Boston sportscaster Don Gillis has died. He hosted the Saturday morning bowling show, "Candlepin Bowling"* from the time of the Articles of Confederation until 1995. The show was filmed in specially constructed candlepin lanes in the basement of the WCVB-TV station building. Though legendary among Bostonians, the show was pretty much unwatchable, unless your idea of a good time is candlepin bowling, followed by slo-motion replays of candlepin bowling.
The show aired on late Saturday mornings, and it was basically what you watched after cartoons but before the Creature Double Feature if it the weather was so bad that you couldn't go outside. Don Gillis was a big wheel down at Channel 5, and the show was relentlessly flogged with promos that tried to capture both the excitement of candlepin bowling and Gillis' breathless commentary. The thing I remember, and couldn't find on YouTube, was Gillis trademark shout, "The seven-ten split!"
In honor of Don Gillis, here are some examples of the unexpected glories and cruel vicissitudes of candlepin bowling. It's just like life, except with smaller balls.
Above: An unlikely strike; Below: How do you not pick up that spare?
* I erroneously wrote that the show was called "Candlepins for Cash". It's corrected above.
