Original subtitles

[TV static drones]

[bright tone]

[dramatic music]

- You may be asking yourself, what is the history

of the bowling ball?

♪ ♪

OK, maybe you weren't.

But we're going to tell you anyway.

[funky music]

Throughout history, bowling balls have taken many forms.

The first balls were made of wood.

Then in the early 1900s came rubber.

And by the 1970s, plastic balls were adopted by the PBA.

Because plastic balls didn't have enough friction,

they often went skidding down the lanes.

In the 1980s, urethane bowling balls emerged,

drastically changing the game, allowing more friction,

which translated to more control.

But it wasn't until the early '90s that

resin helped revolutionize the,

well, revolution of the ball.

Like Earth, every bowling ball has a core.

Those cores vary with different weights and shapes

all affecting the hook and speed of a roll.

The outer core is for texture and looking cool.

So yeah, professional bowlers need lots of balls,

which they put in ball sacks.

Eh, that's what they call them.

♪ ♪

[vacuum whirring]

The day has come.

It's the U.S. Open Championship Finals.

[upbeat music]

For Simo, this is a chance to win $100,000,

etch his name in bowling history, and start

living his best life.

- Maybe. I don't know.

Maybe I'll run to, like, Cheesecake Factory

and grab a slice of cheesecake before I hit the road.

- But to get that cheesecake, he'll have to beat

four other bowlers,

including EJ Tackett,

the reigning player of the year.

- This building has obviously been very historic to me.

I won here after my mom passed away.

I won here after my dad passed away.

- In three, two, one.

[bluesy rock music]

- It's title time here in Indy as we

get set to crown the champion

of the 83rd U.S. Open.

♪ ♪

Simonsen, he opens up with back-to-back strikes.

♪ ♪

Hey, three in a row for Simo.

- I was ahead, feeling pretty good.

And I knew there was a commercial break coming up.

And I'm slowly trying to decompress,

bring the heart rate back down.

I, like, turn to set my rag down, and I look back over.

And then they were giving me the "we're going" symbol,

and I'm like, oh, fuck.

Because for most TV shows, there's a commercial break

slotted for 5 1/2 frames.

Just completely caught me off guard, and kind of just

set into panic mode.

I'm not thinking about bowling at all.

I've got to try to get myself prepared to make

a shot in 25 seconds, or I might forfeit the frame.

- Simonsen to close out the sixth.

Not the 7-10.

♪ ♪

And all of a sudden, just like that,

things have fallen off for Simonsen.

- I was still a little fucked up

from not having the commercial break previously.

♪ ♪

So I ultimately finished fifth.

That was kind of rough.

I've been on TV a decade, and that's the first time

that's ever happened, so--

I'm sure I could complain, but then people would just say

I'm bitching for no reason, right?

God damn it, Anthony.

- Simo's dream of victory cheesecake may have gone sour,

but one of his rivals is still chasing

the sweetness of victory.

[twangy guitar music]

♪ ♪

EJ Tackett has won the PBA Bowler of the Year award

the last two years, and there's no place

he'd rather kick off his campaign for a third

straight than right here.

[upbeat quirky music]

A short 100 miles from the U.S. Open,

you'll find EJ's hometown of Bluffton, Indiana,

where he owns two trucks and lives on three acres of land

with his wife and his one-year-old.

Oh, and they recently purchased a bowling center

his parents had owned ever since he was a kid.

[upbeat rock music]

♪ ♪

- In '98, my parents took over a bowling center

in Huntington, where I grew up.

- Meet five-year-old EJ Tackett.

He's been bowling for three years

and already carries a 115 average.

His high game is a whopping 179.

- I'm just, like, trying to throw the ball really,

really hard, as hard as I can.

Yeah, that's what I do all the time.

So since I was five, I've basically lived

inside of a bowling center.

- Also since age 5 he's been strictly

following doctor's orders.

- I drink a lot of Dr Pepper.

- ♪ With the Dr Pepper difference ♪

- That's where I get my caffeine from.

- ♪ Charge, get goin' again ♪

- Dr Pepper. Dr Pepper.

Yeah, let me put these Dr Peppers away.

- ♪ You always want more, more, more ♪

- Yes, there is Dr Pepper available.

- Among EJ's biggest bowling goals,

there'd be no greater honor than being

sponsored by the Doctor.

- ♪ More, more, more ♪

- When I'm not bowling on tour, I'm in here,

typically 8, 10, 12 hours a day.

Watch out.

Coming for you.

When I'm not fixing a toilet, I can just go bowl.

Dollar.

- This is EJ's dad, who is also his coach.

- I have worked with my dad and only my dad my entire career,

and I've never sought help from anyone else.

- You know, he just chased me, did what I did,

then got a little better at it.

[upbeat music]

- We bought EZ Bowl from my in-laws July of 2024.

We painted about every wall in this building ourselves.

We got a quote for it for the interior and the exterior,

and we thought, we'll handle the inside,

but we'll hire somebody for the outside.

- Yeah. - Yeah.

- I would say, it takes not a super sane person to get

into a bowling business.

We're fresh into it, and right now, we don't pay

ourselves anything out of it.

[jazzy music]

But you have to keep looking ahead

and believe that things will just work out.

Bowling and the Tackett name,

they're one and the same.

I'm married to a bowler.

My brother actually bowls on tour as well.

Bowling is the story of my family.

This sport created everything in our life,

and it's taken us to heights that I don't know if any of us

dreamed of, not even Dad.

[gentle music]

The one I'm proudest of, it's going to be U.S. Open for sure.

In 2022, I had led the U.S. Open

by 500 pins at Woodland Bowl

in the state of Indiana, which is close to home,

and had a bunch of friends and family there.

And it's one of those things in my career

I always wanted to win in the state of Indiana.

♪ ♪

And I eventually lost to Anthony Simonsen

in the title match.

- Whoo!

Dad, I love you. I miss you.

- That was one of the hardest moments of my career.

It was-- it was devastating.

♪ ♪

And to be able to come back in 2023,

lead the field at the U.S. Open once again

at Woodland Bowl,

have another opportunity to win a U.S. Open--

♪ ♪

Yeah! - Second-time winner!

- Yeah! Whoo!

Let me hear you!

Let me hear you!

Yeah!

Yes!

[gentle music]

♪ ♪

- All right, kid.

- The wings are big.

♪ ♪

And this one, like, I'm never going

to clean it, because this-- it was so emotional, right?

So I'm holding it.

I'm all crying, you know, stuff.

There's actually a tear still on-- like,

it dripped from my face onto the trophy.

So that one's going to stay there forever.

♪ ♪

Uh-oh.

There goes the foot. - Well, there goes the foot.

[laughs]

- There goes the foot.

Rawr.

Rawr.

- Let's leave the foot on the trophy, buddy.

[dramatic music]

- There are now just two matches left in the U.S. Open.

- EJ, baby.

- About two minutes.

- OK. [laughter]

- And some of the wildest fans in bowling

have come out in full force

to see if EJ, the local favorite,

can become just the eighth bowler ever to win

multiple U.S. Open Championships.

- This building has so much history in it, which is why

I love bowling here so much.

It just so happens to be in a great state I live in

of Indiana, and these fans here are the best.

- EJ's four-day pin-knocking success might have gotten him

to the finals, but his climb into the second position is

that much more impressive, if you knew just how

bad he was doing days before.

- EJ Tackett was in 78th place, and I mean,

way off the cutline.

♪ ♪

EJ Tackett, perfect.

Hambone!

Tackett needs another jacket.

- I bowled a great game, and I didn't really have to do much

but get ready for that dogfight in the title match.

- Welcome to the championship round here at the U.S. Open.

Back-to-back solid nines?

This is interesting.

- Oh, God.

Oh, buddy.

That wasn't great.

- I'm sitting here thinking, I have an opportunity.

My opponent made a mistake.

I have to capitalize on that mistake.

- Tackett steps up, foot on throat,

ready to come in for the kill.

["Barns Courtney's "Fire"]

♪ ♪

- One more win from the title.

♪ ♪

- Yeah!

This is my house, baby, my house!

- A lot of emotion came out in that moment,

because I was so buried in the standings

that it looked like I was going to be watching

this tournament from my couch.

- ♪ Give me that fire ♪

- Two U.S. Opens.

And we spend a whole week putting ourselves

and our bodies through all this torment

for those moments, is why we do what we do.

♪ ♪

- ♪ Lord, give me that fire ♪

♪ Burn, burn, burn ♪

- Wow.

- Say, whoa.

Yeah.

What is that?

Uh-oh. - Uh-oh.

- There goes the foot.

- The PBA Tour isn't just made up of major tournaments

with big paydays.

It also includes smaller events with humbler payouts.

There are a lot of these events.

And a tour favorite is the tournament

named after one of bowling's most controversial legends,

the Pete Weber Classic in Springfield, Missouri.

- I never get excited until it's time to get excited.

You know?

- Pete Weber is an icon.

- Pete Weber is a legend.

- Five-time winner of the U.S. Open.

No one has ever won that tournament more than twice.

[rock music]

- Pete Weber is the bad boy of bowling,

- The most polarizing figure in the history of bowling.

- You wanted it, you got it.

- Pete loves to be the bad guy.

- Come on, give it up.

Come on. Let's go.

- Pete Weber changed the game because of the shot

heard around the world.

- Strike to claim it.

A strike to claim it.

And he got it!

- Yes! God damn it, yes!

- That's right. I did it!

That's right.

Who do you think you are?

I am.

- One of the most iconic and confusing statements

in sports history.

- Who do you think you are?

I am.

- Who do you think you are?

I am.

- It's iconic.

- That's right, baby. - That's why you're Pete Weber.

- That's right. - That's why you're Pete Weber.

- Pete had some-- we call them antics.

[rock music]

I think he was trying to find

something to piss him off,

because he bowled way better mad

than he did when he was happy.

- God.

Do not flash the camera in my approach.

I'm telling you, don't do it.

Jesus Christ.

- They loved him for it.

Crotch chopping.

- Wah! Get it right there.

Fuck yeah, baby.

Right there. Yeah!

Right on. Get it up.

- And he did most of that under the influence

of drugs and alcohol.

- He's been suspended from the tour

several times for conduct unbecoming a professional.

- It's no secret that you've had

some encounters with rehab of some sorts

over the years, four trips.

Are you an alcoholic?

Do you have a problem with drinking?

- Well, I guess, yeah, I am an alcoholic,

but I'm not going to quit drinking because somebody

else is telling me I have to.

[rock music]

- I've had a few experiences with Pete Weber.

My father, they tore up the bars

and the lanes in the '80s while they were on tour.

♪ ♪

- There was a pretty good amount of guys

that partied back in that day.

Now, if you want to go to the acid or the mescaline,

I'm the expert on that.

♪ ♪

- Sometimes we talk about it.

Do we think Pete would have more or less

titles if he were sober?

We don't know.

He was so great.

- I did what it took to win.

- Yeah, that's right. That's mine.

Give it to me.

If that was showing my emotions, so be it.

I wouldn't change it for the world.

How about that for winning?

You love me, you hate me, you're going to watch.

That's all you can do.

P-D-W.

♪ ♪

It was kind of exciting for me to have

the tournament named after me.

Actually, it was a big surprise.

When you have a tournament named after you,

you've hit the very top of your career.

You can't go any higher.

[upbeat rock music]

- By the second day of the Pete Weber Classic,

Cam and Simo are both out, having struggled in earlier

rounds and missed the cut.

Also absent, Belmo.

Following his disappointing loss in the U.S. Open,

Belmo decided he needed a break, so he flew back

home to Australia to recharge for

the next major, Aussie style.

Meanwhile, with those guys MIA, that

leaves Kyle and EJ in striking distance of making the show.

[applause]

- When I missed the cut at the U.S. Open by 2, it was tough.

The PBA Tour can definitely be a grind mentally.

You get a win or you get a show,

and then the next week you miss the cut.

It's a mental roller coaster.

[twangy guitar music]

But I was able to spend a little time at home,

where I was able to actually relax.

♪ ♪

And this was a family photo.

I would almost bet that's Crown and water.

♪ ♪

And there we are, so that's 1998.

And my mom and dad, they met through bowling.

They got married in a bowling alley, actually.

Yeah.

I know this was Guppy's third wife and Mom's third husband,

so it worked out perfect.

Third time's a charm, I guess.

- That's about the last time I think I've had a tie on.

[laughs] It's 35 years ago.

- My mom was pregnant with me, and I was already in a bowling

alley before I was even born.

Sign from God, sign from my parents

that you're going to grow up and be a bowler, kid.

Yeah, this was definitely a little bit later in life.

This was when my mom was actually wearing a wig,

because she lost her hair due to her breast cancer

and stuff, so--

[gentle music]

I do recall my father with all his gold, he loved it,

but he did have to sell all his gold.

When my mother got cancer, lost her job,

financially, times were a lot tougher then.

My father wasn't making as much money bowling.

But he did whatever he needed to for the family.

And my mom and dad were married 29 years

till my mom passed away.

29 years married to a bowler.

That's-- that's a lot.

I miss her dearly.

But I remember bowling on Saturday mornings,

and if I beat mom, I got $5.

[rock music]

- The Pete Weber Classic isn't a major,

but its payouts are still a big step up

from Kyle's $5 weekends.

And as he's closing in on making the show,

he can almost taste that $30,000 first place prize.

[audience groans]

- What the hell?

- Almost.

- Gets down to the 10th frame and leave a 5-10 split.

- Wow.

Gotta make it.

- Unbelievable. - Yep.

- He's double checking.

Turned to Timmy, he's, "Yeah. you got to make it," he says.

My goodness.

- I don't think I've ever seen in that moment from anybody.

[tense music]

- How the fuck do I even shoot it?

- Yeah, I know that.

I'm trying to figure out how I'm going to shoot it.

[sighs]

♪ ♪

- I gotta tell you, Kyle has the flair for the dramatic.

I think he's picking it.

- This crowd just went dead silent.

- Oh, they're going to go crazy when he picks this.

Still trying to visualize how to make it.

I bet he hasn't shot a 5-10 but maybe

once or twice in his lifetime.

♪ ♪

For the TV show.

♪ ♪

Nope.

Wow. - Timmy Tan makes the show.

[melancholy music]

♪ ♪

- I lost by one pin.

- And have a great night.

- Missed by single digits again,

in a different way, but this time to miss the show.

- Our number one seed, he was the number

one seed through qualifying and remains that way into the show.

He's a 24-time champion on the PBA Tour.

From Bluffton, Indiana, please welcome EJ Tackett.

♪ ♪

- I don't even know how that happened still.

♪ ♪

[light guitar music]

♪ ♪

Luckily, I'm leading the tournament,

so that guarantees me on the show.

I'm not really superstitious,

but I guess maybe am a little bit,

but I don't wear red on TV anymore.

Every time I wore red, I lost.

So I quit wearing that and started wearing blue

and started winning.

So you know, this one here is one that I always wear,

one that I always wear on TV.

♪ ♪

[dramatic music]

- We are here in Springfield, Missouri.

[cheers and applause]

And legendary PBA Hall of Famer Pete Weber

is set to throw out the ceremonial first ball

in the event named for him.

PDW, 37-time titles, back on TV.

Left lane, Pete goes for a strike.

Brooklyn.

But it counts all the same.

[rock music]

♪ ♪

- Bowling is such a unique sport.

♪ ♪

It's just a game of imperfections.

♪ ♪

You're chasing to be perfect, but it's never

achievable or attainable.

It's just not possible to happen.

♪ ♪

But it is really fun chasing it.

- Pete actually just said to Dave and Randy

a little bit ago that he is in awe of you and all the things

that you have done.

- To have someone that's an icon

of the sport say those words to you, it doesn't get any better.

♪ ♪

The never-ending battle of trying to conquer the game--

- A lot of sauce on that shot.

- --is what makes all of us come

back and go home and practice and show up to the next event.

[exhales]

- 9 pins for number 25.

[crowd shouting]

- Yes!

Yeah!

[upbeat music]

- He has done it again.

25 career titles.

- Thank you, buddy.

- All right.

- Love you pal.

- Love you too, man.

♪ ♪

- I was very happy for EJ.

He's putting on a hell of a year at this point.

Might as well go and give him Player of the Year.

I mean, he's crushing us.

[orchestral music]

- There are still three majors left in the season.

But tonight, EJ's quest for this year's Player of the Year

award is momentarily interrupted

so that he can accept last year's

Player of the Year award.

It all begs a question, though.

How do they get all these pro bowlers

to show up for an awards ceremony

honoring one of their rivals?

Free all-you-can-eat buffet.

Works every time.

- The winner of the 2024 Chris Schenkel PBA Player

of the Year award, EJ Tackett.

♪ ♪

- It takes a whole career to figure out if

you're going to be good or not.

- Well, that's for everyone else to decide, not me.

All I can do is go bowl.

First off, I want to say thank you

to all of my fellow competitors that

voted for me for this award.

The last couple of years have been a crazy ride,

and I want to thank you guys for appreciating...

- That was a tough moment.

There may be a certain level of jealousy.

I wanted to win, obviously, but yeah, it definitely sucks.

But all those thoughts and feelings,

I'm trying to just keep that in the back of my mind,

because at the end of the day, it's about confidence.

If I feel like I'm at the top of my game,

then I don't believe anybody can beat me.

[Survivor's "Eye of the Tiger"]

- EJ Kind of came along in the last couple of tournaments

and has overtaken everyone else.

- [shouting]

- And now that target is definitely on his back.

♪ ♪

- EJ winning every tournament, it just gets on my nerves

a little too much sometimes.

I need to beat him on TV, off TV.

Probably want to beat him too much.

- ♪ Rising up, back on the street ♪

- Ultimately, my goal is to make money,

so I have to beat EJ to make money.

- ♪ It's the eye of the tiger ♪

♪ It's the thrill of the fight ♪

♪ Rising up to the challenge of our rival ♪

- He's the guy I'm trying to beat.

What he does is insane.

I love that shit.

I eat it up.

That's going to make me go harder.

I'm about to eat, and y'all going to be in trouble.

- ♪ Face to face, out in the heat ♪

♪ Hanging tough, staying hungry ♪

- Hearing a lot of people say someone

else is the best in the world, I didn't like it.

I also started thinking bigger than the best in the world.

And look, being number one is an incredible honor

and achievement, but there have been a lot of number ones

in the world.

But there's only one greatest of all time,

and so now that's my goal.

- ♪ The eye of the tiger ♪

♪ ♪

[suspenseful music]

♪ ♪

[bright tone]