NORTH BRUNSWICK, N.J. – On this date, more than a decade ago, St. Louis native and bowling Hall of Famer Pete Weber delivered a viral quote that continues to captivate sports fans.

On Feb. 26, 2012, with pressure on and a championship at stake, Weber delivered a clutch strike to clinch a U.S. Open title. As the crowd erupted, he energetically pumped his fist, turned to the audience, and shouted a now-iconic line: “Who do you think you are? I am!”

The strike secured Weber’s record-breaking fifth U.S. Open title, surpassing a mark previously shared by his father, Dick Weber. The championship further cemented his legacy among the nation’s greatest bowlers. Yet, despite the historic achievement, it’s his fiery outburst that remains most memorable.

“When you know you need a strike to win, that’s every bowler’s dream, is to get up in the 10th frame to win,” said Weber in a July 2012 interview with Storm Bowling Products Inc. “The U.S. Open, the tournament of champions, the national championships – It doesn’t matter. It’s every bowler’s dream to throw a strike to win. I got that opportunity, and I took full advantage of it. I was just ecstatic. I didn’t really know what to do after that.”

The catchphrase “Who do you think you are? I am!” may not make much sense with the English language, but in the heat of the moment, it became an unforgettable outburst that lives on. Weber says it also stemmed from one particular critic, and the viral quote was condensed form of a longer message.

“I guess what everybody wants to know is where did I come up with ‘Who do you think you are? I am,'” said Weber. “Being caught up in the moment of throwing the strike and being as excited as I was, I had a kid rooting against me during the match, and he was doing it loud enough for me to hear. And it kind of made me mad, and people know, don’t make me mad on TV, ’cause I’ll just get better.’ But what I really wanted to say was, ‘Who do you think you are rooting against me? I’m the man of this tournament!’ That’s what I really wanted to say. But as everybody know, it’s ‘Who do you think you are? I am!'”

Weber rolled three strikes in the 10th frame for a comeback victory over Mike Fagan, 215-214, in the U.S. Open Tournament at Brunswick Zone-Carolier in North Brunswick, New Jersey.

Weber has won 37 titles on the PBA Tour, the fourth-most all-time among U.S. professional bowlers. He is a member of both the PBA Hall of Fame and the United States Bowling Congress Hall of Fame, and he remains active in professional bowling to this day at the age of 62.

NOTE: Video attached above is a 2016 FOX 2 interview with Pete Weber.