Primetime isn’t a gimmick for Dion Sanders, or Nature Boy for Ric Flair. The same applies to Pete Weber, Bad Boy of Professional Bowling. Here’s why.
Perhaps no one has played the game of bowling with more intensity than Pete Weber. Known for being loud, chirpy, vocal, and wearing sunglasses while bowling, Pete Weber has 37 titles on the PBA tour (fourth all-time). He has been inducted into both the PBA and USBC (United States Bowling Congress) Halls of Fame.
At the 2012 PBA U.S. Open, Weber won the tournament for a record fifth time and gave the world one of the most iconic moments in the history of the PBA tour. The championship match of the tournament came down to the final frame. His opponent, Mike Fagan, finished the game with a score of 214. Weber started the frame by throwing a near-perfect shot, but still left the ten-pin. He picked up the spare and had one more shot.
He needed a strike to win by one, nine to tie, and anything less than nine, then Fagan would have won. Weber got a strike and won his fifth U.S. Open title 215-214. He turned to the cheering crowd and let out the now iconic line: “Who do you think you are? I am!”
That iconic moment is not what earned him his reputation as the bad boy of professional bowling however. Primetime isn’t just a gimmick for Dion Sanders. Nature Boy isn’t for Ric Flair. Bad Boy of Professional Bowling is definitely not for Pete Weber. It’s a lifestyle … a lifestyle that almost cost him everything.
Pete Weber was born into a bowling family. His father, Dick Weber, was one of the PBA’s first true superstars, winning 30 PBA tour titles during a career that spanned from 1958 to 1992. Pete would follow in his father’s footsteps and make his debut on the PBA tour in 1979. He quickly established himself as a dominant force on the tour by becoming the youngest player to reach 10 PBA tour titles at just 24 years old. He would continue to dominate the league into the next decade, winning his 20th title in 1993.
The 1980s and early 1990s marked a professional high point for Pete Weber. But behind the scenes, things were very different. In 1985, he admitted to Sports Illustrated that he had been struggling with cocaine, alcohol, and gambling addictions. He claimed to have spent a week while on the tour in what he described as a “complete blackout.”
During the “complete blackout.”Weber said he would use a combination of cocaine and Jack Daniel’s to stay up for days on end. He also claimed to have spent a day drinking full-strength Long Island Iced Teas before bowling and scoring in the high 200s. By his own estimate, Pete Weber burned away $150,000 on alcohol, cocaine, and gambling between 1982 and 1984.
Photo courtesy Steve’s Bowling Blog
He entered rehab in 1984. He never did cocaine again after completing rehab. By his own admission, though, he has continued to struggle with alcohol addiction over the years. By the mid-1990s, Weber had been through two divorces, and, on top of that, the issues were beginning to affect his professional life.
Despite being a great bowler, Weber was not well-loved by his peers. In 1987, Weber won the PBA Tournament of Champions and led in earnings that year, but despite this, he was still denied the Player of the Year award. In the 1990s, there were multiple instances in which the PBA Tour suspended Weber for “Conduct unbecoming of a professional.”
Reasons for these suspensions varied, but stories have circulated of inappropriate vocal altercations with other players, their families, and even the fans. By the mid-90s, his game had begun to suffer as well. From 1994 to 1996, he failed to win a single title, and in the 1995 season, he failed even to make a championship round appearance. But in 1997, he started to find his groove again. He won two titles in the 1997 season, and his earnings were a then-career high of $181,000. However, in 1999, controversy would find Weber again when he was handed another suspension for “Unprofessional conduct” due to an alcohol-related incident at a pro-am tournament.
When the PBA was sold in the early 2000s, Weber’s loud and brash style was embraced by the new ownership. That embrace led to a career revival in the 2000s.
However, Weber credits much of his later career success (including the turnaround in 1997) to his wife, Tracy. He credits Tracy for helping him stay focused and lose. One reason is that she once bowled on the PBA Women’s tour and understands the pressure and stress of being on tour. He said, “She’s the best thing that ever happened to me.”
Pete Weber’s reputation as the bad boy of professional bowling is well earned. His lifestyle and destructive habits could have cost him everything. But through sheer grit, determination, intensity, unwavering passion, and the support of a great woman, Pete Weber still bowls today on the PBA60 Tour. Earlier, he won 37 PBA tour titles and another 14 titles on the PBA50 tour.
For his senior work, Weber is a two-time PBA50 Player of the Year. In 2023, he earned the same title on the PBA60 tour. With PBA regional events added, Weber is one of only two players to win 100 PBA Titles. His title count currently stands at 109.
Has his career been controversial? Yes! Has it been successful? Absolutely! Also true is this: Pete Weber’s bowling skills and his ability to handle personal crises are remarkable. He is one of professional bowling’s all-time greats. `
This is a fantastic column! Great job.