Sports Sense

In many ways bowling is the most egalitarian sport there is. Literally anyone – even a caveman – can get a strike once in awhile. And everyone can roll the ball in the gutter. Mastering bowling means understanding how to navigate in between those extremes. You must be consistent and focused, willing to be boring enough to do the same thing over and over again, exactly the same way. If you can do that you have a chance to be a good bowler. But to be a pro bowler… well not just anyone can do that.

And to actually win on the pro tour (not many at all have taken home a PBA championship trophy) is even harder. And until Sunday never in the history of the Professional Bowlers Association had a women ever won a PBA Tour title. Remember the name Kelly Kulick.

Kelly Kulick won the Lumber Liquidators PBA Tournament of Champions in Las Vegas. She not only beat one-time bowler of the year, Chris Barnes in the final, she crushed him by 70 pins, 265 – 195.

To get to the finals Kelly had to win and score high all week long. And then in the televised Sunday match Kelly had to win one match to make the finals. She beat a guy named Mika by getting a strike in the last frame to advance to title match. She then faced off against Barnes.

This match was never close. Only an unlucky 7-10 split ruined a nearly perfect game. Kelly closed out Barnes with 7 strikes in a row.

I know this is “only” bowling, and to most people it is not a real sport. But any time a lady can beat men on equal footing in a legitimate competition it is definitely worth noting. With her win Kelly gets a two-year exemption from qualifying on the men’s tour and $40 thousand dollars. This is especially significant considering there is no longer a formal women’s pro tour.

With her wireless mike attached as she bowled the final frame she said aloud, ”history has been made in the world of sports…“

Yes, history was made, and it is important, even if it is bowling – I’m serious!

Share on Facebook

DavidBurnett Bowling Bowling, Chris Barnes, Kelly Kulick, Lumber Liquidator's PBA Tour

I’m worried like I always am before an Indianapolis Colts playoff game. Somehow I’ve come to think that the New York Jets can actually beat the once undefeated Colts. I don’t really believe that do I? Still the last time the Jets played the Colts in a playoff game the score was 41 to nothing – Jets win. And even though that game was seven years ago, for a worrier like me it might as well have been last week.

Those of us who come from Indianapolis are used to being disappointed. I grew up in a city that never seemed quite worthy of, or comfortable with, top tier status. As such we natives have historically both derisively and proudly called the city Naptown, a place where not much happens, but is nonetheless a great place to raise a family. But its kind of like having to kiss your sister – not much joy in that.

But things have changed quite a bit in my hometown over the years and so has my perspective and reality. So now as a grown man I’ve spent a lot of time defending the Circle City (the better nickname) and extolling its virtues.

This is as good as it gets in Indianapolis. It is a city that remade itself by meticulously developing an enviable reputation as an international sports capital. And as a bonus Indianapolis now has one of the NFL’s best teams, it’s best quarterback, and a beautiful retractable roof stadium to play in. But perhaps the best and scariest fact of all is that the Colts are again the favorite to win the Super Bowl. The Colts help make Indianapolis mean something.

The rational me believes that if the Colts play their best game Sunday they should easily beat the Jets, who ironically thanks to the Colts, backed their way into the playoffs. But like many of the folks back home – the skeptical me is unduly focused on the fact that it was the Jets who a couple of weeks ago ended the Colt’s improbable bid for an undefeated season.

So will the Colts beat the Jets on Sunday and advance to the Super Bowl? I certainly hope so but I’m not sure yet. I’m from Indianapolis and I’m still worried.

Share on Facebook

DavidBurnett NFL, football Indianapolis Colts, New York Jets, NFL, playoffs

It would be easy to say that the Washington Wizards’ Gilbert Arenas is an idiot, a manchild who has not come close to growing up. But that overlooks troubling issues and many unanswered questions.

Understandably the hammer had to come down on Arenas, who was suspended indefinitely without pay by NBA commissioner David Stern on Wednesday, ironically on his 28th birthday. Arenas was suspended for admittedly bringing several handguns into the team’s locker room, storing them there, and perhaps according to some accounts, pointing one of them at a teammate.

Now, according to a report in the Washington Post, that teammate, Javaris Crittenton, also brought a gun into the locker room and actually loaded it in front of several other Wizards players.

Some questions: Why did it take so long for Wizards’ management, coaching staff and players to acknowledge the incident that happened last month in front of numerous witnesses? Where was the coach and general manager in all of this? Why did the NBA only suspend Arenas and not Crittenton? What about the thousands of dollars in gambling on the team plane that apparently precipitated this?

That said, Gilbert Arenas showed his immaturity in numerous statements, tweets, and ill-advised actions on the basketball court over the last week. Arenas initially made jokes about the incident. Only when the authorities got involved did Arenas, team and league officials appear to take what happened seriously.

But before we get all crazy about this, the fact is no one was hurt – thank God for that. So let’s not lose perspective about what’s really at stake and the much larger issue of players feeling that they must be armed wherever they go, apparently not understanding the consequences of their actions.

This is not just a Washington Wizards issue and it is not just a sports issue either. This is also about a society that often cherishes the right to keep and bear arms without proper controls in place. And it is about foolish young men who despite wealth and fame feel empowered to do whatever they want, when they want, without concern for decorum and decency.

And yet – we fans often cheer these guys on if they play for our team, but vilify them when they play for the opposition. The hypocrisy is appalling.

The Reverend Al Sharpton was harshly critical of the NBA, African-American leaders and others who he believes have tolerated the behavior of boorish, foolish athletes for far too long. He called for a harsh penalty to be levied against Arenas. While I do agree with Sharpton that more has to be done to police players, all of us need to take some responsibility for this too.

The athletes we cheer on one moment and revile the next, take most of their cues from us – the fans.

Share on Facebook

DavidBurnett Basketball, NBA David Stern, Gilbert Arenas, NBA, suspended, Washington Wizards