Bowling Philosophy-May 2010

"Walter Ray Williams Jr.-The King or The Prince?"
by Thomas Scherrer

Back in 2006, Walter Ray Williams Jr. finally hunted down the ghost of Earl Anthony's PBA record 41 titles by beating Pete Weber 289-236, in the Dydo Japan Cup to win career title #42. Then play-by-play announcer Dave Ryan aptly started calling Williams "The King", an honor certainly deserving of his historic bowling credentials. In an era where other sports anoint or nickname kings despite not winning anything or having a disgraceful post-career private/public life (see LeBron James, Jim Leyritz, and...sadly for me, Henrik Lundqvist), Walter Ray's monarchical nickname suits him and the sport of bowling well.

Or does it? Taking nothing away from Williams' accomplishments at all, he certainly continues to astound and amaze (some would replace those words with bore and meddle) fans with his relentless pursuit of winning titles, making cash, acquiring milestones, etc...you begin to wonder if Walter Ray is more symbolic of another nickname, "Il Principe", or "The Prince". Namely, Italian public servant Niccolo Machiavelli's version of "The Prince".

Before Walter Ray supporters start mailing me sharp objects giving me instructions to "gargle and rinse thoroughly", take this as a compliment toward his tremendous career that we are comparing his bowling career to one of the great political treatise ever written. This is one of the parts of why I have been blogging about bowling in general: to see if I could legitimately merge bowling and philosophy together to make sense of it all. Not surprisingly, when you talk about bowling, most conversations involve Walter Ray and where is career ranks truly in the annals of bowling history. Not just PBA history (firmly entrenched: 2nd best bowler in PBA history-for now-and greatest right handed bowler...PERIOD), but bowling history. What better way for me to try and make sense of it all then discuss him in a "Machiavellian" way. Let's jump in.

First of all, Machiavelli's "The Prince" centers around mostly political tones as to how a prince should rule their land. Those methods should be by means of pragmatic ends, not teleological-or purposes designed to reach a goal. Simply put: the old saying "the ends justify the means" fits well with Walter Ray's career very well. In brief, we date back to 1986, the first of Walter Ray's record 7 Player of the Year awards. Walter Ray was an aspiring prince at this point, then in '86, winning 3 titles and capturing POY honors, acquiring the ends by any means necessary. Not sold??? Let's narrow it down further.

Defense and Military

The Prince, according to Machiavelli, states that a self-sufficient prince is one who can meet any foe on the field of battle. He goes on further to say that a prince that relies on the help of others or on foundations is not self-sufficient. As most bowling fans know, Williams has been extremely self-sufficient over his near 30 year career that Williams can conquer any lane condition the PBA has laid out in the past. Williams has not relied solely on the modern enhancement of bowling balls or lane surfaces, but rather on his own unique skills. The successful Prince must also hunt on a frequent basis to keep his body fit and lean. With this, he can learn to protect his territory and take claim of others that are similar. We all know of Walter Ray's tremendous ability of play the outside/gutter part of the lane as well as Williams' tremendous ability to keep on bowling and stay in shape at age 50 against bowlers half his age. That combination has also helped him alter the course of how other players play the lanes...

Self-Reliance

If The Prince comes to power through either luck or hereditary means, he can rise to power quickly but struggle to retain it (see Weber, Peter). If The Prince rises by overcoming the existing or incumbent order, he will struggle to power, yet rule with ease afterward. The Prince can also erase his enemies, forge on his own terms, and also earn the utmost respect. Williams overcame the incumbent order in the 80's (Weber and Mike Aulby), forged through the early 90's stars (Parker Bohn, Norm Duke, and Jason Couch), then the late-90's (Chris Barnes), and now the 2000s (the younger, high rev players, international stars, resurgent Hall of Fame bowlers. Williams has certainly earned the utmost respect from his peers. He has also forged his own alliances with pretty much everyone that bowls on tour. Most player's strategy today is to start by playing straighter and wait to move in until the lanes open up. This symbiotic relationship has further helped Williams in that he now gets all his foes to play his A game and hence, Williams can match up better seeing what looks best playing straight. All he simply does is out repeat everyone. Machiavellian to say the very least from Dead-Eye.

Reform and Revolution

The Prince must have the means of force to keep his people satisfied during reform when the people being to have second thoughts. Travel back to 2000 for a moment...Walter Ray had a dismal first half of the PBA Tour season and most began to felt that Williams, then age 40, has lost a step. Come the fall swing of 2000 and Williams wins back-to-back events, reforming his game, and making a last gasp at Player of the Year. Travel back to the 2003-04 season as well...Walter Ray had not made a telecast the first half of the season, 32nd in points, looking lost. Many felt this was the beginning of the end. During the winter break, Williams worked with former touring player Mark Baker on his hand position and he wins two of the first 4 events of the second half of the year, including winning his first Masters title.

Gaining Honors

The Prince must complete great feats. Machiavelli uses King Ferdinand of Spain as example of a leader who gained tremendous territories in the name of religion, while keeping his subjects from rebellion. For Walter Ray, great feats are majors (8), Player of the Year awards (7-record), and titles (48-record). He has kept his detractors (the subjects) from rebelling against his power as the ruler of the PBA empire.

So far...so good, you are thinking to yourself. Now this is where Walter Ray lovers and I being to dissent.

Reputation

"Men have imagined republics and principalities that never really existed at all. Yet the way men live is so far removed from the way they ought to live that anyone who abandons what is for what should be pursues his downfall rather than his preservation; for a man who strives after goodness in all his acts is sure to come to ruin, since there are so many men who are not good."

Walter Ray's reputation varies from whoever you speak with. Some will see Williams as humble, modest, and a great role model for people of all ages to emulate in their profession. Others will see Williams as surly, moody, cantankerous, and aloof. This is usually the price that most great individual athletes deal with when it comes to reputation. This however, should not be a slight to Williams. There are many possible qualities The Prince must possess, they must not be overly concerned with having all of the good ones, seeing as he might have to act against them. The only ethic for The Prince to have are the ones beneficial to have to maintain his estate. For Williams, the only thing that should matter is whatever it takes to maintain his status as the ruler. Qualities be damned...

Generosity vs. Parsimony

The Prince must not be overly generous to the subjects (think fans) for fear of losing all his resources. However, cannot be too tight or be called a miser. Williams is not one for autograph sessions, clinics, or special appearances during the off-season. He would rather pitch horseshoes, play golf, and watch Fox New or CNN. Now that he's 50, he can add whuppin' senior bowlers during the summer. Again, anything to maintain the status of his estate. The Prince should be reputed as a miser more so than being considered too generous to his people.

Cruelty vs. Mercy

Machiavelli writes that on the subject of being feared or loved, "The answer is one would like to be both the one and the other; but because it is difficult to combine them, it is safer to be feared than loved if you cannot be both". It is highly unlikely that Walter Ray is feared. This is not like if the PBA would shudder in fear of Williams if Seattle called up Williams and said, "Look Walter...we are going to alter our patterns this season. We are thinking about making the conditions favor a fallback or deep inside line to score well. We don't need your input or anything, but just letting you know, we're going to shut out the gutter. Hope you have a good day!" Again, highly unlikely that Williams would make the PBA urinate on themselves if he were to say, "I won't bowl so shove it up your rectum". That is the grave tragedy of the athlete, in particular one that is now 50 and in a sport where mainstream attention is lacking: Walter Ray is not bigger than the game. Therefore, fearing Walter Ray is not a likely proposition.

But what about being loved? Is Walter Ray loved? I know Dick Weber was/is loved. I know Earl Anthony was/is loved. These past 12 months have shown us how much fans admired and reallllllly loved Mark Roth. I know that Duke is loved for his friendliness and competitive fire as well as short stature. I know Bohn is loved for his generosity and family man qualities. I know Pete Weber is loved for his bravado and his human flaws. There are not many people that hate the men I just mentioned, but for Walter Ray, I don't know. I know he has respect from his peers and fans and not unjustifiably so. He has earned everything he has and will have from the sport of bowling. He has earned money, fame, respect, and legendary status. But love? I am not sure. I'm not even sure I see Walter Ray as loved. I respect the hell out of him, but I feel as if Walter will not be loved. What is weird about the whole situation is that Anthony and Williams are pretty much the same person. Both were kinda square, dorky, humble characters in bowling. However, Anthony is loved for being that way, hell he was even nicknamed "Square Earl". Walter Ray is not loved for being that, if anything, he is antagonized for it. Does this not make him The Prince? Hardly. The Prince is meant to rule by fear and respect more than being loved. The love, according to Machiavelli, can make people soften for you and not have their total respect out of you based on fear in battle. Machiavelli would rather have a prince in the mold of Hannibal, a man who had various races in his army, yet was in command of his troops and they feared failing him. Machiavelli would rather not have an Scipio Africanus, a leader whose troops often dissident and were known for their mutiny. For Walter Ray of course, he does not have an army behind him bowling, but he has fans that respect him without question. Love...we might know until long after his career ends. It's the sad irony for the great Walter Ray Williams Jr.: he is The Prince indeed. The perfect Prince in fact, but love may have to wait.