1976 Firestone - Mashall Holman vs. Billy Hardwick, pt1

[artfay69]

young Christopher Hardwick is now Chris Hardwick, comedian and TV host.

[SmooveLefty]

Marshall needs a perm !

[brshern]

woooow the days where ya actually had 2 hit your target n wen all ya had was your ability now days its a free 4 all strike fest cuz of technology n all the area ya want on the lane CAN U BELIEVE IT ? !!

[idontnoapassword]

@brshern lol so true. My bowling instructer use to avg. 196 and that was the shit back then. Now after a hamstrang injury he avg. around 220 which isn't worth bowling for to him.

[gamemeister27]

@brshern Well most of the higher scoring is due to the walled up house shots. I think the new ball technology just leveled the playing field at the top of the heap. Roth dominated with plastic, then Urethane came out. PDW destroyed with urethane and had to completely change his game when everybody got resin and caught up.

[brshern]

@gamemeister27 yeah ur rite everyone did catch up when resin hit the scene

[Polishjazzman]

I always hated those really long ball returns.

[Jamison42166]

HOLMAN ALMOST LOOKS LIKE JIMMY PAGE IN 69... WHAT A DEW! love these old bowling classics! LOVE HARDWICKS PANTS TOO.. A PRECURSOR TO GUPPY TROUP!

[Jamison42166]

HOLMAN ALMOST LOOKS LIKE JIMMY PAGE IN 69... WHAT A DEW! love these old bowling classics!

[BOOGE64]

Marshall went from having mounds of hair to having none.

[BaseFury]

Marsh is throwing the old AMF Pro Classic. I LOVED that ball.

[hiervince]

long ball returns

[markf2k]

Billy Hardwick - 8 300's in 14 years as a pro (as of this show). My how things have changed - and not for the better in my opinion.

[grebbx]

WTF Billy? A pocket 4-5-7? Thumb? How about FINGERS?

[dcbandnerd]

It's happened to me. It's the worst; but that's what you get for being a down and in bowler.

[leopoldmozart]

Even in his 20s, Billy Hardwick struggled with rheumatoid arthritis. When he won 7 championships and bowler of the year in 1969, he had no joints in his ring finger.

Like Bo said: "How does he do it, Chris? Everybody wonders how Hardwick does it."

[uberbcs]

Haha... these ball returns are LONG.

[leopoldmozart]

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

Amazing match. The bowling version of Jurassic park: Billy Hardwick, with his 1950's bowling style, bowling the conditions of the 70's. In my opinion, these two weeks (where Hardwick won the Toledo Open, then entered the finals of the Firestone at top position) comprise the most amazing pro bowling achievement in history. It's the bowling version of George Foreman winning the championship at 43 years old.

[ShutupHollywood]

Marshal Holman looks like Kelly Leak from Bad News Bears, I wonder if Marshall rode his bicycle to the lanes?

[dcbandnerd]

The bowling you guys play is for...

well, you know the rest :-D

[kingrage]

Man those ball returns are crazy.

[dcbandnerd]

Why did Firestone stop sponsoring the T of C anyway?

[lanirae2]

nice pants on hardwick!

Holman was always wierd!

[LeothePatrioticLion]

1976! The most patriotic year ever! I salute you for posting this!

[NipkowDisk]

Funny- I remembered the comment on Billy Hardwick's uncanny (half-board) accuracy but didn't recall which tourney it was...

Sure don't see full-rollers anymore- this was the last one I saw. Don Helling rolled a brutal one and won against Earl Anthony circa 1972.

But Marshall won here. The Medford Meteor might have been a great bowler but I thought his arrogant attitude was repulsive.

[jhankemeyer]

I know Don, he still throws that full roller!!!

[NipkowDisk]

Way cool. I can still recall that Mr. Helling bowled a 280 on TV that day in '72, I think he used a Brunswick Gold Crown ball- he left a 7 pin in the second frame and converted it. I think Earl rolled a 257 or 267...

Don had the same bent-elbow backswing too. I also remember he took virtually no time at all to deliver the ball once he had it in hand. And his full-roller was truly the best I ever saw.

I think his nickname on tour was "blinky" or something similar...

[NipkowDisk]

Oh, one other thing about that tourney Don won- his comment to the TV commentator when he won: "It doesn't hurt to get lucky once in a while!" I will never forget that one.

[odiedude]

Nice pants on Billy! :D

[stinger19er]

Impressive Most Impressive

[WiiNerdz]

Billy H looks like the guy in the movie "Kingpin" can't think of his name tho..

[irishpogi]

I would love to see the first match featuring Tim Hanrahan and Teata Semiz!

[Wolfman12395]

:D What a hairstyle for Holman!!!

[mrtvman]

cool