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00:13You may be asking yourself, what is the history of the bowling ball?
00:23Okay, maybe you weren't.
00:26But we're going to tell you anyway.
00:31Throughout history, bowling balls have taken many forms.
00:35The first balls were made of wood.
00:37Then, in the early 1900s, came rubber.
00:40And by the 1970s, plastic balls were adopted by the PBA.
00:44Because plastic balls didn't have enough friction,
00:47they often went skidding down the lane.
00:50In the 1980s, urethane bowling balls emerged,
00:55drastically changing the game,
00:56allowing more friction, which translated to more control.
01:01But it wasn't until the early 90s that resin helped revolutionize the, well, revolution of the bowl.
01:08Like Earth, every bowling ball has a core.
01:11Those cores vary, with different weights and shapes,
01:15all affecting the hook and speed of a roll.
01:18The outer core, it's for texture and looking cool.
01:21So yeah, professional bowlers need lots of balls, which they put in ball sacks.
01:28And that's what they call them.
01:42The day has come.
01:44It's the U.S. Open Championship Finals.
01:48For Symo, this is a chance to win $100,000, etch his name in bowling history,
01:54and start living his best life.
01:57If you win, will it be any celebrating at all?
02:00Maybe? I don't know.
02:01Maybe I'll run to, like, Cheesecake Factory
02:03and grab a slice of cheesecake before I hit the road.
02:06But to get that cheesecake, he'll have to beat four other bowlers,
02:10including E.J. Tackett, the reigning player of the year.
02:14This building's obviously been very historic to me.
02:17I, uh, I weren't in here after my mom passed away.
02:19I weren't in here after my dad passed away.
02:21In three, two, one.
02:28It's title time here in Indy as we get set to crown the champion of the 83rd U.S. Open.
02:41Simonson, he opens up with back-to-back strikes.
02:48Hey, three in a row for Symo!
02:51I was ahead, feeling pretty good.
02:53I knew there was a commercial break coming up.
02:56And I'm slowly trying to decompress, bring the heart rate back down.
02:59I, like, turn to set my rag down, and I look back over,
03:02and then they were giving me the we're going symbol,
03:04and I'm like, oh, fuck.
03:07Because for most TV shows, there's a commercial break slotted for five and a half frames.
03:13It just completely caught me off guard and kind of just set into panic mode.
03:18I'm not thinking about bowling at all.
03:19I've got to try to get myself prepared to make a shot in 25 seconds.
03:23Um, or I might forfeit the frame.
03:28Simonson, it plays out the sixth.
03:31Not the 7-10!
03:39And all of a sudden, just like that, things have fallen off for Simonson.
03:43I was still a little fucked up from not having the commercial break previously.
03:51So I ultimately finished fifth.
03:54That was kind of, uh, rough.
03:56I've been on TV a decade, and that's the first time that's ever happened, so...
04:00I'm sure I could complain, but then people would just say,
04:02I'm bitching for no reason, right?
04:05God damn it, Anthony!
04:08Simo's dream of victory cheesecake may have gone sour,
04:12but one of his rivals is still chasing the sweetness of victory.
04:23E.J. Tackett has won the PBA Bowler of the Year Award the last two years.
04:29And there's no place he'd rather kick off his campaign for a third straight than right here.
04:36A short hundred miles from the U.S. Open, you'll find E.J.'s hometown of Bluffton, Indiana,
04:43where he owns two trucks and lives on three acres of land with his wife and his one-year-old.
04:49Oh, and they recently purchased a bowling center his parents had owned ever since he was a kid.
04:59In 98, my parents took over a bowling center in Huntington, where I grew up.
05:05Meet five-year-old E.J. Tackett.
05:07He's been bowling for three years and already carries a 115 average.
05:11His high game is a whopping 179.
05:14I'm just, like, trying to want to throw the ball really, really hard as I can.
05:21Yeah, that's what I do all the time.
05:23So since I was five, I've basically lived inside of a bowling center.
05:28Also since age five, he's been strictly following doctor's orders.
05:33I drink a lot of Dr. Pepper.
05:35With the Dr. Pepper difference.
05:37That's where I get my caffeine from.
05:39Charge! Get going again!
05:41Dr. Pepper, Dr. Pepper.
05:43And we put these Dr. Peppers away.
05:45You all want more, more, more!
05:48Yes, there is Dr. Pepper available.
05:51Among E.J.'s biggest bowling goals,
05:54there'd be no greater honor than being sponsored by the doctor.
05:59More, more, more!
06:02When I'm not bowling on tour, I'm in here.
06:05Typically 8, 10, 12 hours a day.
06:08Watch out.
06:10Coming for you.
06:11When I'm not fixing a toilet, I can just go bowl.
06:15Dollar!
06:17This is E.J.'s dad, who is also his coach.
06:21I have worked with my dad and only my dad my entire career,
06:25and I've never sought help from anyone else.
06:28You know, he just chased me, did what I did, and got a little better at it.
06:36We bought Easy Bowl from my in-laws July of 2024.
06:41We painted about every wall in this building ourselves.
06:45We got a quote for it, for the interior and the exterior, and we thought,
06:50we'll handle the inside, but we'll hire some money for the outside.
06:53Yeah.
06:54Yeah.
06:54I would say it takes not a super sane person to get into a bowling business.
07:00We're fresh into it.
07:01And right now, we don't pay ourselves anything out of it.
07:08But you have to keep looking ahead and believe that things will just work out.
07:14Bowling and the Tackett name, they're one and the same.
07:20I'm married to a bowler.
07:22My brother actually bowls on tour as well.
07:25Bowling is the story of my family.
07:29This sport created everything in our life.
07:34And it's taken us to heights that I don't know if any of us dreamed of.
07:42Not even dad.
07:46The one I'm proudest of, it's going to be U.S. Open for sure.
07:52In 2022, I had led the U.S. Open by 500 pins at Woodland Bowl in the state of Indiana,
08:00just close to home, and a bunch of friends and family there.
08:05And it's one of those things in my career I always wanted to win in the state of Indiana.
08:14And I eventually lost to Anthony Simonson in the title match.
08:18Woo!
08:20Dad, I love you. I miss you.
08:23That was one of the hardest moments of my career.
08:27It was devastating.
08:32And to be able to come back in 2023, lead the field at the U.S. Open once again,
08:37at Woodland Bowl, have another opportunity to win a U.S. Open.
08:46Supertime winner!
08:49Woo!
08:50Over here, yeah!
08:52Over here, yeah!
08:54Yeah!
08:56Yeah!
08:58Woo!
08:59Woo!
09:01Woo!
09:05Woo!
09:10The wings are big.
09:17And this one, like, I'm never going to clean it, because this, it was so emotional.
09:23Right, so I'm holding it. I'm all crying, you know stuff. There's actually a tear still on
09:30Like it dripped from my face onto the trophy. So that one's gonna stay there
09:36forever
09:46There goes the foot
09:57There are now just two matches left in the u.s. Open
10:01EJ baby, how long you guys been waiting out here about two minutes, okay?
10:07And some of the wildest fans in bowling have come out in full force
10:16To see if EJ, the local favorite, can become just the eighth bowler ever to win multiple U.S. Open
10:23championships
10:26This building has so much history in it, which is why I love bowling here so much
10:30It just so happens to be in a great state I live in in Indiana and these fans here are
10:35the best
10:36EJ's four-day pin-knocking success might have gotten him to the finals
10:41But his climb into the second position is that much more impressive if you knew just how bad he was
10:46doing days before
10:49EJ Tackett was in seventy-eight place and I mean way off the cut line
11:02EJ Tackett! Perfect!
11:05Hambo! Tackett needs another jacket!
11:09I pulled a great game and I didn't really have to do much but get ready for that dogfight in
11:13the title match
11:14Welcome to the championship round here at the U.S. Open
11:20Back-to-back solid nines, this is interesting
11:26Oh god
11:28Oh buddy, that wasn't great
11:31I'm sitting here thinking I have an opportunity
11:34My opponent made a mistake, I have to capitalize on that mistake
11:40Tackett steps up, foot on throat
11:43Ready to come in for the kill
11:55One more away from the title
12:04Back-to-back
12:11A lot of emotion came out in that moment because I was so buried in the standings that it looked
12:19like
12:19I was going to be watching this tournament from my couch
12:22And we spend a whole week putting ourselves and our bodies through all this torment for those moments
12:35And that's why we do what we do
12:49Whoa!
12:51Whoa!
12:53What is that?
12:54Uh-oh, there goes the foot
13:00The PBA tour isn't just made up of major tournaments with big paydays
13:05It also includes smaller events with
13:08humbler payouts
13:10There are a lot of these events
13:14And a tour favorite is the tournament named after one of bowling's most controversial legends
13:20The Pete Webber classic in Springfield, Missouri
13:24Are you excited about today, Pete?
13:27I never get excited until it's time to get excited, you know
13:32Pete Webber is an icon
13:34Pete Webber is a legend
13:35Five-time winner of the US Open
13:37No one's ever won that tournament more than twice
13:42Pete Webber is the bad boy of bowling
13:47The most polarizing figure in the history of bowling
13:50If you wanted it, use that
13:52Pete loves to be the bad guy
13:54Come on, give it up, come on, let's go
13:56Pete Webber changed the game because of the shot hurt around the world
14:01Strike to claim it
14:02A strike to claim it
14:04And he got it
14:14One of the most iconic and confusing statements in sports history
14:20Who do you think you are? I am
14:23Who do you think you are? I am!
14:25It's iconic
14:26That's right, baby!
14:28That's right!
14:30Pete had some, we call them antics
14:35I think he was trying to find something to piss him off
14:41Because he bowled way better mad than he did when he was happy
14:46God, do not flash the camera in my approach
14:49I'm telling you, don't do it
14:51They loved him for it
14:55Crotch chopping
15:03And he did most of that under the influence of drugs and alcohol
15:07He's been suspended from the tour several times for conduct undercoming a professional
15:12It's no secret that you've had some encounters with rehab of some sorts over the years
15:16Four trips
15:16Are you an alcoholic?
15:18Do you have a problem with drinking?
15:19Well, I guess, yeah, I am an alcoholic
15:22But I'm not going to quit drinking because somebody else is telling me I have to
15:28I've had a few experiences with Pete Webber
15:30My father, they tore up the bars and the lanes in the 80s while they were on tour
15:36There was a pretty good amount of guys that partied back in that day
15:41Now if you want to go to the acid or the masculine, I'm the expert on that
15:49Sometimes we talk about it
15:51Do we think Pete would have more or less titles if he was sober?
15:54We don't know
15:55It was so great
15:57I did, but I took the win
16:02If that was showing my emotions, so be it
16:05I wouldn't change it for the world
16:07How about that for winning?
16:09If you love me, you hate me, you're going to watch
16:12It's all you can do
16:17It was kind of exciting for me to have the tournament named after me
16:21Actually, it was a big surprise
16:23When you have a tournament named after you
16:27You've hit the very top of your career
16:30You can't go anywhere
16:34By the second day of the Pete Webber Classic
16:36Cam and Simo are both out
16:38Having struggled in earlier rounds and missed the cut
16:42Also absent, Belmo
16:44Following his disappointing loss in the US Open
16:48Belmo decided he needed a break
16:50So he flew back home to Australia to recharge for the next major
16:56Aussie style
16:58Meanwhile with those guys MIA
17:00That leaves Kyle and EJ in striking distance of making the show
17:07When I missed the cut at the US Open by two
17:09It was tough
17:11The PBA Tour can definitely be a grind mentally
17:13You get a win or you get a show
17:15And then the next week and it's the cut
17:18It's a mental roller coaster
17:24But I was able to spend a little time at home
17:28I was able to actually relax
17:32And this was a family photo
17:34I would almost bet that's crown and water
17:38And there we are, so that's 1998
17:43My mom and dad, they met through bowling
17:45They got married in a bowling alley actually
17:47I know this was Guppy's third wife
17:51And mom's third husband
17:52So it worked out perfect
17:54Third time's the charm I guess
17:57That's about the last time I think I've had a tie on
18:00That's 35 years ago
18:02My mom was pregnant with me
18:04I was already in a bowling alley before I was even born
18:06Sign from God, sign from my parents
18:08That you're going to grow up and be a bowler kid
18:13Yeah, this was definitely a little bit later in life
18:16This was when my mom was actually wearing a wig
18:18You know, because she lost her hair
18:20Due to her breast cancer and stuff, so
18:25I do recall, you know, my father
18:27With all his gold, you know, he loved it
18:29But he did have to sell all his gold
18:31You know, when my mother got cancer
18:32I lost her job
18:34You know, financially times were a lot tougher then
18:37My father wasn't making as much money bowling
18:40But, you know, he did whatever he needed to for the family
18:43And my mom and dad were married 29 years
18:45Until my mom passed away
18:4829 years married to a bowler
18:51That's a lot, you know
18:54Miss her dearly
18:56But I remember bowling on Saturday mornings
18:58And, you know, if I beat mom, I got five dollars
19:05The Pete Webber classic isn't a major
19:08But its payouts are still a big step up
19:10From Kyle's five dollar weekends
19:13And as he's closing in on making the show
19:15He can almost taste that $30,000 first place prize
19:24Almost
19:26Gets down to the 10th frame
19:28And leave a 5-10 split
19:31Wow
19:32Gotta make it
19:33Unbelievable
19:34Yep
19:35He's double checking
19:36But turning to me
19:37He says, yeah, you gotta make it
19:38He says, my goodness
19:42I don't think I've ever seen that in that moment
19:45From anybody
19:47How the fuck did I ever shoot it?
19:48Yeah, I know that
19:49I'm trying to figure out how I'm gonna shoot it
19:54I gotta tell you
19:55Kyle has to flare for the dramatic
19:58I think he's picking
20:00This crowd just went dead silent
20:02Oh, they're gonna go crazy when he picks this
20:04Still trying to visualize how to make it
20:06I bet he hasn't shot a 5-10
20:08But maybe once or twice in his lifetime
20:15For the TV show
20:23Nope
20:25Wow
20:26Timmy Tan makes his show
20:35I lost by one pin
20:39Missed by single digits again
20:41In a different way
20:43But this time to miss the show
20:46Our number one seed
20:47He was the number one seed through qualifying
20:49And remains that way into the show
20:51He's a 24-time champion on the TV tour
20:53From Bluffton, Indiana
20:54Please welcome E.J. Tackett
21:06I don't even know how that happened still
21:25Luckily I'm leading the tournament
21:26So that guarantees me on the show
21:29Not really superstitious
21:30But I guess I'm
21:31Maybe I am a little bit
21:33But I don't wear red on TV anymore
21:35Every time I wore red I lost
21:36So I quit wearing that
21:37And started wearing blue
21:38And started winning
21:39So you know
21:40This one here is one that I always wear
21:42One that I always wear on TV
21:53We are here in Springfield, Missouri
21:58And legendary PGA Hall
22:00Famer Pete Weber is set to throw off
22:03The ceremonial first ball in the event name for him
22:06PDW 37 time titles
22:10Back on TV
22:11Left lane
22:12Pete goes to a strike
22:13Brooklyn
22:15But it counts all the same
22:22Bowling is such a unique sport
22:28It's just a game of imperfections
22:35You're chasing to be perfect
22:37But it's never achievable or attainable
22:40It's just not possible to happen
22:49But it is really fun chasing it
22:52Pete actually just said to Dave and Randy a little bit ago
22:55That he is in awe of you and all the things that you have done
22:59To have someone that's an icon of the sport
23:02Say those words to you
23:03It doesn't get any better
23:06That never-ending battle of trying to conquer the game
23:10A lot of sauce on that shot
23:14Is what makes all of us come back and go home and practice
23:19And show up to the next event
23:22Nine pins for number 25
23:35He has done it again
23:3925 career titles
23:43Thank you, buddy
23:45Love you, pal
23:46Love you
23:46I was very happy for EJ
23:51He's putting on a hell of a year at this point
23:56Might as well give him player of the year
23:57I mean, he's crushing us
24:01There are still three majors left in the season
24:04But tonight EJ's quest for this year's player of the year award is momentarily interrupted
24:10So that he can accept last year's player of the year award
24:14It all begs a question though
24:16How do they get all these pro bowlers to show up for an award ceremony honoring one of their rivals
24:24Free all-you-can-eat buffet
24:27Works every time
24:40It takes a whole career to figure out if you're going to be good or not
24:45How about great or not?
24:46Well, that's for everyone else to decide, not me
24:50All I can do is go bowl
24:54First off, I want to say thank you to
24:57All of my fellow competitors that voted for me for this award
25:02The last couple years have been a crazy ride
25:06And I want to thank you guys for appreciating
25:11That was a tough moment
25:13There may be a certain level of jealousy
25:17I wanted to win, obviously
25:20But yeah, it definitely sucked
25:23But you know, all those thoughts and feelings
25:26I'm trying to just keep that in the back of my mind
25:31Because at the end of the day, it's about confidence
25:34If I feel like I'm at the top of my game, then I don't believe anybody can beat me
25:41EJ kind of came along in the last couple of tournaments
25:44And has overtaken everyone else
25:49You know, now that target is definitely on his back
25:56EJ winning every tournament just gets on my nerves a little too much sometimes
26:00I need to beat him on TV, off TV
26:03Probably want to beat him too much
26:08Ultimately, my goal is to make money
26:10So I have to beat EJ to make money
26:13It's the eye of the tiger
26:16It's the thrill of the fight
26:17Rising up to the challenge of our rivals
26:21He's the guy I'm trying to beat
26:22What he does is insane
26:24I love that shit
26:25Like, I eat it up
26:26That's going to make me go harder
26:27I'm about to eat
26:28And y'all going to be in trouble
26:30Face to face
26:32Out in the heat
26:35Hang in touch
26:36Staying hungry
26:37Hearing a lot of people say
26:38Someone else is the best in the world
26:41I like it
26:42I also started thinking bigger than the best in the world
26:46And look, being number one is an incredible honour and achievement
26:50But there have been a lot of number ones in the worlds
26:53But there's only one greatest of all time
26:57And so now that's my goal
27:12The best in the world
27:14Is you doing anything?
27:23I love it
27:24I love it
27:29I love it
27:30I love it
27:32I love it
27:33I love it
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