ONCE UPON A TIME IN BOWLING

I was looking at some old YouTube video of the 1981 PBA National Championship at Toledo, Ohio and I was amused by how much the styles have changed over the years. Earl Anthony battled Ernie Schlegel in the finals and you couldn't find a greater contrast in styles.

Earl Anthony

Hank Hill

Earl Anthony was always dressed as plainly as can be and his technique is amazingly smooth and nearly robotic in its repetition. I wonder if Mike Judge was thinking of Earl Anthony when he first drew Hank Hill. There are definitely some strong similarities between Earl and the King of the Hill.

Depending on the generation, Ernie Schlegel could be described as a dandy or a fop. He is dressed in a white satin shirt with colored sequins and bright red pants. He has a wild mop-top haircut and we wears sunglasses while he bowls. (Ernie Schlegel had an interesting background which you can read about in this Sports Illustrated story.) His technique was anything but smooth as he muscled the ball in his delivery and was often off balance at the foul line.

Earnie Schlegel

Though their styles and backgrounds were on oppostie ends of the spectrum, they were both incredible bowlers and this match went right down to the 10th frame before is was decided. (It appears both men wear the same wrist brace so they have that much in common, anyway.)

The match is split into two parts. The first five frames of the ABC Sports coverage, with commentators Chris Schenkel and Nelson Burton Jr., can be found at the top. The final five frames are below.