Post by Renaissance Man on Jun 17, 2004 2:35:11 GMT -5
AMONG THE MANY BOWLING polls that have been taken over the years was a 1970 survey in which a group of 48 veteran bowling writers were asked by the ABC to select an All-America bowling team from the pre-1950 era.
The first nine men named were Hank Marino, Jimmy Smith, Ned Day, Joe Wilman, Andy Varipapa, Jimmy Blouin, Joe Norris, Junie McMahon, and Buddy Bomar, in that order. That was no great surprise because all of them had previously been elected to the ABC Hall of Fame.
The 10th man was John "Count" Gengler, a selection that raised many eyebrows. His name can't be found in the record books because he did very little formal competitive bowling. Gengler didn't participate in leagues, tournaments, or organized matches. He shunned notice and hid from headlines. During his heyday in the 1920s and before, it was in his interest not to be well known. You see, Gengler was a bowling hustler.
By the time Gengler died in 1957 at age 80, the tales of his prowess were legendary. He quietly toured the country, enticing bowlers into big-money matches with his non-threatening onestep delivery. It has been said that he once rolled a 300 game in the dark and was one of the most accurate bowlers in history.
His feats were acknowledged by contemporary bowlers--and, obviously, by bowling journalists as well. Today he's still considered one of the greatest bowlers of all time, despite his lack of official standings and statistics.
Although hustling certainly isn't in vogue these days, any bowler who likes a little side action should follow three main rules in order to avoid being hustled:
First, never bowl against anyone you don't know unless it's in a fully recognized and supervised competition.
Second, if you are tempted to bowl against strangers, keep the wager down to a few dollars. If you lose your money, chalk it up to the price of an education.
And, finally, apply the test that nearly always exposes a hustler. Watch him or her on key shots, the ones that have to be made. If the bowler suddenly looks like a 220-average bowler instead of the 160 bowler he or she pretended to be, you are being hustled.
This past March, Dick Weber rolled in his 56th consecutive ABC tournament. He loved bowling with two sons and two grandsons, and he has carried an amazing 202 average over all of those years.
Weber has also endured some strange moments at the ABC. One of those happened in 1954, when Dick and his wife Juanita thought it would be nice to have matching bowling bags. Dick laughingly recalls that it didn't turn out to be such a good idea because it was only when he got to Seattle from his home in St. Louis that he discovered that he had taken his wife's bowling bag and ball.
Frenchy Letourneau is the editor and publisher of Las Vegas-based TenPin Alley. He's also an avid bowler, has a keen sense of tradition and history, and is very sentimental.
Letourneau loved bowling with the legendary Joe Norris in the ABC Tournament. Norris died in 2001, but not before he tied Bill Doehrman's record for competing in the most tournaments (71) and establishing a total pinfall record of 123,770, a mark that seems destined to last forever.
In the two tournaments since Norris' passing, Letourneau has conducted his own special tribute to the bowling legend. For his first toss of the event, Letourneau rolls the ball last used by Norris. And although the ball is a terrible fit--and Letourneau's emotions are high--both times he has rolled it, he has recorded a strike.
It's often noted that movie stars and top athletes work hard all of their lives to become well known, and then wear dark glasses to avoid being recognized. Pete Weber wears sunglasses even when he appears on TV, but it's safe to say he wants all the recognition he can get. He wears sunglasses to deflect the glare of the bright TV lights.
Why do some bowlers claim they are dedicated to fitness, yet stay in their cars for minutes circling the bowling center parking lot in order to find a spot close to the entrance so they don't have to do much walking?
There have been some great left-handed bowlers, including Earl Anthony, Mike Aulby, and Johnny Petraglia. But one of the most famous southpaws was an ardent bowler with a 170 average named Babe Ruth.
When Nick Mormando was in Knoxville for his induction into the ABC Hall of Fame, he was pleasantly surprised to learn that the ABC had arranged for a police escort. Mormando, a former BPAA president known for his sharp wit, said: "It sure is nice to be behind those flashing red lights instead of in front of them."
You know you're getting old when rolling a couple of games costs more than your bowling shoes.
The first nine men named were Hank Marino, Jimmy Smith, Ned Day, Joe Wilman, Andy Varipapa, Jimmy Blouin, Joe Norris, Junie McMahon, and Buddy Bomar, in that order. That was no great surprise because all of them had previously been elected to the ABC Hall of Fame.
The 10th man was John "Count" Gengler, a selection that raised many eyebrows. His name can't be found in the record books because he did very little formal competitive bowling. Gengler didn't participate in leagues, tournaments, or organized matches. He shunned notice and hid from headlines. During his heyday in the 1920s and before, it was in his interest not to be well known. You see, Gengler was a bowling hustler.
By the time Gengler died in 1957 at age 80, the tales of his prowess were legendary. He quietly toured the country, enticing bowlers into big-money matches with his non-threatening onestep delivery. It has been said that he once rolled a 300 game in the dark and was one of the most accurate bowlers in history.
His feats were acknowledged by contemporary bowlers--and, obviously, by bowling journalists as well. Today he's still considered one of the greatest bowlers of all time, despite his lack of official standings and statistics.
Although hustling certainly isn't in vogue these days, any bowler who likes a little side action should follow three main rules in order to avoid being hustled:
First, never bowl against anyone you don't know unless it's in a fully recognized and supervised competition.
Second, if you are tempted to bowl against strangers, keep the wager down to a few dollars. If you lose your money, chalk it up to the price of an education.
And, finally, apply the test that nearly always exposes a hustler. Watch him or her on key shots, the ones that have to be made. If the bowler suddenly looks like a 220-average bowler instead of the 160 bowler he or she pretended to be, you are being hustled.
This past March, Dick Weber rolled in his 56th consecutive ABC tournament. He loved bowling with two sons and two grandsons, and he has carried an amazing 202 average over all of those years.
Weber has also endured some strange moments at the ABC. One of those happened in 1954, when Dick and his wife Juanita thought it would be nice to have matching bowling bags. Dick laughingly recalls that it didn't turn out to be such a good idea because it was only when he got to Seattle from his home in St. Louis that he discovered that he had taken his wife's bowling bag and ball.
Frenchy Letourneau is the editor and publisher of Las Vegas-based TenPin Alley. He's also an avid bowler, has a keen sense of tradition and history, and is very sentimental.
Letourneau loved bowling with the legendary Joe Norris in the ABC Tournament. Norris died in 2001, but not before he tied Bill Doehrman's record for competing in the most tournaments (71) and establishing a total pinfall record of 123,770, a mark that seems destined to last forever.
In the two tournaments since Norris' passing, Letourneau has conducted his own special tribute to the bowling legend. For his first toss of the event, Letourneau rolls the ball last used by Norris. And although the ball is a terrible fit--and Letourneau's emotions are high--both times he has rolled it, he has recorded a strike.
It's often noted that movie stars and top athletes work hard all of their lives to become well known, and then wear dark glasses to avoid being recognized. Pete Weber wears sunglasses even when he appears on TV, but it's safe to say he wants all the recognition he can get. He wears sunglasses to deflect the glare of the bright TV lights.
Why do some bowlers claim they are dedicated to fitness, yet stay in their cars for minutes circling the bowling center parking lot in order to find a spot close to the entrance so they don't have to do much walking?
There have been some great left-handed bowlers, including Earl Anthony, Mike Aulby, and Johnny Petraglia. But one of the most famous southpaws was an ardent bowler with a 170 average named Babe Ruth.
When Nick Mormando was in Knoxville for his induction into the ABC Hall of Fame, he was pleasantly surprised to learn that the ABC had arranged for a police escort. Mormando, a former BPAA president known for his sharp wit, said: "It sure is nice to be behind those flashing red lights instead of in front of them."
You know you're getting old when rolling a couple of games costs more than your bowling shoes.