finals appearances this season (Grand Rapids, Mich., and Louisville, Ky.) using the single-elimination bracket, match play format.
Love him, or hate him, as my grandson would say, "PDW rules!"
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It was good seeing Wayne Webb back in form. The Mean Green Bowling Machine still has a game compatible with the conditions of today.
I don't profess to be a lane condition expert, but I'm seeing fewer and fewer successful crankers. Jason Hurd and Jason Couch showed that in the Columbia 300 with games of 177 and 182, respectively.
Hopefully, those type conditions will bring out some of the bowling greats who had their careers shortened when everyone was trying to be Rudy "Revs" Kasimakis—another unsuccessful PBA cranker.
Maybe bowlers will be like old neckties. If we wait long enough, the good ones come back in style.
See you on the lanes.
Don Wright is a member of the Bowling Writers Association of America. Visit his home page.