Interview with Ryan Shafer
February 22, 2006
Flo: What pound equipment do you use?
Ryan: Fifteen.
Flo: What do you think of the tour format as opposed to what it used to be?
Ryan: The only thing I think they can change. . . I mean actually when they first did it I didn’t like it because I liked the old format. But after last week, I realized what a grind it is. The only thing I think they can change is that Friday is kind-of tough with three rounds of match play and I think the schedule could be changed a little bit ‘cause we don’t get out to bowl until 10:00 Thursday night and we have to be there at 8:00 in the morning on Friday. So we don’t really get any sleep on Thursday night. So, I’m thinking somehow alleviate that by putting the round of 8 on Saturday morning. That would be a better thing.
Flo: What kind-of advice to you give people who are trying to go pro?
Ryan: I think, obviously it’s a standard response. You have to bowl on a variety of conditions. I do a lot of junior coaching and what I tell people is you could bowl any way you like to bowl but if anybody would watch me bowl, that’s obvious. You gotta learn to repeat it. Repetition is the key. I learned to repeat the right things.
Flo: What do you do in the off-season?
Ryan: The off-season I work a lot for Storm. I do lot of exhibitions. I do a lot of junior clinics. I do a lot of trade shows. But most of the time, I just like to spend time with my wife ‘cause I’m gone 20 weeks. So, whatever she wants to do, is fine with me.
Flo: And the last question is, where do you see the tour in ten years? Where do you see it going?
Ryan: Hopefully I see the tour expanding. I think our biggest problem right now is when you look at the ratings, they’re not where they should be because we’re always up against a marquis event, whether it’s the NFL or Daytona last week. If we could get a little better time slot, I know ESPN’s pretty good, they like us and I think that in our next negotiation if we could get a little better time slot I think we’d be in a little better position to succeed.
INTERVIEW WITH NORM DUKE
February 23, 2006
Flo: What pound equipment do you use?
Norm: I use the maximum. It just always made more sense to me that if I could drive a truck through those things, I’d do that. There’s ten pins and they weigh about 3½ pounds apiece. So that’s near about 40 pounds down there. So, I use whatever they’ll let me. Sixteen is the maximum and I get as close to that as I can.
Flo: What do you think of the tour format now as opposed to old format?
Norm: Well, I’m a purist. I think whoever knocks the most pins down during the whole tournament should get the trophy. So, I’m not an advocate of this format or a proponent of it even. I am a pro bowler so the formats are not left up to me. My job is to accept the format and the circumstances and go do my best and win an event. So, I try to leave my opinion of the format outside the pit area.
Flo: Any advice to future pros?
Norm: My best advice is if it’s something that you want to do and you love and you’re good at, then do everything you can to make your dream happen. And, people all through my life, some said no chance, some said I’m quite aware that you’re capable of doing this. So, I got to choose which one to believe. And, I followed the one that said “follow your dream”.
Flo: What do you do during your off-season?
Norm: I play a lot of golf. I spend some quality time with my family. I do exhibitions, seminars, speaking engagements, all types of training and personal appearances. I try to leave some time open for my family.
Flo: Where do you see the tour in ten years?
Norm: Without me! Definitely without me, I’d like to say that. I read in the USA Today flying up to Buffalo that bowling is the fastest growing sport among the high school age group and that’s the age group which we have not been able to attach ourselves to in order to do the most good for our sponsor desires. So, reading that was such a great, great thing and it led me to believe that if sponsors come in because of that demographic then in ten years, it doesn’t take long with these companies, they walk fast. So, I honestly believe that in ten years that bowling could be enormous. But, I do know that we struggled the last ten years and we haven’t been able to keep pace with the other sports and I think we could have done a lot better job.
Flo: Anything you want to say to the fans?
Norm: Yeah, thanks! I take my hat off to them screaming my name every strike I get here. There’s nothing like that! There’s nothing like it. They give that to me and for whatever reason, I can’t tell you. But, I really do enjoy it!
INTERVIEW WITH BRAD ANGELO
February 23, 2006
Flo: What pound equipment are you using and why?
Brad: Fifteen pounds. Back in my years at Erie C.C. I was using sixteen and I just changed to fifteen and stayed with it.
Flo: What do you think of the tour format now as it used to be? Which do you like better? Any preferences?
Brad: I would prefer that we have a variety of formats. I think that this format is great but we shouldn’t have every tournament be this format because there is a lot of luck sometimes, luck of the draw. But this format brings out a whole lot more pressure situations for winning a game where the round robin format is easier to get a little lazy. Yeah, you come down, you’re trying to get 30 bonus pins but it’s not even near as valuable as being up one game to none, three games to one. So I think a variety would be better.
Flo: Your advice to future pros.
Brad: You better learn versatility. It’s better to learn how to be able to do a whole lot of things because the talent of who we have on tour now is better than it’s ever been. Some people may disagree, but without a doubt, the guys that are out here on the exempt tour can do more things than at any other time in the Tour’s history.
Flo: What do you do in the off-season?
Brad: Try to be the best dad I can. Play as much golf as I can. I have a lot of commitments I have to do with Dexter and Vice Grips. Then I run my own bowling camps all over the country. The off-season is just a non-competitive season. It’s not necessarily an off-season.
Flo: Where do you see this tour ten years?
Brad: Where do I want to see it? I want to see anybody’s that’s exempt be able to make six figures a year. I think the PBA ownership has expectations that are a little short of being fulfilled. But, as long as we keep getting crowds like this and as long as the PBA keeps going to cities where the fans are going to support us, I really think it will grow again. Especially with the way that high school bowling is on the rise all over the country. That’s the group of people. We need to get into those cities where high school bowling’s hot and do some sort of promotions to get more people in the building and start growing this sport again.
Flo: Anything you want to say to the fans?
Brad: The fans here are unbelievable. It’s far away the best turn out that we’ve had that I can remember. Obviously, you get a lot of people at the U.S. Open or the major tournament, but for a normal tournament, this is awesome. This week has been awesome.
Interview witH SEAN RASH
February 23, 2006
Flo: What weight is your equipment?
Sean: Sixteen.
Flo: Have you always used sixteen?
Sean: I threw fifteen until I was about sixteen years old. I went a tournament and actually got some coaching and they thought that sixteen might help improve my carry. I was a very strong person and it helped slowed down my tempo. So, I decided to switch to sixteen when I was sixteen years old.
Flo: What do you think of the tour format as opposed to the old format?
Sean: I enjoy both formats. Bowling in the Dick Weber this year, we got to bowl the old style. Making it through the PTQs, we have to bowl the seven game blocks of matchplay. The bonus of the old format, if you cut the top 24 you get to bowl everybody once where now you’re bowling one match and then you win or lose and then move on. To make the show, you only bowl the three people and then two more in the show if you actually the event. I like both formats. I’m not opposed to one more than the other but whatever the PBA decides to do, I’ll support it.
Flo: Any advice to future pro bowlers?
Sean: The biggest thing is to make sure you’re learning every time you’re competing. If you’re not out here to learn, then it’s gonna be a really hard process to come on tour either through the regional deal or through non-exempt high points or just tour trials. All of us have gone through tour trials but you had to be something to be successful. The biggest thing is making sure you’re learning and don’t take things for granted because there’s way too many players out here that are too good that could be on tour.
Flo: What do you do during the off-season?
Sean: Even though I’m still an amateur, I took up golf a couple years ago. Much of us that bowl also play golf together. I travel a lot of time so I get to go home to Alaska every now and then. I get over to Europe to bowl some events over there. So, the off-season, we’re lucky in bowling because you really don’t have an off-season. If you want to go bowl an event one weekend, you could go somewhere and bowl. I’m lucky enough living in Wichita that there’s something in Dallas or Kansas City where I can be in five or six hours and have something to bowl in on the regional tour. So, this off-season right now, it’s more trade shows, bowl expo and getting out to Vegas to watch the Mini-Eliminator. Probably take a vacation.
Flo: You mentioned Alaska; is that where you’re from?
Sean: I was born in Denver, Colorado, moved to Alaska when I was six months old, grew up in Alaska and when I was seventeen, moved to Kansas for college.
Flo: Was someone in the military up in Alaska?
Sean: No, dad’s sister was up there. They went up there just to visit and really enjoyed the scenery and how beautiful it is. The mountains and the wildlife are really something unbelievable to see. The fell in love with it and decided to move there.
Flo: You went to Wichita. I used to coach with Erie Community College back in the early 90s under Kerm Helmer.
Sean: I remember Kerm real well. I started college in 2000 and Kerm was actually still around the first couple years. I won’t ever forget when he passed away because Gordon was such really close friends with Kerm. Kerm was a just a special guy for college bowling and just bowling in general. When he passed away, we really lost a good person for the sport of bowling.
Flo: Would you stress the importance of collegiate bowlers?
Sean: I wasn’t lucky enough for high school bowling. In Alaska it started the year I left for college. Now, levels have changed where you have high school bowling that gets you involved in team sports just like any other sport. The best way is college bowling and Team USA if you’re lucky enough to make the team or bowl your way on. Bowling the MegaBucks is a good thing and then trying the regional thing to or even bowling on tour. College bowling definitely gets you ready for the next step.
Flo: Where do you see the tour in ten years? Where’s it going?
Sean: When the tour was first found by these guys, they said they were only gonna be around for a few years until they started making a profit. And, each year has gotten better and better for the tour. And, I can only see in ten years that it’s gonna get even better. The guys out there are really good players. There’s a lot of camaraderie between all the players. The days that we have off we get to spend some time together. A lot of people would like to see the field a little bit bigger. I think the PBA is trying to make that possible. To expand the field and to be recognized, I think we’re starting to get more and more attention throughout – not just in the US but worldwide of what we’re doing on TV every week.