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Shutdown Corner

Wed Jun 10, 2009 3:49 pm EDT

Fred Smoot's professional bowling ambitions may be realized

By Chris Chase

Earlier this week Dan Steinberg of the DC Sports Bog described Fred Smoot's goal of becoming a pro bowler after his football career is over. Smoot is serious, too. Or somewhat serious. You decide:

"I'm gonna attempt to go to the PBA," Fred Smoot(notes) told me the other day. I started laughing.

"You're laughing," he observed. "See, people did this years ago when I said I was going to go to the NFL, so it don't make me mad. I'm serious. I'm dead serious. I want to cross over to bowling after football."

The thing is, he sounded really serious. I asked him around 16 times if he was joking, and every time he said he was not.

These post-football plans were brought to light after the Washington Redskins cancelled their planned OTAs on Tuesday and had a team outing at a local bowling alley instead. Chris Cooley(notes) wrote about the afternoon in an excellent blog post (and got in a playful dig at Smoot when he told Redskins blogger Matt Terl that Smoot would be just as excited bowling a 125 as backup quarterback Todd Collins would be bowling a 300).

The PBA heard about Smoot's future plans and today offered him an invitation to a PBA event:

The PBA will give Fred Smoot entry into a PBA event and he can see where he stacks up against the best bowlers in the world. We think he might be in for a rude awakening because our pros are to bowling pins what he is to wide receivers.

What, mostly irrelevant? (Kidding, Fred. Kidding. Sort of.)

The PBA has always been pretty good about marketing, and inviting Smoot to a tournament would probably draw a bunch of new viewers, most of whom would be sports bloggers. Throw an invite the way of Gilbert Arenas and it'd be the blog equivalent of covering the moon landing.

By the way, given Smoot's affinity for trash talk and festive boat rides, you won't be at all surprised to hear that Smoot gets a bit enthusiastic when he bowls. It looks like Freddy rolls a bit like Jesus (Quintana). Smoot did play for the Vikings once, so he probably has some purple in his closet. Let's just hope Todd Collins marked it eight, dude.

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49 Comments

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  1. kanye_upper_midwest
    1. Posted by kanye_upper_midwest Wed Jun 10, 2009 4:00 pm EDT

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    The most shocking thing about this post is that Fred Smoot still has a football career.
  2. The Walking Dude
    2. Posted by The Walking Dude Wed Jun 10, 2009 4:42 pm EDT

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    Yeah but does he roll on Shabbas?
  3. Erock
    3. Posted by Erock Wed Jun 10, 2009 4:43 pm EDT

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    The best thing about this article is that it reminds me that I'm not a Cowboys fan, and that's awesome.
  4. John G
    4. Posted by John G Wed Jun 10, 2009 5:46 pm EDT

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    him and 'The Bus' can go try out together.. i heard he's a good bowler
  5. the dude abides
    5. Posted by the dude abides Wed Jun 10, 2009 5:59 pm EDT

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    clearly he's not a golfer
  6. dudelabowski
    6. Posted by dudelabowski Wed Jun 10, 2009 6:18 pm EDT

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    this isn't Nam it's bowling, there are rules here!
  7. YGM
    7. Posted by YGM Wed Jun 10, 2009 6:20 pm EDT

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    i could bowl better than him probably. i bowled a 260 before
  8. Mr. Lawrence
    8. Posted by Mr. Lawrence Wed Jun 10, 2009 6:21 pm EDT

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    yeah but he's a pervert dude
  9. Mitch
    9. Posted by Mitch Wed Jun 10, 2009 6:35 pm EDT

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    The world is filled with nothing but haters ...
  10. darren t
    10. Posted by darren t Wed Jun 10, 2009 6:36 pm EDT

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    Hey maybe he will bowl me for some $$$$ on the side !! Hey Fred, I will show you my 300 Rings and you show me your Super Bowl rings. Well at least one of us has rings to show from competition !!!! You should worry about covering recievers and not 10 pins !!!
  11. Mitch
    11. Posted by Mitch Wed Jun 10, 2009 6:39 pm EDT

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    Bowling does not require any athletic talent or ability at all ... it requires eating wings and drinking beer while bowling.
    If Post 10 is talking about being a better bowler than fred is a cornerback, well, thats not the same at all. Big difference.
  12. vikezfan4life
    12. Posted by vikezfan4life Wed Jun 10, 2009 6:44 pm EDT

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    i wonder if he still has the dildo he used on that stripper
  13. cityslicker0809
    13. Posted by cityslicker0809 Wed Jun 10, 2009 6:45 pm EDT

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    Along with Fred Smoot, Jerome Bettis, and Chris Paul should try out too. I've seen chris bowl on t.v. and he's not half bad. They still couldn't compete with the pros. Hey! Here's an idea. Put " Dead Eye" Walter Ray Williams Jr., and "The Big Fin" Mika Kouvanemi in a football uniform and let them try out.
  14. ak
    14. Posted by ak Wed Jun 10, 2009 7:06 pm EDT

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    HE BETTER NOT MESS WITH "JESUS"
  15. ak
    15. Posted by ak Wed Jun 10, 2009 7:07 pm EDT

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    Oh yeah, and it's fred smoot, so who cares??
  16. Kris
    16. Posted by Kris Wed Jun 10, 2009 8:33 pm EDT

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    I'm not near pro level but I can't remember the last time I even bowled a 125. So he definitely would be in for a rude awakening.
    Chris Paul, now he would have a chance if he wasn't so devoted to basketball. At least he's a solid bowler and has been involved with charity events for the PBA.
  17. Rob
    17. Posted by Rob Wed Jun 10, 2009 9:02 pm EDT

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    #11, clearly you have not watched the pros on the tour lately. Check your facts before you open your big mouth!
  18. Simon Moon
    18. Posted by Simon Moon Wed Jun 10, 2009 9:14 pm EDT

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    Is this seriously a blog about a blog? I'm seriously a little disappointed I wasted a couple minutes on this.
  19. pdm1212
    19. Posted by pdm1212 Wed Jun 10, 2009 10:04 pm EDT

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    Love the Lebowski references.
  20. wexx v
    20. Posted by wexx v Wed Jun 10, 2009 10:30 pm EDT

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    I've often wondered aloud to other people on the subway car: "I wonder if Fred Smoot could be a bowler." Then I think, why...yes...YES HE CAN! Then i jump out of my seat and do the macarena.
  21. ddmpbowl
    21. Posted by ddmpbowl Thu Jun 11, 2009 12:04 am EDT

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    Post 11, seriously? No athlethic talent or ability? I have a challenge for you. Try bowling 15-20 games in one day and score 200 or better every game. After you've tried that, then come back and say the same thing. Good luck with that.
  22. boneswaller
    22. Posted by boneswaller Thu Jun 11, 2009 12:28 am EDT

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    I heard He likes hot dogs covered in ketchup.
  23. Coach
    23. Posted by Coach Thu Jun 11, 2009 4:23 am EDT

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    Much like Chad Ochocinco, you just have to tune Fred Smoot out when he talks. Because guys like that just talk and talk and talk. Yeah, he can be a bowler, an astronaut, and a drag queen when he's done with football. For now, just shut up and play football.
  24. William
    24. Posted by William Thu Jun 11, 2009 6:24 am EDT

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    Yeah, #11, obviously you have never been to a PBA event in your life....
    The top professionals are in amazing shape. When they are not on tour, it is not unusual at all for them to bowl upwards of 100 games per week so that they can maintain their shotmaking ability. That doesn't include the reps on spare shooting and making sure they are versed on multiple conditions so that they can adjust quickly when things change. You also have to worry about nerves because no matter how many times you do it, bowling a 300 game is not easy by any means.
    Just because you got lucky and bowled a 150 game one time doesn't mean that you can slam on the people who are actually good at the game and make enough money to be able to live comfortably.
  25. rock01_us
    25. Posted by rock01_us Thu Jun 11, 2009 7:59 am EDT

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    I just love it when people that don't bowl make fun of bowling and say that anyone can do it, or it is not a sport. If it is so easy then everyone would have an 800 series if not a 900. Any decent bowler has a 300 ring or two, the real test is how many 800 rings you have.

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