GEICO's "Manufacturers Cup" Series to debut on ESPN Saturday, July 7
06/29/12
Jason Couch of Clermont, Fla (pictured right)., a 16-time champion and 21-year veteran of Professional Bowlers Association competition, will make his "farewell" appearance as a PBA Tour competitor during the sixth annual GEICO PBA Summer Shootout series which debuts on ESPN on Saturday, July 7 at 2 p.m. ET.
Couch, who was inducted into the PBA Hall of Fame in November, will make his final appearance as a PBA Tour player as a member of the Ebonite International team competing against rival bowling ball companies in a unique made-for-television singles and doubles competition.
The GEICO PBA Summer Shootout will be part of Couch's transition on to a new stage of his career as a full-time Ebonite employee.
When the PBA World Series of Bowling IV is conducted Nov. 2-11 at South Point Bowling Center in Las Vegas, Couch will be on hand as Ebonite International's Tour Representative, lending advice and assistance to all players who compete with Ebonite, Columbia 300, Track and Hammer bowling balls. In addition, he has been named Ebonite's first international sales manager serving Canada.
"I went out and did my best and when I achieved one milestone, I continued to work hard and went on to the next goal," Couch said of his career. "I've always known that if an opening came up for me internally at Ebonite International, I should take it. When the opportunity arose for me to do something more with the company I love, I took it."
This summer, however, he will team up with fellow Ebonite star Tommy Jones of Simpsonville (pictured left), S.C., to take on eight other ball manufacturers' teams in pursuit of the Manufacturers Cup which will be awarded to the winner of the GEICO PBA Summer Shootout at 10pin bowling lounge in Chicago.
ESPN coverage of the Summer Shootout will include four back-to-back half-hour shows on July 7. The combined series of singles and doubles "elimination rounds" will continue on Saturday, July 14, beginning at noon ET, and will conclude with three hours of non-stop action on Sunday, July 15, starting at 1 p.m.
The sixth annual GEICO summer series features nine teams of players, each representing a PBA-registered bowling ball brand:
During the first 10 half-hour shows, teams will earn points based upon their finishing positions to determine seeding positions leading into the Baker doubles format stepladder finals. The winning team members will share a $45,000 cash prize.
For Couch, bowling for the Manufacturers Cup will be another challenge in a PBA career that began with his PBA Rookie of the Year campaign in 1992. His career has included 427 PBA Tour events, 59 television appearances and $1.7 million in career earnings despite limited action in recent years due to a surgically-repaired right knee.
His election to the PBA Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility followed his selection as the No. 24-ranked player on the list of the PBA's 50 Greatest Players in 2009.
In addition to first-run telecasts of GEICO PBA Summer Shootout shows on ESPN, all shows will re-air on ESPN2. ESPN2 telecasts are scheduled for Sunday, July 8 at 2 p.m.; Saturday, July 21 at 4 p.m.; Saturday, Aug. 4 at 12:30 p.m., and Sunday, Aug. 5 at 3 p.m. All times are Eastern.
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PBA Special Events
Hall of Famer Jason Couch makes "farewell" appearance in PBA Summer Shootout
Jason Couch of Clermont, Fla (pictured right)., a 16-time champion and 21-year veteran of Professional Bowlers Association competition, will make his "farewell" appearance as a PBA Tour competitor during the sixth annual GEICO PBA Summer Shootout series which debuts on ESPN on Saturday, July 7 at 2 p.m. ET.Couch, who was inducted into the PBA Hall of Fame in November, will make his final appearance as a PBA Tour player as a member of the Ebonite International team competing against rival bowling ball companies in a unique made-for-television singles and doubles competition.
The GEICO PBA Summer Shootout will be part of Couch's transition on to a new stage of his career as a full-time Ebonite employee.
When the PBA World Series of Bowling IV is conducted Nov. 2-11 at South Point Bowling Center in Las Vegas, Couch will be on hand as Ebonite International's Tour Representative, lending advice and assistance to all players who compete with Ebonite, Columbia 300, Track and Hammer bowling balls. In addition, he has been named Ebonite's first international sales manager serving Canada.
"I went out and did my best and when I achieved one milestone, I continued to work hard and went on to the next goal," Couch said of his career. "I've always known that if an opening came up for me internally at Ebonite International, I should take it. When the opportunity arose for me to do something more with the company I love, I took it."This summer, however, he will team up with fellow Ebonite star Tommy Jones of Simpsonville (pictured left), S.C., to take on eight other ball manufacturers' teams in pursuit of the Manufacturers Cup which will be awarded to the winner of the GEICO PBA Summer Shootout at 10pin bowling lounge in Chicago.
ESPN coverage of the Summer Shootout will include four back-to-back half-hour shows on July 7. The combined series of singles and doubles "elimination rounds" will continue on Saturday, July 14, beginning at noon ET, and will conclude with three hours of non-stop action on Sunday, July 15, starting at 1 p.m.
The sixth annual GEICO summer series features nine teams of players, each representing a PBA-registered bowling ball brand:
- Ebonite (Couch and Jones)
- Columbia 300 (Chris Barnes and Dan MacLelland)
- Track (Mike Fagan and Mika Koivuniemi)
- Hammer (Bill O'Neill and Mike Wolfe)
- Brunswick (PBA Player of the Year Sean Rash, Chris Loschetter and Ryan Ciminelli)
- DV8 (Ronnie Russell, Mike Machuga and Brian Valenta)
- Storm (Pete Weber, Jason Belmonte and Osku Palermaa)
- Roto Grip (Wes Malott, Brian Kretzer and Carolyn Dorin-Ballard), and
- 900 Global (Brian Voss, Robert Smith and Missy Parkin).
During the first 10 half-hour shows, teams will earn points based upon their finishing positions to determine seeding positions leading into the Baker doubles format stepladder finals. The winning team members will share a $45,000 cash prize.
For Couch, bowling for the Manufacturers Cup will be another challenge in a PBA career that began with his PBA Rookie of the Year campaign in 1992. His career has included 427 PBA Tour events, 59 television appearances and $1.7 million in career earnings despite limited action in recent years due to a surgically-repaired right knee.
His election to the PBA Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility followed his selection as the No. 24-ranked player on the list of the PBA's 50 Greatest Players in 2009.
In addition to first-run telecasts of GEICO PBA Summer Shootout shows on ESPN, all shows will re-air on ESPN2. ESPN2 telecasts are scheduled for Sunday, July 8 at 2 p.m.; Saturday, July 21 at 4 p.m.; Saturday, Aug. 4 at 12:30 p.m., and Sunday, Aug. 5 at 3 p.m. All times are Eastern.
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