Love these old matches. The crowds are quiet and respectful . . . so much more pleasant to watch than today’s loud, flashy shows - in my opinion.

@TheBatugan77

19 күн бұрын

Dam strait.

I remember going to the bowling alley with my dad in the late 60s and early 70s. My dad was in the Army from 1961 until 1967. I was born in 1965. When I started bowling in the youth league in 1979...I used his shoes which were a little too big lol I always liked being around dad whether he was bowling, playing softball, or going with him when he officiated high school football in Pennsylvania. My dad is 81 now and still bowls, pitches horseshoes, and still officiates high school in Pennsylvania. He is still my hero.

@irishpogi

3 жыл бұрын

Thanks for sharing. May he live a nice long life

@bobstewart8032

3 жыл бұрын

@@irishpogi you're welcome and thank you for the kind words. I enjoy these older videos.

@louiemorales6459

2 жыл бұрын

That is a beautiful story. You're lucky to have been raised by a wonderful dad! 😀😀👍👍

@bobstewart8032

2 жыл бұрын

@@irishpogi thank you and you're welcome.

@bobstewart8032

2 жыл бұрын

@@louiemorales6459 I am and he is still going strong now at 83.

Right in my area...awesome....cradle of bowling, football and rocknroll .....feel lucky being raised in NE Ohio 🤘😃🤘

Look at these guys. Using one ball for every shot. Shows how much equipment upgrades have changed the game. I love watching Lening because he's so animated. Thanks for the upload.

@dangeroreilly2028

Жыл бұрын

One ball much easier when a bowler used straight ball, or small curve. Yes indeed, equipment and strategy have changed.

Can't tell you how much I enjoy watching these Championship Bowling episodes that I haven't seen in so many years.How the game has changed!

Love looking at the equipment we had in the early 60's. The "washboard" masking units would cut you to ribbons every time. I carried band aids with me. Let's not forget the Lazy Susans. I could replace the entire guts of that return in under 60 seconds.

Boy... Lening was quite animated on the lanes. Thats awesome! I wish I bowled in this time frame

I bowled crossing lanes with many of these ancient pros back in the 50ties and 60 ties. Of course I was a youngster in those days, now in my 80ties.

irishpogi,you've got gold.Thank you kindly for a seat in the ride of the "timeless" way back machine.Amazing it's ability to elicit many long dormant memories "back" into my collective conscious,some gray hazy,others as technicolor vibrant as the NBC peacock unfurling across the screen.1969;My dad bowling in a tournament with the superstar ,"living legend ", Mr. Billy Hardwick.I was 7, my brother 5, our dad tells us he's going to go bring Mr. Hardwick over so we could meet him.We got so worked up about meeting this great bowling,T.V.star,we go and "hide" in the mens room, too nervous to meet him.Standing there,who walks in,our MOM! WITH BILLY HARDWICK!! 45+ yrs. later,like it was 45 MINUTES ago.1st thought, telling mom she had to get out of the MEN'S ROOM. NNOOWW! 2nd,"embarrassed" that MR. Hardwick" knew"why we were in the restroom, and lastly,that our MOM was STILL THERE in the men's room.Mr. Hardwick,soon to be,"You and your brother can just call me Billy,managed the moment like he managed the lanes,as easy as could be,walking us out to where dad was waiting for us,he, trying to apologize for us,and "Billy" having no part of that, shaking our hands,thanking my mom and dad for inviting him over to meet their "two,fine young men",He then telling my brother and I how much he enjoyed meeting the both of us,and after he and dad went back to finish bowling,my brother and i laughing that"your so happy you laugh uncontrollable" laugh that we met, and now "knew",Billy.Thanks again irishpogi for sharing.My brother and i just got done laughing about it, just like then,all over again.And Mr."Billy" Hardwick...I just remember as nice,even nicer, than anyone you'd ever meet.

Bowled at Fred Lening's center in Fairless Hills, PA as a kid. Knew Fred well and even bowled in an exhibition as a 10 yr old as an opening for one of his scratch tourneys for the Phila area bowlers.

My little brother and I looked forward to these matches every weekend. Guys like Don Carter, Ray Bluth, Dick Weber, and all the greats. This was more fun to watch for us than football or any other sports.

Crazy, how the black and white footage from the 50s and 60s compared to the 1970s and 80's color footage is far superior in quality. Much better to watch. Thanks.

"How does he do it, Chris? Everybody wonders how Hardwick does it." Nelson Burton Jr.

Thank you so much for this clip. My favorite part was when the announcers were trying to unravel the mystery of how hardwick can bowl well.

6 games combined, zero open frames. Not too shabby!

Dad taught me to bowl this way in '68! He passed in early '71 and I stopped. School-Work-Life and I didn't bowl. Completely missed urethane. Now I have finally found a league that fits my schedule and i'm all in. Only now there are high-tech reactive balls, lanes are different. I would love to just use his old Ebonite rubber and bowl Hardwick style but i'm not sure. I'm trying to work with reactive resin and my best is 234. I've also had some games lucky to break 100. There is no respect for skilled straight style bowling (for one thing they can't sell you a different ball every week!). I feel like Rip Van Winkle!

@lumberlikwidator8863

10 ай бұрын

Yeah I miss the days when you could bring one ball and bowl in any center in North America. Nowadays if you throw a hook you’ve got to be a chemist and an engineer to bowl.

Thank you for these uploads. Does anyone happen to have any uploads of this great show with the great Jack Drees announcing? I remember two local tv stations playing the retro episodes with Drees & Bunetta reporting. It stirred my bowling appetite to see Dick Weber, Harry Smith, Ray Bluth, Johnny Guenther, Bo Burton Jr., on those shows!

Thank you, Irish pogi for allowing access to these bowling episodes.

This is when bowling was a mans sport! 16 pound nonreactive hard rubber balls, unstable lacquer finish , solid wood no voids pins, 16 pound balls to compete at the highest level, super accurate bowlers and no cranking 2 handed bowling! League bowlers that average 200 plus now a buck 70 and lower then. In a town of 100,000 maybe 2 bowlers around 200 average. That was with an early league and a late league 5 days a week. The conditions by the late league were brutal. U had to throw hard to keep it on the lanes by the late league. I learned to bowl on these conditions and i am a stroker to this day. I may not have the biggest game but im always hi average or close to it and i have won the hi scratch series several years. It made u learn to be accurate. I watch these young folks yank and crank and i know they wouldnt average 170 then

Was sent here by Chris Hardwick, Billy's son. Anyone else?

@MrConnorTV

8 жыл бұрын

Yep

Bring back rubber and plastic thats when it was fun and challenging.

Thank you irishpogi very much for posting this match! Billy Hardwick is one of my favorite bowlers of all time. How did he do it? How could he roll it so straight and so slow and get such carry and such accuracy? I wish I knew so I could do it too! When will we get the final 3 matches in this series?????

I still prefer using paper to keep score lol Computers confuse me. Lol

@bencaroccio6559

2 жыл бұрын

Yep! Feel same way. Can't find lanes for open bowl that don't have the Cosmic/moonlight setup. Can't see the arrows!

Does anyone have access to the final 3 games of this championship match? Love to see it

Billy Welu and Ray Bluth both in the audience.

I wish bowling would go back to it's roots, although this will never happen. At the league level the game has become a joke. I am 63 and average 220 and I don't consider myself a really good bowler, although I average two-o on sports conditions. Not sure that makes me a good bowler either. Would rather go back to the old days where accuracy was a premium.

@leroy1927

5 жыл бұрын

Yes I agree at 77, note only 2 balls on the ball return turntable. Lening was blowing out the 5 but Hardwick's ball had no finish especially on the right lane but high scores by both.

@irishpogi

4 жыл бұрын

@@leroy1927 Hardwick was able to get a better entry angle into the pocket because he was further right than Fred. Billy made his bread and butter playing right of everyone. This explains why Liz Johnson does well against the men.

Lening's enthusiam reminds me of Billy Welu.

@felixmadison5736

4 жыл бұрын

Yes, the bald man from Texas. I also liked watching the animated Harry Smith.

@johncirillo9544

Жыл бұрын

Billy Welu and Ray Bluth are seated front row in the audience.

LIKE IT

Thank you for these uploads. Fred Lening was one of my favorites. Another great bowler from the East I admired was Ralph Engan. Are there videos of him anywhere?

@irishpogi

9 жыл бұрын

I wish I had footage of Ralph. I have heard so much about him. He was Ernie Schlegel's idol.

Lenning is ripping the rack with a bowling ball as hard as the granite countertops in my house.

Wheres part 2 of this at?

From a time and place when the bowlers, and not the equipment did all the heavy lifting.

Could you put on KZread the 2nd half of this final match? Thank you.

wonder what there now or is the alley still there?

Where is the final match of the championship?

Geez Billy looks at Fred like .. well I'm not saying, but the 1930s comes to mind!

is that billy welu sitting behind the bowlers? looks like him!

@irishpogi

8 жыл бұрын

yes

@dettigs

8 жыл бұрын

+irishpogi ty irishpogi.........keep up the good work!!!!

@irishpogi

8 жыл бұрын

+dettigs more on the way! much more!

@2badger2

8 жыл бұрын

+dettigs Yes, Ray Bluth next to him

@stewartberger7734

4 жыл бұрын

Blll Bunetta did spectacular analysis. Great stuff

Billy was water

It was demolished late in 2011. Google Firestone Bowl-a-rama and look for an ohio dot com article.

How many men wear a cravate in the audience nowadays?

Dr12-24-2022

When bowling was pure skill. Now they just throw these hi tech hand grenades and as long as it’s within 12” of your mark..you strike

@bencaroccio6559

2 жыл бұрын

Loved the Columbia yellow Dot I had. Little counter Ballance and 2nd arrow to the pocket!