Hello again everyone!
First, I'm sorry I missed last week's show, but I was traveling. I did see it when I returned home, and my immediate opinion is that in most of the matches, it wasn't hard to see who had good reaction and who didn't. I think that last week and now this week, were more about making shots when needed and the mental game.
Great champions always rise to the occasion, and that's what Chris Barnes did last week. Let's face it, everyone was watching for one main reason- to see what Chris going to do on TV this week. I have been there and done that, so talking from experience, he showed exactly what true champions are made of. They get right back to competing at the top level and focus on the future.
Mike Devaney had bad ball reaction. Every time he got the ball to the right down the lane, it never picked up a roll and never recovered. I would have thought he might have moved even further in, where Tommy (Jones) was playing with something stronger. With a stronger ball, it would have read the middle part of the lane, and that would have allowed him to not have to get the ball to the right.
When Tommy bowled Chris, it started out to be a back-and-forth match. Tommy chose to move right and try to play where Chris was, but he was not far enough right. When Tommy missed right, his ball never recovered and he left the 2-10. Barnes was further right than anybody, as a matter of fact and it didn't look as if anyone else checked out there. Tommy needed to be right on top of where Chris was. Chris had hold and that created his look.
It's nice sitting on the bench when the match is over in the eighth frame, and of course, you are the winner. It was to be expected. Top bowlers continue to knock on the door knowing that eventually it will open. You just hope it opens quicker than expected.
This week, I of course thought Walter Ray Williams Jr. was the front-runner, and I picked Mike Scroggins as my lefty favorite. I'm proud to say that I was thrilled for Mike. I had the pleasure of bowling with Mike at West Texas State University for three years. He was a hard worker then, and he has continued his hard work ethic. It's great to see it pay off. Mike mentioned on the show about Hank Boomershine giving him great equipment, and I am proud to say that I also bowled with Hank at WT. I think we had a great college program if you ask me, haha.
During the first match, Pete Weber looked comfortable and confident from the beginning. That's tough to beat, especially when you don't have good ball reaction and struggle like Billy Oatman did. During the Rhino Page vs. Pete match, both bowlers had a great look and seemed confident. In the 10th frame when Pete went high and split, I was shocked. First off, Pete is a great TV bowler, besides being one of the best the game has ever seen. He had just left a split on that lane the previous shot, and it looked as if he did make the move left, but the ball just hooked too much on the back end at the last minute. I don't think it was a bad shot, I think it was a bad break. Pete even made mention that he couldn't believe it. If you have watched Pete on TV, he will tell you when he throws it bad. There are not very many give-me matches from Pete. Rhino did step up and throw a great shot to lock up the match.
Rhino Page has proven that he can compete with the big boys, making four shows and bowling well on each of them. The two shots he missed right were just that bad shots, and we all make them. The problem is that you can't make too many mistakes against Walter Ray because he will always take advantage of them. It looked as if Walter was using a ball that rolled pretty early in this match and was just what he needed. He had that great Walter Ray look of early roll, hook and stop. And the 10 never stood, until the title match.
In the title match, something that never happens happened. Walter Ray missed a 10 pin, which people were probably still thinking about in the ninth frame. From the first frame, I think Walter Ray's ball started to go a little too long which is why he started to leave the flat 10 and blower 7 pin. Mike tried to let him back in the match, but threw it really good in the ninth to set himself up. Using two different balls with two different surfaces proved how much confidence Mike has in himself and his game. Once again, another showing of what champions are made of.
Until next time, keep on striking!
Yours truly,
CDB
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