A League of Ordinary Gentlemen
Encyclopedia
A League of Ordinary Gentlemen is a documentary film
about ten-pin bowling
that was released on DVD
on March 21, 2006. It was written and directed by Christopher Browne
and stars PBA Tour
players Pete Weber
, Walter Ray Williams Jr., Chris Barnes, and Wayne Webb
. The documentary is unique in its genre.
It was first televised nationally on the PBS
series Independent Lens
on April 25, 2006.http://www.pba.com/news/features.asp?ID=4532
is purchased by a trio of Microsoft
programmers who hire Steve Miller
, a Nike
marketing guru, to revitalize the sport.
called "Bowling Song (Almighty Malachi, Professional Bowling God)." This track is featured on Lynch's second official album, Superhero, released in 2002.http://www.ybtba.org.uk/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?p=4074#4074
, and has a karaoke
business on the side. He recently joined the PBA Senior Tour (for players age 50 and older), and made a splash by winning the 2008 Senior U.S. Open. In 2010, he was named PBA Senior Player of the Year.
Chris Barnes earned his first-ever PBA Player of the Year award in the 2007-08 season. He captured his 13th tour title in January, 2011 at the PBA World Championship
. He twice won what was (at the time) the biggest prize check in the history of televised bowling ($200,000) by winning the Motel 6 Roll to Riches events in 2005 and 2006.
Walter Ray Williams Jr. is still on tour at age 51, and shows no signs of slowing down. In September, 2006, he surpassed Earl Anthony
on the PBA's All-Time titles list with his win over Pete Weber in the Dydo Japan Cup
. He currently has 47 PBA Tour titles after winning the USBC Masters
in February, 2010.
Pete Weber is currently third on the PBA's all-time list with 35 titles, following his victory on April 4, 2010.
Documentary film
Documentary films constitute a broad category of nonfictional motion pictures intended to document some aspect of reality, primarily for the purposes of instruction or maintaining a historical record...
about ten-pin bowling
Ten-pin bowling
Ten-pin bowling is a competitive sport in which a player rolls a bowling ball down a wooden or synthetic lane with the objective of scoring points by knocking down as many pins as possible.-Summary:The lane is bordered along its length by semicylindrical channels Ten-pin bowling (commonly just...
that was released on DVD
DVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
on March 21, 2006. It was written and directed by Christopher Browne
Christopher Browne
Christopher Browne is a documentary film maker/director in the USA.He is noted for directing the ten-pin bowling sports documentary A League of Ordinary Gentlemen.Browne is a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania....
and stars PBA Tour
PBA Tour
The Lumber Liquidators PBA Tour is the major professional tour for ten-pin bowling, operated by the Professional Bowlers Association. Headquartered in Seattle, Washington, the PBA Tour consists of "exempt" bowlers who are a part of the almost 4,300 members worldwide...
players Pete Weber
Pete Weber
Peter David "Pete" Weber, nicknamed “PDW”, , is a famous bowling professional on the Professional Bowlers Association Tour. Weber is one of the sport's most popular active players and is well known for his maverick, rebellious personality...
, Walter Ray Williams Jr., Chris Barnes, and Wayne Webb
Wayne Webb
Wayne Webb is the son of a Ten-pin bowling alley operator from Rehoboth, Massachusetts, USA and was one of the world's best Ten-pin bowlers from the late 1970s to the end of the 1980s...
. The documentary is unique in its genre.
It was first televised nationally on the PBS
Public Broadcasting Service
The Public Broadcasting Service is an American non-profit public broadcasting television network with 354 member TV stations in the United States which hold collective ownership. Its headquarters is in Arlington, Virginia....
series Independent Lens
Independent Lens
Airing weekly on PBS through ITVS, the Emmy Award-winning series Independent Lens introduces new drama and documentary films made by independent filmmakers. Past seasons of Independent Lens have been presented by hosts Angela Bassett, Don Cheadle, Susan Sarandon, Edie Falco, Terrence Howard, Maggie...
on April 25, 2006.http://www.pba.com/news/features.asp?ID=4532
Plot
The documentary follows four professional ten-pin bowlers after the Professional Bowlers AssociationProfessional Bowlers Association
The Professional Bowlers Association is the major sanctioning body for the sport of professional ten-pin bowling in the United States. Headquartered in Seattle, Washington, the PBA membership consists of almost 4,300 members worldwide...
is purchased by a trio of Microsoft
Microsoft
Microsoft Corporation is an American public multinational corporation headquartered in Redmond, Washington, USA that develops, manufactures, licenses, and supports a wide range of products and services predominantly related to computing through its various product divisions...
programmers who hire Steve Miller
Steve Miller (athletics)
Steve Miller is an American athlete, coach and businessman from Chicago.-Early life:Born in Chicago, Miller attended college in his home state of Illinois at Bradley University in Peoria and Governors State University in University Park, earning respectively Bachelor of Science degrees in English...
, a Nike
Nike, Inc.
Nike, Inc. is a major publicly traded sportswear and equipment supplier based in the United States. The company is headquartered near Beaverton, Oregon, which is part of the Portland metropolitan area...
marketing guru, to revitalize the sport.
Cast
- Steve MillerSteve Miller (athletics)Steve Miller is an American athlete, coach and businessman from Chicago.-Early life:Born in Chicago, Miller attended college in his home state of Illinois at Bradley University in Peoria and Governors State University in University Park, earning respectively Bachelor of Science degrees in English...
- Wayne WebbWayne WebbWayne Webb is the son of a Ten-pin bowling alley operator from Rehoboth, Massachusetts, USA and was one of the world's best Ten-pin bowlers from the late 1970s to the end of the 1980s...
, a 20-time champion and 1980 PBA Player of the Year who has fallen on hard times - Pete WeberPete WeberPeter David "Pete" Weber, nicknamed “PDW”, , is a famous bowling professional on the Professional Bowlers Association Tour. Weber is one of the sport's most popular active players and is well known for his maverick, rebellious personality...
, son of legendary bowler Dick WeberDick WeberDick Weber was a famous bowling professional and a founding member of the Professional Bowlers Association...
and renowned "bad boy" of the PBA who was serving a disciplinary suspension when the PBA Tour was purchased - Walter Ray Williams Jr., the dominant player on tour, with 36 PBA titles
- Chris Barnes, a comparatively young pro who has to support his wife and newborn twins
Soundtrack
The documentary features the hit track by comedian Stephen LynchStephen Lynch (musician)
Stephen Andrew Lynch , is an American stand-up comedian, musician and Tony Award-nominated actor who is known for his songs mocking daily life and popular culture. Lynch has released two studio albums and two live albums along with a live DVD...
called "Bowling Song (Almighty Malachi, Professional Bowling God)." This track is featured on Lynch's second official album, Superhero, released in 2002.http://www.ybtba.org.uk/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?p=4074#4074
DVD features
- Deleted Scenes
- PBA TV Spots
- Skills Challenge Highlights
- PBA Event Clips
- Dexter Approach: Tips and Techniques (Hosted by 13-time PBA Tour titlist and current ESPN TV color-analyst Randy PedersenRandy PedersenRandy Pedersen is a professional bowler and color analyst for ESPN's coverage of the PBA Tour. He works alongside play-by-play commentator Rob Stone. Pedersen grew up in Southern California, but relocated to Clermont, Florida in the early 1990s, where he has resided ever since...
.) - Theatrical Trailer
Featured bowlers after the film
Wayne Webb never won another regular PBA Tour title after the completion of the film. He now runs Rainbow Lanes in Columbus, OhioColumbus, Ohio
Columbus is the capital of and the largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio. The broader metropolitan area encompasses several counties and is the third largest in Ohio behind those of Cleveland and Cincinnati. Columbus is the third largest city in the American Midwest, and the fifteenth largest city...
, and has a karaoke
Karaoke
is a form of interactive entertainment or video game in which amateur singers sing along with recorded music using a microphone and public address system. The music is typically a well-known pop song minus the lead vocal. Lyrics are usually displayed on a video screen, along with a moving symbol,...
business on the side. He recently joined the PBA Senior Tour (for players age 50 and older), and made a splash by winning the 2008 Senior U.S. Open. In 2010, he was named PBA Senior Player of the Year.
Chris Barnes earned his first-ever PBA Player of the Year award in the 2007-08 season. He captured his 13th tour title in January, 2011 at the PBA World Championship
PBA World Championship
The PBA World Championship is one of the four major PBA bowling events. Prior to 2002, the tournament was called the PBA National Championship. The PBA National Championship was first contested in 1960, then called the First Annual National Championship...
. He twice won what was (at the time) the biggest prize check in the history of televised bowling ($200,000) by winning the Motel 6 Roll to Riches events in 2005 and 2006.
Walter Ray Williams Jr. is still on tour at age 51, and shows no signs of slowing down. In September, 2006, he surpassed Earl Anthony
Earl Anthony
Earl Roderick Anthony was a left-handed American professional bowler who amassed records of 41 titles and six bowler of the year awards on the Professional Bowlers Association Tour. His title count was amended to 43 in 2008, when the PBA chose to include ABC Masters titles earned by a PBA member...
on the PBA's All-Time titles list with his win over Pete Weber in the Dydo Japan Cup
Dydo Japan Cup
Dydo Japan Cup is an annual PBA and JPBA bowling event. The tournament typically featured the top 16 bowlers from each organization, and has been dominated by PBA Tour professionals since 1989. The last JPBA bowler to win the event was Takeo Sakai in 1988.The tournament celebrated its 25th...
. He currently has 47 PBA Tour titles after winning the USBC Masters
USBC Masters
The USBC Masters is a championship ten pin bowling event conducted by the United States Bowling Congress. The Professional Bowlers Association began recognizing it as a title event in 1998, and it was designated one of the four majors in 2000....
in February, 2010.
Pete Weber is currently third on the PBA's all-time list with 35 titles, following his victory on April 4, 2010.