By Joe D’Amodio | damodio@siadvance.com
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The news came out of the blue like a gutter ball in a professional bowling tournament.
Staten Island bowler Arthur Favors said his doctor’s face turned white as a ghost when he walked into the room and said he needed to admit him to the hospital as soon as possible. The doctor said something about cancer, and Favors’ world changed in an instant.
The doctor said there was a tumor near the prostate, but that cancer that had spread into the bone. The doctor didn’t exactly call it prostate cancer but said he would know more from the results of a biopsy taken last week.
Favors will most likely undergo an eventual operation and treatment, but he said his doctor isn’t too optimistic.
“He said maybe I have two to three years, but I don’t believe, it” said the 55-year-old, West Brighton resident. “I believe in God and believe he will have the final say in this.”
Favors, who prior to his recent symptoms and diagnosis said he was in good health, feels he will get better and get back to bowling, a game he has loved for decades.
“The plan is to get better and get back on the lanes and start kicking butts again,” said a determined Favors.
ON TOP OF THE WORLD
Not too long ago, Favors was on top of the world after having rolled back-to-back 300 games to start league play in the Tuesday Night Men’s League at Rab’s Country Lanes.
The date was Dec. 19, 2023 and Favors showed up at the Dongan Hills center and rolled two perfect games to start the evening.
‘I’ve been around bowling for about 50 years and I’ve never seen two consecutive 300 games,” said his friend and Tuesday Night bowling teammate Rich Maniaci. “I’m not sure if anyone on Staten Island has done that.”
It’s happened before here on the Island, but it’s a very, very rare feat. Dave Kosinski (2017) and Jeff Scire (2019) also turned the trick, according to Advance records. They may be others.
Favors would start the third game with two more strikes — for 26 straight — and ended up rolling a 217 for a career-high 817 series.
The back-to-back perfectos didn’t come without a great story.
Favors had just returned from an 11-year hiatus from the game, possible burnout from being a former PBA Regional cardholder and rolling some 50 games a week while honing his skills.
“I was bowling with my nephew Naquan Favors, a fine bowler himself who attended Curtis High School, and I just flat out quit that day,” said Favors.
Favors would stay close to the game by coaching his friend Patrick Kiefer — who had asked for his help after averaging 180 for years with no progress. Favors said he turned his friend into a 210 bowler, all through the magic of the internet.
Favors eventually got the itch to bowl again, but started practicing in his house, throwing the ball against his couch.
“I was just trying to get my hand and wrist movement back,” he said.
HIS RETURN TO THE LANES
After that, Favors would soon get back on the lanes, but the long layoff made him rusty, and it took some time for him to regain his previous form.
Favors said the ball he used to roll his back-to-back 300s was a used one he picked up a pro shop.
“It only had about three games on it,” said Flavors. “They drilled the ball to my specifications, and it seemed like a good fit.”
It certainly was!
During those 300s, Favors admitted to getting lucky “like all bowlers do,” and he said he got a pointer from Country Pro Shop driller Jim Labetti to move a bit to the left on the lanes after he seemed to run into trouble in the fourth frame of the second game.
Favors would go out the door in the game and then fired two more strikes to start game three. But that’s where his string of strikes ended. There would be no 900 series.
Maniaci called Favors “a great teammate and very good bowler, who is very knowledgeable about the sport.”
But bowling is on the backburner for Favors as he tries to beat cancer now.
Maniaci, who is a prostate cancer survivor, recently visited Favors to keep his friend in good spirits and tell him of what he has ahead of him.
“He’s upset that he can’t bowl and he may not be able to bowl for a long time … ” said Maniaci.
But Maniaci wouldn’t count out Favors.
“If he listens to his doctors and gets all the right treatment at the right places, he will make it through,” said Maniaci.