Bowling, The Wright Way - September 2004 by Don Wright
Bowling & Olympics - Oil & Water?

I have said over and over that I would love to see bowling as a medal sport, but I doubt seriously if that will ever happen.

I once asked the question, would it be a summer game, or winter? After watching the opening ceremonies of the 28th Olympiad in Athens I believe it would have to be a winter game. More countries competing in winter games would likely have a bowling center somewhere in their country. I think if you are an island nation in the middle of an ocean, have more than 100 islands and only two are inhabited and you send one athlete to compete in track and field, the odds are you don't have a nation that bowls. Additionally, there are 28 sports competing in the summer Olympics compared to seven in the winter.

Geography was one of my best subjects in school, but I have to admit of the 202 countries that seemed to take forever to march in the opening ceremonies, there were many that I never heard of and had to look up. Some I did know, but because they changed their name 15 or 20 years ago it was all Greek to me. (Pun intended).

I have also written many times that I believe the Olympic games should be for amateur athletes only. I've heard over and over that amateurs from certain countries are really professionals and for us to be competitive we need to send "dream teams." Well, I watched our professional basketball players against Italy in a pre-Olympic game and I wasn't impressed with their game, or their body art.

So should we send Team USA, or the best high roller amateurs, or the Bowlers Journal All-American teams?

Golf is in a similar situation. Golf hasn't appeared in the Olympics since 1904 in St. Louis. Some say the Olympics need golf, that golf doesn't need the Olympics. I'm not sure that's an accurate statement, but who would play, amateurs, or professionals. Ernie Els and world number one Tiger Woods are among several leading players who would prefer their sport to be restricted to amateurs only.

I would hope we would send our best amateurs.

I am told that the USBC affords us a better chance of getting into the Olympics, but I doubt that, too. In 2002 I wrote, "We know bowling won't make the 2004 Olympics and don't count on 2008 in China. The IOC rules are that in order for new sports to be added old sports must be dropped. They are considering dropping baseball, softball and the modern pentathlon. Additionally, one of the oldest Olympic sports - Greco - Roman wrestling is on the chopping block." Well, when members resisted the proposal to drop those sports they were given a reprieve. In fact, members voted to postpone any cuts of entire sports until after the Olympics in Athens.

Bottom line is that for bowling as well as golf to have any chance of being accepted by the IOC something else has to go and I don't see that happening.

Then we have the problem with television. Would bowling get any coverage? Probably, but I doubt it would get a prime time viewing slot. It would probably be on about midnight and then a tape delayed segment that we already know the outcome. It's hard watching something when I already know the outcome. Like the Titanic movie. I'll watch a Texas Ranger baseball game all the way to the end even if they are behind by five runs in the first inning. It's the uncertainty that makes it exciting. I never watch reruns of old baseball games, previous Super Bowls, or Mike Tyson fights. I know the endings.

Announcers for bowling would again be a problem. It's difficult now. Imagine Bob Costas, or Katie Couric rambling on and on.

I have a high definition television so I was switching back and forth between NBC and NBC-HD because I got sick of the Sony commercial on HD. Mary Carillo was one of the announcers on the HD channel and when Bolivia marched in for the opening ceremonies Carillo said, "Remember what Mike Tyson said after he was beaten by Lennox Lewis? I'm just gonna fade off into Bolivia." She got my vote for bowling announcer. A tennis star that follows boxing and is funnier than Randy Pedersen would do her homework and know the sport.

I just checked out the Olympic coverage on NBC and they have women's beach volleyball on right now.

It ain't bowling, but their uniforms are a lot more fun to see. So, I better close this out and get in my recliner and muse, or as us Texans say - ponder what bowling might look like.

See you on the lanes.