Bowling is anything but ordinary...

A WPT exclusive interview with professional bowler Walter Ray Williams, Jr.

For many non-fans, the term "professional bowling" carries very distinct stereotypical visual images, including polyester bowling shirts, smoky lanes and a polite crowd of older folks applauding a well-thrown ball on a late-Sunday afternoon television program. Those staid visions have now become misconceptions as the Professional Bowling Association (PBA) Tour has tried to revamp its image since a financial near-collapse earlier this decade.

The new PBA Tour is rowdier, faster-paced and louder as television finals have become more glossily produced and larger crowds have been pushed to hoot and holler vociferously for their favorite bowlers.

It is this revitalization of the PBA Tour that drew filmmakers to document a year on the pro circuit. The resulting film, A League of Ordinary Gentlemen - premiering on WPT at 6 p.m. Sunday - takes a fun look at how life changed for the men who make their living on the tour and how the tour's changes mirror American pop culture.

Walter Ray Williams, Jr. is one part of the Tour that didn't change along with the PBA. Despite his objections to some of the new rules, Williams has remained one of the most successful - and unique - bowlers on tour. Calling from his Florida home at the end of the 2005-2006 tour, Williams chats with Be more Tuned In about the film, his outlook on the sport and his affinity for horseshoes.

Since he first earned $641 in 1980 (the first year he played in a professional tournament), Williams has risen meteorically to become one of the greatest bowlers of all time. At 46 years old, Williams recently won the Denny's World Championship, one of bowling's Major tournaments, assuring him four more years on the tour - if he wants to continue. Armed with a physics degree and a spot in the National Horseshoe Pitchers Hall of Fame, Williams approaches bowling quite differently than many of his fellow bowlers. His unique approach, along with his long-standing success as a pro bowler made him a prime subject for the documentary.

"I was pretty pleased with the outcome of the film," Williams says. "It did a good job at showing both the highs and lows of life on the tour, while showing the interactions between the bowlers that people don't often get to see. There is a lot more to this sport than people realize. (Continued...)

"Fans always want to come and see the TV finals at the end of the tournament, but I always suggest they come out for the rest of the tournament, because there is so much more going on."

Unlike many pro bowlers who grew up around bowling centers, Williams followed a different path through the world of horseshoe pitching to get to his spot in the hierarchy of bowling lore.

"There are quite a few similarities between the two sports," he explains. "The underhand tossing is the main similarity. Myself, I was playing horseshoes well before I ever started bowling. So, I got better at bowling a lot later than others.

"I never had a chance to play for hours and hours each day. The most I ever practiced was 15 to 20 games per week and soon most of my playing was in tournaments, which is the best way to practice for me anyway."

Taking a logical and intellectual approach to the game, Williams soon found himself excelling on tour. By 1986, he had started earning more than $100,000 most years on tour.

"(Having a physics degree) gives me a much different insight into the game," Williams explains. "I'm not much into the superstitions that others are. Some guys think that if they don't wear their lucky shirt, they're not going to strike. That's just not true.

"I look at bowling as a statistical thing. It's a numbers game. I know that if you throw a ball in a certain spot, you're not going to strike every time, but you'll find more success in that spot than somewhere else."

That statistical approach has led to a consistent career that has made Williams a top earner for years. His 41 career titles tie the record for most wins. And, the detailed reports that he keeps for each tournament on his Web site are extensive. Fans of the bowler have christened him "Dead-eye."

A League of Ordinary Gentlemen documents Williams and his wife Paige at home and on the tour along with three other bowlers trying to make their way on the circuit during the 2002-2003 season - one of the first seasons with the new ramped-up profile and new rules for the tournament format - many of which Williams disagreed with.

"The new set-up was frustrating, mostly because it didn't necessarily reward good bowling," Williams says about a format that made it easy for certain bowlers to win a tournament without necessarily having consistent performances throughout.

"I was one of the more vocal players against the changes, and the odd part was that I went ahead and had one of my best years with their format.

"I haven't always agreed with the league's decisions," he adds, but sometimes it takes certain actions to get new people to tune in and get excited I just have to go out and do the best I can under their circumstances."

Doing their best on a weekly basis is of utmost importance for pro bowlers, as their performance on the lanes determines their income for the year. Some players sport lucrative contracts to use and endorse certain equipment (Williams has one such contract with Dexter shoes), but unlike team sports, bowlers don't have a guaranteed income. Add that to the pressure that comes from securing a tour spot through winning a tournament or a Major and bowlers find themselves responsible for how the ball rolls.

Williams admits he's been lucky to play at a high level for a long time. This past season he earned $183,500 as the fourth-highest earner on the tour. And as he looks toward at least a few more years on the tour, he envisions a time when he will be able to transition to the senior tour along with a group of bowlers who will elevate that league, too. In the mean time, he says he plans to keep playing as long as he can remain competitive.

"During the past 24 years, I've been able to make a lot of money," he says. "This game keeps us on our toes, and I'll keep on as long as I can keep playing well and as long as I'm having fun doing it."

A League of Ordinary Gentlemen will encore at 10 p.m. Friday, April 28. Click here to catch a trailer in preview of the film. Explore the filmmakers' Web site here.