Is Belmonte/Rash staged??

**NewToBowling** · 02-26-2015, 02:28 PM

Originally Posted by zdawg

Not sure if I agree with this logic. When Tiger was on top of the world winning everything in sight, PGA viewership and interest in golf went through the ROOF.

Nobody thought basketball was a joke when Michael Jordan's Bulls demolished every team in the league to the tune of two 3-peats (would've been even more ridiculous had he not retired briefly in between).

As much as I HATE HATE HATE the New England Patriots (did I mention I HATE them) and the streams of bang wagon jumping idiots that they have attracted (I remember in the 90's where there were ZERO Pats fans outside of the Northeast), they have DOMINATED the NFL in a way NO other team has done in the salary cap/FA era. And the NFL is still the biggest drawing sport in the US.

Just because a person/team is dominant doesn't make the associated sport a joke, what they're really doing is setting the bar that much higher. Which in turn makes it that more challenging for the rest of the league and forces them to step up their game, as well as up and comers/future generations to reach higher than what they thought was possible.

To me the image I have in my mind of the old days was of obese, beer swilling chain smokers. This probably has a lot to do with the fact that growing up in the 80's that's what I saw in the local bowling alleys, and probably why I NEVER considered bowling as a serious sport (in those days). In fact they even poke fun at that image in the movie Kingpin. To me THAT made the sport a joke (in the eyes of the average bowler), and that image to me still plays a role in the perception of bowling to the general public today.

Hell, that documentary on bowling although putting bowling in a serious light, even called itself "League of ORDINARY Gentleman". It's like even the producers of the documentary can't even take the sport or the bowlers featured in the movie seriously.

Bowling has a serious image problem. Featuring a young, dominant, articulate, and charismatic bowler who reaches out to the general public and bowling enthusiasts alike, on all kinds of social media, doing apperances, etc. goes a long way towards fixing that. In fact, if some of the other "young guns" of the sport put as much into publicizing the sport as Belmo does, the sport would be MUCH better for it.

And full disclaimer, I'm not a 2 hander either but really have no issues with it whatsoever.

I think fortheloveofbowling is intimating is that his "freakish" two handed delivery is "improper" and unbecoming of the sport.

I say hogwash. He just does it better than anyone else. The reason most bowlers don't go with two handed delivery is because they can't get a consistent delivery each and every time. Belmonte does. And he shoots his spares two handed also so there is no gimmick there.

And Belmonte should be the face of bowling/PBA. He is young, enthusiastic, and has personality. Same with Rash, Ronnie Russell, and others.

**fortheloveofbowling** · 02-26-2015, 03:21 PM

Originally Posted by NewToBowling

I think fortheloveofbowling is intimating is that his "freakish" two handed delivery is "improper" and unbecoming of the sport.

I say hogwash. He just does it better than anyone else. The reason most bowlers don't go with two handed delivery is because they can't get a consistent delivery each and every time. Belmonte does. And he shoots his spares two handed also so there is no gimmick there.

And Belmonte should be the face of bowling/PBA. He is young, enthusiastic, and has personality. Same with Rash, Ronnie Russell, and others.

I don't have an issue with dominance in sport at all. If you want to be the best you have to beat the best. I just don't care for the style because i'm a bowling purist. Actually the 2 handed delivery is easier to get a consistent release because there is no thumb involved. The reasons why you don't see more 2 handers is because of the fact it is physically harder to achieve for a large portion of bowlers and there is just not that many qualified and willing teachers. Osku palerma has been around longer than belmo and made a us open show probably 10-12 years ago. In that amount of time you would think that there would be more but it just not the case. I believe there are many underlying and unexpressed oppositions to the 2 handed game that never come out. Many top level coaches i believe just don't want anything to do with it.

**zdawg** · 02-26-2015, 03:53 PM

Originally Posted by fortheloveofbowling

I don't have an issue with dominance in sport at all. If you want to be the best you have to beat the best. I just don't care for the style because i'm a bowling purist.

Gotcha, I misunderstood what you were saying

**vdubtx** · 02-26-2015, 03:56 PM

Man, you guys really get heated about a person that has been good for the sport. The guy likes to have fun when he can and I think has a good sense of humor.

**fortheloveofbowling** · 02-26-2015, 04:54 PM

I ain't mad bro...Just passionate about my opinions and sometimes facts.

**NewToBowling** · 02-26-2015, 06:03 PM

Originally Posted by fortheloveofbowling

I don't have an issue with dominance in sport at all. If you want to be the best you have to beat the best. I just don't care for the style because i'm a bowling purist. Actually the 2 handed delivery is easier to get a consistent release because there is no thumb involved. The reasons why you don't see more 2 handers is because of the fact it is physically harder to achieve for a large portion of bowlers and there is just not that many qualified and willing teachers. Osku palerma has been around longer than belmo and made a us open show probably 10-12 years ago. In that amount of time you would think that there would be more but it just not the case. I believe there are many underlying and unexpressed oppositions to the 2 handed game that never come out. Many top level coaches i believe just don't want anything to do with it.

2 handed is harder to control because there is no thumb involved. That is what makes Belmonte so good. Not anyone can just pick up a ball and start bowling 2 handed and be as good as him. It's not that he bowls two handed that makes him good, it's that he is a better bowler than anyone else today. Part of it is his strong mental game. He doesn't let people get into his head but he sure as heck gets into other peoples heads (PDW, Rash, etc)

**fortheloveofbowling** · 02-26-2015, 11:47 PM

Originally Posted by NewToBowling

2 handed is harder to control because there is no thumb involved. That is what makes Belmonte so good. Not anyone can just pick up a ball and start bowling 2 handed and be as good as him. It's not that he bowls two handed that makes him good, it's that he is a better bowler than anyone else today. Part of it is his strong mental game. He doesn't let people get into his head but he sure as heck gets into other peoples heads (PDW, Rash, etc)

Ok man, you obviously know what your talking about.