http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/newfoundland-labrador/bowling-st-pats-wrong-pants-1.4002840

A youth bowling tournament in St. John's has caused a stir over the colour of a participant's pants.

Seven-year-old Grayson Powell bowled the game of his life on Saturday during a non-league tournament, putting up a high game of 171 en route to a championship win for his team of three.

Grayson was given some harsh news immediately after the provincial gathering — he was disqualified for the colour of his pants.

"The rule is you have to wear black pants," his father, Todd Powell, explained. "The problem I have with it, they allowed him to bowl prior [to disqualification]."

Grayson took part in a 15-minute warm-up. Nothing was said. He then bowled three games — the best three of his young life — and nothing was said.

It wasn't until he was lined up next to his teammates, ready to accept a gold medal for winning the just-for-fun tournament, that Youth Bowl Canada provincial director Gordon Davis pulled Grayson's mother into an office.

Her son, who was wearing faded black jeans, was disqualified.

His pants were just not black enough to meet the tournament's dress code.
"Parents ruin it for kids," Powell said. "If this is what sport is about when it comes to kids...shame on them."

While semantics can be argued — how black were his jeans, really? — Grayson's father has a deeper theory than the colour of his son's pants.
Davis also coaches teams out of a bowling alley in Corner Brook. The teams finishing second and third, who were bumped up to the top spots, were both from his lanes on the island's west coast.

"He should be ashamed of himself," the senior Powell said. "For [Davis] to go back to Corner Brook saying that, 'We won a provincial medal' — no. The three individuals that bowled on Saturday, they are the ones that won that medal."

Davis ejected the Riverdale team to use the provincial win to bolster his own club, Powell alleged.

"He owes these three individuals — three kids — a written apology."
Davis did not return messages left by CBC News.

As for Grayson, he went home feeling dejected, his father said.

When asked by a CBC reporter how the disqualification made him feel, he had only one word.

"Sad."

Only an issue when you win. After seeing the pictures I'd say that's a reach to take away a win from somebody. Not surprised.

I wonder if the issue also was that "jeans" are not "pants"?
Perhaps the usage of "pants" in their rulebook implies something nicer than jeans?

In any case, I agree it is wrong to rob someone in this fashion.  If there was a violation, the young bowler should have not been allowed to bowl (or be eligible for a medal at least).

Small-minded people indeed must be in charge over there in Canada.
And this is bad publicity for the sport of bowling.

Pants color do not affect scores.  If he was allowed to BoWladimir, then he deserves the win.  This should be appealed to the governing body.   This is unfair and outright disgusting!

This is a sad commentary of where we are.  Instead of helping young kids to love the game we (adults) do the opposite.  If he were allowed to compete, he should have been allowed to win.

If they intended to enforce the rule then don't take the entry fee, and don't let them compete, otherwise their silence on the rule makes it a "non-rule".

Terrible, ruin the impression the kids get from the sport and wonder why our numbers decline consistently. When they're that young, exceptions can be made. Only reason this was brought timing wise was because some shit*y parent had a kid bowl like sh*t and they found an excuse to ruin the winners day.

Bad publicity or not, it should not only be appealed to the local governing body, it should be in the media... It's up to the parents to take steps to correct this injustice... I'm one of the largest sticklers for rules, but this is outside the rule IMHO. How black is black?

Unless it explicitly states black khakis or dress pants, black pants are pants which are black. The kid shot the number, someone got their nuts in a bind that the kid tore it up, complained to someone in power, and shot this kids accomplishment down like a scud missile. I have a 7 year old that loves to bowl, and if this was my kid, I can't say I wouldn't have been taking swings at someone's face in the parking lot. It's petty, and you take out your petiness on a kid? Screw that.