Kelly Kulick is a great bowler, of course.  She's good enough to be an exempt PBA member, and she's good enough to have made a telecast, which was in fact a major.  As an icon in the bowling world, she serves to remind that women's bowling is still alive, and that occassionally some of those bowlers can compete on the PBA tour.  In fact, Kelly is considered by many to be one of the Great Bowlers of Our Time (tm).  Bear this in mind when I say the following:

Kelly Kulick is extremely overrated.

Now, to explain why I bother posting this.

At times, it seems every flippin' person on the entire doggone planet has lost their sense of perspective when it comes to Kelly.  When I talk bowling with someone (especially casual bowling fans), something along the lines of "Kelly Kulick is the greatest!" always seems to come up (and don't get me started on YouTube!).  All the time.  It boggles my mind.  When I ask why she is so great, the response is always 1) SHE WON THE ToC AND SHE'S A WOMAN PROVING WOMEN AND MEN ARE EQUAL!!!!! (disregarding that if you honestly believed we were completely equal, this would be much less of a big deal to you), or 2) Kelly is the most dominant female bowler in the last several years.  Granted, she's been curb-stomping everyone in the women's majors, and I have no problem considering her the greatest FEMALE bowler.  But that's just it.  Using a qualification won against a field completely (with one or two exceptions) comprised of bowlers who either can't or won't shoe up on the PBA tour means absolutely squat when comparing against other PBA champions.  As for the Tournament of Champions...her victory at the ToC a few years ago did not end the debate concerning the athletic equality of men and women.  Neither did it establish an everlasting dynasty of dominance over the PBA tour.  It was a single tv appearance.  Her only singles PBA tv appearance.

Anybody remember who John Nolen is?  That's what I thought.  But, for some reason, Kelly is elevated above and beyond what she has achieved.

Kelly is far from the greatest.  If she were great, as an exempt touring PBA player she would be making multiple shows a season.  Heck, even one show a season, assuming a poor WSOB showing.  And most importantly, if she were great she would be a threat for a title each week.

Kelly Kulick achieved something great.  Let's call a spade a spade and just leave it at that.  She's pro, for sure, but come on.

A dose of reality for the road: Wayne Garber has more singles telecast appearances on the PBA tour than Kelly Kulick.  Since Kelly's ToC victory, they both only have one (you read that right, ONE) match play appearance, according to PBA.com.

Kelly is a great bowler. Obviously by her career she has nothing to prove. Fan/general population ignorance on a subject means nothing. If you can learn not to pay attention to what a lot of people preceive to be true and focus on facts you will have a lower chance of being found dead at your keyboard from an aneurysm.

Why does this bother you so much?

Agreed. I've known Kelly personally for quite a while, and I have to agree with the others; she has nothing else to prove, except to herself. Her record in college, the LPBT, PWBA, and PBA speak for themselves. Call me a newbie here, but I don't know of anyone else here on this board who can match the credits she has on their resume.

And yes, I definitely remember "Smooth rollin', John Nolen'.

OP, do you remember Rich Abboud? Tom Kelley? Brad Snell? Tim Criss? Lil Johnson? Rachel Perez? I certainly do; and again, their accomplishments speak for themselves, and I only wish I could have the opportunity to compete at the level these guys and gals are at.

Personal confession here. My first year in college, I tried out for and made our collegiate team (Nebraska-Omaha). The first team I bowled against at my first tournament was our sister college, Nebraska-Lincoln. I proceeded to have my butt handed to me by a 298 and a 300 shot on me by two women, both of which went on to become pro bowlers: One named Kim Straub, the other Brenda Norman (now Brenda Mack).

My next tournament, though I shot well each time out for the day, I was again handed my butt by another woman; her last name is Johnson.

My point: She, and women in general definitely aren't overrated. I would consider them to be the most consistent of bowlers, having much more of a compact and balanced game than I've seen of the men. I compare the forms of Johnson, Kulick, Terrell-Kearney, Asbaty, O'Keefe, and may others, to those of Shafer, Allen (Ritchie/Dick and Patrick), O'Neill, and a few others and wonder how the hell they stay balanced.

I'd actually go the other way; I'd say she's more underrated than anything.

BL.

This is from the PBA Website of Kelly.  I'm guessing there are numerous achievements that have been left out.  Oh why yes she is VERY overrated (smh)




Personal: Nickname is “Double K” or “K-squared”…Favorite movie is “A League of Their Own”…Ultimate dinner guest is Elvis Presley…Works part-time in father’s auto body shop in Elizabeth, N.J…Hobbies include music, cooking and drawing…Graduated from Morehead University with degree in physical and health education…Eight-time member of Team USA and two-time member of Junior Team USA…Won two golds (singles, all-events) and two silver medals (doubles, Masters) in 2000 World Youth Championships…Won gold (doubles) and two silver medals (team, Masters) in 1998 World Youth Championships…Won gold medal in 2000 World Tenpin Team Cup…Won gold medal (team) in 1999 Pan American Games…Won gold (singles) and two bronze (team, trios) in 1999 WTBA World Championships…2000 U.S. Amateur Champion...2001 PWBA Rookie of the Year…Selected as Bowlers Journal International Person of the Year for 2006...Got back on winning track in 2011 with Women's Singapore Open title...Won gold in team and bronze in doubles and trios in 2011 WTBA World Womens Championships...Was featured in the 2011 ESPN the Magazine Body issue and has appeared in Bridgestone Tire commercials.
 
2011-12 season: Had best finish of seventh in Chameleon Open which marked best finish since winning Tournament of Champions in 2010...Ranked 46th in average (214.45) and 48th in earnings ($10,855).
 
Career: Made sports history by winning the 2010 PBA Tournament of Champions to become the first woman to win a PBA Tour event. Defeated Chris Barnes in the championship match, 265-195…Also won PBA Women’s Series Shark Championship…Finished seventh in Don and Paula Carter Mixed Doubles Championship with partner Eugene McCune…Tied for third in Women’s Scorpion Championship, tied for fifth in Women’s Viper, Chameleon and Earl Anthony Memorial Championships… Became the first woman to earn a Tour exemption (2006-07 season) after finishing sixth in 2006 PBA Tour Trials (rolled a 300 on the final day)…Best finish in 2006-07 was 22nd (twice)…Her 2010 TOC win resulted in widespread national media attention including coverage in Sports Illustrated, major daily newspapers, websites and television networks…Also received an invitation to attend a White House function hosted by President and Mrs. Obama celebrating pioneering achievements by women…Three-time U.S. Women's Open winner (2003, 2007 and 2012)…Won PBA Senior Ladies and Legends title in 2008…Became second woman to win a PBA Regional title (Rome, N.Y., 2006) and second to win two PBA Regional titles (Lakewood, Wash., 2010)…Became first woman ever to win USBC Queens and U.S. Women’s Open back-to-back in 2010, and only woman in bowling history to win four consecutive major titles (PBA Women’s World Championship, PBA TOC, USBC Queens, Women’s U.S. Open)…Owns eight PWBA and PBA Women’s Series titles, of which six are majors.
 
PBA Women’s Series Standard Titles: 2009 Shark Championship.

PBA Women’s Major Titles: 2009 PBA Women’s World Championship.

PBA Tour Career Majors: 2009-10 – Tournament of Champions, Las Vegas.

Other honors: 2010 World Bowling Writers Woman Bowler of the Year

Well I understand what he's saying. If she was a man we would  have already forgotten his name by now. However, it is what it is and we are all stuck with the hand we are dealt. We are past the days of women and minorities being disadvantaged. It's the white male who has to work hardest just to be even noticed these days.

Oh am I? If I fill out an application with the US Army Corp of Engineers (or any other government position) and I equally qualified to a minority applicant or female applicant they are automatically bumped ahead of me. That is a FACT. Jobs are awarded based on a computer points system. Additional points are added to minority and female applicants. How is that fair? Same goes for contractors. If I bid the same as a minority contractor 9 times out of 10 a big corporation is going with the minority just because they are scared someone will yell discrimination.

I'm not complaining. It is what it is.

I'm just saying what everyone else in this country is scared to say.

Well said kid lost. I was just saying that I was tired of people using that as a crutch. Those days are over.