BallReviews
General Category => Miscellaneous => Topic started by: MI 2 AZ on November 07, 2012, 10:49:04 AM
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New team owners include Jerome Bettis, Chris Paul, Terrell Owens and Kevin Hart.
http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/bowling/2012/11/06/professional-bowlers-association-new-league-format/1687851/ (http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/bowling/2012/11/06/professional-bowlers-association-new-league-format/1687851/)
Amateur bowlers roll in leagues, wearing team shirts and rooting on each other's strikes.The Professional Bowlers Association decided that's a format with appeal to advertisers and fans. NBA star Chris Paul and former NFL running back Jerome Bettis, both avid bowlers, will be among eight celebrity owners in the PBA's new team league for the game's top pros.
Also on the list of owners are former NFL receiver Terrell Owens and comedian/actor Kevin Hart. The nickname hasn't been revealed for Paul's Los Angeles franchise. Bettis will be affiliated with the Motor City Muscle of Detroit, Owens with the Dallas Strikers and Hart with the Philadelphia Hitmen. Four more owners have yet to be named.
"This is exciting for me and the sport of bowling," says the Los Angeles Clippers' Paul, who has hosted his own celebrity tournament. "I love PBA action, have enjoyed getting to know many top bowlers and look forward to my team competing for the first PBA League Elias Cup (named for PBA founder Eddie Elias)."
Inspiration for the league came from a visit PBA CEO Geoff Reiss made in January to the International Bowling Museum and Hall of Fame in Arlington, Texas. He was struck by an exhibit about the Budweiser beer team of the late 1950s and 1960s, a traveling squad of the game's greats.
"Budweiser basically put together the equivalent of the 1927 Yankees to barnstorm. I just looked at it and said, 'That's a good idea!'" Reiss says.
He called PBA Tour Commissioner Tom Clark. They talked for an hour about launching a team format. It was off and running. "It has the potential to be a real leap forward for the PBA," Reiss says.
He says the PBA really hadn't had an answer to a key question: What's new with professional bowling?
"Now we're able to say Chris Paul, Kevin Hart, Jerome Bettis and Terrell Owens are new. And the opportunity to build sponsorships is new, and to connect with fans at a totally different level is new," Reiss says.
All four team owners so far are African Americans. Among about 50 players who currently have Touring 1 status on the PBA Tour, none are black, according to Clark. He estimates that among about 240 players competing in the World Series of Bowling, 10 or so are black.
"It's not on purpose that we went out and got African Americans to be owners in this league. We have people that love bowling and have a celebrity status. That's it," Clark says. "But the fact that the first four are (African-Americans) is kind of obvious, and we just see it as a great example of the fact that bowling is popular for everyone.
"Even though the success of our players through history has not included African Americans largely, it is popular among African Americans."
Reiss says the owners won't be required to pay franchise fees. He says they will get a share of any advertising revenue.
"These guys aren't going to be buying any new jet planes off what they make from the PBA, but ultimately they will make money," Reiss says.
The PBA eventually hopes to have 20 teams. Reiss says subsequent owners will have franchise fees. "We're not talking about the L.A. Dodger deal here," he says.
The eight teams in the league will consist of five players each. That includes a "franchise player," already designated for each team from last year's list of the top eight point scorers. Paul's franchise player in Los Angeles is five-time PBA champion Jason Belmonte of Australia.
On Friday, a draft will be held. The franchise players will make the selections to fill each roster.
At a series of PBA individual events beginning in late January, the team members also will begin racking up team points.
Those team points will be used to determine seeding for a series of five team vs. team rounds that will air on ESPN beginning Jan. 27. In each 10-frame game, members of each team will roll alternate frames. They'll wear team shirts. Though Bettis has the Detroit team, its members will wear black and gold, a nod to his Pittsburgh Steeler days.
The top four teams in the standings after those five team rounds will advance to the championship in late March in Indianapolis and aired on ESPN on April 7. Each player on the championship team will win $15,000. Players will also receive season salaries, ranging from $10,000 for a franchise player down to $2,000 for a fifth-round draft pick.
Bettis looks forward to getting started.
"Bowling fans not only get to see me, but they also get to see Mike Fagan and some great team bowling," Bettis says. "PBA fans deserve the best, and this season we will give them the best and a chance to enjoy every moment."
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I posted to this on another site, so I'll put the same thing here.
I like the format but would like to see one addition.
Each team should be required to have at least one female.
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Now, if they really want to catch the attention of non-bowlers, make them, bowl on house patterns to show how good these guys really are!
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How many members make up one team? Will there be any spots for amateurs?
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I posted to this on another site, so I'll put the same thing here.
I like the format but would like to see one addition.
Each team should be required to have at least one female.
I agree, that would be good, but how many females are currently members of the PBA, are there at least eight to fill out those eight team rosters?
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There are plenty of females with the skills to bowl the PBA, but there is little incentive for them to join.
Make it worth wild and they will join.
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There are plenty of females with the skills to bowl the PBA, but there is little incentive for them to join.
Make it worth wild and they will join.
The way the article is written, it sounds like they already have to be members of the PBA to be in this draft. I don't think there are eight female PBA members but hopefully I am wrong, I just don't remember seeing very many on any of the recent telecasts.
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From what is listed at pba.com, each team will have 4 players and 1 alternate. Each of the eligible players to be a part of this had to declare for a draft, where the team captains will make their picks. All of the people in the draft are PBA members.
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The teams have now been selected.
Link: http://news.pba.com/post/2012/11/9/Page-is-No-1-Selection-as-Franchise-Players-Fill-Rosters-for-Inaugural-PBA-League-Campaign.aspx
It will be nice seeing Rhino Page back on tv since it's been a few years. Same with Parker Bohn, Brad Angelo and Dead Eye as it will be at least 2 appearances for both. Amleto Monacelli will be on too.
This will also mark multiple appearances this year for Jason Sterner. In addition, we will see Jesse Buss, Anthony LaCaze, Thomas Larsen and John Szczerbinski for the first time.
Anyone want to venture any guesses with who will come out on top?
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This is a result of the new marketing partner the PBA has. Think its a great idea. I would love to see the "franchise" players draft teams where all the members are from the same geographic area. Sort of east coast vs west coast, north vs. south, etc. Team concept from the 50's had the teams made up of guys from same city. I hope it does well. Its fresh and not the same boring stuff.