BallReviews
General Category => PBA => Topic started by: bcw1969 on September 26, 2017, 10:34:23 PM
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Mine would be Earl Anthony. His focus and concentration were phenomenal, and he had such control over his physicality. My brothers and me loved to watch him growing up.
Brad
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As a fellow lefty my 2 favorites were Scott Devers and Steve Cook.
Scott because he had that great ball roll off the corner and when he had it going so great to watch.
Steve because of his pure power with his size and stature.
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WRW for his spare shooting but really come to appreciate Dell Ballard Jr. as well. Him dumping that ball in the channel is probably my favorite all time PBA moment because everyone is like wait what just happened. Hard not to cheer for a guy after that. Sadly reactives ended his career not much after that.
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I'm an 80's kid and for some reason "playboy" symbol was popular in middle school. Brain Voss was a pimp to me, kinda like my dad lol. Well dressed and slick. I didn't grow up like a normal kid, being my dad had own a strip joint, bar, and restaurant. I looked up to guys like that for some reason, cocky but in a subtle way, (I was actually a good kid, mom kept me grounded. she didn't know I was exposed before I could ride my big wheel.lol)
But my all time favorite PBA bowler has to be Norm Duke. I met him once, very nice guy. I was there (working) when he shot 300 against WRW. Too bad I didn't see that match. In fact, I never returned for my next shift at that casino in Tacoma, WA. I burn that bridge...
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Tough question to answer.
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Norm Duke. Guy has some crazy passion for the sport and I grew up watching him win a lot.
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So many to choose from, but I guess my number one would have to be the Medford Meteor, Marshal Holman.
Intensity personified. The man loved to win.
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Loved to watch Marshall Holman and Brian Voss from the older generation, hard to imagine ever rolling it better than those two.
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PDW is my favorite of all time.
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Loved watching Earl Anthony with my Dad on Sat afternoons. Never forget those days watching PBA and then World Wide of sports as a kid. And always rooted for Mark Roth too.
All time I have to say Norm Duke, so versatile, really loves the game, and one of the most friendly PBA bowlers on the Tour. Close second Walter Ray Williams for many of the same reasons.
Today even though I am jealous I can't bowl 2 handed Belmo by far is the best bowler in the world.
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Marion Ladewig
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My favorites:
Don 'Koko' Johnson
Barry Asher
Barry had 10 tour titles. He would have had a lot more had he not quit early on.
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PB III and Mark Roth have to be thrown in as well.... Earl was the smoothest of all time, but PB III is the next gen Earl, and how can we mention Marshall Holman without saying Mark Roth in the same breath?
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David Ozio! One of the most fundamentally sound games you will ever find.
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Really have the pre reactive era and the post and short of PDW and Norm Duke not a lot of bowlers won in both. Reactive balls ended a lot of careers.
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I think it is because the PBA telecast was more fun to watch in the late 80's early 90's. And most of us have nostalgia for how good the tour was then compared to what is has become now. I find myself enjoying the PBA50 tour much more then the regular tour on xtra frame as well.
Hopefully in 8 year when I qualify to bowl the pba50 tour it will still be around and in the form it is today.
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I think it is because the PBA telecast was more fun to watch in the late 80's early 90's. And most of us have nostalgia for how good the tour was then compared to what is has become now. I find myself enjoying the PBA50 tour much more then the regular tour on xtra frame as well.
Hopefully in 8 year when I qualify to bowl the pba50 tour it will still be around and in the form it is today.
The tour itself was much better back then but the bowlers I would argue probably weren't. I bet some of the modern bowlers could have won with urethane back in the day as well. PDW gives a good benchmark between eras.
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If I was forced to choose one I would say Mike Aulby. Almost effortless and always balanced. Expanded, favorites include:
Earl
Bohn
Pepe
Scroggins
and
Ozio cause I've got to give the right some love too.
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Tom Crites. The dude had snake skin Linds.
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Mike Aulby, always cool under pressure and I believe still the only bowler to win every existing major for the Super Slam. Showed you didn't have to be flashy and throw a ton of speed to get the job done.
The other lefties I enjoyed watching were Parker Bohn, John Mazza, Ricky Ward, and Richie Wolfe. All very smooth and fundamentally sound...which I am unfortunately not. lol
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Pete Webber was always my favorite to watch.
I met him once when my dad and I went to the TOC; he was late for a players meeting was an absolute jerk about it when we asked him to sign something. about an hour later as he coming out to bowl the pro-am event of the tournament he sought us out, apologized for being a jerk. signed our stuff, chatted with us for a bit.
Later, we are in the hotel bar watching sports on the TV. Pete was staying in the same hotel, comes in. He sees us and recognizes us from earlier that day and sits down with us and buys us a round and chats some more while he waited for his friends that he was joining. He ended up being pretty cool about it.
my other favorites are Danny Wiseman, brian Voss and Amaleto Monaceli
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Holman and if I have to pick a lefty it's John Gant.
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My favorite to watch was John Gant, nobody else at the time could rev it like him.
drillbit
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I would have to say Johnny P and Walter Ray and can leave out Earl . I used to watch these guys on Saturdays . Those were the days !
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Earl Anthony. watched him shadow bowl on saturdays when i was 5 years old. SMOOTH AS SILK!
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Well since I am new and do not know all the greats. My favorites are: Pete Weber for his ish talking and Belmo.
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I always liked Amletto and George Branham III growing up. More recently I liked Mike Wolfe only because we are bowling twins, same look and form (somewhat).
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Dick Weber.
The Arnold Palmer of bowling, great bowler and great ambassador of the game.
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Pete Webber was always my favorite to watch.
I met him once when my dad and I went to the TOC; he was late for a players meeting was an absolute jerk about it when we asked him to sign something. about an hour later as he coming out to bowl the pro-am event of the tournament he sought us out, apologized for being a jerk. signed our stuff, chatted with us for a bit.
Later, we are in the hotel bar watching sports on the TV. Pete was staying in the same hotel, comes in. He sees us and recognizes us from earlier that day and sits down with us and buys us a round and chats some more while he waited for his friends that he was joining. He ended up being pretty cool about it.
my other favorites are Danny Wiseman, brian Voss and Amaleto Monaceli
PDW I do believe is often misunderstood and has had issues to deal with. Probably not so fun being the son of the nicest guy in bowling. He sure seems less like a horses ass in real life than say Sean Rash.
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Pete Webber was always my favorite to watch.
I met him once when my dad and I went to the TOC; he was late for a players meeting was an absolute jerk about it when we asked him to sign something. about an hour later as he coming out to bowl the pro-am event of the tournament he sought us out, apologized for being a jerk. signed our stuff, chatted with us for a bit.
Later, we are in the hotel bar watching sports on the TV. Pete was staying in the same hotel, comes in. He sees us and recognizes us from earlier that day and sits down with us and buys us a round and chats some more while he waited for his friends that he was joining. He ended up being pretty cool about it.
my other favorites are Danny Wiseman, brian Voss and Amaleto Monaceli
PDW I do believe is often misunderstood and has had issues to deal with. Probably not so fun being the son of the nicest guy in bowling. He sure seems less like a horses ass in real life than say Sean Rash.
For a lot of the names here, you really need to watch the movie "A League of Ordinary Gentlemen", as well as ESPN's 30 for 30: Bad Guy of Bowling.
You're right that PDW is definitely misunderstood, but these two movies gets into the WHY that all of these guys are doing this. Pete does have a lot to live up to; When you think about it, the main part of his young life, his father wasn't there. Pete said it himself: his family's Saturday afternoon stopped at 1:30, because his father was on TV. Yes, he was out there entertaining and making a living for them, but that's a lot of time away from their family. And when Pete decided to do this, he had a huge shadow to try to get out from behind.
And his father's passing rocked him. As it would anyone in our sport, let alone family, but it rocked him. That's why that 5th US Open title was huge. Everything that happened to him in this sport, with his father, with is family, with those suspensions, wearing his heart on his sleeve.. everything came up to that moment with that strike, let alone that one fan in the audience pissing him off.
As for the others, WRW had the same issue with chasing title #43 and coming out of Earl's shadow. Chris Barnes doing this to keep a roof over his family's head, especially after one of his kids coming down with juvenile diabetes, and the fall of the PWBA at the time.
So many backstories that we don't know about that make it so hard to choose who our favorite bowler is.
BL.
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Pete Couture, when he competed on the national tour, was and still is my favorite. He was fearless and did't back down from the Roths, Holmans, and Anthonys of that era.
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Don Carter. The most determined bowler of all time. Lost more majors (due to politics) than he’s now credited with. If you’re a bowling historian you’ll understand.
Question: When is a major not a major? Answer: When it suits the PBA.
Dick Weber. The GENTLEMAN and face of the early PBA. A true master of the game. He probably touched the lives of more bowlers than anyone else in the sport.
Norm Duke. My bowling hero. What a player, what a sportsman.
PDW. For stepping out of his fathers shadow and becoming a true PBA immortal in his own right.
I’m playing in third place in this 5 man team, just for one game.
Don’s leading off, Norm in two. Then me followed by Peety. With Dick in Anchor.
Hopefully they can carry my 150.;)
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Earl Anthony, Mark Roth, Amleto Monacelli, and Steve Cook.
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Ryan Shafer........jk. Mike Machuga, Dave Arnold, Chris Loschesster.
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I think I'd lean towards Norm Duke. A close second is Walter Ray Williams Jr., who doesn't get credit for being as versatile as he really is.
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Big Ern I am the greatest Schlegel. Not really. WRW and his automatic spare shooting.
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Jesper the Goat
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Ryan Shafer........jk. Mike Machuga, Dave Arnold, Chris Loschesster.
I see what you did there......... :o ;D
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Mark Roth
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For me it's a tie between Dick Weber and Mike Aulby
My grandfather bowled against Dick Weber here in Indy, I assume in the late '40's into the '50's.
Mike used to bowl ''seniors'' when I bowled ''juniors'' at Play Bowl here in Indy back in the late '70's. It seemed like every Saturday morning he was shooting either a 300 or an 800. While, I don't know him, I've never heard or seen a bad word said about him.
Both Weber and Aulby are two of the classiest bowlers ever in my mind.
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Ryan Shafer........jk. Mike Machuga, Dave Arnold, Chris Loschesster.
I see what you did there......... :o ;D
Current PBA full of all kinds of land mines. The knives come out for those four digit prize checks. Finally learned my lesson so when a Joe Rando signs with wizbang brand X goes up skip that thread. Porn for the sales and marketing and gossip drones (ie the insiders).
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PDW
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Danny Wiseman. I loved his game!
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Mine is a toss up between Norm Duke and Amleto Monacelli.
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Duke is my all time favorite. PDW is a close second.
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Earl Anthony and PDW
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the Green Machine, Wayne Webb.
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the Green Machine, Wayne Webb.
Having met Wayne Webb, "favorite" isn't the first thought that comes to mind.
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Never met the man. I enjoyed watching him in the early to mid-eighties when he won the bulk of his titles.
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He was responsible for the Green Hammer. Those are valuable and rare.
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Never met the man. I enjoyed watching him in the early to mid-eighties when he won the bulk of his titles.
He is one hell of a bowler, that's for sure. But as a person, kind of a "richard". Then again, I do tend to bring that out in people. ;D
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Green Hammer???
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Green Hammer???
Yeah Faball made a small batch special for Wayne Webb IIRC (test balls basically but legal due to being pre 1991 grandfathered in I think). Some pics below at start of that thread. Pretty cool looking balls but stupid hard to find. I think reaction wise they are nearly identical to the Blue (edit: actually think it was the the Black) but never seen one myself.
http://www.ballreviews.com/faball/faball-green-hammer-t289041.0.html
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Guppy Troup
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Norm Duke
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Norm Duke!
Though I do have to say, I was just getting into bowling at the time Doug Kent went on fire and have always enjoyed his game.
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Mr.Dick Weber
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Amaletto, Wiseman, and "Strike a Lot" Malott!
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Surprised no body mentioned Bohn. Mechanically about as good as you will find, and a good guy.
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Lefty Mike Aulby
Righty Robert Smith
Top 5 after
Ricky Ward
Pete Weber
Marshall Holman
Brad Angelo
Ryan Cimenelli
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Mr.Dick Weber
Kind of surprised no one had mentioned Don Carter, the original and first sports millionaire.
No one, not anyone was better under pressure than Mr. Bowling. Until he retired, Dick Weber was just 2nd best.
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Mr.Dick Weber
Kind of surprised no one had mentioned Don Carter, the original and first sports millionaire.
No one, not anyone was better under pressure than Mr. Bowling. Until he retired, Dick Weber was just 2nd best.
I have heard he really got screwed due to bowling politics (ugh) which might be some of why he is under appreciated.
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My favorite is Amletto Monachelli
I absolutely love watching him bowl.
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Mark Roth and Marshall Holman bring back great memories.
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Every major change in environment ended some careers. Shellac to lacquer hurt the old full roller types like Ned Day whi dominated prior to the 50's when lacquer became the primary lane finish. Urethane lane finish, and urethane ballsended the careers of the great Strokers of the late 60's like Stefanich, Hudson, Neff. Resin probably didn't end any more careers than the other major changes. Resin hurt the cup wristed slow hookers if they couldn't learn how to generate ball speed.
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Sorry late to the party....but
Norm Duke - current favorite
Earl Anthony - I always loved his cool, calm demeanor with a killer passion for the sport
Walter Ray Williams Jr.
I would of loved to have seen those three compete against each other in their prime.
Amletto Monachelli does a bowling clinic every year in my town. I heard from my friends that he's a heckuva nice guy.
I think I'll go meet him this year for some bowling tips.
Not a fan of two-handed bowling.
I must say that my two favorite bowling personalities are/were:
Nelson "Bo" Burton Jr. & Chris Chris Schenkel.
The best announcers I ever saw or heard call a game.
Bo would also give invaluable tips to improve your game during the PBA telecast on ABC.
Those guys really got me psyched to go bowling ASAP (league day could not get there fast enough). Those guys got me to love the game. I would get so excited to go bowling I would get a rush opening the bowling center doors and the smell of the lanes. I would get goosebumps I was so excited.
That is why I bowled and why I do it today.
Sadly, their last telecast on ABC was on June 21, 1997 - where I bowl league today.
I saw the last telecast on TV...as I did not miss many of those telecasts.
One of my teammates was at the lanes during the tournament.
Sorry for the rant down memory lane. Its just that those guys were my favorites and a big reason why I bowl today.
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1st Earl Anthony-silent assassin
2nd Marshall Holman-fire and brimstone
3rd Norm Duke-nobody can play on the outside of the lane with the feathered roll like he can
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1. Pete Weber
2. Parker Bohn III
3. Mike Aulby
4. Norm Duke
5. Brian Voss
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i always loved watching mike fagen.
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(https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-z6iYsfu60VM/TzhXnltd7-I/AAAAAAAAAAU/XUPJmGnydEY/s1600/Ernie-Schlegel.png)
The man, the myth, the legend. Just kidding so glad Earl won that day over disco Ern. Probably even Ern's mom was cheering for Earl.
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Mark Roth, and Pete Weber. Mark Roth for his natural talent. The original cranker style. How many steps are you going to take today mark 5,6,7,8 unreal. Pete Weber for the best release the sport has ever seen. Both tenacious competitors. On the left side of course earl, and I always enjoyed watching Steve cook bowl. Big man with a ton of power, yet smooth.
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1. Dick Weber - A true gentleman and ambassador to the sport
2. Mike Aulby - smooth and cool under pressure - and a super nice guy
3. David Ozio - see above
4. Robert Smith - more rpm than my car idles at
5 Earl Anthony - smooth and ice water in his veins
Honerable mention PB3,Marshall Holman,Chris Barnes