Seed eight plus one, says former champion Kent - PBA Tidbits - Brief Article - Interview

Bowling Digest, June, 2003 by Larry Paladino

THE PBA'S DECISION TO SEED THE top eight players (based on season points rankings) into the season-ending PBA World Championship is a good idea, believes Doug Kent. But he sees a need for one little adjustment: Seed the defending champion.

Kent won the event in 2002 but didn't make it to match play in 2003. Williams, the top-seeded player, won the tournament, defeating Brian Kretzer in the finals. The other two semifinalists also were top-eight seeds: Pete Weber and Parker Bohn III. "The top eight should be rewarded somehow," Kent says. "It's a great idea. But the defending champion should be part of that seeding also."

Kent also thinks it was a good idea for the PBA to switch its season last year from a calendar-year schedule to a more traditional "league" season (fall through spring). "Overall it will help the bowling industry," says Kent, a five-time tour winner. "By us starting at the same time as regular league bowlers, we get the whole industry involved more."

One thing that's difficult to get across to the general public, however, is what it takes to perform on the tour, Kent says. "People watch the shows on Sunday, and they see the glory and glamour of the telecast, but they don't see what it takes for players to get to that point."

Players have to be in good physical condition to overcome the rigors of the tour, he believes, and they need to work out as athletes do in any other sport. "A lot of guys work out and a lot of guys don't," Kent says. "I do a lot of stretching. I try to eat right. I eat healthier foods and stay away from junk foods."

Finger fitness is another issue entirely. Although Kent says he doesn't have any thumb problems, "my fingers are bleeding most of the time."