PBA Tour-United States Open Live Diary (via Amazon Kindle) 2:36 pm: before we begin, most fans are wonderimg how in the hell Bill O'Niell gagged away last night's match to Ryan Shafer in the way he did. First off, Shafer was saved by the power of telvision. When ESPN went to a commercial break, Shafer had hit the pocket exactly zero times, as in not once, as in not at all. Billy O on the other hand, looked unstoppable- 4 in a row, possible 290- and he then had to sit for nearly 5 minutes before his next shot. His late game collapse can only be summed up in one word: tragic. Saying nothing about Shafer, but it would have been fun to see O'Niell go into Sunday as the reigning and defending champ, plus seeing him go through 3future HOF bowlers would have been a fan's dream. Damn having to pay the bills.
2:52 pm: Using the Kindle might slow up my updates but we are gunna give it a go. I have become immersed in the information age at long last! Watching Louisville-Pitt before the start and Rick Pitino has his white/cream suit out. Surely he used that du
ring his recent civil suit to woo the judge. Plus, he also offered the judge a package similar to when he coached and ran the Celtics basketball operations. Safe to say, the judge could not turn him down.
3:00 pm: Your are looking live at the sport's greatest bowling cathedral- Brusnwick Zone Carolier Lanes. Take that, NBS!
3:03 pm: We go to Randy and Shafer talking about BrooklynGate. Then to Mika..the only player to ever make all 4 majors in a season.
3:05 pm: Hey, Shafer hit the nose. Close to Brooklyn...spares it like a pro. Mika srtikes and then they show his trophy case. He might need to build a foundaion.
3:09 pm: There is the Brooklyn trip 6 forRyan. Mika then steps up and shows you a real strike. Another strike for Mika and early on, he has soom room.
3:12 pm: As for Shafer, he is dealing with the same issues he had last night. I would say that is trouble...oh wait, Mika struck again. Yeah, trouble.
3:14 pm: Commercials for Lumber Liquidators and Parker Bohn III. Last we checked, he was on a milk carton!
3:18 pm: Randy just used the word "lubricidy" to explain the flat US Open pattrn. Sure he needed some after the '95 TPC.
3:21 pm: Ladies and Gentlemen...Mike Birchtree-Penninsla doubles!
3:23 pm: Shafer just went 7-10. Awful break. Twelth major TV final for Shafer but yet no titles. Best player ever to not win a major.
3:26 pm: Light dancer strike for Mika- ballgame.
3:28 pm: Close Shave America...Close Shave Barbasol!
3:32 pm: Randy interviewing Steve Johnson about the BPAAs latest junior bowling concept. Perhaps having the kids bowl free year round? Nope. Some USA program that will likely cost bowlers more money. Johnson was asked to pick a winner and he chose either Mika or Duke. Like Tommy Jones is this weekend hack with a bad hip. That's me people!
3:38 pm: First spare shot for Jones looked ok with the hip. I am sure he took some pharmecuticals before the telecast. Perscription? Eh...
3:40 pm: Mika goes church and says something in Finnish. I'm certain the FCC is looking into that.
3:43 pm: Jones leaves a pocket 4-9 then whiffs on getting apin. Only leads by 2. In a tournament where pins are so precious, that could be a minute difference.
3:45 pm: Jones opens again (2-8-10) and looked stunned. Welcome to the United States Open sir. Mika up 30 going to break.
3:49 pm: Jones and Del Ballard talking. I always find this odd when a ball rep has two guys on the show. How is there any honest objectivity in that?
3:53 pm: Jones get bit again on the left lane, this time the 7-10. Mika can do this blindfolded from here. Duke-Mika title match. Replay of the '08 Open final.
3:57 pm: I bowl with USBC...for the beer! Chocolate milk...the choolate milk. Sorry, someone hacked my Kindle.
4:03 pm: Bud-weis-er! I heart the frogs.
4:06 pm: Mika starts off with a strike. Duke's first frame is a 2-8 and did very litte downlane. But no shock, both players right on top of each other.
4:11 pm: Duke collapses the bucket...we have action. Sit back and enjoy.
4:14 pm: First time Mika looks tight. Hard to tell...he never sweats or smiles or speaks in English. Now Norm whiffs one..and chops the spare. Wow. Now a plack 10...he is struggling with the feel suddenly.
4:20 pm: A solid 8 for duke! Mika now has his true opening. 8th frame by Mika is a bomb. And so was the ninth...wow.
4:22 pm: Duke got he first one. Got the next one. Keeps it close. He needs one more. Pured that one as well. Mika will have to make it happen in the tenth.
4:24 pm: Duke wth a 225. Mika needs a mark.
4:26 pm: Ringdime...MY GOD MIKA FLAGGED IT!!! Duke wins it...ungodly. Unthinkable
4:29 pm: Randy now has to interview Duke after that and Norm graciously puts the win on the backburner, saying hat his heart goes out t Mika. In a sport where sometimes skills get superceded by lck and bad breaks, Duke is super classy
in this moment. One final note: I was sitting next to Steve Peloquin, who said just before the spare attempt that Mika has not looked right on his 10 pin spares and lo and behold, Mika whiffed the dime. Coaches can sometimes tell before it happens.
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