Bowlers Journal International - March 2008 - (Page 45)

UPCLOSE actually has all the tools, and because of Team USA, etc., he's got the experience, too. He’s basically taken the Chris Barnes route to the Tour. I think Rhino will be the ﬁrst to tell you he’s been extremely lucky in terms of who he has been able to work with this year. Parker has taken him under his wing, as has Patrick; who better to help you out than those guys? And Rhino has taken full advantage of it. Do you think they're now saying, 'Hey, kid, don't pay attention to what we told you. We just kidding.' That would be me doing that because I’m the practical jokester. I probably would’ve ridden the kid pretty hard all year. When I saw him in Vegas after the doubles, I said, 'Hey rook.' And he’s like, 'Rook?' And I said, 'Yeah, you’re a rookie, son, and you have to be called Rook for a whole year, and then I won’t call you that anymore.' That goes on in every sport. As does the fact that some bowlers have someone else's number. Who has yours? Obviously, it’d be easy to say Walter has my number, but the interesting point about that whole deal is that he and I have only bowled once on TV. How'd that happen? I’ve got close to 60 shows, and he has something like 200 shows…but we’ve bowled a lot of elimination matches, and I’ve got to imagine he’s way ahead of me, but I beat him in last year's Masters’ brackets. The ﬂipside is that I’ve had Pete’s number for a while. It’s a guarantee that if the match is seven games, you might as well throw away the ﬁrst six… it usually goes the full seven games. Pete may be one of those guys out on Tour with a target on his back. He is. I can guarantee that because a lot of the guys have the philosophy I do: if you want to be the best, you’ve gotta beat the best. When I bowl Pete, I know it’s going to be a great match. A World Series concept would be great where the greatest bowlers would go up against each other every week. The numbers would be amazing. I’ve tried to pitch the PBA to run an AllStar game of some sort. Let the fans JIM DRESSEL UPCLOSE Exactly. Let’s just hope the kids don’t get too spoiled today. Many educators — Bill Chrisman, to use a competitor — see many good trends on the competitive side today. Give him credit. The good thing with Bill is that he’s a bowler. It’s the same thing with my boss, Ed Gallagher. He tests the bowling balls we use. You Couch won his first T of C in 1999 at Danny Jackson's Incred- have to have the bowling menA-Bowl in Overland Park, Kansas. Brunswick's Fred Florjancic tality, but you also have to be (r.) makes the $100,000 hand-off to Jason, while former MLB a business person, in order to hurler Jackson and his wife beam their approval. succeed in this industry. vote for their favorites in each region, I'm sure Ebonite is keeping and have them go at it. You’d have an you busy these days, right? All-Start shootout, just like the NHL and There's no doubt in my mind that I’m NBA. That’d be a great draw for TV. with the best company in the business. An example: I’ve been with them for 17 What’s the best thing going on in the years, and when I knew I was going game today? to defer for the season, I called them You’re going to get a different answer up, and said, 'Eddie, I’m not going to be out of me than anyone else. It’s that able to go this year, man, I’m going to the industry is ﬁnally coming together. have to ﬁle for deferment. Is there any After God knows how many years of frustration, the BPAA, Strike Ten, the way for me to keep my job?' He told USBC, the entire industry is starting to me not to worry about it, he'd talk to work together, and I think we are just [Marketing Vice President] Bob Reid to ready to go off. And with the PBA Exﬁnd ways to use you in different ways. perience, you are going to start seeing About an hour later, Bob Reid calls me, the league bowlers come back. The and says, 'You just get yourself back PBA Experience leagues are going to to where you need to be, because 17 help it go full cycle and turn around. years of service means a lot to me.' It In the past, we always wondered who just shows their class… Turbo Grips is was going to ﬁnally realize that bowlthe same way. Without those two coming is a sport. Now the industry has panies, I couldn’t live the lifestyle I’m signed on to that idea. used to. It’s something they should have realized And that’s important since you are a 35 years ago. But have you ever met a new daddy. bowler who wasn’t hard-headed? I’ve got mouths to feed. OK, what’s the thing that worries you So on that note, what’s ahead for Jathe most? son Couch? I’m really, really worried that we aren’t First, to continue the rehab process. Then, as you know, the trade circuit educating kids anymore. I would be terriﬁed to walk down to a Junior league steps up around April, May, and I’ll be bowler, hand them a score sheet, and at every trade show for the companies see how they do scoring by hand. I’m that have kept me on. I’ll rehab every afraid they might not know how. That day, and I’m really conﬁdent that I’ll be scares me, because there was nothing stronger next year, be a lot more dulike going to practice and having the rable, and hopefully, injury free. telescore to keep your own score. We So are you going to start another ToC lose the concept of how to add. streak? Kids once made pocket change by Boy, that would be nice, but I was keeping score, and got hooked on the thinking maybe a U.S. Open or a Masgame. ters streak would be nice, too. MARCH 2008 bowlers journal international 45

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Bowlers Journal International - March 2008

Bowlers Journal International - March 2008 Contents Leading Off Letters Bowlitically Incorrect Par Bowling The Coach Calendar Inside Line Tournaments The Truth Be Bowled Pro Bowling Back On Track Weber Tales Spares Do Matter Cover Story Up Close USBC Women's Time Capsule Flashback Strategy Session Guest Column Regional Roundup Team USA Trials Military Salute Global Guide No Holes Barred Marketplace Bowling Summit Museum Update Hall Marks Advertisers' Index Rememberance Classified Advertising Intelligencer Business Calendar Business People Strikes Me

Bowlers Journal International - March 2008

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