How could I have forgotten that iconic MUSIC??? What a wonderful theme for televised bowling back at a time when it was still enormously popular! The wonderful Chris Schenkel narrating the intro with that theme playing was a wonderful flashback to happy days indeed!
Congratulations to Mark Williams under tough land conditions. If anyone watched the 1986 FTOC, the 10-pin being left was the problem with the bowlers after making pocket hits. In 1985, it was open frames by either splits or just plain misses. Mrs. Williams was a babe. Lucky Mark.
I will never understand why the noise from the pinspotters does not bother a pro bowler but someone bats an eyelash in the cheap seats and they go into orbit
I'd imagine they're used to the pinsetter noise and have tuned it out, as it's something they deal with every day. Hard to plan for someone's cell phone going off or a water bottle being dropped during your release on live TV though 🤷♂
@@BeaubienMM2 Actually, they were. Motorola introduced the DynaTAC 8000x in 1983. Granted, cell phones did not see widespread adoption until the '90s-2000's, but they did exist in the '80s. However, if you read Robert's comment in the present tense as I did, considering he used present tense language, he could very well have been referring to 2018 or 2019 rather than 1985 🤷♂
Man those were tough lane conditions. Nice little cut in the middle of game 4 with Canadian ads on CBC Windsor and a couple of minutes of Carol Burnett
Weber is a spoiled brat. He still behaves like this today. Any excuse other than face it that he threw a bad shot. He is supposed to be a professional.
Yes even in 2019 he still acts like a conceited, big headed, idiot. How people can root for him is beyond me. Nothing like the gentleman his father was. I guess Dick didn't lay down enough law on how to act and be thankful for his talent.
No, they really aren't better. Back in 1985, you actually had to MAKE the ball hook. Today, you buy hook in a box, and you don't have to be particularly talented to roll it.
Glen Alsobrook Agreed. As far as I'm concerned, there is no more pro tour. I started watching in 1977 and now it's just shot after shot that destroys the rack.
***** I agree with the other comments on this thread. Another way you can tell that the pros are not nearly as good is that it's almost impossible to make a good living as a pro bowler nowadays versus 35 years ago. Fewer tournaments and, adjusting for inflation, the payoffs are about 1/4 what they used to be. That means we're not getting nearly as large a pool of talented people. The big tipoff this is happening is that we have several bowlers in their 50s still winning tournaments, something that I don't think ever happened in the 70s. Also, we have women making it to the championship round, again something unthinkable in the 70s. (Although I have to say, I think Kelly Kulick's style would have made her a profitable pro in the 70s.) The conditions and equipment make it easier to hit the pocket even if you miss your mark by a couple of boards, and to carry the bad hits. In the 70s, Jason Belmonte would have been a 190 bowler.
leopold mozart The difficulty in making a living as a pro these days has nothing to do with the talent of the players. The entire industry is in a downward spiral. Centers going belly up, league membership declining. They can't provide value to sponsors for their advertising dollar.
DowntownCanon I'm sorry, I wasn't clear in my comment. My point wasn't that the payoffs for professional bowlers were lower because the pros aren't as good; my point was that BECAUSE the payoffs are bad (for the reasons you mentioned), otherwise talented bowlers never go pro because it's so hard to make a good living. In the 70s you could have someone like "Hooking" Bob Handley leave his $13,000/year teaching job (average salary 1976) and go pro knowing that he could make that much placing in the top 24 once a month. Now the average teacher salary is around $51,000. Do you know how many pros earned $51,000 on the (PBA, World and Regional combined) tours last year? 17. Wes Malott made $85,000 last year, and he was the 9th best bowler in America. My brother is a high school math teacher and he made $88,000 last year. So, fewer people wanting to go pro means fewer really good bowlers. But, anyway, I agree with you about the "downward spiral." Bowling will probably be dead in 20 years, replaced by computer games and gym memberships.
How could I have forgotten that iconic MUSIC??? What a wonderful theme for televised bowling back at a time when it was still enormously popular! The wonderful Chris Schenkel narrating the intro with that theme playing was a wonderful flashback to happy days indeed!
Congratulations to Mark Williams under tough land conditions. If anyone watched the 1986 FTOC, the 10-pin being left was the problem with the bowlers after making pocket hits. In 1985, it was open frames by either splits or just plain misses. Mrs. Williams was a babe. Lucky Mark.
I will never understand why the noise from the pinspotters does not bother a pro bowler but someone bats an eyelash in the cheap seats and they go into orbit
I'd imagine they're used to the pinsetter noise and have tuned it out, as it's something they deal with every day.
Hard to plan for someone's cell phone going off or a water bottle being dropped during your release on live TV though 🤷♂
@@shawnaeby7220I don't think cellphones were around in 1985
@@BeaubienMM2 Actually, they were. Motorola introduced the DynaTAC 8000x in 1983. Granted, cell phones did not see widespread adoption until the '90s-2000's, but they did exist in the '80s.
However, if you read Robert's comment in the present tense as I did, considering he used present tense language, he could very well have been referring to 2018 or 2019 rather than 1985 🤷♂
...at 12:00..."Jump!" by Van Halen...deserves an automatic "like" !
Heck of a tournament. No one could have predicted the outcome easily. I felt the same way.
Thanks for uploading this one! Ive been asking Mark to show me the tournament but he doesnt have it! lol... he made it interesting needsless to say!
Gary Dickinson always reminded me a bit of Barry Switzer.
Pink Floyd's "One of These Days" before the tip of the week!
Man those were tough lane conditions. Nice little cut in the middle of game 4 with Canadian ads on CBC Windsor and a couple of minutes of Carol Burnett
Bring the TOC back to Riverea Lanes!!!!!!!!
I agree 100%
Mark Williams puts a tremendous amount of roll on the ball.
Are there any late 60’s, early 70’s videos? Mike Limongello, Jimmy mchugh?
Great, Historical.
Nice little Carol Burnett break there.
the first, second, and semi final matches were exciting and very close
Andrew Phillips
Mark Roth and Earl Anthony have bowled some exciting matches
George N. Pappas and Ernie Schlegel have bowled some awesome matches
If you took Jack Nicholson and Carrot Top and mix them up, you get Mark Williams.
He's Beavis
Great tournament.
Mark Williams has made the 3 10 and the 4 7 10 splits as he was in command to win the Firestone Tournament of Champions
@ 2:29 here's a man who is on quite a hot streak
Crankin Bob Handley
A little break in the action at 56:00min to 60:00 min mark but overall a good video
PETE WEBER'S WORST BREAK 51:03
PETE WEBER'S WORST BREAK 51:03
Didn't take long for Pete to start whining.
Handley, 2" from a bunch of strikes. Gets a bunch of 2-5 combinations instead. Close but no cigar!
Oh for the days before two handed SJW bowlers ruined the sport.
Weber is a spoiled brat. He still behaves like this today. Any excuse other than face it that he threw a bad shot. He is supposed to be a professional.
Yeah especially with his “who do you think you are, I am”
Yes even in 2019 he still acts like a conceited, big headed, idiot. How people can root for him is beyond me. Nothing like the gentleman his father was. I guess Dick didn't lay down enough law on how to act and be thankful for his talent.
It's because nobody kicked his ass anywhere along the way.
Mark Williams wife looks like Marcy aka married with children
Commentators showing us how to make the splits. How dumb do they think we are?
boy, the pros are sure a whole lot better these days.
No, they really aren't better. Back in 1985, you actually had to MAKE the ball hook. Today, you buy hook in a box, and you don't have to be particularly talented to roll it.
Glen Alsobrook
Agreed. As far as I'm concerned, there is no more pro tour. I started watching in 1977 and now it's just shot after shot that destroys the rack.
***** I agree with the other comments on this thread. Another way you can tell that the pros are not nearly as good is that it's almost impossible to make a good living as a pro bowler nowadays versus 35 years ago. Fewer tournaments and, adjusting for inflation, the payoffs are about 1/4 what they used to be. That means we're not getting nearly as large a pool of talented people. The big tipoff this is happening is that we have several bowlers in their 50s still winning tournaments, something that I don't think ever happened in the 70s. Also, we have women making it to the championship round, again something unthinkable in the 70s. (Although I have to say, I think Kelly Kulick's style would have made her a profitable pro in the 70s.) The conditions and equipment make it easier to hit the pocket even if you miss your mark by a couple of boards, and to carry the bad hits. In the 70s, Jason Belmonte would have been a 190 bowler.
leopold mozart The difficulty in making a living as a pro these days has nothing to do with the talent of the players. The entire industry is in a downward spiral. Centers going belly up, league membership declining. They can't provide value to sponsors for their advertising dollar.
DowntownCanon I'm sorry, I wasn't clear in my comment. My point wasn't that the payoffs for professional bowlers were lower because the pros aren't as good; my point was that BECAUSE the payoffs are bad (for the reasons you mentioned), otherwise talented bowlers never go pro because it's so hard to make a good living. In the 70s you could have someone like "Hooking" Bob Handley leave his $13,000/year teaching job (average salary 1976) and go pro knowing that he could make that much placing in the top 24 once a month. Now the average teacher salary is around $51,000. Do you know how many pros earned $51,000 on the (PBA, World and Regional combined) tours last year? 17. Wes Malott made $85,000 last year, and he was the 9th best bowler in America. My brother is a high school math teacher and he made $88,000 last year. So, fewer people wanting to go pro means fewer really good bowlers. But, anyway, I agree with you about the "downward spiral." Bowling will probably be dead in 20 years, replaced by computer games and gym memberships.
Willaims was terrible...
I dont know how he had as much success as he did with the way his delivery was. That shovel shot looked as goofy as he did. Lol
Dickinson says “ Couple of three reasons” A PHIL LEOTARDO LINE” 😂😂😂😂🤡🤡🤡🤡😎
Haha..hell yeah. I missed that. Good catch and great line.
@ 2:29 here's a man who is on quite a hot streak