Bowling, The Wright Way - February 1, 1996 by Don Wright
Bowling, The Wright Way

I don't know which I enjoy more, bowling, or writing about it. Today, there are so many ways a bowler can find competition, and there are so many places a writer can go to find a story, that it's just plain fun.

On Jan. 29, I had the opportunity to participate in the Columbia 300 Pro- Am that precedes the competition of the Columbia 300 Open being held at Highland Lanes in Austin, Texas. It's always a thrill to see the men of the PBT and each year I marvel at their consistency. I'm an amateur bowler, nothing more. In my 50 plus years of bowling I have seen a lot of changes from the days that I was a pin-boy. Growing up I went bowling with my Dad, and at that time there were a lot of bowling clubs. The Moose Club, the Lions, Police Athletic League and others. There were some excellent bowlers, but I have never seen anything like there is on the tour at this time.

I know that many will say equipment has changed the game and that conditions were harder years past. Maybe so, but I can't find it in me to punish today's bowlers for today's advances. If anything, I think they have it more difficult. Sure scores may be higher and records may be broken, but that's what records are for. The bowling balls of today and the lane maintenance crews make it very difficult for the modern day professional.

In sports, if you snooze, you lose. Tennis, golf, baseball, even hockey have made advances in their equipment that have revolutionized the game. Why should bowling be any different. We hear the nay-sayers say the sport is too easy. Averages are too high and there are too many honor scores. Yet, we see Randy Pedersen leave a solid eight pin and lose. The high average league bowlers are enjoying themselves, regardless of what a few might think. And, when they think they are good enough for the tour they give it a shot. It's cruel out there. The vast majority of those league bowlers find out real soon that the best of the best is on tour. That's the way it should be.

It's a shame that prize money on the Professional Bowlers Tour doesn't equal what some of the mega-buck amateur tournaments have, but if the amateurs are so good, then why are the professional bowlers prohibited from the mega-buck events.

Yes, we have high average amateurs, league bowlers and what I call semi-pro's, but in the long run if you want to see the very best you have to look to the PBT.

Ernie Schlegel put on quite a show in capturing the Bayer/Brunswick Touring Players Championship and whether you loved it, or hated it, it was exciting. I was always a fan of Schlegel, I guess because he tried to make the sport fun and different. His wife made his bowling clothes and he was always introduced as being from the USA. Schlegel has always been a character.

I watched Schlegel at the Columbia 300 Open Pro-Am and Schlegel was Schlegel. Most amateurs bowling in a Pro-Am are somewhat intimidated and in awe of the professionals. Some, try very hard to be cool and nonchalant. Schlegel takes all of that away from you the moment he shakes your hand. He laughs, jokes, drinks Heineken, keeps you loose and makes you have fun which is the whole object of the Pro-Am in the first place.

Schlegel is good for bowling the way Salvino, Weber and Carter were. People go to see them and can somehow relate to them. Someone once told me that watching bowling was as exciting as watching paint dry. They missed Schlegel's "I don't believe it" win.

Another bowler that lights up a Pro-Am is Norm Duke. Duke's smile and congenial attitude rubs off on all the folks around him. He is a very gracious person and the kids love him. Bowling the Pro-Am isn't something all the pro's like to do, and maybe Duke doesn't either, but it doesn't show. He readily acknowledges the fans whether he's bowling good or bad, win or lose.

I say this often in my columns and when talking to youth bowlers, "there are winners and there are champions, and there is a big difference in the two."

This is my first column on the web for Treasure Software and I want to thank Mr. Jack Lien for this wonderful opportunity. Nothing pleases me more than writing about a sport I dearly love, but having said that I'll touch on another sport I dearly love - How 'bout them Cowboys!