Bowling Tournaments Influenced by the WWF

When did bowling tournaments start taking on the characteristics of pro wrestling?


When I was a kid growing up in the early 1970's, the bowlers were such gentleman. I turn it on today and there's Pete Weber after a win with his face in the camera talking dirt. Or when he sensed he was going to win he says(paraphrasing), "He ain't going to beat me! NO WAY, NOT TODAY!


Ratings! Ratings! Ratings!

When wrestlers do that stuff, they're just performing as characters. When bowlers/athletes do it, they're being jackasses. You shouldn't confuse the two situations.


Why isn't Candlepin bowling more popular? It's a far more challenging game. Growing up in New England, I was fortunate enough to live close to a Candlepin lanes. I loved the game.

"When wrestlers do that stuff, they're just performing as characters."


That's my point, it was as though the bowlers have been asked to "spice it up" for the cameras in hopes of increasing the ratings. It seemed forced and phony.


What's Candlepin bowling?

i remember candlepins but do you remember duck pins.

Duckpins were great too.


The lanes I played in was about 2/3

Candlepins and 1/3 Duck pins. Unfortunately, it was torn down about 7-8 years ago. It was an occasional hangout during my high school years. It was sad to see it go. And for a damn Home Depot!


I preffered Candlepins because I liked using the wood to make spares.


There was a Candlepin TV show on the Boston ABC affiliate for about two decades. It was regularly one of the highest rated sports shows in the Boston market but eventually got cancelled because it drew and old demographic. A New Hampshire channel (WNDS) still has a Candlepin TV show every week. My mother never misses it.

What's Candlepin bowling?


Essentially, it's the same as tenpin bowling.


Except:


1. The pins are different. They are taller and thinner (resembling candles?).


2. The balls are different. They are about the size of a softball.


3. You roll 3 balls per frame rather than 2.


But the real key is the extreme difficulty of the game. NOBODY has ever bowled a 300 game in Candlepin Bowling. Nobody has even come close. If your ever in New England, give it a try. A friend of mine laughed the first time he saw it on TV after moving to New England but he thought it was a blast to play.


Here's a couple websites with some information that may interest you.


http://www.hickoksports.com/history/candlpin.shtml


http://www.geocities.com/Colosseum/Arena/7789/

My bowling score and my golf score (for 9 holes) were always about the same.

I got this of a wrestling website, pwtorch.com:


-Pro bowler, Pete Weber, gave credit to Rob Van Dam for inspiring him to point at himself and yell out his own initials during a recently televisded game (as described in the 10/29 Torch Today). Weber appeared on Tuesday's "Pardon the Interruption" on ESPN and admitted his actions were inspired by Rob Van Dam. "I actually got the idea from watching wrestling on Monday nights with the whole RVD deal," Weber said.

,.,.,.