Inside: - The Bowling News

Page 12 | Thursday, November 22, 2012 | THE BOWLING NEWS
Just Paying
Attention
Attention By Mark London
Mark@TheBowlingNews.net
According to PBA Commissioner
Tom Clark, many more
have been watching the PBA’s
World Series of Bowling online.
For the second straight year,
viewership is up 60% over the
previous year. A pretty good
increase for a sports league
whose internet presence a national
magazine recently called
“perhaps a decade ahead of its
time.” Unfortunately, this has
not necessarily translated into
any new outside-the-industry
advertisers. But the PBA’s new
marketing firm, Shamrock
Sports and Entertainment,
Clark adds, “is aggressive and
seems good things are on the
horizon.”
The PBA’s internet presence
also means player interaction
with fans during competition
is at an all-time high, which is
a carry-over from last season.
The 21 st century verbs Facebooking
and Tweeting are very
much known to PBA fans who
want to follow block-by-block
or even game-by-game action
of their favorites. It’s hard to
find a top pro who doesn’t
have a fan page. One of the
fun things about watching PBA
XtraFrame is listening to near
instantaneous responses of
Kevin Roberts racked up
a rousing 257-257-278 = 792
Classis High Pot league session to
earn the top spot on the honor roll
last week Brunswick Westcreek
Lanes.
Terri Trefger, form the High
Pot with a Twist group, fronted
distaff scoring with a high-flying
244-192-212 = 648 set.
Billy Fontenot’s near perfect
299 solo earned high-game
honors while George Calloway
took runner-up honors with a
298 game.
HONOR ROLL
Willie Jackson 288, Kecia Andries
231-629, James Franklin 751, Carl
Jordan 278, Andy Crouch 748, Lee Ann
Jackson 181, Cathy Lode 488, Mike
Monticue 278, Jamey Coggins 242-614,
Lamont Pringle 655. James Badgett 151,
Cathy Lode 488, Terri Trefger 231-586,
Donald Slack 213, Susan Seward 178,
James Wright II 234, Heather Schmidt
182, Scott Martin 670, Suzanne Gardner
462, Coy Hart 276-693.
LeeAnn Clark 170, Robert Raley
263-639, Paula Armstrong 188-494,
Bob Carlton 258, Sandra Haynie 159,
Anthony Palomino 643, Sharon Dehnel
430, Ken Leach (9 pin, no tap) 300-809.
Susan Monteith (9 pin, no tap)
688, Dick Ensminger (9 pin, no tap)
Facebook postings by Mike J.
Laneside, Jason ‘The Bowling
Guy’ Thomas, or insidebowling.com’s
Mike Flanagan. One
that sticks out was a posting
a couple of years ago from the
Ukraine. Really, the Ukraine?
True. Wouldn’t have believed
it myself if I was not sitting
next to Mike J. describing a
PBA Midwest Regional finals
at the time. I don’t think you’ll
see Tony Romo answering fans
Facebook questions on his
latest, uh, completion, yeah,
that’s it.
You’ve also noticed a few
new wrinkles on XtraFrame
this year. The high, wide-angle
camera was showing six pairs
at a time at the WSOB. The cutaways
to the in-house standing
boards seen are clearer than
ever before. Not sure if they are
using newer cameras or what,
but it looks good on screen.
Since Day one of the Chris
Peters era, technology has
been at the forefront, however,
the PBA may still be ten years
ahead of its time.
Here’s another pleasant surprise
form this year’s WSOB.
If anyone could pinch-hit for
Mike J, it’s guest commentator
John Petraglia, Jr. He sat in the
At Brunswick Westcreek
Roberts scores 792,
Trefger nails 648
Fontenot 299, Calloway 298
278-783, Karen Leach (9 pin, no tap)
276, Charles Covert 259-721, Vicky
Kopp 213-509, Tom Johannessen 235,
Tilly Triplett 222-561.
Chester Jones 638, Rod Richardson
233-667, Nita Stein 233-630, Billy
Fontenot 733, Melissa Tomlinson
207, Teresa Tibbs 530, Trent Danelski
240-643, Phyllis Dooley 146-323, John
Diaz, Sr. 139-372.
Mike McElroy 113-326, Mikey
McElroy 76-172, Luther Mayfield 175-
515, Sonja Nichols 157-426, Joe White
164-484, Cassie Williams 163-440,
Kevin Williams, Sr. 151-416, Jennifer
Korn 202-551.
Jeff Hamlin 233-642, Marianne
Gentry 127-349, Garry McKinney,
Jr. 185-485, Lloyd Morris 173-489,
George Helfrich 211-560, Ken Garber
214-620, Mike McDuff 258-702, Gregory
Palamidas 206-500. Leisha Murr 218-
630, Willie Jackson 290-761, Cathy
Nelson 234-580, Ron Coggins 286-702,
Alice Rogers 234, Michael Hinson 278,
Linda Hollins 223, Ron Boroff 276,
Cassandra Norris 221, Jermal Williams
268. Keith Duke 268, Ricky Reese
268-754, Cassie Reese 234-605, Greg
Avery 657, Jamey Coggins 248-600,
Jonathan Redfield 256-640, John Jones
236-651, Mike Patton 239-646, Willie
Jackson 248-645.
booth during the last two U.S.
Opens with the guys and really
sounds like he has spent some
time behind a microphone. He’s
got great voice presence, can
go from one topic to another
with ease while chatting with
either bowlers or broadcasters.
Mike Flanagan also sounded
very good with Mike J. and
Petraglia, Jr. While dropping in
upon his arrival at the WSOB
on XtraFrame, ESPN analyst
Randy Pedersen dubbed them,
“Mike and Mike,” the same
name as the ESPN Radio morning
show tandem, Mike Golic
and Mike Greenberg. And yes,
it was meant in a good way.
* * * *
The PBA World Championship
finals look promising with
numerous story angles. Rhino
Page spent the summer practicing
bowling rather than on the
golf course, making a huge run
in the last two rounds of match
play to qualify fourth. Dan
MacLelland has been knocking
on the door for the last three
years after making the USBC
Masters finals and a snagging
a gold medal in the 2011
PABCON Masters. After not
making a show in three years,
PBA Hall of Famer Parker
Bohn III is four wins from one
of two major titles not on his
resume’. The top two seeds,
Jason Belmonte and Sean
Rash, undoubtedly the Jack
and Arnie or Earl and Mark of
this generation, continue their
rivalry into another season.
Oh, and by the way, if you are
not sure who Jack and Arnie
are, just Google ‘jack and arnie
golf.” I don’t have the space to
explain it.
* * * *
USA Today sportswriter
Gary Mihoces wrote a half
page article on the new PBA
League appearing in the
Tuesday November 8 issue. OK
what gives? I’d be willing to
put money, that this is the first
half-page bowling article in
the USA Today sports section
since Kulick’s legendary 2010
ToC win. Remember, this is
the same paper that proudly
carried round-by-round standings
of PBA national tour
events until the late 90s. Not to
mention, another sportswriter
at the time later left that paper
and joined an organization in a
management position. He often
wrote columns suggesting the
PBA try a few different things.
You know him today as PBA
Commissioner Tom Clark. That
USA Today piece is the type of
impact advertising cannot buy.
* * * *
Hard to believe, but there
was a second bowling story appearing
in a major daily newspaper
on Wednesday November
8th. In case you missed it, and
chances are you probably did,
former USBC writer Gianmarc
Manzione penned a story about
the New York City bowling
hustler scene in the New York
MAKE A DATE WITH THE
GR8 TIMES BOWLING CLUB:
8 weeks, $8 per week
End-of-season pizza party
Get a TZone Bowling Ball at the end of the
season for $5 more per week.
Join and enjoy the great times of bowling at Brunswick!
Starts Tuesday, November 27th at 9 PM
3 games per week
3 people per team
Meeting at 8:45 PM
Brunswick
Westcreek Lanes
3025 Altamesa Blvd., Fort Worth, TX 76133
817-294-0501
Bowl Your
Head Off
Sundays & Wednesdays
9 PM to Close
$1.69 + tax per Game per Person
$3.79 Shoe Rental
2200 San Jacinto Blvd
Denton, TX 76205
940-383-3515
Times. That New York Times?
Yeppers. Even with all the Hurricane
Sandy and post-election
coverage, the story appeared
in the sports section and is
scheduled to be part of a book
Manzione is preparing. The
topic on the surface looks to be
a bowling story, but really is a
look at a slice of society from
that time. Almost sounds like
something you’d see Sunday
night on AMC after Mad Men,
doesn’t it?