Norm has thrown almost every ball company in the game!  What equipment do you think gave him the best look.. With the last 3, Storm, Brunswick, or AMF?  I like the look AMF gave him, with the low flaring balls.  All though the first time ever throwing Brunswick he won the tournament in Atlanta.  He has won a few titles with this Storm stuff too.. what do you guys think?  Thought i'd share this article as well.  Congrats to Mr Duke

Norm Duke won the Bowler of the Year Excellence in Sports Performance Yearly (ESPY) Award at the 2008 ESPYS presented by Hummer in Los Angeles which aired on ESPN on Sunday, July 20.
The ESPYS celebrate the top moments, most emotional stories and best performances of the past year in sports. Online voting determined the ESPY winners as fans were able to vote for their favorite athletes in each category. Duke beat out fellow PBA stars Chris Barnes and Walter Ray Williams Jr.
“To receive recognition for the efforts required to compete on the highest level in any sport is always meaningful and I am thrilled,” Duke said. “The opportunity to celebrate the accomplishments of great athletes, and to be alongside those athletes, is one that I will never take for granted. It’s a special night for sports and I would like to thank ESPN and the PBA for making it possible.”
Duke, who won the Bowler of the Year ESPY in 1995 and 2007, won the final two Majors of the ’07-08 season to secure a three-season exemption despite battling injuries earlier in the season. His victories in the Denny’s World Championship and the 65th Denny’s U.S. Open made him just the sixth bowler in history to win back-to-back Majors and the 10th to win two Majors in a season.

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I have to agree Brunswick is Parker and vice versa you can't think of one without the other.  I personally prefer the Loyalty that is shown than some jumping around that goes on.  I understand you have to make your money while you can but I wish there was longer ball contracts with some of the exempt guys.

Don't get me wrong, I am all for loyalty and rewarding those loyal to you. I just can't equate loyalty with profit and loss. I have not said that Parker is a better or worse bowler or person than Norm.

If Big B has not completed any type of market study to know how winning impacts ball sales, to say that one player is better for sales than another is pure conjecture. A matter of opinion.


BTW, Parker is the bowler that I tell my 10 year old lefty to pattern his game after. Not just form, but sportsmanship. But, that does not mean that Parker sales more product than Norm would.
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Those that can do. Those that can't complain.

My saying for the day: "You can take the ho out of the hood, but you can't take the ho out of the ho."

ccrider,

It not just about ball sales. It is about a companies image also. While Norm is a fan favorite on TV, Parker is a fan favorite on TV, off TV, at exibitions, at Pro Ams, etc.

This is no disrespect to Norm, but not only does Parker influnece the sales of bowling balls, but every other bowling related product that Brunswick sells.

Norm is not the outgoing type of person, everyday, that you see on TV. Not saying this in a bad way, it is just a fact. Parker is the same person you see on TV, see at an exhibition, see at a pro am, see in the grocery store.....Parker is Parker 24/7.

As BrunsRico stated cc, you are entitled to your opinion, but being a former Brunswick employee, I know how much influence Parker has not only in bowling ball sales in sales of all Brunswick bowling related products.

Verbs
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Larry Verble

norms won with track also. parker is so nice and is a great ambassador to the sport. i think norm could win with everything really.
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Im so glad people are brainwashed to think that TRACK sucks. And its even funnier when im carrying with my TRACK ball and they're going flat ten with their BRUNSWICK ball.