Bowlers Journal International - January 2008 - (Page 6) LETTERS ANALYZING THE COMMENTARY I HAVE HAD A SURE METHOD OF "ELIMINATING" the TV bowling announcers that I didn't like to hear over the years. And there have been several. My method is very simple: Hit the mute button. Most bowling fans don't need the chatter of anyone to tell them what is happening. When I attend PBA Regional events, I don't have an announcer to tell me who needs a strike. So hit the mute and enjoy bowling the way it was intended to be enjoyed. — John Cooper, Bellevue, Wash. this condition, those angles responded earlier, while the higher angles off the VAL reacted too late, failing to provide the angularity seen on shorter and lesser volumes of oil. In short: use shorter angles off the VAL on longer and heavier volumes (as Pinel states). On most shorter and lighter volumes, the higher angles will often match up best due to their delayed dynamics. NO SWEARING, PLEASE! I love to watch the PBA and women bowlers on Sunday, but do not like to hear swearing and using God's name in vain when bowlers miss their shot, etc. Someone should ban swearing on TV please! — Betty Kleinschmidt, Webberville, Mich. A NICKNAME FOR RANDY PEDERSEN I love the way ESPN commentator Rob Stone puts "color" into the [Denny's PBA Tour] commentary to bring the best out of the real color analyst. Anyway, Rob Stone asked that we submit a possible nickname for Randy [Pedersen, his color analyst sidekick]. Here's my nickname — drum roll, please — "The Peacock." — Jim Raudy, Vacaville, Calif. USBC INTEGRITY AND ALLISON'S 900 In September, Anthony Colangelo's letter, Bob Johnson's column on Glenn Allison's 900 series, and Jim Dressel's Oneon-One interview with Jeff Bojé got my attention because they were all related. Although I personally fall on the side of the fence that says Allison's 900 should be recognized by the USBC, I've wondered, like Colangelo, if the USBC isn't simply trying to be consistent. After all, the reason ABC rejected Allison's score is that the conditions did not meet specifications under the rules in place at the time. I've never heard ABC say Allison's score wasn't approved because the conditions were too easy; only that they were out of compliance. The problem with that logic is that it gave us not only an unapproved 900 for Allison, but also resulted in Robert Mushtare receiving credit for an unopposed 900. President Jeff Bojé now says the USBC focus is going to be on the "sport." Fine. In all other major U.S. sports, the commissioner has the right to make decisions "in the best interests" of the game. So, Bud Selig suspends players for steroid use and Roger Goodell ousts players even in the absence of a conviction ("Pacman" Jones). If bowling wants to enter the big time, I propose that a "best interest" power be given to the Board, whereupon my first recommendation would be to recognize Allison's 900. — Eric S. Blum, Attorney-at-Law, Irvine, Calif. CERAR'S EXPLANATION CONFUSING I am confused by Joe Cerar's comments in December regarding his testing of Mo Pinel's dual angle layout thesis. Joe says, in part, that "Ball A rolled earlier and smoother off the friction compared to Ball B, which had the pin positioned below the fingers. In fact, a polished Ball A had 2.5 to 3 feet more length than Ball B, despite having the pin located below the fingers. We also saw a more defined breakpoint with increased angularity at the breakpoint." Finally, he describes better hitting and carry power " than with the higher pin location (20 degrees off the VAL)." Somewhere in the paragraph, he seems to switch from talking about one ball to the other, saying that Ball B has more angularity than Ball A. In the next paragraph, Joe says that he still found "more length, more hook and more angularity" with the pin-down drilling [Ball B], and that his findings " confirm a higher (70 degree) angle to the VAL-delayed motion." If I understand Pinel's October article correctly, I would expect Ball A, with a 20-degree VAL angle, to be the one with more length and angularity. It appears to me that Joe found just the opposite regarding the VAL/drilling angle relationship, but he never quite says so. If Joe found that Pinel's thesis was credible, it would help to have a clear confirmation of that. — Charley Wilson, St. Louis, Mo. Dear Charley: Joe Cerar tells us that, indeed, he found the higher angle off the VAL longer and more angular than the closer angle. This also is most evident on medium and shorter patterns. The only time the closer angles produced a more desirable reaction was on heavier and longer patterns. On 6 bowlers journal international JANUARY 2008 CLARIFICATION Regarding the "Certified Genius" article in the December BJI by Dennnis Bergendorf, the nature of Larry Lichstein's departure from the PBA at the end of 1996 seemed misleading to some. We have been told that the PBA agreed to purchase Lichstein's equipment and related Tour inventory for the sum of $275,000, from which all of his accounts payable were resolved. We hope that addresses any confusion.
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