The Shark has mixed feelings about chances

Mark “The Shark” Halstead can’t seem to make up his mind about his chances for the season-ending Pepsi King of the Lanes Tenpin Bowling Tournament set for tomorrow at the Capital Bowling Center.

The 40-year-old lefty was at times confident, declaring he would win the roll-off of all roll-offs, but oftentimes contradicting himself and saying he doesn’t have a good chance of winning, instead naming a list of favorites that does not include himself, the 2004 winner and defending champion.

“I’m not really a terrific bowler there. I’m not really good there. It’s been a year since I played at CBC. But I will definitely try and I’m going to win. Robert [Talavera] and Kuya J.R. [Jess Rebusada], I don’t think they have a chance (laughs),” he said.

Talavera and Rebusada finished No. 1 and No. 2 in the Saipan Bowling Association’s Bowling Ranking System in 2005, while Halstead came in third. The BRS determined the Top 12 players that secured berths in the season-ending roll-off as well as the 24 that competed for the last 12 slots that completed tomorrow’s coronation competition.

A more serious Halstead said he has practiced the past two weeks at the Garapan bowling venue just to prepare for the 2005 King of the Lanes. He said although he also likes the chances of Talavera and Rebusada, he already predicts that three southpaws—excluding himself—would succeed him as the Pepsi King of the Lanes.

“I’m predicting a lefty is going to win—Dannie Robles, Richard Leong, or Raymond Zapanta. I’m a lefty but I haven’t bowled there for more than a year so those three are the real favorites,” he said. “Me, Robert, and Kuya J.R., we’re definitely going to try, but Richard is averaging 200 over there, Dannie is averaging 190-some there, and Raymond has improved so much the past few years, so it’s really going to be tough.”

Asked about his “sub-par” 2005 season, the self-proclaimed Mr. Unorthodox readily admits that him getting married was one of the reasons his game somewhat was lacking the past year. However, he was quick to say that it was missed tournaments more than actual performance that made him finish third in the 2005 BRS.

“When I married, my wife said that I have to cut down on my bowling. I missed three King of the Lanes, but if you add them up, I probably would have caught Robert and Kuya J.R. Aside from getting married (laughs), there’s really no incentive to finish No. 1. You basically have the same incentive as the Top 12,” he said.