SO VERY CLOSE!

Posted by FLORIDE on Wednesday, January 31, 2007

A discussion with Jason Couch and Billy Oatman

            In his first ever PBA television appearance, Billy Oatman came just a 10 pin away from claiming his first title. After Jason Couch doubled in the tenth frame of the title match, Oatman needed to match him in order to win. The first shot was flush and carried but the second did not. The ten pin stood for the left hander and his dream of being a PBA title holder was crushed. Billy said that he wouldn’t be dreaming of that ten pin for long because it would be more like a nightmare. Couch’s 236 to 228 victory over Oatman was his 15^th title in the fifteen years that he has been on tour. By the way, if you are wondering what ball Jason has been throwing it is the new reactive ball from Ebonite called the Total NV (New Veneer). The ball has not been released to pro shops yet but it is expected to hit the shelves sometime around Feb. 5^th.

             After the show I and other media had the chance to sit down with the two finalists and get their perspective on the tour event in Las Vegas. Jason said that it was good to have the event back in Vegas and he was pleasantly surprised by the crowd. He feels that the PBA has done a good job in promoting the tour from town to town in that the fans are made aware of when and where the tour will be as well as promoting the pro-ams. He also recalled some of his fond memories of the tour coming to Vegas years ago at the Showboat. When asked about the prize money that the PBA is paying out, he responded by saying that for him it isn’t about the money but rather the trophies. He said that it is rewarding enough for him to do what he loves to do for a living.

             Excitement, happiness, pain, and sorrow are some of the words that Billy Oatman used to describe his feelings after the show. He said that there is always a blessing around the corner and that he is not disappointed at all in his performance this week. He felt that his last shot was “there” and that he threw the ball well. When asked about how he felt being on television for the first time he said that after the first ball the pressure was gone. “Pressure is something that you put on yourself”. If Oatman had won the tournament he was going to donate $5,000 to a charity that he is starting called the Hank Hardy Memorial Give Them A Chance Foundation. This charity will give one Afro-American youth a chance to realize their dreams of being on the PBA Tour by sponsoring that youth for one year. Any income that this individual would make would be theirs minus 20 percent that would go back into the foundation. To learn more about this selfless cause, go to www.billyoatman.com.

            Billy’s fans seemed to grow as the weekend went on. During qualifying, his Mom and girlfriend were following the action. For the show, some of his friends from Cleveland, Detroit, and Salt Lake City showed up to strengthen the numbers. During the show the crowd seemed to be on Billy’ side too, possibly because they felt he was the underdog although I believe that he was winning them over to his side with his ability and warm personality.

             With his Mom as his biggest supporter, Billy has gone through some tough times to get where he is. From his days in youth bowling to his first ever television appearance, she has been there at his side. There were some tough times when money was tight but Billy’s Mom would somehow find a way to help him with equipment, entry fees and whatever else was needed to advance his career. Well it looks like all the sacrificing has finally paid off.

            Billy feels that with this new exposure the possibility of him being a roll model might exist and he really doesn’t mind that at all. He feels that in the neighborhoods where he grew up more interest might be taken in bowling because of him. This possibly would give them an alternative to some of the dangerous activities that they might find themselves in.

            Finally, when asked about how he felt about the lefty domination and how the shot seemed to favor the lefties the last couple of weeks, Billy responded with a huge grin and uttered only one word. “SWEEEEET”!