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(Note: I have been asked many
times "how" I got started in bowling. In my published book, "The
Tour Would Be Great "IF" You Didn't Have To Bowl", is the following
story of how AND why it began. It's hard to believe that it has
been almost 50-years!!. That 'book' is now in CD form and is "On-Sale"
here on the BowlersParadise web site. This popular (3), CD set contains
over 40-stories about Pro-Bowlers Tour and many of its Stars. Get
your copy today and enjoy).
By: Len Nicholson
The year was: 1956.
The place was: Hillsdale High School in San Mateo, California.
My first recollection of Billy Hardwick was that of disbelief.
What a sight it was.
He was a sophomore, a year behind me in school. He was all of 5'3"
and weighed-in at exactly 99-pounds. He came out and (tried out)
for the Varsity football team. The Head Coach, Frank Collins, looked
at him and said that he was too small to play, but since we were
a new school and needed players, he told Billy that he could hold
the blocking-bags during practice. He also told him that because
of his size (or lack of it) that he wouldn't be able to issue him
a team uniform.
But, Billy had guts and said that he still wanted to play and practice
with the team. I can still vividly remember that first day of practice.
It was a cold and rainy day in September. There he was in his ragged,
old sweat-shirt, sweat-pants and wearing his tennis shoes. The shoes
were those old "high-top" canvas style and the laces were tied around
the tops about 4-times. His skinny, little ankles were way too small
to fill-up the tops of the shoes and it looked like he was walking
around with two small "sacks-of-potatoes" hanging off of the bottoms
of his legs.
I was the Captain of the team and one of the school's "jocks". I
was a big guy, about 6'2" and very close to 200-pounds, which was
fairly big for a Junior in High School back in those days. When
I saw him standing there, I instantly knew that I just "had" to
do something to get everybody to laugh at this scrawny, little guy.
Even back then, I had a "sick-sense-of-humor".
The practice field was very wet and muddy that day, and the first
chance I had to block him and the big blocking-bag that he was trying
to hold-up, I put a little bit of an "extra" effort into it. The
poor little kid had no chance. He went slipping and sprawling and
sliding before eventually ending up on his back in the middle of
a huge mud puddle. On his way down, all you could see were arms
and legs going in every direction as he tried in vain to maintain
his balance. It was an absolute riot. Even all of the Coaches were
laughing.
I intentionally humiliated him once again when I reached down to
help him up and purposely stepped on his foot with my football cleats.
He let out a scream and rolled over (face first) in the mud. Now,
he was covered from head-to-toe in the sloppy quagmire. It was hilarious.
Everybody there was howling. Everybody that is, except for Billy.
Looking back though, I was probably a big "bully" for doing that
to him. Even though he never said it, I am sure that he hated me
for doing that to him.
Basically that was the end of his football career. He did go on
to play on the basketball, baseball and cross-country teams. Despite
his slight stature, he was a fierce competitor. As the years went
by, he would eventually prove "that" to everybody. His burning desire
that he possessed soon became evident when a new bowling center
opened in our town and he was finally able to find (and, master),
his sport.
During that year we became the best of friends, and that friendship
has been a close one for 6-decades. I owe him a lot from what he
has taught me and the countless doors that he has helped me to open.
We have (personally) endured a lot together and I have countless
stories about him. I will be telling some of them here……at least
the ones that are suitable for print!!!
History tells us that he did go on the Tour, twice becoming Bowler
of the Year. He was voted in the top 20-players of all-time and
inducted into both the ABC and PBA Halls of Fame.
Today, Billy is alive and well and owns a very successful bowling
center in Memphis, Tennessee. I still see him now and then and occasionally
talk with him on the phone. If you see him, tell him that I said
hello.
By the way, he did pay me back. Yeah, he was the rotten egg that
got me into bowling!!!
(Editors note:: This is a "preview" of one of more than 40-stories
that are contained on that (3), CD set. Don't miss your opportunity
to hear Len Nicholson tell some of his favorite stories about many
of the Tour's All-Time Greats, including: Dick Weber, Earl Anthony,
Don Carter, Jason Couch, Jim Godman, Dick Ritger, Bob Strampe, Norm
Duke and many, many more).
To order your copy of these CD's, click
here. |
