Good research. But maybe it's a recent change for PDW?

Part of it is marketing too lol.... keeping up with his bad boy image. bowling could use that IMO.. show's have been improving somewhat this year, but the last few years, bowling got boring for me and my friends.....

PDW reminds me of my bad A$$ uncle who is really friendly but cocky. and when it comes to basketball he can be a donkey, but people like him. when he played ball at 45, he was taking college team kids to school and came close to fighting too...only difference between PDW and my uncle, My uncle is a AM boxer lol and pete is a 30 plus champion....

Pete can come off a pompous jerk, but I believe he's good for the game. He gives a lot of us older guys hope that we can still compete. 
 
I was disappointed in his post match interview after the loss to Belmo. He basically blamed "TowelGate" for getting in his head and affected his performance. It wasn't one of his better moments. He should have taken the high road and gave credit to Belmo for executing better.
 
He has no problem celebrating his wins. He needs to show some humility in defeat.

In my opinion I think it did.......

He finally let all of that mess get to him lol....

Getting mad at the crossover, and breaking his glasses, classic.
Now seeing as he doesn't wipe his ball, I might give him that, but he didn't have to act like that......

My other thing is, if they don't want the bowlers placing towels there, why don't they give them a spot to do so.  Once you step on the approach you don't want to step off to get your towel.

Pete can come off a pompous jerk, but I believe he's good for the game. He gives a lot of us older guys hope that we can still compete. 
 
I was disappointed in his post match interview after the loss to Belmo. He basically blamed "TowelGate" for getting in his head and affected his performance. It wasn't one of his better moments. He should have taken the high road and gave credit to Belmo for executing better.
 
He has no problem celebrating his wins. He needs to show some humility in defeat.

interstate4, just stop for crying out loud. I just watched a replay of the match on my dvr and I must say it was much ado about nothing. The PBA wants some color in bowling and the current owners asked for such when they bought it. PDW volunteered to to be the bad guy or controversial figure. I would be pissed also if I always found somebody's towel on my ball for no other reason than common courtesy. He didn't make that big a deal about it on camera, mainly some arm motions to whomever he was telling off to the side. He was far more animated and disgusted by the two brooklyns as many bowlers are, in competitive situations. I guess you've forgotten your international face of bowling crackling his plastic water bottle more than once during matches with Sean Rash, as Rash was getting ready to approach the lane? This stuff is more than likely smiled at by the PBA brass as it creates attention to the game that they don't have to pay for!! Now, settle down!!!!!

Love or hate his personality/antics, PDW is probably the most talented bowler of all time up to this point. The fact that he was still right in the hunt at yet another major goes to prove that. I'm not a fiery, in-your-face type of guy like Pete; however, that doesn't mean it's wrong for people to be that way within reason.

Pete didn't run up on the approach and threaten to knock Belmo out for putting his towel there. He asked the tournament directors to enforce their own policy. Heck, I've seen fist fights and near fist fights during league bowling over things that were even more trivial than towelgate, so let's not act as if Pete's behavior was grossly out of line. Was he a bit childish/unprofessional, maybe, but is that any worse than Rash screaming "bottle bi#tch" at Belmo a few years back? Is it worse than Walter Ray whining about the conditions every time he leaves a 10-pin? Is it worse than hearing Bill O'Neil mutter under his breath about how badly the guys in the previous matches broke the lanes down? Bowlers, even the best ones in the world, are human beings, and human beings get frustrated from time to time. Pete got frustrated, and he acted like a bit of a baby. It's not the first time that's happened (to him or any other bowler), and it certainly won't be the last.

Lastly, Interstate4, you need to realize that for every person like you who dislikes PDW because of his attitude and antics, there are just as many if not more people on the other side who like him specifically because of those very things. As such, while I appreciate your initiative in letting Storm know your thoughts, I wouldn't count on seeing Pete's lightning bolt pulled anytime soon.