Well, where do I start tonight? I have been bombarded with trivial pursuits and endeavors this evening. But who among us WASN’T…. this being the Anniversary of Jeopardy and all. Yes, the classic game show first appeared on March 30th, 1964. The premier host was none other than Art Fleming. But, since I love Jeopardy so, I thought it might be fun to dig up some trivial information for this particular installment of bloginess.
A little pitchforking and I found out that Fleming was an avid bowler….. he loved the sport. Heck, he bowled at least four days a week. So… Bowling Trivia it is.
The most interesting thing I uncovered, was an article on the Federation of International Bowlers. I did NOT know the Federation of International Bowlers even existed…. and I truly love this game! (Mostly because the shoes are so cool, and I can’t get enough of the soft pretzels and the microwaved pizza you can buy at any bowling concession stand.) But back to the Federation. It was started on July 9, 1815… just five months after the end of the War of 1812.
Sir Edmund Harrington of England, and Ernie Kulontzky of New Jersey, USA, spearheaded the campaign for the organization as a way of uniting the people of Great Britain and the United States. The slogan was “Strike Out for Peace.” Other foreign nations joined in the movement to display solidarity and encouragement. President James Madison and wife Dolly, showed great support for the faction, and hosted the Opening Tournament of the Federation of International Bowlers in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (1816). Dolly baked a bunch of little cakes and cookies, and sweet treats, and such. (Ironically, you can still purchase Dolly Madison baked goods at bowling alleys across the U.S. But, only Dolly Madison products. Others, including Hostess and Little Debbie are not permitted. And…. sneaking them in is still a federal offense to this day. (Article XXIV of the Coalition’s By-Laws).
The first team consisted of all military personnel in hopes of demonstrating the united front of good will and cooperation among the nations. The Bowlers were, Arnold Wilson, U.S. Navy; Sir Theodore Davies, Royal Guard, UK; Jacques Rousseau, French Army; and Willhem Von Machtenstein, Federal Militia, Germany. They rocked. ( Arnold had a pet turkey named Feather Duster. Strangely enough, whenever Arnie threw a strike the turkey would hop and down. When he got three in a row, the bird became highly excited and gobbled like crazy. Hence, 3 strikes in a row became known as a Turkey.)
Oh, I could go on and on, but I am already yammering too dang much. I just loved finding out about the F.I.B. But I will spare the rest of the details, let you off the hook, and pin this up for the evening. Until the next time…. let the good times roll.
Factoids…..
The game can be dated back to the ancient Egyptians. An archeologist, Sir Flinders Petrie found the pins together with bowling balls in a grave of an Egyptian child carbon dated to the year 5200 BC. The art of Bowling is accredited to him.
Yes, 5200 BC marked the earliest evidence of the existence of the sport and its likely origin. There is another bowling version which was coined by William Pehle, a German historian who claimed the sport originated from Germany in the year 300 AD. This game has flourished in many forms especially in Europe and particularly in England where it was popularized in the reign of King Edward III. Its popularity was so stretched that the King outlawed it so as not to distract troops who were practicing sword fighting skills.
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