THE IRRATATION OF BEING EARNEST

'FAIR AND BALANCED' v. S.O.S

Sports Illustrated did an article about Tom Smallwood, the unemployed factory worker from the Metro, who went on to win a big bowling tournament, beating the PBA Bowler of the Year to win the title. From the feature on CBS News, I could only take from it what they showed. One of the big statements that struck home for me, was the wife Jen, who had her doubts about her husband. In the article, that was expounded into her saying that, "She couldn't see herself marrying someone without a steady job."

My understanding is that Tom was bowling in 'amateur' (non-sanctioned PBA events) and making a decent living at it. Even in lean years he would pull in between $5 and $10k. He'd get a job at a small Auto supplier before following his brother and father into a job at GM. Married and with a small child, he expected to work and retire from Truck Assembly East.

It also meant that he would not be pursuing bowling. He did have a try at the tour a few years before getting married. He washed out and that is when she told him about the 'steady job' qualification. After reading that, I did not want to fool myself by believing that she may have clipped if not caged him from his pursuit. In fact, she would help him make a crucial decsion, by okaying him to use $1500 dollars of their money to make the PBA Tour qualifying tournament. By not getting a sponsor to front that money, it now means that all the money he earns on the tour, goes straight to his pocket.

Initially, wanted to draw a parallel to my experience with my ex wife. But there are differences that make all the difference. She never allowed me to train or prepare myself in comfort, even though she was 'marrying into' a process. I think that for Tom Smallwood, it was different. He had already taken a swing at being a pro bowler. For Jen to say that to him after he had already had a less than good experience chasing his glory bowling, and in reading that, I have to say that it sounded fair enough.

Purse sports like golf, tennis, bowling and boxing, to name a few, have stunning payouts at the top of the leader boards. But few people understand the grind that it is for those who are on the low end of the paylist.

Example: On the PGA Tour earnings list, where does the 'second job' begin to factor into some of their professional lives? Mark Calcavecchia, who has had a long and lucrative career, may simply be doing what he loves. But for some of the others who may be golfing without a bevy of endorsements to supplement their earnings, that money next to their names sounds pretty good for a years salary.

Then you start considering the travel and equipment outlays. Not to mention the quality of life that they lead. Suddenly, the glamour is stripped away from being a 'professional golfer'. The YTD PBA list is even less imposing, with its leaders only being in the six figure range.

When I boxed my first pro fight, I got $200 for four rounds. That was the standard then, and pretty much anyone short of Olympic glory was due for the same kind of payday. I had one six figure payday, several fives and a whole bunch of four figure nights. And like those on the low middle end of the earnings list, there were a lot of things that had to come out of my own pocket.

But going back to when it was all promise, I made a fateful choice. Not only shouldn't I have married my ex, I shouldn't have been dating. Women + boxing = FAIL for reasons other than making your legs weak! Trying to merge an overreaching relationship with ambitious goals, can be dauting for the most mature person. Given the callowness of the principles involved in my case, the collapse of the relationship was not surprising.

*sigh*