Bowling Memoirs of Johnny Petraglia - Randy Pederson & The Broken Bed

Many folks have heard this story, but it’s time to put it in print.

Every week when we watch the PBA we listen to Randy Pedersen do the announcing. The tall, mature blond, always impeccably dressed and doing a superb job on the show. However, there is the other side of Randy, especially when he was younger.

Twenty-two years ago Randy and Ron Palombi were staying at my house. We were bowling the “Johnny Petraglia Open” at Carolier Lanes and my house is less than a half hour away. The first night my wife Pat was cooking dinner for all of us. My son John was nine then and really into wrestling. I think Hulk Hogan was his idol. Anyway, Randy, Ron, and my son decide to wrestle in my son’s bedroom. At one point, Randy, probably playing Hulk Hogan picks up my son, turns him upside down and body slams him on the bed. He threw him down so hard he broke the bed. About that same time, my wife calls them down to dinner. Palombi immediately comes down, but Randy and my son are trying to fix the bed. I guess they were both in panic mode, thinking they could un-break the bed. After five minutes and after my wife called them a second time, they finally come down. They come into the kitchen and my wife stops them. She has the two of them standing side by side. There’s Randy 6′ 3″, 31 years old standing next to my 9 year old son. My wife says, “When I call you down to dinner, you come the first time. You shouldn’t let me have to call you twice.” Randy is standing there not saying a word because Pat doesn’t know he broke the bed yet. Pat then looks at Randy and says, ” You’re older, you’re supposed to know better.” Randy humbly says, “I’m sorry Pat.” With that Palombi starts laughing, and it’s the perfect time for Randy to say he broke the bed. Pretty soon we’re all laughing, it was really great!

We then sit down to dinner, and Pat made veal cutlets and string beans in tomato sauce. Randy says, “I’ve never had string beans in tomato sauce before.” I said, “Try it, I think you’ll be surprised.” Randy tries it, and pretty soon he’s putting the string beans on top of the veal cutlet and shoving the whole thing in his mouth at once.

We’ve had a lot of dinners at my house. I’ll have to write about some of them in the future. Here’s a short one. Masters champion Frank Ellenburg, who eats more than anybody I know, was staying at the house. Pat made home made Raviolis. After Frank ate a couple he said, “Pat I’m going to eat some more Raviolis, JUST IN CASE I DON’T LIKE ANYTHING ELSE.” In two sittings, Frank ate 49 Raviolis, no bull. Sam Flanagan said of Frank, “The man isn’t human, he’s a horse. He eats hay and craps while he walks.”

cento anni’… Johnny Petraglia