Y'all Forgot We Once Had A PBA Bowling Champion... How Come More Brother's Don't Do This Sport?...

[Simply_Black]

.... there's more money to be made in it now.




Professional bowler

In 1993 George Branham became the first African American to win a Professional Bowlers Association (PBA) title. He had bowled since the age of six and joined the PBA at age 24. In 17 years as a professional bowler, Branham won five major titles, including the sport's highest honor, the Tournament of Champions. He also rolled 23 games with a perfect score of 300 and earned $747,138 in prize money. When he retired from the game in 2004, he remained one of the world's top contenders and was still the only black bowler to become a PBA champion.

 

[roots69]

It's a fun sport!! But, it's not as easy as it looks!! I've got nothing but respect for a brotha who can master that game..

 

[Pworld297]

We use to go bowling all the time when I was younger, we be drunk most of the time tho..

 

[roots69]

We use to go bowling all the time when I was younger, we be drunk most of the time tho..

The 1st time I went bowling, I was in my 30s.. And I bowled a big ole 28.. Anyway, I had fun!!

 

[King_of_Posts]

I love to bowl and actually like watching it on tv. Enough of us definitely bowl, just have no idea why more of us aren't on the pro circuit.

 

[Raeeb7]

They might not go pro and be on TV an all that. But it's plenty of so called black bowlers. Serious tho, I'm talking 10 bowling balls at the house can tell you how slick the lanes are all that. I know 5 off the top of my head easy they may not run around telling everyone but they get it in.

 

[Helico-pterFunk]

https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=George+Branham+III

 

[tallblacknyc]

Probably don’t know how to get through certain doors in the majors.. it’s like who do you contact in order to be selected in the league? Than unlike most sports you have to spend consistent money in order to practice the game.. with b-ball just cop a ball go to a court.. bowling you actually got to go to the alley and pay for every game you practice.. who know how much that would cost to perfect a upcoming persons game..depending on state,city, town your access to a bowling alley might differ..these might be some of the challenges people might face

 

[Helico-pterFunk]

We use to go bowling all the time when I was younger, we be drunk most of the time tho..

Had some good experiences bowling. Went around 2005 with a bunch of family members. They had a BBQ restaurant at that place, so we had a feast after the games.

Went with brother & dad about 3 - 4 years back out of town. Almost had the place to ourselves ... good sound system & they asked us what music mixes we wanted to hear. Went out for dinner to a bar afterward. Good food.

 

[34real]

Bowling is such a thing of the past and it hurts to know that part of my childhood is just an empty space;These young cats don't even know how to bowl and call it boring cause you can't bowl and hold a cellphone.

I spent so much time at the bowling alley they thought I worked there,cause I was always there on "Black" night when someone's momma,aunty,uncle,father,or grandmother was apart of a league with their ball and uniform.My father used to say "The place where ball aren't the only thing rolling...." meaning the women and men were all sleeping,cheating or creeping with each other and it was true,it got to the point where people were cursing each other out,confront people's husbands and wives and bowling took a backseat and I'd be sitting up there with my basket of fries listening and watching......I suck at bowling but I wasn't there for that;Video games,food and drama.

 

[largebillsonlyplease]

Money

We don't have the time to leech off our parents until our bowling dreams come true

 

[smoovejazz]

I love to bowl. I definitely will get my bag and go to roll a few games, especially as a stress reliever. I don't like the trend today of making lanes where people just sit around, eat, and bowl as an afterthought. (Couches next to the lanes? WTF?)

Give me lanes where there are actual leagues and serious bowlers, with the bar in the back and not right at the lanes. There can be an occasional birthday party, but the objective is to bowl!

Anybody tried duckpins? With a ball that fits in the palm of your hand? It's even harder than regular bowling. There's only about 60 of these lanes left in the country, unfortunately.

Hopefully, bowling can come back once social distancing is relaxed.

 

[Curtwalk]

Cacs can't get rich coaching you on how to bowl

 

[Silk Dogg]

Bowled in leagues all the way up to highschool. Stopped since football was Saturday morning. High game 291 when I was 13. It's a great stress reliever and something to do now with the family

 

[tallblacknyc]

I love to bowl. I definitely will get my bag and go to roll a few games, especially as a stress reliever. I don't like the trend today of making lanes where people just sit around, eat, and bowl as an afterthought. (Couches next to the lanes? WTF?)

Give me lanes where there are actual leagues and serious bowlers, with the bar in the back and not right at the lanes. There can be an occasional birthday party, but the objective is to bowl!

Anybody tried duckpins? With a ball that fits in the palm of your hand? It's even harder than regular bowling. There's only about 60 of these lanes left in the country, unfortunately.

Hopefully, bowling can come back once social distancing is relaxed.

Bowling alleys had to get trendy due to rent increases and lack of consistent clientele... with the uprising in social gatherings and eat and drinking it had to adapt to the times and become more of an event outing than the actual sport

 

[smoovejazz]

Bowling alleys had to get trendy due to rent increases and lack of consistent clientele... with the uprising in social gatherings and eat and drinking it had to adapt to the times and become more of an event outing than the actual sport

Yeah, that's true...but the sport has suffered for it in terms of a decline in "real" bowling centers, leagues, and popularity, as well as a declining interest in the pro game.

 

[Ballatician]

I love to bowl. I definitely will get my bag and go to roll a few games, especially as a stress reliever. I don't like the trend today of making lanes where people just sit around, eat, and bowl as an afterthought. (Couches next to the lanes? WTF?)

Give me lanes where there are actual leagues and serious bowlers, with the bar in the back and not right at the lanes. There can be an occasional birthday party, but the objective is to bowl!

Anybody tried duckpins? With a ball that fits in the palm of your hand? It's even harder than regular bowling. There's only about 60 of these lanes left in the country, unfortunately.

Hopefully, bowling can come back once social distancing is relaxed.

Yeah, I’ve been bowling since I was 8, and it’s a great stress reliever. I use to bowl in tournaments, and man does that shit test your will power. I remember several times being down and having the opportunity to come back, or having a lead and dealing with the pressure of maintaining it.

 

[smoovejazz]

I was in a situation where I needed 3 strikes for my team to win. The other guys were talking shit, trying to intimidate me. Well...

1st ball - Steerike! Held up 1 finger, and said, "That's 1."

2nd ball - Steerike! Held up 2 fingers and said, "That's 2."

All the pressure and shit talking increased...

3rd ball - Steerike!
I put up 3 fingers, yelled "That's 3!", then did the "throat slash" (like this, only more emphatic. Think Chris Webber).

I almost got bodied for the throat slash - they were like, yo, MF, what's up with the throat slash?

I was like, "Oh, my bad, I got carried away. My fault. I'm sorry." Still, we won!

Both teams laughed about it later, thank God. They were surprised, because that's not my character. But it felt great!

It was the closest I got to feeling like a pro athlete.

 

[God Dammit]

@ “sport”!​

 

[therealjondoe]

Man that was a go to date spot back when people used to actually go on dates.

 

[smoovejazz]

@ “sport”!​

You try it and see how difficult it is. If it was easy, so many would be great at it.

 

[tallblacknyc]

@ “sport”!​

It’s a ball, it takes skill, you actually got to have somewhat strength, it generates money and spectators.. it pretty much falls under many categories that would make it a sport... reason why not celebrated cause bowling alleys ain’t everywhere, every1 doesn’t have the equipment, it can’t be played in a park,school yard, backyard.. if you give it the push like b-ball and football it would be more played

 

[God Dammit]

You try it and see how difficult it is. If it was easy, so many would be great at it.

So because it’s hard, it’s a sport?
Being great at Chess isn’t easy.
Being great at horseshoes isn’t easy.
Darts isn’t easy.
Golf isn’t easy.
Nascar isn’t easy and flat out dangerous.
Non of the things I listed are sports either.

It’s a ball, it takes skill, you actually got to have somewhat strength, it generates money and spectators.. it pretty much falls under many categories that would make it a sport... reason why not celebrated cause bowling alleys ain’t everywhere, every1 doesn’t have the equipment, it can’t be played in a park,school yard, backyard.. if you give it the push like b-ball and football it would be more played

If you can do it and be great as a senior citizen, it’s not a sport.​

 

[tallblacknyc]

So because it’s hard, it’s a sport?
Being great at Chess isn’t easy.
Being great at horseshoes isn’t easy.
Darts isn’t easy.
Golf isn’t easy.
Nascar isn’t easy and flat out dangerous.
Non of the things I listed are sports either.


If you can do it and be great as a senior citizen, it’s not a sport.​

There’s senior citizen trainers in boxing , weight training, cycling, b-ball, football, martial arts, I guess those aren’t sports either by your definition

 

[kdogg3270]

there was a bowler named Cheryl Daniels back in the 90s. i used to tun in just to watch her play. sista was fine as hell too.

 

[smoovejazz]

there was a bowler named Cheryl Daniels back in the 90s. i used to tun in just to watch her play. sista was fine as hell too.

I've met her. She's a Hall of Famer. She's very nice.

 

[M.H.C.]

Shit black folks barely even bowl for real. I have my own ball and shoes. I don't play. I used to have a group we would bowl competitively(not in a league) but it was never just for fun. We were trying to win. But there's very few black players in bowling leagues where i'm from so I never joined and my friends/associates always act like bowling is something you do like once a year lol. Until we start to build a love for bowling starting with your local neighborhood bowling alley, we'll never take it serious enough to go Pro.

 

[M.H.C.]

@ “sport”!​

Go Bowl a 300 with a house ball. Curve that bitch too. Don't just try to throw shit 100mph and hope to blow the pins up lol. Being a good bowler requires skill just like any other sport. I used to say the same thing till I went bowling with some white dudes and they were in the upper 200's while I barely hit a 100. Mf's was hitting crazy split pins and all that. It's like Golf, golf looks easy till you play it.

 

[Shaka54]

I love to bowl and actually like watching it on tv. Enough of us definitely bowl, just have no idea why more of us aren't on the pro circuit.

Because it's perceived to be a lily-white game even though Blacks do bowl for fun. I haven't bowled in ages but my kids make an occasional get together at Bolero Lanes as a sibling gathering.

I have one partner who was damn good and used to be on a team when we had two Black-owned bowling alleys here, but as he got older and started to break down, we and a few coworkers would go to the lanes for the atmosphere and shoot darts.

 

[smoovejazz]

Because it's perceived to be a lily-white game even though Blacks do bowl for fun. I haven't bowled in ages but my kids make an occasional get together at Bolero Lanes as a sibling gathering.

I have one partner who was damn good and used to be on a team when we had two Black-owned bowling alleys here, but as he got older and started to break down, we and a few coworkers would go to the lanes for the atmosphere and shoot darts.

Bowlero...I hate those lanes. AMF sold out. They don't even take care if the lanes like they do in "real" bowling alleys.

 

[God Dammit]

There’s senior citizen trainers in boxing , weight training, cycling, b-ball, football, martial arts, I guess those aren’t sports either by your definition

​

You know I meant be competitive at a high level.
Not be a teacher/trainer.​

 

[God Dammit]

Go Bowl a 300 with a house ball. Curve that bitch too. Don't just try to throw shit 100mph and hope to blow the pins up lol. Being a good bowler requires skill just like any other sport. I used to say the same thing till I went bowling with some white dudes and they were in the upper 200's while I barely hit a 100. Mf's was hitting crazy split pins and all that. It's like Golf, golf looks easy till you play it.

​

Y’all kill me.
Bowling, nascar, motogp, golf, badminton, curling, darts, pool/billiards ARE NOT SPORTS.
Level of difficulty doesn’t mean anything.
Lemme guess, because of madden tournaments PS4s/XBoxes are considered sporting equipment?​

 

[man-machine]

Bowling is a challenging sport. It's also easily accessible. Folks think because they can do it or what appears to be "Regular Joes" can do it at the pro level its not a sport. (But it is) At one time, it was the No.1 Participatory sport in America. It was not uncommon for employers to have bowling teams—especially Blue Collar jobs. I would guess its Heyday would be from the '50s-'80s. The '90s were when the sport's decline began, and the business of bowling was transformed. Once again, Corporate American greed plays a role. It plays out in two ways. As union jobs begin to decline and the average American worker's wages essentially stagnate, more Americans end up working multiple jobs. If you're working more, you have less leisure time. Bowling had to compete with Video Rentals, Video games, and eventually the internet. In the '90s a shift occurred in the Bowling World. Open play Bowling began to be more profitable than Leagues. Over the last 25 years, Bowling alleys have remade themselves to Cater to casual bowlers and the "Rock N Bowl" audience. Video screens and smoke machines coupled with Disco balls and club lighting is the scene. This audience doesn't care about the lanes' condition or if the pinsetter putting the pins on the proper spot: just loud music and more beer and pizza. By the end of the '90s, the PBA was in trouble, and then ABC dropped them from network TV. They went to ESPN, and thanks to aggressive marketing to millennials and such, its been on the Radar. As far as blacks bowling, we have always been there. While it is true during the '80s and '90s George Branham III and Curtis Odom were the only Blacks you saw on the national broadcast of the PBA we've always been there. Pretty much like every other major sport during the early and mid 20th century we were locked out. Check out the origins of the TNBA (The National Bowling Association).

https://www.metrotimes.com/detroit/a-lane-of-their-own/Content?oid=2201876

http://tnbainc.org/

 

[BGLR1212000]

Man we used to bowl hard back in the day. Every Monday. In college I'd go twice a week. I been trying to get back into bowling and skating, trying to put my sons on some shit. I damn near bought my own skates this summer, I still got the juice. They got $10 all you can bowl on Tuesdays, I be trying to go, sometimes I make it, sometimes I dont.

 

[tallblacknyc]

You know I meant be competitive at a high level.
Not be a teacher/trainer.​

Foreman won the heavyweight title in his 40s, Tyson is 50+ about to return to boxing... there’s tons of wrestlers in their 50s.. there’s 60 yr olds that do the nyc marathon and run 26 miles.. can you run 26 miles?... mayweather father still can spar his ass off.. must we continue with people above 40, 50, 60 capability’s