The Cornerstone
The Foundation Newsletter
Volume 14, Issue 10 October 2010
"The crisis is upon us, friends. Our sport is in trouble. Many of you, that love the game as we do, will look at the crisis like a friend who is in trouble and needs our help. We must not shrink from the task before us, we should welcome it. It is 'our' generation that has been called to the challenge. If not now, when? If not us, who?"
The Foundation
“One World, One Game”
Letter from the Editor
Advancing Technology and Your Game
Technology in bowling advances at a pace faster than most average bowlers can even begin to keep up with. Not only does it seem there are new bowling balls every time you walk in a pro shop or flip open a magazine, there are new shoes, accessories and bowling bags. Even lane maintenance products are constantly evolving.
All of these new technologies can advance your game in many ways. Add coaching and game development to the mix and you can advance your game to any level you desire (of course, you’ll have to put in the work to develop your game to an elite level).
Did you ever think though that your cell phone could help you advance your bowling game?
Modern cell phones can run a myriad of applications. The iPhone, Android phones and even the Palm and Blackberry phones can be used to download applications. Some “apps” are free while others in the marketplace are free. Of the many applications available are tracking applications specific to bowling. These unique applications can be as simple as just allowing you to track your league scores to complex applications that allow you to track pin fall, ball used, lane assignments, scores, etc.
By tracking all of this information, a bowler can see their “game” from a different perspective. You can literally see if there are lanes where you score higher or lanes where you really struggle. These applications allow you to put your games on paper so to speak.
Walter Ray Williams Jr. has used one of these applications for a long time and has tracked his performances while on tour.
Being able to take specific notes about your game can be very helpful, especially for bowlers who would like to advance their game to an elite level. Knowing where your strengths and weaknesses are can really help a bowler step up their game and using one of these handy apps makes tracking your scores and game as easy as making a phone call.
NOW Would be a Good Time…..
~"Look not mournfully into the past. It comes not back again. Wisely improve the present. It is thine. Go forth to meet the shadowy future, without fear."~
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (1807 - 1882)
~"The clues to where we are, lie in the past. Without knowing where we have been, we cannot possibly know how we got here, or where we need to go."~
ersonName w:st="on">John DavisersonName> (2010)
Oh, we in the sport of bowling do kid ourselves so! The pretend sport, that's what bowling has evolved into. All dressed to the nines to resemble the former dapper. The ministers of the sport carry on as though the evolution of the sport into this drunken understudy was as normal and good as the spring sunshine.
"But the reformers want to take us back in time!" say the critics. The image of Fred and Barney as the straw men comes complete with the membership in the Slate Construction Bowling League and the use of granite vitae equipment. The fear factor is employed mostly by a younger crowd, the generation who never had the pleasure of employing the subtle skill needed to achieve success with balanced equipment and less porous cover stocks.
At one time, all of us have toyed with the idea of climbing aboard H. G. Well's contraption for a little spin back into history, if only to relive cherished moments in our own lives - the birth of our children, the day we met our soul-mate, the smell of a late summer's evening during our childhood, to see the face of your parents before the ravages of bringing up you and yours stole their youth, just to touch your grandmother's face again and say hello.
But there are also bad experiences intertwined with this thing we call life, and therein lies the rub. Most people would gladly take the trip if they were assured that their mistakes were filtered out, the tragedies skipped over, the pain of living removed. True, the exhumation of past mistakes would be a reminder of our own shortcomings, of our fragility and our tendency to be human. But these mistakes, reexamined, would show us the great ability to learn from them, to prosper in the light of what seems at times unbearable. To witness our ability to overcome great obstacles and parry other difficulties would give great solace and confirm our purpose in life.
The biggest hesitation to the idea of reform may be the uncertainty of the future. The inability to confirm that our decisions are the correct ones. It is not the fear of making the same mistakes over again but the natural caution of being wrong in the first place - a particularly paralyzing form of indecision that all of us face at one time or another. We therefore look to the experts to examine the risks of endeavor and call upon leaders to enable. The bowling hierarchy in the last four decades has ample study of the former but has been unable to supply the latter.
A great advantage in looking back in time is our ability not just in evaluating our collective mistakes and avoiding the repetition of same, but in recognizing our successes and applying what we did right to the current set of circumstances.
The hole in the critics' argument is that we have actually been aboard Well's time machine for the last 40- years and fail to acknowledge or recognize this fact. We've been here and are doing that. Questions of the efficacy of lane conditions, topography and equipment imbalances have appeared before. The discussion of fairness in lane drives, blocking and flatness of the playing surface were prevalent in the late 1930's. Unearned high averages in the 220's were discussed
during the years between world wars. The situation of core and weight imbalances in bowling balls was discussed and rectified- in 1913!
The difference between then and now, between possible success and current failure, is the unwillingness of the governing bodies to take action in protecting the sport. They enjoyed regulatory success in the early and mid part of the twentieth century in addressing these same problems that infect competitive bowling today. There is no justification in not looking back at those successes and applying what we learned to rectify the current situation. In short- they did their job.
It is time to press the stop button and get off Well's merry-go-round. The reform of the sport, not without certain risks, is a forward and progressive thought designed to enhance the quality of the sport and the profitability of the venue in the long run. It is a long term investment that we can no longer afford not to make. Let's get on with it.
(EDITOR’S NOTE: This article was reprinted with permission from the author, Jim Salisbury. Jim is a free lance writer, formerly a Bowling Proprietor. He has written a series of articles on the “state-of-the-game”. Each successive article seems to be more serious than the last. I fully expect in the near future, an article from Mr. Salisbury that will be similar to the 1976 movie: “Network”, which starred Peter Finch. In that epic movie, Howard Beale (Finch) was fed-up with what was going on politically and urged the viewers to get up and go open the windows and shout, ‘I’m mad as hell and I’m not going to put up with this anymore.’ It wouldn’t surprise me.)
BOWLING INDUSTRY UNITES IN GROUNDBREAKING PARTNERSHIP
GOAL: TO SUPPORT YOUTH BOWING
ARLINGTON, Texas – In a groundbreaking agreement, leaders of the nation’s largest bowling manufacturers will partner with the Bowling Proprietors’ Association of America (BPAA) and the United States Bowling Congress (USBC) to create a new funding source dedicated to youth bowling development and marketing.
The new Youth Education Services (YES) Fund is a joint initiative of BPAA, USBC and The Bowling Foundation. Many of the leading brands in bowling, including Brunswick, Columbia 300, Ebonite, 900 Global, Hammer, QubicaAMF, Roto Grip, Storm and Track, have agreed to significant contributions to the YES Fund totaling more than $250,000.
“This is an unprecedented statement about the level of unity being created in the bowling industry through the International Bowling Campus,” BPAA Executive Director Steve Johnson said. “This is about more than one organization or company; bowling is the brand and seeing such a strong commitment to the future of our sport from these great partners is truly exciting.”
An initial focus for the YES Fund project will be development of a new mainstream sports model for bowlers 12 years old and younger. This will involve testing new team-based structures for competition along with the development of training and recruitment programs to attract volunteer coaches.
“This project demonstrates the high level of commitment proprietors and manufacturers have toward growing bowling as a sport,” USBC Executive Director Stu Upson said. “The goals of the YES Fund completely align with USBC’s vision and will only strengthen our organization.”
Programs initiated through the YES Fund will be led by BPAA Director of Youth Chad Murphy and supported with staff from USBC and BPAA. Soon, there will be additional opportunities for more partners to join the program.
“The partnerships that have been created unite the industry in a single cause – the betterment of youth bowling. The commitment by the leaders of bowling to join together in this effort will strengthen the sport today and for generations to come,” Murphy said. “We are thrilled to have many top bowling brands on board and expect more industry partners will soon follow.”
The concept of the YES Fund was introduced at an inaugural youth bowling summit last month at the International Bowling Campus. During the summit, executives from some of the industry’s leading brands heard a detailed presentation about the project and all in attendance quickly agreed to contribute to the fund. Plans call for initial testing of pilot programs related to the YES Fund later this year.
What bowling brands are saying about the YES Fund
“Brunswick is proud to be a part of the YES Fund industry initiative. It is great to see all the companies make an investment into the future of our industry as we work together to create a more positive experience for our youth bowlers.” – Brian Graham, Brunswick Consumer Products
“The brands of Ebonite International are proud to be contributing participants in the new YES Fund. In our view, the YES Fund program is the best possible approach to garnering industry involvement in developing programs that can ensure the future of our sport…America’s youth.” – Bob Reid, Ebonite International
“We at 900 Global are proud to be involved in a new and refreshing approach to build interest and education within youth bowling. After hearing the presentation and plan for the YES Fund, we were very excited and felt it was vital for us to be a part of something that will build on the future of our sport.” – Dave Smart, 900 Global
“QubicaAMF believes that the development of youth bowling is one of the keys to the long term health of our industry and that we are excited to be a founding partner of the YES Fund program.” – John Walker, QubicaAMF
“It was a real easy decision for Storm to make to be a part of the YES Fund program. We were very impressed by the way BPAA and USBC came together with this initiative and we realize the future of bowling is with the kids.” – ersonName w:st="on">Dave SymesersonName>, Storm Products
About International Bowling Campus
The International Bowling Campus (IBC) is the headquarters for the bowling industry and directly serves the more than 71 million bowlers in the United States. The IBC houses the resources of the United States Bowling Congress (USBC), the governing body and membership organization for the sport; the Bowling Proprietors’ Association of America (BPAA), representing the business interests of bowling centers; Strike Ten Entertainment, the marketing arm for the industry; the International Bowling Museum and Hall of Fame; The Bowling Foundation; the International Bowling Pro Shop and Instructors Association; the Bowling Writers’ Association of America; the Bowling News Network; the Billiard and Bowling Institute of America; and the International Training and Research Center.
Johnny Petraglia Wins PBA East Senior Regional, Joins Dick Weber with PBA Titles in Six Decades
By: Bill Vint
HOWELL, N.J. – Professional Bowlers Association Hall of Famer Johnny Petraglia of Jackson, N.J., defeated David Kneas of Annapolis, Md., 245-189, to win the PBA East Region Howell Lanes Senior Open at Howell Lanes Sunday, and join the legendary Dick Weber as only the second player to win PBA titles in six decades.
Petraglia won the first of his 14 PBA Tour titles in Fort Smith, Ark., in 1966 at age 19. A week later, he joined the U.S. Army and didn’t bowl on Tour again until 1969. With Sunday’s title, he also has 12 PBA Regional titles along with seven PBA Senior Tour titles. Now included are titles won in the 1960s, ‘70s, ‘80s, ‘90s, ‘00s and ‘10s.
Weber’s six-decade span began when he won his first PBA title in the PBA’s second event ever – the 1959 Paramus Eastern Open in Paramus, N.J. – and ended with his final title in a PBA Midwest Regional event in Taylorville, Ill., on Jan. 20, 2002.
“I’d still like to win a national title, but winning a regional…it’s still a title. Just to be linked with Dick Weber, you did something,” the 63-year-old left-hander said.
“The way it turned out was really terrific because it happened at my home lanes,” Petraglia added. “I qualified eighth and struggled through match play, but I got just barely through it. There were only four of us left, but I found something. I used a different ball, a different way to play lanes and it worked while everyone else was struggling. The last couple of matches were pretty easy, which was fine with me.
“My family was there, too. It was the first time my son (John Jr.) had ever seen me win in person. Every other time he saw me win was on TV or on tape.
“I’m extremely happy,” Petraglia continued. “Doing something that Dick Weber did really makes you feel like you have accomplished something. He’s the standard bearer, the guy who got us started.”
Petraglia defeated Darryl Bower of Middletown, Pa., 226-166, and Kneas edged Bob Brady of Santa Monica, Calif., 182-181, in the semifinal round to set up the championship match.
Howard Stern Staffer “Scott the Engineer” Accepts Invitation to Compete in PBA World Series of Bowling
By: Bill Vint
SEATTLE, Wash. – Scott "The Engineer” Salem, an avid league bowler who serves as an engineer for SiriusXM satellite radio star Howard Stern, will compete in the Professional Bowlers Association World Series of Bowling this fall. The iconic talk show host plans to follow his longtime staff member’s progress for weeks leading up to, and during, the kickoff event for the 2010-11 Lumber Liquidators PBA Tour season.
Salem, who carried a 218 bowling average in his league last season, accepted the PBA's special invitation to compete in the World Series live on Stern's show last Thursday. Millions of listeners heard his acceptance and Stern's permission to compete.
"I was like a deer caught in the headlights," said Salem. "I'm very excited. It will be phenomenal to get to bowl against these top of the line, world class guys."
Stern has long made Salem the brunt of jokes due to his bowling prowess.
"Scott has been talking about what a great bowler he is for years," said Stern on Monday's show. "Now Scott's going to get his shot. And we'll see. I guarantee he'll choke, bowl a 130 and his excuse will be they oiled the lanes differently. Or maybe it will be a 'Rocky' story and he'll have the game of his life. I can see him working out in a meat locker to get ready now."
The PBA expects an increase in attention from Stern's audience for the WSOB. Currently, a poll on howardstern.com asks users to vote for how they expect Scott "The Engineer” to perform.
"Scott is a legitimate high-average league bowler and he is a big fan of the PBA," said PBA Deputy Commissioner Tom Clark. "Hopefully bowlers like him across the country will live vicariously through his experience at the World Series.
"The Howard Stern Show is a pop culture phenomenon," Clark said. "Stern's legions of passionate fans will be extremely interested in how Scott 'The Engineer' does against the best in the world."
Salem, 57, mentioned on air that he was looking forward to meeting PBA stars Walter Ray Williams Jr. and Chris Barnes. "I don't have high expectations because I know how hard it will be," Salem said. "I understand the conditions they bowl under are much more difficult than typical league bowling. As the date gets closer I'll probably freak out."
Salem is preparing for the opportunity by beginning a renewed practice regimen and has scheduled an Oct. 8 coaching session from PBA Hall of Famer Johnny Petraglia, who recently became the second player to win PBA titles in six decades. Brunswick is providing Salem an arsenal of equipment.
In addition to Stern’s SiriusXM Satellite Radio stations 100 and 101, Stern's "HowardTV" pay-per-view on-demand television plans to cover Salem's experience leading up to and throughout the PBA World Series of Bowling.
Stern fans, like all other PBA fans, can follow the exploits of the entire WSOB field by subscribing to pba.com’s Xtra Frame video streaming service. Subscriptions to the upgraded Xtra Frame, with improved video quality and a number of other new features, are available by clicking on the Xtra Frame logo on pba.com’s home page. A special Howard Stern fan Xtra Frame rate for the first five days of the WSOB will be made available soon.
PBA World Series of Bowling telecasts begin on ESPN on Nov. 28, with the PBA World Championship main event airing live Jan 14-16.
New Dick Weber PBA Playoffs to Conclude 2010-11 Lumber Liquidators PBA Tour Season in Indy
By: Bill Vint
SEATTLE, Wash. – The Lumber Liquidators PBA Tour will reward 180 PBA exempt players and PBA Regional competitors for their performances during the 2010-11 season with seeded positions into a new end-of-season Dick Weber PBA Playoffs, scheduled for March 8-13 at Woodland Bowl in Indianapolis.
The inaugural PBA Playoffs will feature five preliminary elimination rounds leading up to three “television elimination round” shows which will narrow the field to six players for the final telecast of the 2010-11 Lumber Liquidators PBA Tour season on Sunday, April 17, when the PBA Playoffs championship will be decided.
“The PBA staff, players, news media and other interested parties have talked a great deal over the past two or three years about the need for a special event to conclude our national tour season,” said PBA CEO and Commissioner Fred Schreyer. “After a great deal of discussion, we arrived at the PBA Playoffs concept. We think it’s going to become one of the most exciting and most anticipated events on tour.”
The PBA Playoffs, borrowing a chapter from end-of-season championship playoff series in virtually every other sport, will provide a showdown for 108 of the nation’s top regional players along with 72 players from the Lumber Liquidators PBA Tour. The more points each player earns during the season in Regional or PBA Tour competition will determine his/her seeding position at Playoffs time.
The new PBA Playoffs format will include six unique elimination “pods.” Each pod will feature 18 top PBA Regional players based upon competition points accumulated between Oct. 1 and Nov. 30, 2010. The PBA’s East, South, Central, Southwest, Midwest and combined West/Northwest each will be assigned to a pod.
Each Regional pod also will include 72 PBA Tour players (12 per pod) seeded based upon their 2010-11 Lumber Liquidators PBA Tour competition points rankings. The higher-ranking Tour players will earn bye rounds based upon their standings on the points list. The seeding of PBA Tour players into the pods will be based exclusively on points, and will have no bearing on the region where they live. The seeded Tour players will be assigned to pods by random drawing at a later date.
The Dick Weber PBA Playoffs is named in honor of the PBA legend who was born and raised in Indianapolis.
___________________________________________Membership Report
We have members in all 50 states,
and the District of Columbia
We have members in 49 countries, including the United States:
Argentina Australia Bahrain Belgium Brazil Canada China Columbia Costa Rica Denmark Ecuador Egypt Finland France Germany Great Britain Greece Guam Guatemala Ireland Israel Italy Japan Korea Latvia Malaysia Mexico The Netherlands N. Ireland Netherlands Antilles New Zealand Panama Philippines Puerto Rico Peru Qatar Scotland Singapore Slovenia South Africa Spain Sweden Switzerland Thailand Turkey U.A.E. Ukraine Venezuela
Corporate Sponsors
The problems that exist in our Sport are “industry-wide” problems that must be addressed by the entire Industry. The Foundation does all that they can to help, but we can NOT do it alone.
The Foundation has well over 1000-Members who have joined-in to assist. Some Members (Founding and Charter) have paid to show their support. Some Members (Associates) have just lent their “voice”. ALL of the members are important.
Even though The Foundation has NOT actively solicited bowling-related companies for help, some realize the importance of our “Mission” and have come forward with donations. We recognize the following companies for their loyalty and support to bowling.
KEGEL
KAT Travel
I.B.P.S.I.A.
EBN Services
Storm Bowling
Classic Products
Bobs’ Business, Inc.
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BowlersParadise.com
Virtualtournaments.com
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David Driscoll & Associates
International Bowling Industry Magazine
Stars and Strikes Bowling Newsmagazine
_________________________________________
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“One World, One Game”