from pba.com

The Lumber Liquidators PBA Tour has developed a number of fresh ways to connect with and engage bowling fans throughout the 2008-09 season, which kicks off Sunday (1 p.m. ET)  on ESPN with the Chris Paul PBA Celebrity Invitational presented by the brands of Ebonite.
 
A sampling of things to look for:
 
1)      Revamped Xtra Frame online video service on pba.com.
Now fans can tune in on Fridays (or Saturday as is the case with the PBA World Championship, 66th Lumber Liquidators U.S. Open and the Don Johnson Buckeye State Eliminator Championship) and watch Round of 8 or Round Robin action streaming live from every tour stop. In addition to live scoring, Xtra Frame is the only place on the web for behind-the-scenes videos of the PBA Tour, including interviews with stars, special features, coverage of the Senior Tour and Women’s Series and archived ESPN telecasts. Host Jeff Mark and reporter Missy Bellinder will handle the bulk of the announcing, with plenty of high-powered and knowledgeable guests throughout the season. Current Xtra Frame video includes PBA Player of the Year Chris Barnes going one-on-one with Chris Paul on the basketball court.
 
2)      New weekly blogs on pba.com.
-          JASON’s TV RECAP: Miss this week's PBA telecast on ESPN? Better yet, did you catch this week's show and want even more in-depth analysis? Jason’s TV Recap, authored by Jason Thomas, is one rabid bowling fan's take on the experience of watching The Show. From player strategy to lane conditions to advanced explication of the meaning and societal impact of the Hambone, this is the blog for the true PBA Fan. Check it out every Monday after The Show.
-          MIKE J LANESIDE: Mike Jakubowski used to bowl two junior leagues on Saturday morning.  He then would usually buy a fist full of candy bars on the way home to watch the PBA Tour telecasts.  This season, Mike will bring his professional sports production experience to the Lumber Liquidators PBA Tour as an audio producer and PA announcer, and as Mike J. Laneside, he will be blogging throughout the season, focusing on the cities, bowling centers and the fan atmosphere at events – often from a different slant.
-          ANDREW’s ANGLE: Andrew Cain has been one of the top amateur bowlers in the world and already advanced once to a PBA finals on ESPN, but this is his first year full time as an exempt touring player. Cain, who is also a USBC board member, will bring fans along for his ride through the season through the eyes of a rookie.
-          MISSY’S MEMO: PBA Women’s Series star, Team USA member and two-time PBA Regional champion Missy Bellinder is also a public relations coordinator for the PBA Tour and once a week she gives an inside view of the top storylines on the PBA Tour.
 
3)      New PBA Auction site online.
Bowling fans worldwide can own a piece of history by bidding on unique game-used autographed items directly from the PBA Tour and its players. Items include bowling balls, jerseys, score cards, pin sweeps and photos. The PBA has partnered with FansDepot and Truition to create the online auction which can be found at http://auction.pba.com/.
 
4)      New PBA Tour Fantasy Game online.
Each week, fans will have the opportunity to build a team of four PBA bowlers by selecting their favorites from the list of exempt players. Bowlers will earn fantasy points based on final tournament standings, in addition to bonus points that will be awarded for 300 games and performance during the qualifying rounds. Compete with your friends by forming a private league. Sign up at www.pbafantasygame.com starting on Sunday, October 19th. (Fans can sign up and join the game anytime, forming a team at any point during the season).  
 
5)      Fifty Greatest PBA Players countdown on ESPN and related fan vote.
Beginning with the PBA World Championship finals on ESPN Oct. 26, the PBA will count down the 50 greatest players in history all the way down to No. 1, which will be announced on the PBA Tournament of Champions finals Jan. 25. Nelson Burton Jr., who provided expert commentary for over two decades on ABC-TV, will provide the voice behind the retrospectives, and appear on the World Championship show to introduce the series. Stay tuned to pba.com for how the fans will be invited to get involved in this celebration of history.
 
6)      â€œIn the news,” on pba.com.
When the mainstream media writes about the PBA Tour and its players, pba.com will find it and make it available to fans. So fans from anywhere in the country can read hometown coverage from tournaments and about specific players. Find “In the news,” on the pba.com home page. Also on the pba.com home page is a new photo gallery section with photography from all PBA Tour events.
 
7)      Advanced Fan Experience on site at PBA events.
Crowds at the finals for PBA Tour events will be treated to music, match updates and public address announcements coordinated by Mike Jakubowski in-game, comparable to most other live major sports presentations. “Improved game-day productions can play a significant role in improving bowling television programs” said Jakubowski, also the public address announcer for Marquette basketball.  â€œI look forward to working with the Lumber Liquidators PBA Tour staff to keep the live audience informed and entertained during this Golden Anniversary season.”
 
The season’s first regular event, the PBA World Championship, is also the first major championship on the schedule. It kicks off Sunday, Oct. 19, with pro-ams. Competition begins Tuesday featuring approximately 200 entrants from 9 countries, with the live finals airing on ESPN next Sunday, Oct. 26 at 1 p.m. ET.
 
ESPN’s Rob Stone and Randy Pedersen are back to call all the action for the 2008-09 season. Sunday (Oct. 19), they are joined in the booth by event host and NBA superstar Chris Paul.
 
New 50th Anniversary season promotional ads featuring PBA stars Norm Duke, Walter Ray Williams Jr., Tommy Jones, Sean Rash and Rhino Page will begin to air across ESPN networks next week.

This is 100% Tom Clark's signature on the PBA, for better or worse.  He has always advocated shotgun style marketing ever since he moved over from USA Today to run marketing for the USBC.  Either you like it or don't like it - this is the new look PBA.

I'm not sure I'd agree that this is jumping the shark (good TV reference though), but it is clear that 08-09 will represent a huge new face for the PBA.

When the players owned the PBA it was more of a sandbox for their game.  Yes, they paid some marketing and advertising guys but clearly they were getting very little traction.  

When Chris Peters and Co. bought the PBA they brought in Steve Miller who had a different vision - to push hard at making bowling a sport with brand name stars.  I actually think this was the right vision, the only problem was he pre-determined the stars instead of letting the stars rise on their own.

Tom Clark has always had a vision too - and as the new COO of the PBA he is in the position to execute.  Tom has always advocated that with bowling the more exposure the better.  New tournament formats, NBA all-star events, big time expanded (if not silly some times) web presence is a clear indication of what we should all expect with Tom at the helm.  I'm not sure I disagree with his style I just wish he would be a bit more targeted with his approach.