Tim Mack to make comeback from injury in Greece this month By Dick Evans

Tim Mack took sports world by storm and then decided bowling was his game until shoulder problems sent him to sideline -- temporarily

When life throws you a curve ball, you have to hope you are not at a critical crossroad in life because timing is a key component to success.

Tim Mack came to a mental crossroad in his bowling life in 2003, trying to decide whether to continue on a highly successful international amateur career or make a right hand turn and try his luck on the Professional Bowlers Association tour.

Many felt it was a no brainier...Mack already was one of the great amateur bowlers in the world and had the physical and mental game so necessary to be highly successful on the PBA tour.

But unknown to observers and even Mack, his 32 year old athletic body was in revolt. He became a bowler at age two, a baseball player at age eight and a football star at age 10 and competition was taking a toll on his body.

Tim Mack's high school athletic prowess became almost legendary in his native Pennsylvania. Although he stood only 5-9 and weighed just 195, Tim Mack walked on to Penn State's football field and was added to the team roster by Coach Joe Paterno.

Although his body was taking a pounding, Mack continued to bowl and bowl very well.

When he graduated, he decided remain an amateur...a very wise decision that resulted in 65 international titles while bowling in 32 countries on five continents. He has lifted many heavy bowling bags into and out of airports, hotels and bowling centers across the world.

It was almost fitting that he teamed up with the Storm bowling ball company because he took the amateur world by storm and it is estimated (by me) that he has earned more than two million.

However, not all of that is profit since it takes a pot full of bowling prize funds to pay for numerous trips around the world.

Still, there was one more world to be conquered - the pro bowling world of legends like Anthony, Williams, Weber, Roth and Aulby.

When he reached his bowling crossroad, Mack decided he wanted the best of two worlds - international amateur tournaments when the PBA tour was idle.

"I thought I could do both," said the man who once flew 237,000 miles in a year to bowling tournaments around the world.

His right shoulder said no, the more he tried the more the body revolted forcing him to the sideline for the first time in his athletic life.

"In hindsight, my PBA decision at that time was a bad one based on the injury I did not know about," Mack said. "And I have to be honest, not many good things have happened to me in bowling since my PBA decision."

After two shoulder surgeries and a lot of rehabilitation Tim Mack is hoping to take his new 14-pound Storm bowling ball on the road again and try a European Tour tournament in Greece this month.

His PBA future is unknown, it depends on how the shoulder reacts to a few tournaments. It may never be strong enough to allow Tim Mack to compete without pain in 9 or 10 successive PBA tour stops or in long format events like the U.S. Open and Masters.

Hopefully Tim Mack's timing will be in synch with Greenwich time as he reaches another cross road in his bowling life.

Below you will find Tim Mack's answers to questions I sent to his home via email.

He discusses in great detail his athletic background, his international exploits, his injury and recovery, the PBA tour experience and how he feels about the lack of a women's pro tour.

In my opinion, he answered the questions the same way he threw a bowling ball...hard and straight to the point or head pin.


QUESTION: "When and how did you take up baseball and football and what honors did you receive?"
ANSWER: "I started baseball when I was 5 and football when I was 10.. I wanted to play both sports so my Mom would take me to all practices and games. I love to compete and love to win. In baseball I was a pitcher, catcher and shortstop. In football I was a defensive end and fullback. While playing baseball my team was two games from the Little League World Series. I was on every All-star team for each year I played from t-ball to 17 years old. We won back-to-back league championships in 1988 and 1989. In football, I was first team All-League and All-Area offensive tackle. We went undefeated and won the league championship in 1987 and were ranked third in the state of Pennsylvania."

QUESTION: "What year did you decide to walk on as a football player at prestigious Penn State and would you do it over again?"
ANSWER: "In 1991, I was disappointed with the direction college bowling was taking. So, I decided to walk on to the football team because I missed football and because everyone said I couldn't make the team. It was one of the most valuable experiences in my life and I would do it over a thousand times."

QUESTION: "What is your opinion of veteran Penn State Coach Joe Paterno?"
ANSWER: "Coach Paterno is one of the greatest teachers I have ever had in sport and my life. He prepared me for any and all challenges that I might be faced with in my life."

QUESTION: "How and when did you take up bowling and did you bowl while playing baseball and football?"
ANSWER: " I grew up in a family of bowlers and started bowling when I was two. I bowled all throughout my schooling, in addition to playing baseball, football, basketball, tennis, skiing, and golf. While in college, I bowled the first two and a half years, then stopped to focus on football."

QUESTION: "When did you decide football was more important than baseball and what led you into a bowling career?"
ANSWER: "Baseball was never really an option at Penn State. I really wanted to prove to everyone that I could play football at Penn State because I missed it so much. After I graduated, I had some success in local bowling tournaments in the Tri-State area at winning money. So I decided to concentrate more on bowling and see if I could do it for a living."

QUESTION: "Can you name the countries where you have bowled and how many international amateur titles you have won?"
ANSWER: "I have won 65 titles on five continents. I have competed in the following countries: USA, Canada, Mexico, Dominican Republic, Brazil, Venezuela, England, Scotland, Ireland, Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Netherlands, Poland, Germany, Italy, Greece, Kuwait, Bahrain, UAE, Qatar, Egypt, Thailand, Malaysia, Taiwan, Singapore, China, Japan, Korea, Philippines, Indonesia, Australia. (I may have left some out.)"

QUESTION: "Please tell us about some of the most important international titles you have won in your opinion?"
ANSWER: "I have three important international bowling accomplishments. First, bowling 300 game in Singapore for $100,000 in March of 2003, where I also won the tournament.
Second, winning the Pergamon Open in Sweden in August 2001, which was the biggest tournament in Europe at the time. While I was at the tournament, my Grandmother passed away and I flew home for the services and flew back to Sweden in time to capture the title.
Third, I represented the USA in the 15th WTBA/FIQ World Bowling Championships in Malaysia 2003. I broke three world records and won four silver and one gold while helping TEAM USA to its largest ever medal total."

QUESTION: "How and when did you join the Storm staff and how important has that decision been to your bowling success?"
ANSWER: "I began throwing Storm balls in 1995 and exclusively since 1996. I have been a staff member ever since. It's been a great run together, watching myself grow as a bowler and watching Storm grow exponentially. Bill Chrisman and the Storm family have been a very important part of my growth as a bowler. I am very thankful and grateful for the support they have given me throughout my bowling career."

QUESTION: "When and how did you meet PWBA star Brenda Norman and when did you both decide to get married?"
ANSWER: "I met Brenda in June of 1995 through a mutual friend (Kim Terrell) at the WTC in Baltimore, MD. We started to date in the beginning of 98. We decided to get married in October 2004."

QUESTION: "Do you feel empathy that she no longer has a pro tour to look forward to since he appeared to be just coming into her prime when the PWBA folded three years ago?"
ANSWER: "I feel terrible for Brenda and all of the women bowlers who no longer have a tour to bowl on. I believe women bowlers are great athletes and should have their own stage. They should not have to share it with the men. I enjoy watching the women compete and it's sad to see that Brenda doesn't have a place to compete like she used to."

QUESTION: "When and why did you decide to give the PBA tour a shot and how many tournaments did you bowl in before sidelined by your shoulder?"
ANSWER: "After the World Championships in 2003, I labored over the decision to join the PBA for a very long time. I wanted to compete on the PBA Tour because it was one of the few bowling arenas where I had not competed and won. With regards to my shoulder injury, my doctors have informed me that the onset of the injury began at the end of 2002 and continued to worsen the more I competed.
"According to the doctors, I was bowling injured from the beginning of my brief PBA stint until my surgery. My first tournament in Chicago, I finished fifth-8th. I am not sure what my prize money was or all of my other finishes, but I was close several times. Regardless, my shoulder injury was getting worse."

QUESTION: "When did your shoulder injury occur, what have you done about it and when do you expect to return to competitive bowling?"
ANSWER: "I cannot pinpoint the exact moment of the injury. My injury has progressively worsened over time. The only reason I was able to compete for as long as I did was because of my physical conditioning. My doctors said the injury could have resulted from my many years of sports. The injury as I know it was very traumatic. The surgeon scraped an inch and a half of bone off of my shoulder. He shaved the surface of my humeral head. I have a torn labrum sheath. I had bone spurs removed. I had a bursar sac explode, which they had to remove the debris. I have rheumatoid arthritis in my gleniod socket. I have lost most of my articular cartilage. Now I have bone-on-bone rubbing in my shoulder socket, which is similar to Barry Bonds' knee.
"I have undergone physical therapy for the last 10 months. This includes strength, mobility, and endurance training, as well as a cortisone shot in my shoulder. I have just completed a series of five injection treatments in my socket over a five week period. The injections are a material called Synvisc Hyalgen. The material is designed to help lubricate the joint and promote range of motion. I have learned throughout this process not to set a date of return. It is a trial and error process. I am planning a major comeback. I plan to be better than I was before the injury."

QUESTION: "How tough is it to sit on the sidelines and watch when you would rather be in the heat of battles?"
ANSWER: "To watch others have the success they have had is bittersweet. Sweet because many of them are my friends, and I am very happy for them. Bitter because when I am clicking on all cylinders, I can compete with anybody in the world. Right now, being on the bench, is hard to swallow.

QUESTION: "Do you think bowling is tougher on the body than most people think, or a former Penn State football player would guess?"
ANSWER: "Most people don't realize how physically demanding our sport is at the top level. We have a bad stereotype in our sport. If you look at all of the great bowlers, most of them are in good condition and are great athletes in other sports. I feel bowlers don't receive the respect they deserve."

QUESTION: "Knowing what you know now, would you have joined the PBA if you had it to do over again."
ANSWER: " Knowing what I know now, I would not have joined the PBA Tour when I did. I would have waited until my shoulder was healed, so that everyone, including myself, would see what I am capable of achieving. I feel as though my PBA experience was only "a shell" of Tim Mack. I had higher expectations of the entire PBA experience and I hope that those expectations and my goals can be reached some day."


A lot of people are waiting for the day "The Real Tim Mack" makes his reappearance on the international and PBA tours.

So am I.

Email address: [email protected].