Bowling fans who watched the televised finals of the 1991 U.S. Open from Woodland Bowl in Indianapolis will never forget the trophy presentation when winner Pete Weber hoisted the majestic ceramic eagle trophy, gave it a shake and saw it crash and shatter into a thousand pieces on the approach.

How that actually happened came to light during the 2019 PBA Hall of Fame ceremonies in Arlington, Texas, when PBA HOF legend Nelson (Bo) Burton Jr. told the crowd he may have contributed to the trophy incident.

According to Burton, when he saw the trophy sitting off to the side before the ABC-TV telecast, he decided to show the eagle to the crowd, so he unscrewed the nut that held the eagle to the base…and forgot to re-attach the nut when he replaced the eagle on the base. 

So, bottom line, one of PBA’s historic moments was actually his fault.

Was the story true or a fable invented by Burton?

When asked to confirm the story, he laughed and said, “You decide. It remains a mystery. What I actually did was mention to Chris Schenkel that it was a really pretty trophy, so I picked it up and staged it for a camera shot,” Burton said. “Whether or not I loosened the eagle, who knows? I honestly don’t know what happened…but it’s a good story.”

Courtesy of Bill Vint, PBA Media Relations