GeorgeF
Hypercell = Hyperhook!
Robert Smith off to coach in Hong Kong, now Doug Kent announces he wont be accepting this exemption for the upcoming year. I am sure there will be more. Here is an interesting interview regarding his decision.
from The Batavia News Corp.:
"Newark's Doug Kent is calling it quits.
The 43-year-old right-hander told me earlier this week that he's prepared to let officials of the Lumber Liquidators PBA Tour know that he is going to relinquish his Tour Exemption for next year.
"I've been working at it for all these years, but I'm ready to retire," Kent said. "I'll be running more tournaments at the center (Doug Kent's Rose Bowl Lanes), plus I'll have the opportunity to coach my son (Jacob, a sophomore at Erie Community College), who really is coming into his own. And I'm looking forward to competing in a few local tournaments."
During his 22-year PBA career, Kent earned $1.4 million in prize money and won 10 tournaments, including four Majors. His best season, by far, came in 2006-07 when he won the PBA World Championship and USBC Masters, and placed second in the Etonic Championship in Buffalo en route to PBA Player of the Year honors.
He led the Tour with $200,530 in earnings that season, not counting the cool $150,000 he pocketed for capturing the winner-take-all Motel 6 Roll to Riches event.
This past season, Kent competed in 13 events, earning $28,000. His best finish was a third-place showing at the GoRVing Match Play Championship last month.
Kent, unlike many touring PBA members, is in good shape financially and is able to retire at an early age. While he can smile while looking back at a highly productive career -- he's among the top 50 greatest PBA members of all-time -- he's not happy about the current state of the PBA.
"It's gotten to the point where (bowlers) can't make any money," he said. "I heard that next season more than half of the tournaments are going to pay $10,000 for first place; if you finish sixth, you'll make only $1,500."
Granted, that would be pretty tough to live on, considering that it takes around a grand a week to cover expenses.
Kent has been a vocal critic of the PBA's gimmick tournaments, such as the Plastic Ball Championship and World Series of Bowling, and mingling women's competition with the men's.
"Even though the Plastic Ball (TV finals) was an exciting show, I don't see the purpose of the whole tournament because the (light) volume of oil made the shot super easy," he noted. "What they (the PBA) did was prove that lane conditions dictate scoring. They should have put enough oil on the lanes to make it difficult, and show the viewers how tough it would be to use a plastic ball on today's conditions."
Kent also is upset with the PBA for not listening to the bowlers.
"The ship is sinking, many of us have been in this thing for 20 years, and they won't give us any input," he said. "There are a lot of kids trying to become professional bowlers, and I'm afraid there won't be any Tour around for them."
While closing the book on regular touring, Kent did say he would consider bowling in open events such as the U.S. Open and USBC Masters. Most of the time, however, you will be able to find him, along with wife, Chrissie, at his bowling center. Hopefully, in the future, we also will find his name alongside the other stars of the sport -- as a PBA Hall of Famer."
he will be missed. an really good person who had a very nice PBA career. best of luck to him in the future.
from The Batavia News Corp.:
"Newark's Doug Kent is calling it quits.
The 43-year-old right-hander told me earlier this week that he's prepared to let officials of the Lumber Liquidators PBA Tour know that he is going to relinquish his Tour Exemption for next year.
"I've been working at it for all these years, but I'm ready to retire," Kent said. "I'll be running more tournaments at the center (Doug Kent's Rose Bowl Lanes), plus I'll have the opportunity to coach my son (Jacob, a sophomore at Erie Community College), who really is coming into his own. And I'm looking forward to competing in a few local tournaments."
During his 22-year PBA career, Kent earned $1.4 million in prize money and won 10 tournaments, including four Majors. His best season, by far, came in 2006-07 when he won the PBA World Championship and USBC Masters, and placed second in the Etonic Championship in Buffalo en route to PBA Player of the Year honors.
He led the Tour with $200,530 in earnings that season, not counting the cool $150,000 he pocketed for capturing the winner-take-all Motel 6 Roll to Riches event.
This past season, Kent competed in 13 events, earning $28,000. His best finish was a third-place showing at the GoRVing Match Play Championship last month.
Kent, unlike many touring PBA members, is in good shape financially and is able to retire at an early age. While he can smile while looking back at a highly productive career -- he's among the top 50 greatest PBA members of all-time -- he's not happy about the current state of the PBA.
"It's gotten to the point where (bowlers) can't make any money," he said. "I heard that next season more than half of the tournaments are going to pay $10,000 for first place; if you finish sixth, you'll make only $1,500."
Granted, that would be pretty tough to live on, considering that it takes around a grand a week to cover expenses.
Kent has been a vocal critic of the PBA's gimmick tournaments, such as the Plastic Ball Championship and World Series of Bowling, and mingling women's competition with the men's.
"Even though the Plastic Ball (TV finals) was an exciting show, I don't see the purpose of the whole tournament because the (light) volume of oil made the shot super easy," he noted. "What they (the PBA) did was prove that lane conditions dictate scoring. They should have put enough oil on the lanes to make it difficult, and show the viewers how tough it would be to use a plastic ball on today's conditions."
Kent also is upset with the PBA for not listening to the bowlers.
"The ship is sinking, many of us have been in this thing for 20 years, and they won't give us any input," he said. "There are a lot of kids trying to become professional bowlers, and I'm afraid there won't be any Tour around for them."
While closing the book on regular touring, Kent did say he would consider bowling in open events such as the U.S. Open and USBC Masters. Most of the time, however, you will be able to find him, along with wife, Chrissie, at his bowling center. Hopefully, in the future, we also will find his name alongside the other stars of the sport -- as a PBA Hall of Famer."
he will be missed. an really good person who had a very nice PBA career. best of luck to him in the future.
