It was reported here recently that USBC Hall of Famers Robin Romeo (Newhall, Calif.) and Jeanne Naccarato (Tacoma, Wash.) will be making their debut in the
2008 National Golden Ladies Classic (NGLC), to be held March 10-13 at the Orleans Hotel/Casino/Bowling Center in Las Vegas. The NGLC, or simply the Golden Ladies, was founded by
Jeanette Robinson, also a USBC Hall of Famer, at the old Showboat Bowling Center in 1991. Since then, the tournament--open to women who are 50 and older--has not only grown in stature but it has gained international fame.
The 2008 ETBF European Youth Championships at famed Tali Bowl in Helsinki Finland showed what can happen in the modern bowling environment when all parts of the scoring environment are predictable and at a high level. During the Championships, 12 of 15 girls scoring records were broken and 11 of 15 boys scoring records were broken. There were also five 300 games during the Championships. However, the closer you look and dissect the possible reasons why those records were broken and scores were achieved, the less anyone should be surprised.
Twenty-five years ago a war of words and threats was tearing bowling apart as bowlers and proprietors fought over high scores. The ABC and WIBC would inspect lanes after honor scores were bowled and decide that the lanes were doctored illegally to induce artificial high scores and deny them recognition. Proprietors were so furious over the rash of scores being thrown out that many threatened to throw out ABC/WIBC lane inspectors out of their establishments because so many 300 games and 700 series were being rejected.
In one of the most historic decisions in bowling history, the Board of Directors of the United States Bowling Congress announced its intentions to relocate the organization's headquarters to Arlington, Texas, where it will reside with the Bowling Proprietors Association of America. This dramatic move was the topic of my last column. Writing bowling columns have become second nature to me…. except for this one. Tuesday, March 22, I was informed that my great friend and adopted brother, Joe Lyou, passed away in his sleep in Santa Paula, Ca.
While watching a record 90 women bowlers – age 50 to 85 – compete in the Golden Ladies Classic at the Orleans Bowling Center in Las Vegas, Nev. one of my favorite Bible passages was leaving a striking image on my mind: "I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith." Paul wrote those words about 2,000 years ago, but they still are repeated by many great athletes and scholars. Thanks to Storm and The Orleans, the prize fund is decent considering the $150 entry fee but the prize fund alone is not enough to lure 90 women bowlers from Washington State to Florida.
The PBA was an annual event for 40 consecutive years in Las Vegas, all at the dearly departed Showboat. After a brief stint at The Orleans (both events won by Ryan Shafer), we locals gasped at the thought of the PBA not coming back. Thanks to former Fountain Bowl manager Dennis Matthews, who was hired by Station Casinos to run the Strike Zone in Henderson, we were once again treated to a week of professional bowling and a national telecast.
For the average league bowler and even for some high average scratch players, the USBC Open Championships Tournament is the most exciting and prestigious tournament they will ever bowl. Our group of 20 regular California players from the Bay area have been participating for an average of 15 years, yet we never get tired of marching out, reporting to our lanes, and greeting teams and players from other states that we see once a year. While the USBC Open Tournament is one of the best run tournaments in the world, from our experience, it is a horse of a different color when you bowl the opening weekend.
PORTLAND, Ore. -- My husband, Alan, and my best bowling buddy, Eleanore Libby, and yours truly flew to Albuquerque to bowl in the USBC Open Championships on the opening weekend of the tournament. We arrived to a cold and windy Albuquerque, but the chill in the air was offset by the warm welcome of the residents who were eager to begin greeting the expected 63,000 bowlers. Our taxi driver from the airport spoke with the soft, Southwestern drawl and filled us in on the local highlights all the way to our hotel.
Kim Terrell says she loves her new job as the bowling coach at Delaware State University. The popular San Francisco native took over the program at the beginning of the fall semester last September. That's why she was unable to compete in the recent PBA Women's Series on ESPN. It didn't take long for Terrell to make a favorable impression at Delaware State. This was verified by the monthly women's bowling poll conducted by the National Tenpin Coaches Assn. (NTCA), recognized as "the voice and leadership of NCAA (National Collegiate Athletic Assn.) bowling."