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Olympic bowling could be one heck of a turkey
Wednesday, August 13, 2008
RYAN WHITE
The Oregonian Staff
The guy to talk to, I was told, is "the kingpin of bowling."
The guy's in charge of "everything in the United States and everything
in the world." Everything in the bowling world, but do you oversee
anything enjoyed in 109 countries?
Me neither. He called five minutes later. How great is that? Try to get
David Stern on the phone in five minutes. I dare you. Better yet, the
guy was happy to talk about why no one's bowling in Beijing -- at least
for medals.
"It's a political process," Kevin Dornberger said. Forget "Kingpin." As
the chief operating officer of the United States Bowling Congress and
the president of the World Tenpin Bowling Association, Dornberger's more
like "The Big Lebowski" -- if we're talking bowling movies.
The dude abides, despite Olympic setbacks.
"It dates back," Dornberger said, "many, many years."
He said bowling was exhibited before the start of the 1936 Olympics in
Berlin, and was going to be an exhibition sport in 1940 -- until the
1940 Olympics didn't happen. It was an exhibition sport in Seoul in
1988, but didn't catch on. They haven't been that close since, and gone,
it seems, are the days when you could slip the members of the
International Olympic Committee some custom ugly shoes, a personally
engraved ball and a solid gold pin and call it an officially recognized
sport.
Salt Lake City put the pinch on the bribery racket for everyone.
I suggested they pitch synchronized bowling, because the IOC seems to
like synchronized things. Dornberger laughed.
"We have some failings as a sport," he said. "Our events are not very
spectator friendly. They aren't media friendly. As a result, they aren't
sponsor friendly."
I've never been to an event, but I've been bowling, and there's always
beer at the bowling alley. I'd say that makes the events extremely
spectator, media and sponsor friendly. Yet the Professional Bowlers
Association has Denny's as a title sponsor. Nothing says high-level
athletic competition like Moons Over My Hammy\STRIP at 3 a.m.
Say what you will about bowling, but table tennis is an Olympic sport.
Badminton is an Olympic sport, and badminton should never be played more
than 20 yards from a grill and a cooler.
Gymnastics? Sure, it takes a ton of talent, but when you're done with
your routine, it goes to the judges. You knock down nine pins, you've
knocked down nine pins. No debating that. Is there not an Olympic purity
in that?
Despite the many great arguments for bowling, the IOC remains against
it. Dornberger said the sport is off the short list of sports to be
added in 2016, and is aiming for 2020.
Dornberger will use the time to work on those problems. He said they'll
try a number of new approaches later this month at the men's world
championships in Bangkok, Thailand. The U.S. will also send its best
players, the pros, to compete.
That's right, as the United States Bowling Congress' recent news release
said, we're sending a Dream Team to bowl in Bangkok.
It's only a matter of time now.
It has to be.
Ryan White: 503-412-7024;
ryanwhite@news.oregonian.com
       
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