I like watch the PBA when its on TV. Never been to one live but I would like to. Was wondering what is the largest magin for a come back to win an event in PBA history? Something that would compare to say the the 1993 NFL playoff game between the Buffalo Bills and the Houston Oilers or the 2004 American League Championship Series Redsox vs Yankees. Any videos if you can find them or exist...

I can't keep Track of them all, I've watched so many, but I do seem to remember a heartbreaker where someone like Ryan Shafer or Chris Barnes got a big split in the 10th frame to lose it. As I recall, WRW Jr was the recipient of that accidental largesse.

Speaking of wierd endings, Ryan Shafer played a championship game against Norm Duke once where Duke threw straight and Schaeffer threw a big inside line hook. Shafer never found the line, but Duke was dialed in from the git-go. For his fill shot in the tenth frame, Duke threw an inside line big hook and got a strike. At the time, I thought this was a rather in-your-face "I could have beat you at your own game" type of deal, but then on second thought I decided it was more a bit of curiosity on Duke's part, and no mean-spirited intentions...

I'm happy to say that Ryan was selected as the Professional Bowlers Association's Steve Nagy Sportsmanship Award winner for the 2008-09 Lumber Liquidators PBA Tour season by his fellow Lumber Liquidators PBA Tour competitors.

Not sure if this is largest comeback but i remember that 2008 season Haugens Jr came back to beat Barnes in TOC i think it was 52+ pins or so.

I'm not sure, but I know John Handagard a senior tour hall a famer came back to win a match which he was down as many as 67 pins if my memory is correct! He might of been bowling Gary Dickerson I believe.

Duke will change lines on his fill ball quite often. I also remember Chris Barnes advancing to the finals by tearing it up playing inside of fourth arrow. At the start of the finals when he goes against Duke he moves outside and is playing first arrow, right where Duke is playing. Needless to say Duke dominated and on his fill shot he moved in and threw the same line that Barnes was playing in the other matches and ripped the rack. Think of it this way, even when the match is all but over, there is still something that can be learned.

That was at the world championships this year. If you don't read Chris Schlemer's writeups on the Storm and Roto web sites, you should. Barnes was stringing strikes out there in practice, and Norm was in trouble. He just couldn't get the carry when the lights turned on.

Rash also played outside on the show that week, and bowled a more solid game than Duke, he just didn't get the breaks (solid 9 in the 10th to lose too!). Schlemer noted that he hadn't played out there all week.

cgeorg,
Just a quick thought, maybe Duke wasn't trying to strike during practice, maybe he was working on setting the lanes up for himself so strikes didn't matter. Not saying he wasn't trying to strike, I just thought of that because I know he is great at it.

Oh, I just meant that Norm was in trouble because it looked like he'd need a game in the 270s to have a chance.

Oh ok. That makes sense .