They have been showing bowling on tv a lot lately. At least there is no place we can watch it. I enjoyed the commercial.
In my bag: Roto Grip UFO, Roto Grip Hyper Cell Fused and Roto Grip Hustle hyb
League High Series: 745 (12/23/19) High Game: 300 (11/23/15)
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His new style has caused a good deal of interest; I agree with that. Probably more so than anything since reactive resin.Originally Posted by NewToBowling
But like reactive resin…the jury is still out on whether it's a "good" thing or "bad" thing in the LONG run.
Pretty sure every single person involved with the bowling industry feels he's not just a positive, but a great boon for the sport.
Just because you have your stones in a bunch over two-handers doesn't a make him any less awesome for bowling.
As I said, yes, he is bringing more interest into the sport. The problem with bowling is…we see changes like resin technology, cores, etc… and yes, even thumbless and 2-handed styles…as we look at the short term. "Oh wow! Something has finally generated interest in bowling!! Hip Hip Hooray!!" Then, a decade later…we find that bowling is even more in decline because the equipment is TOO powerful…and the game has changed too much…and the "fad" styles start disappearing as kids realize it's not as easy as Belmo makes it look…and adults that make the switch can't keep their backs healthy enough.
Not saying Belmo hasn't been a positive…domstically and internationally…I'm just saying bowling has a way of jumping desperately on bandwagons that go nowhere. The fact of the matter is bowling is competing with many, many things these days. Many other things taking the attention of adults and kids. Belmo won't cure that. The 2-handed style won't cure that. Somehow we have to pull the youth in, get them excited about the actual SPORT of bowling (not the cosmic birthday party nonsense). The 2-handed style might help that…because I think kids naturally can throw it 2-handed better than 1-handed…but nobody really understands how hard the 2-handed style actually is to truly master and be competitive with. I worry a LOT of kids will fail…and we'll lose them forever. I think a long term, better, strategy is to teach them the right way to bowl…and as they get better, it gets more interesting/exciting. And they WILL get better. But that takes patience…something our society is greatly lacking.
As opposed to the wrong way. The wrong way has been beating every one else on tour.
Not to mention he's rewriting the record books and changing what people thought was possible in this sport.
I find myself wondering if it's really his "style" that makes him that much better than everyone else, or if he's just that much better than everyone else (attitude, perseverance, work ethic, mental strength, etc etc).
I haven't seen a single 2 hander come close to his achievements, Oksu is an accomplished professional, but he's nowhere near Belmonte's level. The last two tourneys when I found out Belmo was in the top 2 or 3 seeding, I KNEW before I even watched that he would win - even when he appeared to be struggling early against Rash I never considered for a second that he would lose.
I think you're seeing something truly special with Belmonte, something that has never been done before, regardless of how many hands he uses to throw the ball. He's basically become the Tiger Woods (pre complete and utter meltdown) of bowling, the PBA would be stupid not to use him in any/every way possible to further the popularity of the sport.
First of all, belmo and osku are unbelievable with what they do. I got a chance to bowl on the same pair as palermaa quite a few years back and to see it close up is beyond amazing. Most of the posters on here understand it is the game evolving but it is not like the game is ever going to change to the point you see a ton of 2 handers. I personally don't care for it but that is because i'm just old school and that doesn't mean i would degrade someone for doing it. I've always said there is no wrong way to bowl and if you can be successful at your unique style more power to you.
The things i wonder about are where is the publicity and what do non bowlers who run across a telecast with a 2 hander on it think about it? Why have we not seen all kinds of crossover stories on fox sports or espn or whatever sports news broadcast if this is such a great new innovation and transformational time for the sport? Do some people who see it for the first time just add the 2 hand game to their existing list of stereotypes? These people out there think bowlers are not athletes and some are just fat beer drinkers and on and on. Now these people that don't know what we do in regards to how impressive it really is have more fodder to justify there poor opinion of our game. They tune in and see some guy hurling a ball through the air with 2 hands and think to themselves bowling just keeps giving me more to joke about.
Bowling just doesn't move the needle. It really isn't that interesting to watch for casuals (but I enjoy it). To the casual it is a simple concept. Swing a heavy ball and knock down pins. And lets be honest, there are a lot of out-of-shape and old bowlers.
The newer wave is changing it a bit. Rash, Belmonte, Ronnie Russell, Chris Barnes should be the face. They are fit and athletic. Belmo and Rash have some personality
This is a big danger for pro bowling; Why should I bother watching if I know who's going to win? Belmo needs a true rival, like Marshall Holman was to Mark Roth, not just a bowler like Rash who doesn't like him very much.
Secondly, what happens if the PBA does "use him in any/every way possible to further the popularity of the sport" and something happens to him like Tiger's now chronic back problems? The PGA made tons of money off Tiger in his prime but now any tourney that he's not on the leader board gets mediocre ratings.
John
To your first point - that would be nice if somebody who could provide him a legitimate challenge in each and every tournament could step up - but right now that doesn't appear to be happening. Sure he loses here and there, but I don't see anybody routinely stepping up to the challenge, Randy Pedersen is kinda right with his whole "only an act of God can stop Belmo" comment.
As for point 2, it's tied in to point 1. If nobody can step up there's not much the PBA can do, they can promote the crap out of the younger guys but until someone else steps up you have to go with the guy who's just destroying everyone on the entire tour and making it look easy.
And I will admit, had my buddy not got me into bowling a year and a half ago, I wouldn't even know that bowling on TV still existed - I have vague memories as a little kid of it being on Saturday morning before or after pro wrestling, but thought it had completely disappeared. So, mainstream publicity anyway you cut it is still SEVERELY lacking for bowling especially as compared to other sports.
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