Monday, April 10, 2006

Passed on Sunday's bowling cast

I'm one of the few people who faithfully watches Denny's PBA Tour telecasts each weekend on ESPN. Instead of taping yesterday's cast and watching it later, as I usually do, I passed altogether.

The Tournament of Champions used to have real appeal. In the past, the entire season built up to this event. There was no question about it: that was the biggest tournament of the year. The current PBA ownership has built more hype around the other major events, and the prestige of this tournament has diminished.

For years, the T of C was held annually at Riviera Lanes, near Akron, Ohio. Watching this tournament as a teenager in the New York City area, I never thought I'd get to see this historic place. While living in Ohio, I had occasion to pass through the Akron area, and didn't miss the chance to play a few practice games at Riviera. Now, the tournament is held in Connecticut, so there's no sense of mystique or history.

On top of that, this year's final didn't really have any players I'd really go out of my way to watch. In particular, I had no desire to watch Chris Barnes. He used to be bowling's Phil Mickelson, a hard luck story. Close to greatness, but no cigar. However, after a few major victories, Barnes has been ripped by fans as being arrogant. He's no longer a sympathetic figure.

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