Championship Bowling: Carmen Salvino vs Billy Hardwick 1965

During the 1964-1965 season, the Firestone Bowl A Rama in Akron, Ohio hosted this popular televised bowling series. In this show, Carmen Salvino takes on Billy Hardwick! Enjoy!

[@brendankomenda5403]

I had the opportunity to grow and watch many of these greats. Compared to today pros they were all classy. Great to watch these old shows.

[@20alphabet]

Couldn't agree more!

[@irishpogi]

@@timothyvojta9237 I've met a number of them. Kyle is very nice. I found Belmo to be very nice too.

[@pauldhartley]

It is such a pleasure to watch these shows.

[@20alphabet]

Agreed.

[@kevinjohnson4599]

1,000% AGREED because this is when bowling was bowling. The bowling like the NFL is not the same anymore.

[@stewartberger7734]

for sure

[@BrakRulesAll]

Great stuff. Billy Hardwick, pride of Bel Mateo Bowl.. and father of comedian Chris Hardwick. And Carmen Salvino, one of the all-time greats.

[@BennyThePlayaScala]

Two of the all time greats

[@nordattack]

Wow! Another Billy Hardwick video! Thank you so much. Billy is my favorite bowler of all time.

[@ringing7]

WOW!! Both all time great bowlers. More importantly great guys as well 🎳

[@preciousjey]

Love the penmanship of the scorekeeper. Pinoypogi.

[@irishpogi]

I am not Filipino. I do however love eating dinuguan!

[@prototypejack671]

@@irishpogi you need to try Kare Kare! You won’t regret it

[@irishpogi]

@@prototypejack671 Masarap

[@casualobserver2305]

Before bowling balls make a joke out of bowling. That took real skill rolling those rock hard low tech balls on lacquer.

[@chrishowell4845]

Used to be hard and soft rubber balls........nowdays the bowling balls and lanes make it too easy

[@Aereaux]

That is a great shot by Hardwick. Opening the Can.

[@johnkovalicky3389]

Carmen showed great sportsmanship when Billy made the 6,7 split !!!

[@danceonskates]

Salvino rules....RULES!

[@rowlffffff]

I met Mr. Salvino and bowled with him in a pro-am. A complete class act!

[@20alphabet]

@@rowlffffff Yes, he is.

[@leopoldmozart1449]

This is priceless!!!! The #2 and #3 bowlers of their era (I consider Dick Weber #1 of this era) in a 3 game match. Wow. Now, Irishpogi, you wrote that "there's more! a lot more!" You wouldn't happen to have a copy of the 1976 Monromatic tournament in Toledo Ohio, when Billy Hardwick won his last tournament? When I saw that one in real time, I was amazed at Hardwick. In the beginning of the power era of Mark Roth and Marshall Holman, here's this guy who looks about 45 years old throwing a dead ball full roller, teleported from the Don Carter era. As Nelson Burton Jr. said during the 1976 Firestone Tournament of Champions: "How does he do it, Chris? Everybody wonders how Hardwick does it."

[@irishpogi]

I was referring to other episodes of Championship Bowling

[@leopoldmozart1449]

+irishpogi Rats! Well, of course, I LOVE these old episodes of Championship Bowling. Thank you for your posts!

[@irishpogi]

+leopold mozart Unfortunately I don't have the show from 1976 you asked about. Happy New Year

[@nordattack]

God, I really want a copy of that 1976 Monro-Matic Open with Billy Hardwick too! He is my favorite bowler of all time. I am a Full Roller too as you can see by my icon. Any ideas how we could get a copy or even where to look? Any more Billy Hardwick matches coming up soon irishpogi?

[@nordattack]

Hey Leopold, can you tell me more about the 1976 Monro-Matic Open? You saw Billy Bowl? What did his ball rotation look like? Did he roll it end over end or did he have a side rotation? What was it like? You really can't see how his ball is rolling in these videos because the ball is black and has no inserts.

[@yoso585]

Very economical scoreboard helping someone keep their adding skills sharp!

[@Aereaux]

I started bowling in the mid 50s and stopped in the 90s when I moved to a small town that doesn't have a bowling alley. Some on here talk about inferior equipment and that is just BS. I could hook the ball 30 boards if I wanted to, but didn't need to. I mostly played the 1st to 2nd arrow setting the ball down around 12th or 13th board. Back then most Brunswick houses were inside. 3rd arrow. Set the ball down couple of boards left of the middle and it would just set in the pocket. Alleys were maple and the pins were would and weighed about 3lbs 12oz or more. Pins would get pretty beat up. Used to bowl Pot Games that would start after the late league and run almost all night. $5.00 a game to bowl and the low half paid for the lines. Bowled some tournaments where the oiled up the lanes and the ball would not hook. Then they put in pins with weight on the bottom that were probably 4 pounds plus. Lots of solid 5 pins and 5-10 splits.

[@natrixxvision6997]

Not sure about inferior….but not as developed as today’s equipment. I’m not sure bowlers would change balls back then for spares the way they do today. Oh sure you could still hook the ball back then….but no way did they grip the lanes and create the kind of friction of a reactive ball. Rev rates were much lower back then and it was all about touch.

[@ninoc29]

I ####### LOVE CARMEN SALVINO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[@thiswilldoblue]

Another good upload...

[@irishpogi]

and there's more! a lot more!

[@natrixxvision6997]

Lots of highlights by Salvino.

[@ProdigyBowlersTour]

At about 50 minutes in, as they're doing the closing credits, a parade of bowlers walks across the screen and each one takes a bow. I wonder how many of you can name all those bowlers. I'm pretty good with recognizing bowlers from this era, but even I could only get about five or six of 'em,

[@larchmontmark1]

I accept the challenge! :-) BTW I remember how they showed that in some of these shows back then. At the time I usually knew almost all of them. Let's see what's the story now.... (will do in a separate reply)

[@larchmontmark1]

BTW, "Walter Schwimmer" -- I read his autobiography and did a book report on it. I picked it (from the library shelf) because I recognized his name from this series. I still remember one of the pieces of advice he gave, about when to contact someone (and NOT to) with a business call if you have any choice about it. It was funny -- but smart and useful. I've used it my whole adult life. Now to the bowlers there.....

[@larchmontmark1]

Billy Welu, Carmen Salvino (easy one!), don't know, I think the next is Billy Hardwick, Bill Bunetta (these wouldn't be as hard if not for those darn credits :-) don't know, Pat Patterson, 3 don't knows, then I think Roy Lown, don't know, Johnny Guenther (?), Ray Bluth, Morrie Oppenheim, I think that next might be Dick Weber but the credits make it hard, then a few more don't knows -- get harder toward the end because of the credits and the big logo of the station.

[@ProdigyBowlersTour]

larchmontmark1 - Which of his books did you read?

[@larchmontmark1]

@BrownswickBowling: Thanks for being interested to ask! It was called "What Have You Done For Me Lately?" -- an account of his experiences as an ad man but really an autobiography. I was thrilled to find a book by this guy whose name I always saw and heard on those bowling shows, and very glad that the teacher let us pick whatever we wanted for that book report.

[@Kingofcorrect]

Omg, Chris looks so much like his dad.

[@MrChristopherHaas]

Can anyone tell me why they called Mr. Carvino “spook”? thank you

[@williamdunphy352]

Commentators: Fred Wolf & Pat Patterson

[@cats0182]

I think it's Pat Patterson?

[@williamdunphy352]

​@@cats0182Yes, it is.

[@johngadd2622]

Two hand it, watch the pro's cackle

[@teejay6063]

Click for Fred Wolf

[@mrb43605]

Plus...bowlers in the 50's, 60's, 70's, and early 80's...had talent with inferior equipment....Bowling wouldn't have died as bad, with legitimate balls, and pins, and lane conditions....Bowlings a JOKE now !

[@bonniejohnson1518]

that's because the audience demands a cirus show. Very low maturity level resides within today's society

[@mrb43605]

@@bonniejohnson1518 WOW! I LOVE YOU!

[@kevinjohnson4599]

I AGREE with you 1,000% because this is when bowling was bowling. The bowling like the NFL is now CRAP too & isn't worth watching anymore either.

[@michaelgaines1895]

When bowling was about competing and not just a party for your kids. There needs to be i instructors at all biwling lanes. The thiwing the balls luke a shot put is so wrong. Show #resoect for rhe game.

[@jamesmacdougall2694]

It’s interesting to watch. Their form looks bad by today’s standards, but they probably didn’t have the same slide that players get these days, so that might have a lot to do with it

[@bonniejohnson1518]

they were more talented and mature back then with rigorous lane conditions. Today's audience demands a circus show rather than a mature match of skills...today everything pride, ,hype, and glorification in the flesh..No humility...

[@oldsnwbrdr]

bonnie johnson more talented? Carmen would be first to disagree. The game has simply changed.

[@jamesmacdougall2694]

bonnie johnson they ask them to hype it up for television. They don’t behave like that for the most part when the cameras aren’t rolling, and you can tell that some of the guys seem uncomfortable doing it, but they do it anyway because that’s what the show runners want. My comments were more directed to the lack of fluidity in their motion as compared to today’s rollers. If anything, you could say that this older era of bowling is less refined, although still enjoyable to watch. But their equipment and conditions were also less refined, and these guys did what worked best at the time.

[@oldsnwbrdr]

James MacDougall agreed, that’s just the way people bowled then, and they emulated each other. Watch a youth tournament nowadays, if they aren’t two-handing, they have smooth, flowing deliveries with tremendous rev rates. Many two handers can play very straight and keep their angles in front of them... I wonder how they would have done on these older conditions. I’ve seen older videos with Carmen ripping the cover off the ball.

[@20alphabet]

You must be joking.

[@danaringquist9730]

Dr 7-2-23