SPC CONTROVERSY

[spectater1]

Although the SPC tournament ran smoothly there was 1 contraversy that in the tournament that was not looked at very long... maybe because of the person it involved?

In one of the games on Saturdays qualifying round, Jason Belmonte "fouled" on the 6th frame of one of his games (he got a strike on the shot). To Jason's defense, he didn't know that the foul light went off until he came back off the approach and a fellow bowler (a friend of his) told him he fouled... I don't know if she saw the foul or not. He then suggested to his friend that he didn't foul (even though he didn't even know or look down at the foul line at the time) and they called a "no name" scorekeeper over to change the foul to a strike. After that strike, Jason struck out and shot 245 that game. If it was a foul, maybe he might have missed the spare and might have shot a 180... a potential difference of about 60 pins? Or worse off... what if he would have won the tournament and a protest was submitted to the tournament director? then what?

As a spectater, it was interested to see this happen and nothing be done about it or no one "important" informed about it! Why didn't the tournament director come over and make a ruling about it rather than a regular scorekeeper changing the score without thinking about it? As this was an important decision, why didn't "Belmo" get someone more important to change the score or talk to the tournament director about it?

Oddly enough, that was the only foul that was registered on both of those lanes and the only one during that game! Did he foul, I'm not sure because I didn't see his foot before he walked back but either way, he shouldn't have just changed it on his own... he should have reported something like that to the director so that he could make a ruling about it!

Food for thought for future bowlers of tournaments and tournament directers?

An interested spectater

 

[BELMO]

thank you for turning a story around that u have no idea about sir or mam

As it happened on the second last pair in the house.... i fell off my shot... i didnt know the foul light went on...i came back and saw the foul on my score...asked if i fouled???....then Emma told me i did NOT foul... i took her word as she said i saw it....then Tim Mack told me it was inpossible for me to foul as my foot is that far left it hits the foul light!!!

I take pride in HONESTY as i would hate for anyone to cheat against me or anyone else.
The next day i changed a 5 spare to a 5-2 because i was postive i had gotten 2 instead of a spare....(the computer just gave me a spare...Zane Que was on my pair then and he can prove it.

Yet noone saw the shot i took it into my hands to change the Spare to a 2...

Thank you
Cheers

 

[BELMO]

sorry forgoit to mention...that a Helper from the bowls staff had made the change....

For as long as i have been bowling a score correction can be made if the oppisition had seen it or an officail had seen it....as a player on my lane told me i didnt foul...a helper came to change teh score

thank u

 

[Tiger Bottomley]

Ordinary

I must say spectator that I think your form is a bit ordinary. If you were so concerned about these events why not nip it in the bud and speak to Jason there and then. The whole issue would have been sorted out on the spot without the need for it to be put on a forum for all to see.

I'm not sure whether you have an alterier motive for placing this here but I don't think your going to win much support. Jason's answer is plausable and practical and if you'd of taken the time to ask him you could have had all your fears allayed there and then.

To say nothing happened due to who it was is insane. Jason's a good guy who just happens to be a fabulous bowler but I'm sure he knows as well as anyone that he's not above the rules.

 

[chucker]

i agree fully with carl i had the pleasure of bowling the entire qualifying with belmo and at no stage did i even have a second thought about him cheating in any manner.spectator you should worry more about important things like supporting the best bowlers this country has and not trying to bring them down.good luck in malaysia belmo and the entire australian team.

 

[skippy]

Hey Chucker, Thanks for the kind thoughts as we head away
for Worlds. I also cant see that Belmo would deliberately
cheat. He is so good..he could have made up for the foul anyhow. Spectator..i take your point as a legitimate concern but please be assured that if a couple of bowlers (friends or not) say
he didnt foul, then thats good enough for the rest of us, and if
the tournament director had become involved he would have taken the word of the bowlers involved and the score would have still been changed to a strike. If none of the bowlers spoke
up and called for a foul at the time then that would tend to indicate that all was ok. I believe the rule states that you must remain at the foul line if you wish to dispute the foul, but common sense would allow a change to be made if the bowlers in the area are satisfied that you didnt foul. Interesting concern...but please be assured we are more than happy to take Belmo Emma and Tim Macks word for it.

Trots

 

[Jez]

I find this post a joke !

Spectator1 dont u have anything better than try and put a slur on one of the finest bowlers this country has.

As ever1 here knows me and belmo are best mates...i spoke to him today and he was quite upset about this whole matter as he feels that ppl will think that he is a cheat and would actually do a something like this claim.

I think everyone who knows belmo knows that he is not a cheat and would not think i doing anything like this. And he definately does not think he is above the rules. This is just attempt to have a dig at a elite bowler .

i went to the casino with Belmo and Tim mack on Saturday night and Tim even mentioned this matter and said that there was no way belmo could have fouled becasue of where he feet were. i am always good friends with emma and she is true to her word.

I have some advice for you spectator1 next time u see something u dont like ,do what Carl said bring it up there and then i am sure it would have all been sorted out.. this is just bullshit putting it on the forum.

Secondly.. go get a hobby becasue if all u are going to do is watch bowling and pick out innocent offences and try to blow them out of proportion then u need to look at yourself.

BELMO, everyone knows that u are a sportsman and would not cheat to get anywhere. u have proved it time and time again that u dont need to bend the rules to get anywhere. Dont let this crackpot get under skin just do what a you do best. throw lots of strikes.

Good luck overseas bud.

 

[Roo Boy]

Belmo mate,
Dont worry mate what this spectator1 is saying because we all know that u take alot of pride in your bowling and would neva cheat. This guy needs to get a new hobby as Jez said. Maybe bird watching if he has such a eye for things. This is ridiculous. Belmo your a champ and i know it will make u only stronger. Take it ezy all.

Ciao

Dean McKinnon

 

[GeorgeF]

Belmo is alot of things but a cheat is not one of them. I have no doubts Jason did not foul and has been totally honest about the whole subject. Find something else to do spectator and let bowlers do what they do best.

PS Bit hard to foul Belmo when you are behind of the capping and clearly away from any lights

 

[upyours]

I am clearly not spectater1

I can spell spectator!
:lol: :lol:

 

[Brett]

Just out of interest, would it be a foul if your foot came in contact with the capping?

 

[Easy Tiger]

No, because the foot doesnt cross the foul line. Another fact some people may not know just for interest is that if your hind leg crosses the foul line on the next lane it is counted as a foul against you....just an interesting fact that some people may not know.

This in NO WAY applies to Belmo its just an some info on a similar topic. btw well done Belmo great bowling

 

[jedi_bowler]

No cheat

I have had the fortune to watch Jason bowl a couple of times
and watching his great action there is no way he can foul he is infront of the capping.
Spectator1 should stick to just watching and not talking.
Being a bowler myself it hurts to see great sportsman called cheats. Jason is a great guy.
I'm not a great bowler but i try, and last year I bowled in the Melbourne cup i was doing ok but i was up and down, on about the 6th frame I through a Strike and i heard a voice behind me say great shot, i looked around and saw Jason watching the game. To have a guy this good comment on a shot I did filled me with a load of confidence. So Jason don't worry about what people might say, We bowlers stick together and we know you are a great bowler and NOT a cheat.

 

[Muels1]

Jason,
I am one of your biggest fans and every time you come down to Melbourne and bowl i get out there and support you whole heartedly. At the Australian Open i had the pleasure of sharing the pair of lanes with you in the first block. This was a very nerve racking experience for me as i idolise your bowling and the way you act on and off the lanes. You are a true champion to this sport and you conduct yourself in a very professional manner on and off the lanes.

I know what this idiot has said would be really hurting you inside simply because you know and everyone that knows you or that has watched, or even has the pleasure of bowling with you knows that YOU ARE NOT A CHEAT. You have put in hours upon hours, months upon months and years upon years of hard work to get to where you are now and achieve what you have.

No matter where you bowl in Australia or in the world you have all my support and i wish you all the best in every event you compete in.

This idiot has probably tried to stir the pot simply because of the genuine talent you have and that he or she could never achieve what you have especially at your age.

Keep up the hard work and keep the chin up. Dont let this get you down.

All the best
Kelvin Mueller

 

[scoreggia]

I'm not sure where Spec1 was heading with this topic but if it was to discuss the matter of 'to foul or not to foul' I don't think there was any need to put your question out the way you did. You must have realised you would be questioning the integrity of an elite bowler who is a role model, and friend, for many. You are yet another gutless person who creates a new user name purely to keep his anonimity with a hit and run type mentality.
Belmo, I think that from all the replies to the original posting you firmly believe that nobody would question your honesty.
Keep up the good work and continue to be a role model to all.

 

[spectater1]

Forum and especiailly Jason,
Please accept my deep and sincere apologies for my initial message. Although I NEVER said specifically that Jason cheated, after reading my message again, I can see where I "implied" it. That was definitly NOT my intention. I wasn't having a go at you, mate, mearly stating the fact that a shot as important as that, that could have ended up as a protest and disqualification for you, should have been looked at more closely by a tournament directer and NOT just a "scorekeeper".

I don't know if the directer was notified after or anytime during the tournament, but if he wasn't notified and a protest was put in, what kind of decision could he/ she have made if he didn't know anything about it?

Other questions that are of interest... Becasue that was the only foul registered during that game... could you have (when falling off the shot) briefly (even for a millisecond) crossed the foul line on that shot? I didn't exactly see where you slide on that exact shot, but I know the shots before and after that shot, you were sliding behind the foul line in the gutter (not on the capping). Once again, I am NOT saying that other bowlers are wrong... but they are concentrating on their own bowling and they are your friends (and you obviously have heaps of them) and friends tend to stick up for friends. Just a ruling that the directer should have known about, that's all.

Lastly, was it the scorekeepers fault for not notifying the tournament directer about this incident before chanign the score? Should the scorekeeper have talked to the tournament directer before changing the score? This was a more important (and more difficult) score correction than changing a regular spare to a miss. In my opinion (for what it's worth... probably not much right now), a higher official should have been at least notified before the correction.

Jason, you have a unique style and you are a joy to watch but it is not my place to say that you are or aren't dishonest (as I have never personally met you). I'm sorry if I upset you about my initial comments. All I wanted to do is bring a discussion about the incident and try and see what the forum thought.

One thing I've learned is never 'imply' that any great bowler is a cheat because you will be the minority of the group!

Once again... Jason... I'm sincerely sorry about the previously implied message! Keep bowling well and throwing strikes as we know you will.

 

[quasi2k]

It would be plausible to trigger the foul light if you hit the capping hard enough to deflect the beam away from the detector on the other side.

This might have been the case in this instance, and the result is clearly not a foul, even if the foul light does happen to go off.

 

[bowlrig]

One thing I've learned is never 'imply' that any great bowler is a cheat because you will be the minority of the group!

Once again... Jason... I'm sincerely sorry about the previously implied message! Keep bowling well and throwing strikes as we know you will

Hey Specy,
to imply means that you think that one did, if think one did then say this, if you don't then please hush up as you will only dig yourself into a bigger hole.

Rob

 

[da_cowman]

Just out of interest, would it be a foul if your foot came in contact with the capping?

Now, a long time ago... In a bowling centre far far away... (not really but hey!) On lanes 1&2 at my old centre (Shellharbour Bowl) there a nice big pillar protruding out, at the foul line so that it actually was against the edge of the gutter, on the outside part. Anyway, someone told me that, if any part of my body, be it my foot, hand, head, upper thigh, or even neck touched this pillar that was halfway on the approach, and halfway over the foul line, that it would be a foul. Why? Because i was touching an object that was over the foul line. Similar to the controversy that broke out over the wristguard-fell-off-and-man-picked-it-up-for-290-instead-of-299 game. What Timmee said is true about your other foot going over the foul line, Hell you could ride the shot 10 lanes right and go over the foul line and its a foul.
While this isnt the best topic to post this in, it caught my attention and is a question that if someone could answer it would be appriciated. If I did happen to touch an object that was over the foul line, on the ground, would it be a foul? And if so, wouldn't that mean that hitting the capping would also be a foul??

Later Da Cowman!

 

[BELMO]

Thanks to everyone who posted on this topic...except spectater1

Means a heap to a young guy like me....

See you all soon and be on the look out for some posts about the WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS......

Stay cool jewel

Jason Belmonte