While The Entire Sports World Sleeps, Jason Belmonte Celebrates His 13th Major Championship
You may have missed it but Belmo was absolutely electric in the 2020 Storm PBA World Championships. And honestly you couldn't ask for a better time. Not just for bowling, but the sports world in general needs a hero and Jason Belmonte has answered the call. Just look at some of his opening round play.
Two perfect games for Belmo meant one thing and one thing only: #1 seed status for Sunday's 5-man stepladder bracket. Talk about an all time nightmare for the other 4 guys. Although it didn't stop them from putting up a fight under the brightest lights on tour.
What's a stepladder bracket? - Amateur Hour
5 vs. 4 with the winner taking on the 3 seed with that winner taking on the 2 seed with that winner taking on the 1 seed. So if you're the 1 seed, you only have to win one match. If you're the 4 or 5, you need to win 4. Use your brain and common sense to fill in the blanks. It's pretty simple.
(5) Frankie vs. (4) Via probably put up the best match of the day to kick things off. Frankie had to go a perfect 10th to put the pressure on Via and he got it done.
Notable because Frankie doesn't throw a power hook. More of a finesse guy that doesn't make too many mistakes. So needing a perfect 10th is a slightly bigger order for the undersized righty, and he still came through in the clutch. Classic Frankie.
Opposite that, you hate to see Via lose on a stone 10 on the back half of the 10th. He's worked too hard and for too long to get that kind of treatment. Absolutely heartbreaking stuff for the 2-handed bowler. A lot of experts in the industry think his time is just around the corner and that his 2020 World Championships could be a springboard for that next level.
Up next was (5) Frankie vs. (3) Simonsen which got us a good look at the up and coming 2-handed powerhouse
Another thing - you'll notice the scores start to slip here and honestly I found that surprising. With a 43 foot Earl Anthony oil pattern, I thought it would break down much faster with 4/5 bowlers being power hook guys, leading to a tough start but some huge scores later. And boy was I wrong.
Maybe blame it on the eerie atmosphere?
Regardless of reason, both guys underperformed from their average with Simonsen edging Frankie down the stretch. For that I blame the open 9th from Frankie. For all the boasting about consistency, that mistake should haunt him for a good long time. I hate to say it, but it's the truth.
But give credit to Simonsen. He took advantage of the mistake and kept the momentum going well into the stepladder semifinals against power righty (2) EJ Tackett. And don't be deceived by his stature, even though Tackett is undersized, he can absolutely fucking SLING it
But several open frames in the first half just aren't going to get you there. There's a huge trade off with power and it's the accuracy that I've mentioned before. Tackett's trade off here could have just as easily netted him a 270+ which brings me back to oil patterns. If we're looking at game 1 patterns, I highly suspect Tackett has more control over ball. They got loose on fresh patterns but compete an hour later after they take a beating. That will never favor Tackett's game unless he's able to make an adjustment in future stepladders. It's a harsh reality.
Here's another harsh reality.
After all that work for Anthony Simonsen, he's staring down the barrel of Jason Belmonte come the finals. The single greatest bowler of my life and a guy who would graciously pass all of Norm Duke's records should his body hold up and his competitive edge remain in tact. It's hard to say without talking to Belmo directly, but you imagine it gets old mopping the floor with your competition week-in and week-out. Needless to say, the 5-time and reigning PBA player of the year came ready to play.
But what won't get talked about in all the Belmo hype is that Simonsen left the first two frames open, the equivalent of giving Roger Clemens a 7 run lead after 2 innings. Not saying it's impossible, but The Rocket doesn't blow that lead any more often than Belmonte. By the 7th frame we knew the title was going back to Australia. And at this rate, it's hard to picture it leaving any time soon. When you have the perfect balance of power and precision mixed with an unrelenting competitive edge, everyone else is fucked. The only difference here is that Jason Belmonte knows it the second he walks in the alley.
All hail the king!