The Phantom Files
(Note: I have been asked many times "how" I got started in bowling. In my published book, "The Tour Would Be Great "IF" You Didn't Have To Bowl", is the following story of how AND why it began. It's hard to believe that it is now 50-years!!. That 'book' is now in CD form and is "On-Sale" here on The Foundation web site. Get your copy today and enjoy).
A Defining Moment Brings a New Love for Bowling
By: The Phantom
On February 14, 2005, the bowling world received news they never wanted to hear. The great Dick Weber, suddenly and unexpectedly, passed away in his sleep. He was 75 years old.
Dick was a man who was loved and worshipped by everyone who knew him. In fact, he was even loved by millions who had never even met him. He was just that kind of guy.
He was to bowling what Arnold Palmer was to golf, Muhammad Ali was to boxing and Babe Ruth was to baseball; all wrapped in one. He almost single-handedly helped bring Professional Bowling onto the national scene (in the late 1950's) when Eddie Elias formed a singles Tour.
Everybody in bowling has at least "one" Dick Weber story.
Here's one of mine.
By 1960, all of us high school "jocks" were out of sports, married and settled down. All of us that is, except my good friend, Billy Hardwick. He was still pursuing his dream of becoming a "real" bowler and joining the newly formed PBA Tour. He was still practicing over 20 games a day and bowling "pot-games" every night. He was now the best in the San Francisco Bay Area. He had desire and determination and he was going to show all of us. I'm sure he was driven to this destination from always being laughed at and teased in high school.
In 1962, he put together a sponsorship package with all of his friends and family to go out on the PBA Tour. We all thought that he was crazy when he asked everybody to give him $100.00 (a lot of money back then). Somehow, he actually did convince a total of 20 people to be part of this syndicate . Most of us just shook our heads in disbelief as he set out to do battle with the greatest bowlers in the world.
He did join the PBA and went on the National Tour. That first year, he bowled in 17 events.
All of his relatives, friends and sponsors closely followed his new career. It was depressing; very, very depressing. He had failed to cash in any of the tournaments. When he came home, I remember him telling me how good those "Pro's" are. I asked him, "What are you going to do now?" He said, "I am going to work on my game some more and go out there next year and beat those guys."
I used to think that he was crazy. But now, I was sure of it.
True to his word, he did go out there again the next year (1963) and he totally dominated the PBA Tour by winning four titles, including the prestigious PBA National Championship. His mastery easily earned him the Bowler of the Year award. WOW!!! What a turnaround!!!
When he came home after that great season, he threw a big party for his friends and family. We were so proud of him. He told me all about the Tour and how great it was to be out there on the "road". He had a new car, new clothes and some fancy jewelry. He gave me a wristwatch that he had won and bought me a pair of lizard-skin shoes. He was on "top-of-the-world". I couldn't believe it. I was so proud of him, as was everyone in our small town.
I had diligently followed his progress in the sports pages of the local papers (when there was some coverage) and talked with him on the phone almost every week when he would call. But, I had never been to a PBA tournament.
I had heard of most of the Pro's, but had never met any of them. Now that my friend was a big-time national star, I told him I would go to the next tournament that was in the area. In 1964, he won the 1 st tournament of the year in Michigan . Then, he won the 3 rd tournament in Costa Mesa , California . He called me and said that I should have been there. I told him that I had to work, but I had planned my vacation to be at the tournament in Las Vegas later that year.
As promised, I did go to Las Vegas . While there, he introduced me to all the guys, including the icons , Don Carter and Dick Weber. I was totally impressed with these two gentlemen.
The following year (1965), I again planned my vacation to go to the Vegas tournament. Billy had won the Firestone Tournament of Champions (beating the great Weber) earlier in the year and now I was a huge fan of the Tour, eagerly watching it every Saturday on ABC-TV.
Once again on my vacation, I showed up in Vegas. While standing in line to check-in at the old Showboat Hotel, Don Carter looked at me once and called me by my name. I almost fainted. How did he remember my name?
Later that day, I was standing on the concourse in the bowling center and Dick Weber also called me by my first name. How did he remember? It had been a year since I had met them for the first time and that was only briefly. How could they possibly remember me?
I thought about the "class" that these two super-stars had. The fact that my friend was successful doing what he loved AND the " class " these two superstars portrayed is why I really "fell-in-love" with bowling.
I'll never forget Dick Weber. I'll never forget where I was on February 14, 2005.
(EDITOR'S NOTE: This is one of more than 40-stories that are contained on that 3, CD set. Don't miss out on your opportunity to hear Len Nicholson (A.K.A. The Phantom) tell some of his favorite stories about many of the Tour's All-Time Greats, including: Earl Anthony, Don Carter, Jason Couch, Billy Hardwick, Jim Godman, Dick Ritger, Bob Strampe, Norm Duke and many, many more).
To order this 3 CD set, contact June Davis: june.davis@kegel.net
ALSO, be sure to tune-in to Phantom Radio each and every week for the interesting and informative interviews with bowling celebrities.
In February 2007, The Phantom paid tribute to "The Man" for the entire month. Go to: "Past Shows" to hear these Classics.
HERE is another story that is on the CD
ENJOY.......
The Beginning
The year was: 1956.
The place was Hillsdale High in San Mateo, California.
My first recollection of Billy Hardwick was that of disbelief. What a sight it was.
He was a sophomore, a year behind me in school. He was all of 5’3” and weighed-in at exactly 99-pounds. He came out for the Varsity football team. The Coach, Frank Collins, said that he was too small to play, but since we were a new school and needed players, he told Billy that he could hold the blocking-bags during practice. He also told him that because of his size (or lack of it) that he wouldn’t be able to issue him a team uniform. But, Billy had guts and said that he still wanted to play. I can still vividly remember that cold and rainy day in September. There he was in his ragged, old sweat-shirt, sweat-pants and wearing his tennis shoes. They were those old “high-top” canvas style and the laces were tied around the tops about 4-times. His skinny, little ankles were way too small to fill-up the tops of the shoes and it looked like he was walking around with two small “sacks-of-potatoes” hanging off of the bottoms of his legs.
I was the Captain of the team and one of the school’s “jocks”. I was a big guy, about 6’2” and very close to 200-pounds, which was fairly big for a junior in high school back in those days. When I saw him standing there, I instantly knew that I just “had” to do something to get everybody to laugh at this scrawny, little guy. Even back then, I had a sick “sense-of-humor”.
The field was very wet and muddy that day, and the first chance I had to block him and his big blocking-bag, I put a little bit “extra” into it. The poor little kid had no chance. He went slipping and sprawling and sliding before eventually ending up on his back in the middle of a huge mud puddle. On his way down, all you could see were arms and legs going in every direction as he tried in vain to maintain his balance. It was an absolute riot. Even all of the Coaches were laughing.
I intentionally humiliated him once again when I reached down to help him up and purposely stepped on his foot with my football cleats. He let out a scream and rolled over (face first) in the mud. Now, he was covered from head-to-toe in the sloppy quagmire. It was hilarious. Everybody there was howling. Everybody that is, except for Billy. Looking back though, I was a big “bully” for doing that to him. Even though he never said it, I am sure that he hated me for doing that.
Basically that was the end of his football career. He did play on the basketball, baseball and cross-country teams. Despite his slight stature, he was a fierce competitor. As the years went by, he would eventually prove “that” to everybody. His burning desire that he possessed soon became evident when a new bowling center opened in our town and he was finally able to find (and, master), his sport.
During that first year, we became the best of friends, and that friendship has been a close one for 6-decades. I owe him a lot from what he has taught me and the countless doors that he has helped me to open. We have (personally) endured a lot together and I have countless stories about him. I will be telling some of them here……at least the ones that are suitable for print!!!!!
Billy went on to enjoy a great career, eventually being inducted into the prestigious ABC (USBC) and PBA Halls of Fame, along with several other Halls.
He is alive and well - and although retired, he now owns a bowling center in Memphis, Tennessee. I still see him now and then and occasionally talk with him on the phone. If you see him, tell him that I said hello.
By the way, he did pay me back. Yeah, he was the rotten egg that got me into bowling!!