Bowling, The Wright Way - February 2007 by Don Wright
I Love Sunday

Now that I am retired every day is a Saturday so I don't do a lot on Sunday. As they say it's a day of rest.

I love Sunday morning. Sweetie is usually up a few minutes before I am and once the smell of coffee hits me, I am ready for the day. Morning coffee is one of my simple pleasures.

I get a weekly paper and always enjoy reading it, but Sunday is especially good. It's usually a larger paper with more sports and more advertising. People have said that the newspaper is on it way out. That instant, 24-hour news, the Internet, and cell phones that do everything (including dropping calls), will replace print media. I sincerely hope there are more people like me that enjoy the paper.

Although I read everything in the Sunday paper including the classifieds, I start with the sports section. I suppose I should be more concerned with what's happening in the world, but the truth of the matter is, I'm up, Sweetie is up, the coffee is hot, so all is well in my world. Now I just want to know if the Mavericks won.

It usually takes me a couple of hours to devour the paper because at some point while I am reading I turn on CNN and get my Headline News. I need to know what's going on with Anna Nichol Smith immediately. When the sports come on at 19 minutes past the hour I turn it off. I want to read what happened in the wide world of sports, not have some opinionated talking head tell me how Phil Mickelson choked again.

I usually have the paper finished before bowling starts. Man, great coffee, Sweetie sitting beside me, a well read paper and now the PBA on ESPN. It just doesn't get any better that that. (I'm really into simple pleasures.)

Before bowling starts I spend a little time at my computer and check to see what Texan made the show. Will it be Big Wes, Chris, Scroggs, Healey, Ballard, or maybe our old friend Chris Warren? Will there be another all left-hander field? Did Duke withdraw again? Where is Kelly Kulick?

I always hope those who made the T.V. show are the bowlers I really like. I like all of them except for maybe one, or two. I wish Weber would make the telecast more.

I'll go to the PBA message boards and see who is bashing whom, and why. You know they will pound on Randy and Dave before the show ever starts. "Sixty feet to success," seems to really torque some folks.

I enjoy the telecasts regardless of their shortcomings. Bowling on television is like growing old - It sure beats the alternative.

I like the stepladder finals the best. Maybe it's because there is more bowling and less fillers. I don't particularly care for the Skills Challenge. I would like the skills challenge if they were not throwing balls over chairs, knocking chairs into the masking units, flopping on the floor and making the sport look like a side show. I don't think it is the type of thing that gives the sport a positive image. Trick shots rolling the ball down lane are cleaver and can be exciting. Let's face it Barnes flying eagle is cool.

The interviews with Walter Ray Williams in his RV are great. I wrote a column many years ago saying that the PBA should look at sponsors whose products are used by the Pro's and league bowlers. I suggested hotel/motel sponsors, RV's because at the time Ozio, Mark Williams, and others were traveling that way, bass boats because many of the bowlers such as Ozio were really into that. I guess two out of three ain't too shabby.

I would like to see more interviews with the Pro's at their home, at a practice session, in an up close and personal segment. I would like to see the trophy presented rather than the winner walking over and grabbing it. I would like to see the check presented by the host proprietor and the sponsors thanked for their support.

I wish they would make collared shirts mandatory.

Having said all that, I sit back and enjoy the greatness of the professionals. Having been a bowler for more than 60 years I know how difficult it is to repeat shots and these guys do it over and over, week after week.

After the bowling is over I am back at the PBA web site and checking out the "What's in the bag" category. I like to know what the Pro's are rolling. I can usually tell by the logo who the manufacturer is, but I can't always tell what ball series they have.

By now it's 2 p.m. or later and I've been up nearly 8 hours. It's time for another of my life's simple pleasures - the nap.

See you on the lanes.