He looks like he could be your neighbor. You know your ordinary Joe. And in reality that's all he is. Except this ordinary Joe, has an extraordinary occupation. He's a professional bowler. Norm Duke, at 43, has bowled 56 perfect games in PBA (Professional Bowling Association) tournaments. At 5' 6", his minuscule stature has had no effect on his long and outstanding career. Lately though he hasn't been doing so well. With calf and neck injuries, he missed many stops throughout this years tournament. With limited playing time, he had dropped all the way to 51st place in the standings. This was terrible for Norm, because like he said, "When you're in the top 10 every year, the top 40 doesn't matter much. But when you're down there in the 40 mix, it enters into it. It will make you choke and bowl poorly." Yesterday though he re-invented himself. Coming into the Denny's World Championship Norm wasn't even sure if he would be competing. Not only were the injuries still nagging at him, but to make matters worse he contracted the Flu bug. With some thought throughout the week though he decided that he would battle through the circumstances and give the championship his best shot. This move wasn't just made because of love of the sport or to garner fame either. This was about providing for the family,"I got a family at home that depends on me," said Duke, who is married with a teenage son. "When I'm not bowling, we're in jeopardy." Professional bowlers make very little money in comparison to the many other professional leagues. In fact, Norm has made 2.4 million dollars in his 24 year carer. Which is about how much Peyton Manning makes a game. So in the end, Norms career earnings average out to $100,000 dollars a year. In the end yesterday, Norm finished surprisingly on top. Winning the entire tournament, and the badly needed $50,000 check. The win was completely a shock, and brought much joy to Duke. If ever there was any athlete that needed and deserved this win, it would be Norm Duke.
Monday, February 25, 2008
Playing through flu not for fame, but to support family!
He looks like he could be your neighbor. You know your ordinary Joe. And in reality that's all he is. Except this ordinary Joe, has an extraordinary occupation. He's a professional bowler. Norm Duke, at 43, has bowled 56 perfect games in PBA (Professional Bowling Association) tournaments. At 5' 6", his minuscule stature has had no effect on his long and outstanding career. Lately though he hasn't been doing so well. With calf and neck injuries, he missed many stops throughout this years tournament. With limited playing time, he had dropped all the way to 51st place in the standings. This was terrible for Norm, because like he said, "When you're in the top 10 every year, the top 40 doesn't matter much. But when you're down there in the 40 mix, it enters into it. It will make you choke and bowl poorly." Yesterday though he re-invented himself. Coming into the Denny's World Championship Norm wasn't even sure if he would be competing. Not only were the injuries still nagging at him, but to make matters worse he contracted the Flu bug. With some thought throughout the week though he decided that he would battle through the circumstances and give the championship his best shot. This move wasn't just made because of love of the sport or to garner fame either. This was about providing for the family,"I got a family at home that depends on me," said Duke, who is married with a teenage son. "When I'm not bowling, we're in jeopardy." Professional bowlers make very little money in comparison to the many other professional leagues. In fact, Norm has made 2.4 million dollars in his 24 year carer. Which is about how much Peyton Manning makes a game. So in the end, Norms career earnings average out to $100,000 dollars a year. In the end yesterday, Norm finished surprisingly on top. Winning the entire tournament, and the badly needed $50,000 check. The win was completely a shock, and brought much joy to Duke. If ever there was any athlete that needed and deserved this win, it would be Norm Duke.
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