E.J. Tackett is good … very, very good!

"Do you have another job?"It was a simple question. A query that should bring a one word answer. Yes or no. I had no idea what that question would lead to but it turned out to be fascinating. Here is the final column involving my conversation with E. J. Tackett, professional bowler.He did answer the question. I will tell you what his response was later, but it's entirely possible the information I'm about to give you will provide a clue. One of the topics that came up in regards to the question was sponsors. So let's start there.Like all professional athletes E. J. Tackett indeed has several sponsors. Almost all are from the bowling industry and their dollars help to offset his expenses. Traveling to tournaments can be costly. Throw in room and board and those sponsorship commitments become important.He did mention that one of his sponsors was not in the bowling industry and that would be fellow Hoosier Tony Stewart. Now Tony is well known as a race car driver from Indy cars to Nascar to sprint cars. He's also a fan of the sport of bowling. In fact, E. J. wondered if I knew that Tony Stewart had two bowling lanes installed in the basement of his home. I did not.Another factor in whether a professional bowler can sustain a life on the tour financially is his success rate. Winning tournaments pays a lot more than just barely making the cut or missing it altogether. So has E. J. been successful on tour? Let's look at some statistics and you can decide.Tackett was the rookie of the year on the PBA Tour in 2012-13. He has won 15 PBA Tour tournaments and that includes two majors – the PBA World Championship in Reno (2016) and the PBA Torunament of Champions in Shawnee, OK (2017). Add nine more victories in regional events and we can conclude that E. J. Tackett is good. Very, very good!During our discussion he offered the following information that caught me off guard. "In 10 years on tour I have made $1.2 million." After catching my breath I said, "Wow, that sounds like a lot of money." Perhaps you are thinking the same thing as you read this. Then I added, "does that seem like a lot of money to you?"His answer was, as usual, quick and forthright. He did not share my interpretation of the meaning of a lot. Though he was not complaining, he suggested that compared to other professional sports, bowling purses are not huge.Silly me, I was comparing his 10 year earnings to my teaching salary, but Tackett was thinking of his other love – golf. "A PGA golfer can make that much money in one tournament AND he doesn't even have to win!" He's right of course. Rory McIlroy was the runner up at the 2022 Masters Tournament and took home north of $1.6 million. Again it is worth noting that he was not complaining about his own fortunes, he was just stating a fact. His comparison just comes from a different perspective.So I had to ask the following question. Would he consider switching sports to make a living? He admitted that an attempt at playing on the Senior golf tour is something he has thought about. Of course he would have to wait 20 years. As for making a move at this point in life – well that would be a no – and he offered this explanation."I grew up competing against the likes of Jordan Spieth, Scottie Scheffler and Xander Schauffele. I couldn't beat them then so there's no reason to think I could beat them now."So bowling it is. By the way, his answer to the original question was no. He makes his living throwing the rock down the lanes and by any standards it is a good living.Before we ended our chat I had to ask him about the future of the sport of bowling. I wanted to know if bowling was a dying sport as it seems to be in Tiffin. We have a 24-lane house sitting idle as it has been for years. I wanted to know if Tiffin was similar to other places. I thought as a professional bowler he would know.He pointed out that his father's establishment is still going strong and the regional tournament house in Washington – where he got his 24th professional win – was doing well also. He mentioned that that establishment was under new ownership and their profits had increased by 20% in the first year.So maybe there is hope for Tiffin's bowling alley. It would be a good thing for the community if that facility could be reopened. We can only hope.As I wrap up this final report I can't help but think of the disclaimer that I issued to E. J. as I began our conversation. I pointed out that he had nothing to gain by talking to me. Yet he did for the better part of an hour. He was cordial, friendly and honest.While making the disclaimer I was thinking that perhaps he might make a new fan from my columns. That has happened. When I watch PBA events on TV or attend in person, I will be rooting for my new favorite professional bowler – E. J. Tackett.After all, I feel like I know him!