The Business of Making Money

Letter from the Editor in The Foundation Bowling Newsletter by June Davis

When I wrote my editorial regarding the Women’s US Open last month, I strictly spoke from the point of view that the talents of elite athletes should be showcased. With the easier lane pattern that was used during the USWO, scores were literally through the roof; there were several perfect games and, if you watched the TV show, you saw that there was some area to play the lanes.

I stand by my opinion and what I wrote 100%.

However, I thought about it some more and continued to wonder why the Bowling Proprietors Association of America (BPAA), the group running the most prestigious event in women’s bowling, would want to “lighten up” the lane conditions. And it occurred to me that I had already written the answer. I mentioned the BPAA Executive Director Steve Johnson had addressed the Bowling Writer’s Association during the annual meeting. Johnson said they “wanted a tournament like no other; a tournament that would break the records.”

When I think about what Johnson said and that the BPAA is an organization comprised of bowling proprietors, I begin to understand perhaps why the lane conditions were made a little “softer”. The bowling proprietors own bowling centers and they are in the business of getting people; any people; into the centers to spend money bowling. They are in business to make money and if people aren’t coming into the bowling centers, then the proprietors aren’t making money.

I suppose they were trying to get people interested and show that bowling is exciting. I just don’t personally feel that by using an easier pattern that allows mistakes to be made on the lanes will put our athletes in the most respectable light…especially at a prestigious tournament like the US Open.
 

Scoring records and participation records may have been broken, but did that really help attract more women or more people to bowling? I can’t answer that and I suppose we’ll have to wait until next year to see if the entries improve.

On a side note…it took a while for the numbers to be released, but it turns out the USWO television show also broke the record for live attendance. I wonder…did we break any records for television viewers?

Comment: Bowling has been losing participants to the tune of more then 10 MILLION in the last 15 years, all the while lane conditions have gotten easier and easier. Don't know who said it but "Those who don't learn from history are doomed to repeat it."

Junior Gold, North Pointe Insurance Bowling Events to Merge

From Bowlers Journal International Magazine:
 
Is one tournament better than two?
 
Leaders of the USBC and BPAA believe it is when the tournament is the new $250,000 North Pointe Junior Gold Championships, presented by Brunswick.
 
The tournament is made possible by the merger of the USBC’s Junior Gold Championships and the BPAA’s North Pointe High School Singles Championships.
 
The new combined event will feature some significant changes:
 
• USBC Junior Gold membership no longer will have a minimum average requirement.
 
• The tournament will have two age-based divisions — 20 and under, and 15 and under  — with separate competition for boys and girls.
 
“The creation of the North Pointe Junior Gold Championships is a remarkable example of bowling’s membership organizations and leading sponsors coming together to make a change that benefits the kids,” said International Bowling Campus Director of Youth Development Chad Murphy.
 
“We now have a significant event for children 15 and under, which is a critical development age, (we have) preserved the opportunities for older teens, and opened the benefits of Junior Gold membership to all youth bowlers.”
 
North Pointe Insurance is the nation's largest insurer of independent bowling centers. In addition to its sponsorship of the Junior Gold Championships, North Pointe has made a multi-year commitment to the Youth Education Services Fund and will be recognized as a YES Fund founding partner.
 
Junior Gold will continue to be open to youth bowlers who qualify at regional events around country, and will award automatic bids to Junior Team USA as part of the competition. The 2012 event will be held in Indianapolis in July, in conjunction with the USBC Youth Open.
 

PBA SENIOR JACKSON OPEN

Walter Ray Williams Jr.’s long-shot bid to add a Professional Bowlers Association
Senior Player of the Year title to his lengthy portfolio of PBA honors
remains alive after he led qualifying in the PBA Senior Jackson Open
at Airport Lanes Thursday. But the man he needs to beat, Ron Mohr of
Eagle River, Alaska, is right on Williams’ heels as the No. 2 qualifier.

Williams, a PBA Hall of Famer and owner of a record 47 titles on the regular PBA 
Tour, finished the 16-game qualifying portion of the tournament with 3,813 pins, 
50 pins ahead of Mohr. During Wednesday’s eight-game round, Williams threw four 
games in the 240s along with a pair of 258 games, but even at his torrid pace, 
Mohr gained ground.

Heading into Thursday’s final round of single-elimination match play for the top 
32 qualifiers, Williams is faced with a need to win not only the Senior Jackson 
Open, but next week’s Senior Dayton Classic to have a chance to win Senior 
Player of the Year honors. The only other player with a mathematical chance in 
the Player of the Year race is Harry Sullins of Chesterfield Township, MI, 
who qualified third.

Mohr, who has won three times in 2011, leads the points race with 78 points to 
Williams’ 52 and Sullins’ 48. Players are awarded 16 points for a title, 8 
points for a second-place finish, 4 points for third and 2 points for fourth 
place, so a third-place finish by Mohr in would assure no less than a tie for 
the title with Williams and it would eliminate Sullins.

Win or not, Williams is pleased with the year he has had, and how he’s bowling 
in Jackson.

“I threw the ball pretty firm, pretty straight today,” he said. “I had a nice 
ball reaction today and yesterday going up and at the pins. I might have hooked 
the ball a little more today as the round progressed, but it was nothing 
excessive.

“I’ve had a great year,” the Ocala, Fla., resident said, “but a lot of guys have 
bowled very well against me in match play. It’s just one of those things. But 
the way I’ve been bowling, I’m looking forward to bowling with the young guys 
again when the regular tour gets going in November.”


Competition continues Thursday when the top 32 will compete in 
single-elimination match play leading to the championship. PBA.com’s Xtra Frame 
will provide live coverage of all Thursday match play rounds. Visit pba.com or 
xtraframe.tv for subscription details.



PBA SENIOR JACKSON OPEN
Airport Lanes, Jackson, Mich., Wednesday

SECOND ROUND (after 16 games; top 32 advance to match play):
1, Walter Ray Williams Jr., Ocala, Fla., 3,813.
2, Ron Mohr, Eagle River, Alaska, 3,763.
3, Harry Sullins, Chesterfield Township, Mich., 3,701.
4, Tom Baker, King, N.C., 3,699.
5, Wayne Webb, Columbus, Ohio, 3,689.
6, Peter Knopp, Germany, 3,612.
7, Charlie Tapp, Kalamazoo, Mich., 3,558.
8, a-Rick Vittone, Canada, 3,556.
9, Kerry Painter, Henderson, Nev., 3,555.
10, a-Ken Wyatt, Sterling Hts., Mich., 3,529.
11, Vince Mazzanti Jr., Levittown, Pa., 3,525.
12, Dale Csuhta, Wadsworth, Ohio, 3,512.
13, Henry Gonzalez, Colorado Springs, Colo., 3,509.
14, Hugh Miller, Seattle, 3,468.
15, Michael Henry, Brunswick, Ohio, 3,461.
16, Christopher Keane, New City, N.Y., 3,457.
17, Kent Wagner, Palmetto, Fla., 3,449.
18, Ron Profitt, Brookville, Ohio, 3,443.
19, Kenny Parks, Hammond, Ind., 3,439.
20, Ricky Beck, Box Elder, S.D., 3,432.
21, Patric Donaghue, Honeoye Falls, N.Y., 3,429.
22 (tie), Mark Williams, Beaumont, Texas, and Steve Ferraro, Kingston, N.Y., 3,421.
24, Timothy Kauble, Marion, Ohio, 3,410.
25, Keith Sharp, Orlando, Fla., 3,407.
26, Dale Eagle, Tavares, Fla., 3,400.
27, Kevin Croucher, Grants Pass, Ore., 3,393.
28, Dale Traber, Cedarburg, Wis., 3,366.
29, Tom Carter, Rockford, Ill., 3,353.
30, Sammy Ventura, Syracuse, N.Y., 3,343.
31, Dave Patchen, Oregon, Ohio, 3,342.
32, x-Steve Easterday, Strasburg, Ohio, 3,334

Failed to Advance:
33, Marc Lineberry, Camanche, Iowa, 3,334, $900.
34, Don Sylvia, Reno, Nev., 3,331, $900.
35, Bob Kelly, Dayton, Ohio, 3,330, $900.
36, s-Barry Gurney, West Hills, Calif., 3,326, $700.
37, Don Hicks, West Babylon, N.Y., 3,322.
38, s-Frank Gallo Jr., Jacksonville, Fla., 3,319, $700.
39, s-Gary Hiday, Indianapolis, 3,312, $700.
40, Steve Stein, Staten Island, N.Y., 3,311.
41, Terry Metzner, Kentwood, Mich., 3,302.
42 (tie), Ray Johnson, Battle Creek, Mich., and a-Michael Lucente, Warren, Mich., 3,292.
44, Todd Kjell, Roscoe, Ill., 3,288.
45, Mark Glover, Woodbridge, Va., 3,283.
46, s-John Shreve Sr., Elyria, Ohio, 3,280, $700.
47, Joel Carlson, Omaha, Neb., 3,278.
48, Terry Wellman, Marengo, Ohio, 3,274.
49, Bill Henson, Westerville, Ohio, 3,273.
50, Tom Howison, Chillicothe, Ohio, 3,272.
51 (tie), Dave Sill, Rockledge, Fla., and s-John Petraglia, Jackson, N.J., 3,270, $700.
53, s-Michael Truitt, Orland Park, Ill., 3,264, $700.
54, a-s-Victor Portalatin, Jackson, Mich., 3,254, $700.
55, a-Leo Scantamburlo, Riverview, Mich., 3,252.
56, a-Dick Selgo, Archbold, Ohio, 3,243.
57, a-Fred McClain, Lincoln Park, Mich., 3,215.
58, Larry Graybeal, Elizabethton, Tenn., 3,202.
59, Larry Popp, Marion, Ohio, 3,201.
60, Daniel Miner, East Moline, Ill., 3,194.
61, a-Paul Kwiecien, Lansing, Mich., 3,184.
62, Dennis Psaropoulos, Lake Worth, Fla., 3,183.
63, Dave Osim, Roscommon, Mich., 3,170.
64, Ted Staikoff, Black Hawk, S.D., 3,163.
65, Don Blatchford, Santa Monica, Calif., 3,162.
66, Gregg Schmied, Schererville, Ind., 3,157.
67 (tie), Scott Lindsey, Omaha, Neb., and David Goldenberg, Lake Grove, N.Y., 3,144.
69, Dave Soutar, Bradenton, Fla., 3,139.
70, Rich Wilkinson, Bennington, Neb., 3,133.
71, Dave Schultz, Jackson, Wis., 3,130.
72, George Lord, Lakeland, Fla., 3,123.
73, a-Derek Smith, Hicksville, Ohio, 3,108.
74, James Souder, Greeneville, Tenn, 3,104.
75, Russ Freeman, Antioch, Ill., 3,102.
76, a-Ed Goldberg, Grand Ledge, Mich., 3,099.
77, Dannie Hettinger, Circleville, Ohio, 3,093.
78, Sal Bongiorno, Hollywood, Fla., 3,088.
79, Roy Buckley, New Albany, Ohio, 3,087.
80, Jerry Lau, St. Peters, Mo., 3,083.
81 (tie), Dave Bernhardt, Romeo, Mich., and Douglas Weese, Carson City, Mich., 3,060.
83 (tie), Tim Pierce, Portland, Ore., and Bill McCorkle, Westerville, Ohio, 3,043.
85, Donald Breihan, Columbia, S.C., 3,040.
86, Patrick King, Yankton, S.D., 3,020.
87, Ernie Bourque, Acushnet, Mass., 3,010.
88, a-Lester Gentry, Hartland, Mich., 2,998.
89, Robert Teeters, Lapel, Ind., 2,989.
90, Michael Chrzanowski, Shepherd, Mich., 2,958.
91, Ken Waters, Kingsport, Tenn., 2,947.
92, Harley Trumbull, New Boston, Mich., 2,939.
93, a-Edward Vasas, Ypsilanti, Mich., 2,914.
94, Mark Scime, Winter Garden, Fla., 2,911.
95, Robert Harvey, Boise, Idaho, 2,899.
96, Brian Miller, Springfield, Ohio, 2,893.
97, Bill Idzior, Crown Point, Ind., 2,880.
98, Emilio Mora Sr., Defiance, Ohio, 2,871.
99, Sam Perrotta, Lincoln Park, N.J., 2,834.
100, Ray Randall, Dearborn, Mich., 2,738.
101, Richard Felten, Rockville, Md., 2,684.
102, Fred Baldwin, Sturgis, Mich., 2,681.
103, a-Matt Bamburg, Winnebago, Ill., 2,474.
104, Dennis Weatherman, Coloma, Mich., withdrew.
105, Phillip Moros, Lombard, Ill., withdrew.
  a-denotes amateur
  s-denotes Super Senior
  x-Easterday defeated Lineberry, 183-181, in a roll-off for 32nd place.

300 Games – Rick Vittone

PBA Regional Roundup

Former PBA Tour exempt player Brian Waliczek of Birch Run, MI defeated 
Patrick Dombrowski of Parma, Ohio, 189-132, to win the PBA Central Region’s 
fourth annual Lefeld Implement Classic at Pla-Mor Lanes Sunday, Aug. 21. The 
title was Waliczek’s seventh in PBA Regional competition and earned him a $4,000 
prize.

Also in the Central Region, a number of PBA Senior Tour stars made a stop at 
Al-Mar Lanes in Bowling Green, Ohio, between the Decatur, IL and Jackson, MI, 
tour events. Tom Baker of King, NC, defeated Walter Ray Williams Jr. of Ocala, 
FL, 234-197, on Friday, Aug. 19, to win the Progressive/Gerdeman Insurance 
Agency Senior Classic and a $3,500 first prize. It was Baker’s 22nd overall PBA 
Regional title.

In the PBA East Region, Brent Hunter of Glenville, PA, defeated Tommy Brodowski 
of New Hyde Park, NY, 237-204, to win the Colony Park Lanes Senior Open at 
Colony Park Lanes East in York, PA, Sunday for his first PBA Regional title. 
The win qualifies Hunter for the 2012 PBA Tournament of Champions, which will be 
held at Red Rock Lanes in Las Vegas next April.

In the PBA South Region, Jason Sterner of McDougal, GA, won seven of eight 
matches and went on to record a 94-pin victory over Kyle Troup of Taylorsville, 
NC, in the Budweiser Columbia (S.C.) Open at Royal Z Lanes Sunday. Sterner, 
who was in third place after 13 qualifying games, finished match play with a 
21-game total of 5,281 pins to claim his sixth career PBA Regional title and the 
$2,500 first prize.

In Chillicothe, MO, amateur Dave Williams Jr. of Omaha, NE, defeated Duane 
Kilts of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, 255-212, to win the PBA Midwest Region Fast Lane 
Non-Champions Challenger Open on Sunday. Because he is an amateur, Williams does 
not earn eligibility for the PBA Tournament of Champions.

In the Southwest Region, amateur Robert Klann from Cibola, Texas, defeated 
two-time defending champion Nathan Bohr of Wichita, KS, 255-215, to win the 
15th annual Killeen Open at Hallmark Lanes in Killeen, Texas, on Sunday. Klann, 
a recent Lindenwood University graduate bowling in only his second PBA Regional, 
won all seven single-elimination match games on his way to his first PBA win. As 
a non-member, however, Klann doesn’t qualify for the PBA Tournament of 
Champions.

In the PBA Northwest Region, Erik Hohlbein of Renton, WA, posted a 9-3 match 
play record and compiled a total of 4,859 pins Sunday to win his fifth career 
regional title in the Dave Husted Northwest Open at Milwaukie Bowl in Milwaukie, 
OR Hohlbein, who earned $2,000, defeated Bob Davidson of Seattle by 247 pins 
for the title.

Next weekend’s round of PBA Regional events includes the PBA East Region Mil-Ray 
Foods Open at 30 Strikes in Stratford, NJ; the Midwest Region Premiere Bowling 
and Entertainment Center Open in Pleasant Hill, Iowa; the PBA Southwest Region 
Greenville (Texas) Open at DB’s Sports Grill and Bowling, and the West Region’s 
Pain Center Open at Johnson Lanes in Sun City West, Ariz. All are Friday-Sunday 
events.

For complete Regional tournament schedules and entry information, visit pba.com 
and click on “Regional Tour” under the “Schedules” drop-down tab.

QUICK NOTES:
England’s Dominic Barrett defeated PBA Hall of Famer Brian Voss, 484-465, in the 
two-game title match of the BNC Open at BNC Bowling Center in Bratislava, 
Slovakia, on Sunday, Aug. 21.

The World Tenpin Bowling Association’s fledgling World Bowling Tour has already 
booked a new event for the 2012 season. The WBT will include the Bahamas 
International Bowling Classic, Feb. 27-March 4 at Mario's Bowling and 
Entertainment Palace, a new 50-lane bowling center in Nassau. It will mark the 
first time a World Bowling Tour event will be held in the American Zone outside 
of the United States.

XTRA FRAME TO COVER 2011 PBA SENIOR TOUR FINALE IN DAYTON, OHIO

The PBA Senior Tour will complete its 2011 season next week and Xtra Frame, 
pba.com’s exclusive online video streaming service, will be on hand to cover the 
finale. Xtra Frame will be on-site at Capril Lanes in Dayton, Ohio, 
Monday-Tuesday, Aug. 29-30, for the final rounds of the PBA Senior Dayton 
Classic. To subscribe to Xtra Frame, visit pba.com and click on the Xtra Frame 
logo.

PBA fans also can watch the conclusion to qualifying and the complete match play 
finals of the PBA Senior Jackson Open from Airport Lanes in Jackson, Mich., 
today and Thursday, Aug. 24 and 25.

Heading into the Senior Jackson Open, Ron Mohr of Eagle River, Alaska, held a 
26-point lead over Walter Ray Williams Jr. of Ocala, FL, and a 30-point lead 
over Harry Sullins of Chesterfield Township, MI, in the Senior Player of the 
Year points race. With 16 points awarded for a win, 8 points for second place, 4 
points for third and 2 points for a fourth-place finish, Mohr needs to finish 
third or higher in either of the last two events to clinch at least a share of 
the title he won in 2009.

Columbia 300 Adds Another New Ball

The new Columbia 300 Encounter is Navy/Purple/Ocean (blue) utilizing the “Elastin 6.0” coverstock formulae surrounding the “Encounter” core (see picture). The core of a #15 ball provides Radius of Gyration (RG) of 2.50 and RG Differential of .052.

The chemical engineers at Columbia 300 have created a new process in which chemical reaction dynamics have been manipulated to exploit the elastic framework found in reactive materials. This breakthrough creates longer polymer chains that create deeper pores and allows for greater built in surface friction that helps absorb oil over a longer period of time. We call this new break through Elastin 6.0. To compliment the new coverstock, the cover preparation of the new Encounter is: 500, 1000, 2000, 2000 Abralon®, then Factory Polish.

Look for the Columbia Encounter September 15th.

PBA Stars Help Raise $300,000 For Jeff Gordan Children's Foundation

PBA Hall of Famers Mike Aulby and Parker Bohn III, along with PBA Tour champions 
Danny Wiseman and Doug Kent, participated in the 10th annual “Jeff Gordon 
Bowling Ball” in Indianapolis on July 28, an event that raised more than 
$300,000 in support of Jeff Gordon’s Children’s Foundation and Riley Hospital 
for Children.

The annual bowling fundraiser has generated more than $1.58 million to Riley 
Hospital for Children since its inception. In addition, Gordon made a pledge of 
$1.5 million to Riley Children’s Foundation in 2010, establishing the Jeff 
Gordon Children’s Foundation Pediatric Cancer Research Fund.

Funds from the Jeff Gordon Children’s Foundation are creating a $1 million 
endowment for research conducted in partnership between Riley Hospital and the 
Wells Center for Pediatric Research at the Indiana University School of 
Medicine. The remaining $500,000 is addressing immediate research needs at Riley 
Hospital.