This article - and many of the responses to it - encapsulate what bowling is up against. Anyone who wants to reinforce the authors opinions about bowling just has to write back anlong the lines of "Bowling IS a sport and you're a PATHETIC LOSER SO THERE!".
Attitudes like this can only be changed with a bit of education about the sport. If you do want to write back, justify why bowling is a sport. Tell the guy about your training schedule, about bowling 16+ games straight, on varying lane conditions. Let him know why his 179 average is not so good.
Bowling requires good balance, timing, and hand-eye coordination, as well as the ability to adjust to a changing lane condition. It is, at the top level, a difficult game physically and a very demanding sport mentally. As far as physical fitness requirements go, it is more like golf than soocer or football, and I am sure that the author would consider golf a sport.
Persuasion is far better than abuse. Convince him that bowling is a sport, and you have a sports writer on-side. Convince him that bowlers are rude yobs with no clue, and you have him even more offside.
And yes, I will be writing to him. Nicely. Mostly.
Cheers, Robbie.