Bulletin Board


BOWLING D


MR.


The bowling world lost its fi rst “rock star” when Don Carter passed away at 85.


ebate over where Don Carter ranks in the mythi- cal list of greatest bowlers ever may not yield a unani-


mous conclusion. There is no question, however, that Carter, who passed away in early January at the age of 85, was the fi rst bowler to truly transcend the bowling center and work his way into the national consciousness. As bowling historians often claim, Carter did for bowling what Arnold


Palmer did for golf. He dominated the game with an engagingly unortho- dox style and built an army of fans both in and out of the sport with a sincere smile, a dogged competitive spirit and a surprisingly keen under- standing of business and marketing. Along the way he transformed


sport. In an 11-year stretch (1952- 1962), Carter collected fi ve World Invitational titles, four Bowling Pro- prietors’ Association of America All Star titles and bowled leadoff for argu- ably the greatest squad in team bowl- ing history, the mighty Budweisers. And when Eddie Elias organized


the Professional Bowlers Association in 1958, Carter’s impact and infl u- ence as the face of bowling was never more important. His notoriety helped the PBA bring true professionalism and national exposure to the sport. In addition to appearing on television


shows like “Make That Spare,” “Jack- pot Bowling” and “Championship Bowling,” Carter became a spokes- man in TV commercial for products like Viceroy cigarettes, Palmolive Rapid Shave and Wonder Bread. In 1964, Carter leveraged that popu-


larity into bowling’s fi rst $1 million endorsement contract, a deal he signed with Ebonite that included a Don Carter-branded line of bowling balls. Carter amassed 10 PBA titles,


10 USBOWLER FEBRUARY 2012


but chronic knee problems cut his pro career short, and his participa- tion and effectiveness on the lanes was only sporadic after 1965. Still, Carter’s impact as a cham-


pion and ambassador has never been questioned. He was voted Great- est Bowler of All Time by Bowling Magazine and Bowler of the Century by Bowlers Journal International, and is honored in the USBC Hall of Fame, the PBA Hall of Fame.


NEWS, NOTES AND HAPPENINGS FROM THE WORLD OF BOWLING


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19