No wonder Poe, 34, has seen it all.
The Glen Burnie resident has been dabbling with the Professional Bowlers Association tour for nine years and won’t let go of his bid to make it full time on the circuit someday.
“The next nine weeks are pretty much do or die for me,” said Poe, who has the sponsors now to begin a nine week full time trial run on the PBA tour. “If I don’t feel like I accomplish something in those nine weeks, I’ll return to my local leagues and part time PBA status.”
Those critical nine weeks for Poe begin today in the $150,000 PBA Fair Lanes Open at Fair Lanes Woodlawn. He averaged 198 for 10 games Monday to finish 47th among 60 qualifiers for Jordan Retro 3 the 160 man Fair Lanes Open field.
The competition began this morning at 9 and will continue through 10:30 tonight at Fair Lanes Woodlawn. The field will be reduced to 24 bowlers by tomorrow night.
This tournament would be a perfect opportunity for Poe to begin writing a Hollywood type script in front of friendly fans and family members.
But he refused to get caught up in the euphoria yesterday after final practice rounds.
“I won’t know how I’ll do until Air Jordan 7s tomorrow morning when I put my shoes on and go out there and bowl,” said Poe. “I might shoot the lights out or can’t find a spot to get in a good groove. People put too much pressure on themselves. I’ve seen guys say they were going to do this or that.”
Poe said the game is too tricky to make any bold predictions.
“I could hit the headpin all day and still knock all the pins down or I could live in the pocket for 16 games and only bowl 180.”
So why does Poe continue to seek a life on a circuit that can be a grind even for the top bowlers?
“I love the sport,” said the man who drills bowling balls for a living at the Glen Burnie Pro Shop. “All I want Nike Air Foamposite One to do is become good enough that Air Jordan 5s every once in a while I would make the show [five man stepladder finals on television].”
Poe will room with Bel Air’s Marty Letscher the next eight weeks as they hit the PBA tour together.
After the Fair Lanes Open here, the two will head to Winter Haven, Fla., for the next stop.
“It costs $700 to $750 a week to get out on the tour full time,” he said. “That’s not easy to come up with in these tough economic times, but Air Jordan 8s Wayne Stepp [owner of Glen Burnie Pro Shop], Harold Entwine [who bowls in local leagues with Poe] and my mother [Juanita Poe] are sponsoring me.”
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