My Rant on Josh Blanchard's Fall and the Public Reaction to it

[RCROX5000]

If anyone told me to my face that bowling wasn't a real sport I would stare them down and say OK, you can say that bowling isn't a sport, despite the fact that it has professional level leagues and tournaments, several countries have national teams, and is listed in high school and collegiate categories as a sport. Have no respect at all, like for Blanchard. Blanchard was already in a bad game, and didn't need that humiliation which he got.

[urethaneguy]

Good on you Wolfman! You are saying what many think. Josh Blanchard is a great player and a nice guy. (I crossed with him at the TAT last year.) I really feel for him just like any bowler will. What these other fools are saying is just dross. We saw the real Belmo on that telecast, the guy who bowled great, but did not hesitate to offer help to a fellow player when he may have needed it. I saw a guy actively helping out his competitor. THAT is the spirit of bowling.

[iDX1701]

Most people don't know about professional bowling thumbholes.

[uncensored008]

it also shows how much of a class act ESPN is by labeling the clip on their page as "Epic Bowling Fail"

[matt921]

@Wolfman12395 i agree with you I know josh coulda got seriously hurt. I have fell many times an that is one of my biggest fears when I bowl amateur tournaments sticking falling or not beable to release. That lane all broadcast was giving issues what people dont realize is he didnt bowl like that all week to make the top 4. He had a bad day an being on tv maybe have put pressure on him. Im sorry hes now known for falling on tv.

[uncensored008]

I was there at the taping in the front row when it happened and I can tell you that it was not funny and the crowd there was very polite and looking to forget it ASAP. it is a shame that no one on espn gave two shits that Belmonte, whos very existence made him a media darling to them got a very calm and collected 300 the next game. this really shows how badly people treat bowling as a sport while they are watching the PGA of all things...

[nsizemore22]

i too felt sorry for them, I agree with everything you said, and all I have to say that people will only laugh if it has never happen to them, it has happened to me so I know how he felt, even though I kind of think he was hurt worse then he let on, the fact that he was able to get up and shake it off is just a example of how professional he really is

[TheMb1978]

One other thing I forgot to mention On sunday the great Don Carter about his passing he died just before telecast and didn't even mention it on Bowling.

[kidman2505]

well said man!

[Doza418]

Okay.... FINE. Bowling isn't a sport.... they're right. It's rocket science. :)

[matt921]

@Doza418 i want you to look at it like this. Bowling isn't a sport to your right whats your definition of a sport. Here's the real definition of Sport

An activity involving physical exertion and skill in which an individual or team competes against another or others. Ok two bowlers trying to get a higher score. Lets see you go out every week an bowl 15-20 games a day against 100's of people try to get to the top/highest score Do u even bowl or just grab a ball an throw it at some pins

[matt921]

@Doza418 cause most people take bowling serious an you can make money off of it. No not millions like baseball or football players. But still enough to make a gain. I'm sorry but you can get hurt in bowling yeah its not like football or other CONTACT remember that work k. Contact sports. but you can shatter an ankle fall on the lanes hit your head break your wrist. Im sorry dude but bowling is a sport a competition of two player trying to beat eachother.

[Doza418]

@matt921 Dude... you're preaching to the choir. Read my comments again, look up what sarcasm means before you reply to me. I know it's a sport. I never said it wasn't. When I said, yeah bowling isn't a sport, it's rocket science, I meant that it was more than just a sport. Look before you leap.

[matt921]

@Doza418 it must of been on the other page i only seen one. my bad dude.

[Doza418]

@matt921 no worries.... it's all good.

[TheShinigami1993]

i think this is fucking pathetic, why is no one laughing because someone falling over shouldn't be classed as funny how can you laugh at a professional doing his job and trying to earn his way in life , and to people who say bowling isn't a sport you go out to a local bowling center and throw 30 games over 2 days and then say its not a sport , i think its time people start to grow up and reconise what goes on behind the scenes of the pba just to get to the television show

[bgmnzz]

ESPN tries to appeal to wrestling fans, so they've tried to equate bowling to wrestling(which doesn't work). So a guy falling appeals to ESPN more than an example of bowling perfection.

[sepballaboy]

Josh Blanchards first appearance on live television and all he gets is humiliation. HE had to take down a BIG crew and for ESPN to humiliate him more. Thats disgraceful, give the kid a break, he will definitively be back though.

[jonaszw]

Do me a favour, click the link and like the post, you will do us a great favour :) click like on youtube aswell if you've done it, thanks anyway :)

[Billin007]

Josh was already down and out, yet ESPN decided to show him falling on his ass. Why show it? There was no need for it. Why kick a man while he is already down? I commend Belmo for his actions when it happened. He was the first there to help him up or see if he was ok. Big ups to Belmo and Josh.

[MariocyrascoEX]

I wasn't laughing at that fall that Blanchard gone through. I felt sorry for him, and he had troubles in finding the right throw because of the pattern. And Belmonte, I was excited as hell to see a 300 on live television, but not much fanfare and talked more about the fall. I said to myself: "No Fanfare? Must be Poker Fanguys." Pa-leeze!

[Starcastle2009]

People who believe bowling isn't a sport are simply ignorant. The media, in general, sucks. There are more bowlers than there are golfers.

[supermonkeyballboy]

I was so pissed when I had brought up the telecast on Sunday to my team. Once I brought it up, everyone acknowledged Blanchard's fall and started laughing. I had them think about if they were in his shoes... they still laughed. No wonders we're not doing well, they don't give a damn about other people's bowling and what happens to others. I feel sorry for Blanchard and Belmonte, Blanchard for not getting the sorrow he deserves, Belmo for not getting the acknowledgements he deserves.

[golefevre]

Most important thing I learned about Josh sticking/slipping: if you don't let go of the ball, it's not a foul. I never knew that.

[calledcalvin]

I felt really bad for Blanchard, because it was his first time bowling on tv, he bowled low and fell. That would be my idea of the worst, most embarrassing possible scenario if I were up to bowl on tv.

[HeyDUDEitsZACH]

Yeah, Blanchard fell. Big deal? Yeah bowling isnt the most dangerous sport but when you're hurling a 15-16 pound round sphere at extreme speeds, bad things can happen such as falling. Its nothing to joke about or laugh at. Someone even made an account "JoshBlanchardFail11" really? Grow up. That is all.

[PtS59]

If my friend or I fell on a practice we would laugh histerically, if it happens on a tourney , no one would do it.

I personally laughed during the telecast, but deep inside I feel really sorry for Blanchard.

What's really embarassing is that this very moment will be in the history alonf with other viral bowling videos.

[mystrsyko]

The PBA really needs to tell ESPN to go fuck itself and find a better place to go. There are plenty of other networks that could make bowling look good if given the chance

[dorchesterbowler]

@mystrsyko yeah maybe the PBA could get a deal with that new NBC sports network, instead of taped delayed shows and xtra frame only tournaments

[Doza418]

@mystrsyko I couldn't agree with you more. I'm from Canada and I used to be able to watch bowling on ABC. But ever since ESPN took over, I had to rely on Wolfman or SundaysR4Bowling to see these matches because ESPN does not telecast here. Thanks guys. As for the fall comparison / Belmo's 300. I totally agree with you Wolf. People nowadays are more amazed at people's downfalls than their achievements. Is this the type of attitude we'll be seeing more of from the next gen, in the future? Sad.

[SundaysR4Bowling]

What's worst is that clip got a million views and will most likely be in the next Ray Williams Johnsons Equals Three show. If you took all the views of all the clips I have posted they don't add up to the amount of hits that got in three days...unreal!!!

[TheMb1978]

I agree on that I watch josh fall and there was another incident that happen where I bowl guy went flying over lane same thing. Hand was stuck in bowling ball went up in the air landed on his back almost over middle of lane and had to be carry out strecher. And 300 that should big news in specially in this sport its 21st 300 in pba history whats going on here maybe bowling world is dying or just not popular as it was back then.

[rawli09]

id like to see them go bowl the us open or any major for that matter, and see how they feel after just one day. these guys do it weeks at a time. it just really frustrates me to no end that no one sees these guys as professional athletes. outside of the bowling world that is. sorry about the rant. i had to say something because im tired of reading all the negative stuff people write about bowling. granted it is frustrating, but thats the challenge of it. if it was easy, it wouldnt be fun.

[rawli09]

i think it has to do with respect more than anything. most people think of bowling as a bunch of fat guys sitting around getting drunk all the time. granted there are guys that do that and i have absolutely no problem with it. once people get that thought out of their head and actually witness what these guys do week to week, bowling anywhere from 50-75 games in 3 or 4 days, they will see it as a sport. id like to see some of these sports writers out there for just one week and bowl that much.

[rawli09]

apparently blanchard challenged tony kornhieser from pardon the interruption to bowl. i saw something on twitter about it. will find out for sure and follow up.

[nts4906]

I felt bad that he had to bowl so poorly AND fall on is ass in front of his smoking hot girlfriend.

[strongsock]

Sorry but there's no fucking way the dude could have been seriously injured. Other than some freak accident where he fell, and somehow shook down a giant light that landed directly on his head. And it's kinda funny, to be fair. Dude should laugh about it himself and not be so serious. But I agree about the way bowling is perceived.

[nederbelg2]

@strongsock

Ofcourse not. Slipping on a very slick surface with a 15-16 pound ball in your hand couldn't hurt anyone!

No change of breaking your wrist or falling on your knee or hip on the edge of the gutter and injuring it.

I hope you're not a bowler yourself, because then your remark is even more stupid, dude.

[strongsock]

@nederbelg2 lol? none of that shit is a "serious injury". Aww oh my god I slipped and fell a foot and sprained my wrist! no....not serious.

[maxwarren1]

@strongsock A guy in a league I used to bowl in slipped over the foul line and fell backwards smacking the back of his head into the lane. The previous season he averaged 240 but after that he never bowled the same again. So there are serious implication for going over the foul line. There's a great risk for injury.

[MARLENIAMOSLEY]

total agree

[slowfaller]

While in eighth grade I tripped with the ball still on my hand and broke it, luckily that didn't happen to josh. I agree with your points here wolfman

[Bubblanmedmagi]

I totally agree its stupid how little the "knowlegdable" people that comment and report on sports know about the sport i love (Bowling OFC). Even the total disrespect of the players Josh and Belmo. I wanna see one of these sportspeople take one game off of Josh and Belmo! They are good bowlers and even making the Telecast proves that! Sucks that Josh had a horrible weekend tho :S..

[kingzmaul]

its not funny and reason why i say that is because it was his first time on tv and he was losing. mentally he wasnt stable and it starting messing with him. he couldnt get out of the ball wasnt foucsed. that has happened to alot bowlers. your 100% right. only people who didnt laugh really knows the sport. period.

[deesyphrr]

Agreed, wolfman!! BTW, Gary Thorn will replace Rob Stone on the major telecasts.  I like that!!!

[bgmnzz]

@deesyphrr Doesn't Gary Thorn wok for Versus(NBC Sports channell) on hockey? Wait and Golf Channel? And the Mets??

[StatManSteve]

P.S. - After the 2nd time I got 'launched' with that new bowling ball, I had to play to the crowd, rolled the ball back, and yelled 'Donnie Johnson's got a lot more work to do on this ball!" (Donnie, goog guy, the Left Handed Pro, not the more famous Right Handed Pro.)

[StatManSteve]

I'm sure nobody at a Figure Skating event laughs when the skaters fall, women or men. They are trying hard to compete, and that hoping for the contestant's success is what people are there for, not to mock them when they fall.

Outside the event, sure, it looks silly. But for people who are there for the event, into the sport, knowing the concequences, it isn't funny at that moment.

[StatManSteve]

I agree Wolf. I think most don't get the difference from videos of people falling while bowling recreationally (all over youtube) vs someone who is competing at the sport for a living having a bad moment jeopardizing their chances at a good paychecks. I've had this happen to me - twice in a row, back when I was your age - yes, the bowlers laughed that night - but it was 'get drunk league night'. The next hard part for him (as I found) was rolling the next ball - would the thumb stick again?

[drago1209]

Ur right wolfman

[MaxTheKid123]

I agree 100%