Professional Bowlers Association

Rodney Dangerfield made an entire career out of getting “no respect”.
 
Based on feedback I constantly receive from the PBA Message Board, PBA on Facebook, PBA on Twitter, at the bottom of the escalator at South Point, in the men’s room at Carolier Lanes, in my e-mail, through phone conversations and on my voicemail, the number one single complaint most PBA members and fans want fixed is clearly:
 
“That’s the story of my life, bowlers don’t get no respect, I don’t get no respect at all.”
 
My thought is this: If bowlers do not respect bowlers, how can anyone else respect bowlers?
 
For every tournament, league, competition and television show, the conversations bog down to the same inevitable list of complaints.  Try to distinguish the following comments and tell me if they are coming from your local league, city tournament or the highest level of competition on the PBA Tour:
 
“The format was a circus sideshow, what ball was he/she throwing?”
 
“Why would I want to go and pay to watch a carry contest?”
 
“The lane surface favors a certain type of player.”
 
“Too much friction.”
 
“It was boring, lanes were too tough.”
 
“I would be just as good as him/her, if I had a coach and unlimited, free bowling balls.”
 
“The scoring pace was ridiculous, they must have put a wall shot out, the scores were too high.”
 
“The entire game is based on equipment selection; power, skill and accuracy don’t matter as much as 1-2-5-10-20-50 years ago.”
 
Bowlers that win are generally talented individuals, no matter what the level of competition.  There are always a few breaks, off hits and a bit of good fortune to every title along the way.  Yet after each and every tournament, out come the excuses and yes, LACK OF RESPECT, by the very audience that demands respect from everyone else.
 
There is a lack of respect for the greatest bowlers in the world.  It comes from bowlers themselves.  Yet, that voice demands respect from everyone else.
 
I see a game that has evolved.  Talent still reigns supreme.  Now you must also be an expert on lane conditions, surface-breakdown, ball selection, coverstock-surface-core and a dozen other factors working simultaneously.  A solid mental game is a must or your game is a bust.  Physical conditioning has never been more a part of the sport of bowling.
 
All of those factors working together present a compelling backdrop for world competition at the highest level on the PBA Tour.  Now toss in a tight time frame with limited opportunities to earn your keep as even more talented players from around the world jump onto the scene to ramp up the competition level even further.
 
Youth, power, skill, accuracy, finesse and conditioning combine to produce champions; a few wily vets outwit the ravages of time -- sounds like many other sports that are getting the respect we all want.
 
“I tell you, I just won a bowling tournament on ESPN against the greatest bowlers in the world, I don’t get any respect all.  No respect.”

The PBA World Series of Bowling roars into action on ESPN Dec. 4 through April 8.
 
What many are calling the greatest field ever assembled in the history of the sport traveled to Las Vegas: the top 50 elite American players and PBA Hall of Famers, a record 50+ international stars representing 15 countries and 100+ of the best regional PBA members accepted the challenge of the PBA World Series of Bowling.  Watch what happens, who wins and who does not, this season on ESPN:
 
CLICK FOR 2011-12 PBA TOUR ESPN TV SCHEDULE
 
South Point Bowling Center in Las Vegas played host to the third PBA World Series of Bowling.  Thousands of bowling fans took in the action on site from qualifying and elimination rounds to the exciting Arena Finals held in the South Point Convention Center.
 
Tens of thousands more around the world followed the tournament schedule with scores on PBA.com and watched live coverage on Xtra Frame, the online Bowling Channel.  Many of these fans have expressed a concern that knowing some results in advance somehow takes away from the fun and drama of watching the shows on ESPN.
 
I don’t believe it does and here are a few reasons why:
 
Compared to the thousands that followed all or part of the PBA World Series of Bowling via PBA.com, Xtra Frame and at South Point, hundreds of thousands of fans do not know the results heading into the ESPN television finals.
 
For the folks in the know, there is an opportunity to enjoy the ESPN shows on a whole new level.  You can really dial into the player strategies used and watch how those strategies played out either in victory or defeat.  Add the commentary of ESPN’s Rob Stone and PBA Hall of Famer Randy Pedersen to provide color, context and history to the drama.  Also within each telecast, features and interviews bring us closer to the greatest bowlers in the world.
 
Also for fans in the know comes the opportunity to spread the word among family and bowling friends about the incredible action that took place in Las Vegas.  Knowing the matchups in advance gives us all a chance to promote the great performances from Las Vegas during the season.
 
Prior to each ESPN telecast of the PBA World Series of Bowling this season, PBA.com will remind viewers of the story lines and matchups heading into each ESPN television show.  Fans will have the opportunity to review qualifying rounds on Xtra Frame.  The PBA YouTube Channel will have videos that can be shared with bowling friends.  The PowerHouse Jackie Bowling will host PBA:39X60 pre and post-game shows to bring you player strategies heading into the televised finals and interviews with the players after the ESPN shows to bring you extended coverage featuring all the insight directly from the lanes.
 
CLICK HERE FOR PBA:39X60 PREGAME SHOW FROM THE WORLD BOWLING TOUR
 
The third PBA World Series of Bowling provided PBA members and non-members more opportunity for prize money ($1,079,579), Xtra Frame exposure (117 hours of live coverage) and ESPN national television appearances (14) than any other event in PBA history.  Watch it play out this season in High Definition on ESPN.
 
The World Series of Bowling is just one part of an exciting 2011-12 for the PBA Tour.  We have three more major championships to look forward to with the traditional formats and the ESPN live final at the end of the week: the USBC Masters Jan. 23-29 in Las Vegas, the 69th U.S. Open Feb. 20-26 in North Brunswick, N.J. and the PBA Tournament of Champions April 8-15 in Las Vegas.
 
In addition, the PBA Tour returns to Fountain Valley, Calif., Jan. 20-22, Columbus, Ohio Feb. 17-19, Detroit, Mich. March 9-11 and Indianapolis, Ind. March 30 – April 1 with the brand-new Xtra Frame Tour.  For the first time in history, 4 PBA title events will be conducted from qualifying through the live final round only on the online Bowling Channel.
 
CLICK HERE FOR 2011-12 PBA TOUR SCHEDULE
 
Stay tuned to PBA.com, PBA’s YouTube Channel, PBA on Facebook and Twitter and ESPN in HD this season as we continue to bring you exciting action from the greatest bowlers in the world.

Fans of professional bowling have asked for a “Bowling Channel” for years.  Fans of professional bowling have asked for more live coverage of bowling for years.  Fans of professional bowling have asked for more detailed bowling conversations about personalities, styles and equipment on the live shows for years.  It’s all available, right now.

Actually, the first version of a true bowling channel was created over a decade ago when the new owners of the Professional Bowlers Association created an online video service called Strike Pass.  At the time, very few people watched video or sporting events online.  My, how the times have caught up with the technology.

Strike Pass is now Xtra Frame -- your online Bowling Channel -- featuring 24/7 access to a wide variety of bowling programming.  Live coverage like you have never seen it before – putting viewers right on the lanes -- including over 100 hours of live bowling from the upcoming PBA World Series of Bowling in Las Vegas Nov. 4-16.  And that is just the start.

From the comfort of your own home computer, on your laptop at your local bowling center or in your favorite pro shop, Xtra Frame is available for you 24 hours a day.  Don’t like to watch live sporting events on your computer?  Connect Xtra Frame into your flat screen television and home theatre sound and enjoy your online Bowling Channel alone or have Xtra Frame parties with your friends to watch the greatest bowlers in the world.

The intensity starts live, hot and heavy on Nov. 4 at 6:30 p.m. Eastern when the BowlersDeals.com All-In Showdown kicks off the third PBA World Series of Bowling at South Point Bowling Center in Las Vegas, Nev.  Eight players can get in for a $5,000 entry fee with BowlersDeals.com kicking in another 5-large for a potential winner-take-all pot of $45,000.  Who will get to play with house money after this exciting opener?

Many improvements are coming to Xtra Frame – your online Bowling Channel – this season including improved video quality, expanded features and live, interactive real-time interaction via the Facebook Fan Chat and direct communication with the announcers in the Xtra Frame booth.  It is truly the next-best-thing to being there.

Three subscription options are available for bowling fans, including the brand-new “pay-per-view” rate of just $3.99 per day.  Take advantage of the special PBA World Series of Bowling package of $29.99 now through Nov. 30 or the yearly rate of $64.99, both packages offer unlimited use of Xtra Frame – your online Bowling Channel.

Enjoy 100+ hours of live coverage from the PBA World Series of Bowling and over 250 hours of live coverage of all the qualifying and match play action on the 2011-12 PBA Tour, including the first-ever “Xtra Frame Tour” when the greatest bowlers in the world return to Fountain Valley, Calif. Jan. 21-22, Columbus, Ohio Feb. 12-18, Detroit March 9-10 and Indianapolis March 31-April 1.  The Xtra Frame Tour will crown 4 PBA Tour national titlists -- only Xtra Frame subscribers will be able to watch, from the first ball to the last, including the live final round.

When Xtra Frame is not streaming live bowling coverage, subscribers enjoy 24/7 access to the most extensive library of online professional bowling content ever assembled.  Watch archived telecasts of past ESPN shows, catch up with Xtra Frame live content you may have missed on-demand, plus exclusive interviews and new, original programming including PBA:39X60, tips, product demonstration videos and more.

Enjoy Xtra Frame, your online Bowling Channel.  To sign up for Xtra Frame, visit pba.com and click on the Xtra Frame logo. Xtra Frame’s 2011-12 live programming schedule includes:

2011-12 XTRA FRAME SCHEDULE
PBA World Series of Bowling
Nov. 4 - BowlersDeals.com All-In Showdown
Nov. 5 - Bayer Viper Open (Squad A, B, Round of 16)
Nov. 6 - Chameleon Open (Squad A, B, Round of 16)
Nov. 7 - Scorpion Open (Squad A, B, Round of 16)
Nov. 8 - GEICO Shark Open (Squad A, B, Round of 16)
Nov. 9 - PBA World Championship (Cashers Round)
Nov. 11 - All Region South Point Open/Carmen Salvino Classic TQR (Squad A, B)
Nov. 12 - All Region South Point Open (Match Play Finals)
Nov. 12 - PBA Regional Member/Non-Member Doubles (Qualifying)
Nov. 13 - PBA Regional Member/Non-Member Doubles (Match Play Finals)
Nov. 14 - Carmen Salvino Classic (Round 1, 2, Round of 16)
Nov. 15 – Pepsi PBA Exempt Players Championship (Qualifying Rounds)
Nov. 16 – Pepsi PBA Exempt Players Championship (Round of 32, Eliminator Round)
Additional PBA Tour events
Jan. 21 - PBA Xtra Frame Tour Ebonite Cheetah Open (Squad A, B)
Jan. 22 - PBA Xtra Frame Tour Ebonite Cheetah Open (Match Play, Finals)
Jan. 24 - USBC Masters (Qualifying)
Jan. 25 - USBC Masters (Qualifying)
Jan. 26 - USBC Masters (Cashers Round, Match Play)
Jan. 27 - USBC Masters (Match Play)
Feb. 17 - PBA Xtra Frame Tour Columbia 300 Don Johnson Memorial (Squad A, B)
Feb. 18 - PBA Xtra Frame Tour Columbia 300 Don Johnson Memorial (Match Play, Finals)
Feb. 21 - 69th U.S. Open (Qualifying)
Feb. 22 - 69th U.S. Open (Qualifying)
Feb. 23 - 69th U.S. Open (Qualifying)
Feb. 24 - 69th U.S. Open (Cashers Round, Match Play 1)
Feb. 25 - 69th U.S. Open (Match Play)
March 9 - PBA Xtra Frame Tour Hammer Detroit Open (Squad A, B)
March 10 - PBA Xtra Frame Tour Hammer Detroit Open (Match Play, Finals)
March 31 - PBA Xtra Frame Tour Track Dick Weber Playoffs (Qualifying)
April 1 - PBA Xtra Frame Tour Track Dick Weber Playoffs (Eliminator Rounds, Regional Finals, Conference Finals, Finals)
April 9 - PBA Tournament of Champions (Champions Rounds)
April 10 - PBA Tournament of Champions (Elite Qualifying)
April 11 - PBA Tournament of Champions (Elite Qualifying, Cashers Round)
April 12 - PBA Tournament of Champions (Round of 36)
April 13 - PBA Tournament of Champions (Match Play)

Everyone likes easy.

All professional bowlers strive to be successful, win tournaments, claim major titles, and earn big money.  All professional bowling fans want to see an environment where pro bowlers are rewarded and recognized for their efforts.  Neither comes easy.

There are many reasons why 13-time PBA Tour champion and future PBA Hall of Famer Chris Barnes is widely considered among peers and pro bowling fans as the most talented current player in the Professional Bowlers Association.  Barnes is in tip-top physical condition, has a tremendous knowledge of his physical game, an almost encyclopedic grasp of lane conditions, bowling equipment and lane bed characteristics from around the world.  Then he starts to practice.

There is only one Chris Barnes.

At the other end of the spectrum, there are many more professionals, amateurs and league players that are not as committed to physical conditioning.  Not as knowledgeable when it comes to bowling ball technology, not as dedicated to the pursuit of perfecting a physical game or following a structured practice regimen.

The same parallel could be drawn for the fans of professional bowling. 

Relatively few fans take a very active role in actually following the sport of bowling.  PBA Member and USBC Hall of Famer Jeff Richgels writes a newsworthy and timely bowling blog as a part of his work for the Capitol Times: http://host.madison.com/sports/recreation/bowling/

Sacramento’s Steve Curless compiles a comprehensive bowling blog:
http://stevesbowlingblog.blogspot.com/

On PBA Facebook, Bruce LeRoy likes, shares or comments on nearly every post, every day.  On Xtra Frame, Paul DeRusso, Davey Rosen and Brian Cosgrove Payne watch nearly every tournament.

Xtra Frame’s Jackie Bowling bowls in multiple leagues, attends professional training camps, takes lessons and follows the action on the PBA Tour and Regional scenes when she isn’t working for the Official Video Service of the PBA.

We could use a million Richgels, DeRussos, Curless’, LeRoys, Paynes and Jackie Bowlings.  Active fan bases are what propel sports such as the NFL, NASCAR and others to prominence and greatness.

Many bowling “fans” just want to flip the television on Sunday and see that the finals of another Professional Bowlers Association tournament are live on ESPN.   That group does not follow the sport on a daily basis; the sport simply needs more fans to take an active role in following the sport for it to grow.

What can bowling fans do to help the PBA Tour grow, help the tournaments expand, increase prize funds and ratings for television?  Here are ways you can help beyond just turning on the TV on Sundays. 

If you can’t do all 10, start with one.  If you already are doing one or two elements, add another and ask your friends to do the same.  Together we can push the snowball up the steep hill so that it will eventually roll down by itself as we gain momentum.

1.    Follow the PBA Tour like other sports fans support their sports.  NFL and NASCAR fans just don’t show up at stadiums and racetracks or turn on the TV without knowing what teams are playing or what is going on.
2.    Visit PBA.com once a week for news and updates, visit daily during the tournament season for live scoring, news and updates.
3.    Purchase a yearly subscription to Xtra Frame for just $64.99 – the best way to support PBA’s “Bowling Channel” then watch the programming with your bowling friends live or on-demand, learn from the Greatest Bowlers in the World.
4.    Get on the PBA E-mail list when you visit PBA.com, read and click the links for more information when you get the e-mails.
5.    Become a fan of the PBA on Facebook, “share” posts with your network, “like” posts, follow PBA player pages, post your own bowling experiences or photos.  Click on the PBA page and read all the posts once a week, not just when they pop up on your news feed.
6.    Follow the PBA on Twitter, follow PBA’s Tom Clark, ESPN’s Rob Stone and Randy Pedersen or follow PBA players.  They all talk back.
7.    Attend a regional or national PBA tournament, bowl a ProAm.
8.    Support PBA’s great sponsors: Track, Hammer, Ebonite, Columbia 300, Brunswick, DV8, Storm, Roto Grip and Etonic by participating in all of these elements for them.
9.    Pick up and read a local bowling publication the next time you visit your local bowling center.  Subscribe to Bowlers Journal International or Bowling This Month magazines.
10.    Talk about the sport you love and enjoy the great sport of bowling with family and friends every chance you get.

Wouldn’t it be nice to just walk off the street, put on some house shoes, buy a new ball and become Chris Barnes?  Wouldn’t it be nice if thousands regularly packed bowling centers to watch PBA bowling and millions more tuned in to watch the thrilling conclusions on ESPN?

It ain’t easy, but just like winning on the PBA Tour, won’t it be worth the effort it when it happens?

Arguably, no professional sport does a better job of staying “front of mind” year-round better than the National Football League.  Training camp and preseason games in the summer -- regular season, postseason and Pro Bowl games in the fall and winter months and combines, draft, mini-camps and off-season transactions fill the year.

Bowling is also a year-round business.  The majority of competitive play takes place in the traditional fall and winter seasons while spring and summer organized play and the local, state and national tournament schedule fills out the year.  Open play, fund-raisers and the social bowling scene knows no season.

Professional bowling on the PBA Tour competes in the fall and winter months and pro bowling fans concentrate their attention on PBA.com, Xtra Frame and ESPN during the national tournament season.  I get this question all the time, “Why should I subscribe to Xtra Frame all year...what is there to watch when the “Greatest Bowlers in the World” are not competing on the PBA Tour?”

Answer?  Plenty.

Xtra Frame, the official video service of the Professional Bowlers Association is your “Bowling Channel”.  It is the goal of the Xtra Frame staff to keep bowling and professional bowling “front of mind” year-round.

Immediately following the season-ending Dick Weber PBA Playoffs in April, “The Bowling Doctor” Jeff Mark went on the road with coverage of five of the first six tournaments on the 2011 PBA Senior Tour.  Ron Mohr won three of those first six stops and is the leading candidate for Senior Player of the Year.

If you subscribe to Xtra Frame, you already know that and are looking forward to coverage of the final four stops of the PBA Senior Tour August 10-11, 15-16, 24-25 and 29-30.

Xtra Frame is fast becoming the “go-to” video production service of the bowling industry.  For the second straight year, Xtra Frame and Bowlers Journal International teamed up to provide “Bowlers Journal on Xtra Frame” coverage of International Bowl Expo.

The “Interviews” channel on Xtra Frame features 2011 International Bowl Expo industry coverage with PBA Hall of Famer Randy Pedersen, PBA champion/coach Mark Baker, Bowling This Month’s Eric Martinez, Killer B. Promotion’s Gary Beck, Masters Champion Tom Hess, PBA Hall of Famer Parker Bohn III with wife Leslie plus movie producer Jamie Buckner among many others.

The “Tips and Equipment” channel on Xtra Frame features the 2011 Ebonite New Product Showcase at Showplace Lanes in Euless, Texas.  Exclusive Xtra Frame content contains new product demonstrations from Track, Hammer, Columbia 300 and Ebonite with brand managers and PBA Tour players.

Bowling This Month magazine just wrapped up production in San Antonio on a first-ever project documenting BTM’s bowling ball testing program.  Join BTM’s Eric Martinez with the Powerhouse Jackie Bowling and myself for an entertaining and informative look at how BTM’s ball reviews are created.  The Bowling This Month Ball Testing Show will be available later this summer on Xtra Frame.

For the first time ever, a youth player will win a full-ride college scholarship and an entry to the 2011 PBA World Series of Bowling live on Xtra Frame at the 2011 Teen Masters.  Gary Beck’s Killer B. Promotions and Xtra Frame team up for the second straight year on production of the Teen Masters and you can watch it all on Xtra Frame July 31 to August 4.  

Preliminary rounds take place July 31 – August 2 at Laurel Lanes in Maple Shade, N.J.  The finalists will move to Grand Central Station in New York City for the Under 14 and High School Boys and Girls Teen Masters Semifinals and Finals in a one-of-a-kind spectacular environment.  You can witness all of it on Xtra Frame, live and on-demand.

In between those interesting bowling bookends, “The Bowling Doctor” Jeff Mark will also offer coverage of the PBA Regional Tour from select locations.  Catch action from the PBA’s East Region Aug. 7 and PBA’s Central Region Aug. 14 and 21.

Also on Xtra Frame on the “Xtra Frame Productions” channel, PBA:39X60 pre and post-game shows from PBA Tour stops, promotional videos and more.  On Xtra Frame’s “PBA Telecasts” channel, on-demand ESPN telecasts are at your disposal 24 hours a day.  On the “Archived Tournaments” channel, you can watch all Xtra Frame on-demand coverage from the PBA’s national, Senior and regional tours.

Xtra Frame works to stay “front of mind” year-round to provide plenty of bowling action for even the most hard-core ardent bowling fans.  Get your subscription today or get a gift subscription for the big bowling fan in your family.

Who will win PBA Senior Player of the Year?  Which Teen Masters competitor will win the full-ride college scholarship on a lane at Grand Central Station?  What does PBA Regional competition look like?  How does Bowling This Month generate their ball reviews?  Who did Xtra Frame talk to at Bowl Expo?  What did “The Bowling Doctor” Jeff Mark have for lunch today?  

Plenty of action until the third PBA World Series of Bowling kicks off in November.  

For more information or to subscribe to the official video service of the Professional Bowlers Association, visit www.xtraframe.tv