France League

I remember sitting in the stands during the 2019 PBA Tour Finals, watching Jason Belmonte execute what would become his signature two-handed delivery, and thinking to myself - this season feels different. There was an electricity in the air that even casual bowling fans could sense. As someone who's followed professional bowling for over fifteen years, I've never witnessed a season where every single tournament felt like it could go to any of two dozen players. The 2019 PBA season wasn't just competitive - it redefined what competitive bowling could be.

What made it so special, you ask? Let me paint you a picture. We had veterans like Norm Duke, at 55 years young, still competing at the highest level while newcomers like 24-year-old Kris Prather were making their mark. The age gap alone created fascinating dynamics - experience versus raw talent, old-school techniques versus modern approaches. I recall watching Duke's traditional one-handed style against Belmonte's revolutionary two-handed method during the PBA Playoffs, and the contrast wasn't just technical - it represented the changing guard in professional bowling. The scoring averages across tournaments were insane too - we're talking 230-plus averages needed just to make the cut in most events, compared to the 220-range that used to be competitive back in 2015.

The intensity wasn't limited to the lanes either. I'll never forget that controversial moment during the PBA League quarterfinals when the Red Warriors' team captain got ejected after accumulating two technical fouls. He was having an absolutely spectacular 24-point game when that second whistle blew. The first-year coach's reaction said it all - he basically wished those three referees would never officiate their games again. That kind of raw emotion, that fire - it showed how much every single frame mattered that season. When players and coaches are that invested, when the stakes feel that high on every throw, you know you're witnessing something special.

Statistics back up what my eyes told me all season. We saw 12 different winners in the first 14 tournaments - compared to just 8 different winners during the same stretch in 2018. The margin of victory in televised finals averaged just 15.7 pins, the narrowest in PBA history. And get this - seven tournaments were decided by single digits, including the US Open that saw Bill O'Neill defeat Anthony Simonsen by just 3 pins in one of the most dramatic finishes I've ever witnessed. The parity was unbelievable - any of the top 30 ranked players could win on any given week, which just wasn't the case in previous seasons.

What really stood out to me was how the competition elevated everyone's game. Players who might have been content with top-20 finishes in previous years were now pushing for championships. I remember talking to Tommy Jones after he won the PBA Tour Finals, and he mentioned how the level of play forced him to reinvent parts of his game even after all his years on tour. That's the mark of true competition - when veterans have to evolve and rookies have to grow up fast. The equipment technology had advanced, the lane patterns had become more challenging, but mostly it was the collective skill level that had jumped to unprecedented heights.

Looking back, I think the 2019 season represented a perfect storm of factors. We had the deepest talent pool in PBA history, with international players from six different countries winning titles. The prize money had increased significantly, adding real financial stakes to every tournament. The television coverage expanded, bringing more exposure and pressure. And perhaps most importantly, the rivalries felt genuine - Belmonte versus Simonsen, Tackett versus Prather, these weren't manufactured storylines but authentic competitions between athletes at their absolute peak.

I've often been asked if we'll ever see another season like 2019. My honest opinion? Probably not with that same magical combination of circumstances. The COVID pandemic disrupted the following season, and while the competition remains fierce, there was something uniquely electric about 2019 that I suspect will become bowling's equivalent of baseball's 1998 home run race or basketball's 1986 season - legendary benchmarks that future generations will measure everything against. For those of us who lived through it, week after week of edge-of-your-seat competition, it was more than just a season - it was a masterclass in what makes sports compelling. The tears, the triumphs, the controversial calls, the breakthrough performances - they all combined to create what I believe will forever remain the most competitive season in PBA history.