Bowlers Journal International - January 2008 - (Page 37) What? We Still Can’t Win? A dramatically altered format was rolled out for the 2007 DyDo Japan Cup in Tokyo. The competition was predicated on unpredictable, best-of-three matches, an alteration said to be due to the fact that a Japanese bowler hadn’t won the Cup since 1988. The result? Largely the same, except this time, it wasn’t an American who won — it was the Big Finn, Mika Koivuniemi. Barrette’s Wild Quinella What do you call a clean sweep of USBC's Women’s titles? Whatever it’s called, Leanne Barrette Hulsenberg is now one of its proud owners after adding a Team crown to her previous USBC championship titles in Singles, Doubles, All-Events and Queens. Faster Than a Speeding Skater It’s official. Having surpassed ice hockey, national athletics officials declared that bowling had become the fastest-growing high school sport in the country. In the 200102 scholastic year, 25,626 students bowled. In 2006-07, the number of bowlers skated to 45,064. An Award to Really Sniff At Len Nicholson has never lost his sense of smell despite all those years of serving as one of the PBA’s original lane maintenance gurus. After years of inhaling those “aromatic” lane oils (and other maintenance fluids), Nicholson got to smell the posies this year as the 2007 recipient of the Sam Levine Flowers for the Living award. Make Way for a ‘G- String’ If nobody knew it before, Rob Stone established himself as a PBA Tour broadcast newbie with quotes like, “We need to come up with something for four strikes in a row.” To which Randy Pedersen replied, “Uh, we call that a 4-bagger.” Responded Stone, “But I want something sexier.” Some Real Glass Ceilings When it comes to conjecture over the country’s first black or female Chief of State, the politicians should pay more attention to bowling. When electing a new President of IBPSIA, the ball drillers not only elected the first woman to that post — Susie Minshew — but also its first chief executive never to have owned a pro shop. The USBC topped that, however, when it elected Jeff Bojé as the first bowling proprietor to its top elective post. He also is a former President of BPAA, the proprietors’ trade group. A few years earlier (2001), USBC had its first black President when Tom DeChalus was elected to the top spot. Revenge of the Back-Up Artisté A 7th-place finish in the 2006 Junior Gold event wasn’t good enough to earn Adam Martinez a berth on Junior Team USA. It probably had something to do with the fact that he throws a back-up ball. But he left no doubt that he belonged in his 2007 encore as the outright winner of the Junior Gold championship. Touché. More and Less, More or Less For the 2006-07 season, the PBA raised its annual membership fee by $25 and lowered the prize funds for most of its regular events. It dropped the top payout in its regular tournaments from $40,000 to $25,000. Generational Identity Crisis? Although it was unveiled with much fanfare at the 2006 International Bowl Expo, the Generations Bowling Tour never built up much of a head of steam nationally. One problem was revealed late last year when it finally decided to start billing itself as a “Professional senior bowling tour,” rather than just a “senior tour.” Research? What’s That? When Billy Oatman earned a Tour exemption last season, the PBA noted he was “the first African-American exempt bowler on the Denny’s PBA Tour.” Johnny Campos took note of the claim. As PBA’s former Media Director, Campos pointed out that both George Branham and Curtis Odom had been exempt on the “old” PBA Tour. To claim that Oatman was the first “Denny’s” exemptee didn’t wash either because, as Campos also pointed out, Walter Ray Williams was credited with a record 43 Denny’s PBA titles. “If Walter’s titles count,” Campos asked, “why don’t Branham’s exemptions?” But No Egg on His Face Walter Ray Williams has established himself as one of the greatest two-sport athletes ever (he’s a world champion in both bowling and horseshoes). However, if you really feel a need to challenge him, try an egg-eating competition. Judging by his appearance in one of the Denny’s restaurant chain’s breakfast commercials, eating eggs doesn’t seem to be one of WRW’s special talents. JANUARY 2008 bowlers journal international 37
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