PBA names press room in honor of Hall of Famer Chuck Pezzano
12/30/10
Since the formation of the Professional Bowlers Association in 1958, no one has contributed more to the organization in so many different ways than PBA Hall of Famer Chuck Pezzano (pictured left).
In recognition of the 81-year-old Clifton, N.J., native's contributions to the PBA, his name will be permanently attached to the organization beginning with the introduction of the Chuck Pezzano PBA Press Room during the PBA Tournament of Champions at Red Rock Lanes in Las Vegas, Jan. 15-22.
The Chuck Pezzano PBA Press Room also will welcome the news media at all future Lumber Liquidators PBA Tour events and it will have a permanent home on pba.com for all news media visitors who visit the PBA's official website.
"It think it's a pretty nice honor," Pezzano said. "It came as a complete surprise."
Pezzano first became involved with the PBA as a top-flight competitor and charter member; he was the first collegiate bowler in the United States to bowl an 800 series. But his legacy off the lanes far surpassed his credentials as a player as he evolved into the most prolific bowling writer in history.
His weekly bowling column has been published in The Record in Hackensack, N.J., every week for more than 50 years. He has written stories for every leading bowling publication in the country. He has written books, worked as a consultant on television, movie and instructional videos, and traveled the country serving as an emcee and guest speaker at hundreds of bowling functions. And to this day, his nationally-syndicated columns appear in bowling publications across America.
Pezzano also was heavily involved in PBA business affairs, running the PBA East Region for 20 years. He was secretary of the PBA Hall of Fame for nearly 20 years, and served as the organization's official historian for longer than that.
Pezzano and fellow New Jersey entrepreneur Frank Esposito – who together created the PBA Regional program – were the first Meritorious Service inductees in the inaugural PBA Hall of Fame class in 1975. He was elected to the American Bowling Congress Hall of Fame in 1982, and was recipient of the Bowling Writers Association of America's Hall of Fame Award in 1974. That's just a small sampling of the awards he has won.
"I don't think anyone has poured more of his heart and soul into the PBA than Chuck Pezzano has over a span of more than 50 years," said PBA CEO and Commissioner Fred Schreyer (right).
"Chuck Pezzano deserves to have his name attached to the PBA Press Room not only in recognition of all he has done for the PBA, but as an inspiration for all future bowling journalists."
"Unveiling the press room for the Tournament of Champions honors all of the writers of the past who appreciated the greatness of what I always called the Firestone," Pezzano said. "(The Tournament of Champions, sponsored by Firestone for 29 years) was far above the other events. From a writer's viewpoint, it provided everything you needed, and that's why it has been the best event in history from the start.
"I appreciated it because it gave me an opportunity to meet and get to know the greatest players in the country, along with a lot of news media guys who weren't necessarily assigned to bowling," Pezzano continued. "The TOC put bowlers on the same plane with other athletes. In the early years, first prize was $25,000 and some of the greatest players in baseball only made $40,000."
The 2011 Tournament of Champions will award a $250,000 top prize as part of a PBA-record $1 million prize fund.
"Every writer who covered the Tournament of Champions had to look for something beyond what happened on the lanes. It could be whether or not the old veteran would last until the end, a story about the new kid on the block, the Mike Durbins (the first three-time TOC winner) who were always underrated, or the so-called discovery of a Dick Ritger, who really was one of the greatest bowlers of all time, but never got the credit until people saw him bowl in the Tournament of Champions."
"I would never have thought about an honor like this," he added, "but it ranks right up there with any honor I've ever won."
PBA News
Author/historian/speaker to receive permanent tribute during Tournament of Champions
Since the formation of the Professional Bowlers Association in 1958, no one has contributed more to the organization in so many different ways than PBA Hall of Famer Chuck Pezzano (pictured left).In recognition of the 81-year-old Clifton, N.J., native's contributions to the PBA, his name will be permanently attached to the organization beginning with the introduction of the Chuck Pezzano PBA Press Room during the PBA Tournament of Champions at Red Rock Lanes in Las Vegas, Jan. 15-22.
The Chuck Pezzano PBA Press Room also will welcome the news media at all future Lumber Liquidators PBA Tour events and it will have a permanent home on pba.com for all news media visitors who visit the PBA's official website.
"It think it's a pretty nice honor," Pezzano said. "It came as a complete surprise."
Pezzano first became involved with the PBA as a top-flight competitor and charter member; he was the first collegiate bowler in the United States to bowl an 800 series. But his legacy off the lanes far surpassed his credentials as a player as he evolved into the most prolific bowling writer in history.
His weekly bowling column has been published in The Record in Hackensack, N.J., every week for more than 50 years. He has written stories for every leading bowling publication in the country. He has written books, worked as a consultant on television, movie and instructional videos, and traveled the country serving as an emcee and guest speaker at hundreds of bowling functions. And to this day, his nationally-syndicated columns appear in bowling publications across America.
Pezzano also was heavily involved in PBA business affairs, running the PBA East Region for 20 years. He was secretary of the PBA Hall of Fame for nearly 20 years, and served as the organization's official historian for longer than that.
Pezzano and fellow New Jersey entrepreneur Frank Esposito – who together created the PBA Regional program – were the first Meritorious Service inductees in the inaugural PBA Hall of Fame class in 1975. He was elected to the American Bowling Congress Hall of Fame in 1982, and was recipient of the Bowling Writers Association of America's Hall of Fame Award in 1974. That's just a small sampling of the awards he has won.
"I don't think anyone has poured more of his heart and soul into the PBA than Chuck Pezzano has over a span of more than 50 years," said PBA CEO and Commissioner Fred Schreyer (right)."Chuck Pezzano deserves to have his name attached to the PBA Press Room not only in recognition of all he has done for the PBA, but as an inspiration for all future bowling journalists."
"Unveiling the press room for the Tournament of Champions honors all of the writers of the past who appreciated the greatness of what I always called the Firestone," Pezzano said. "(The Tournament of Champions, sponsored by Firestone for 29 years) was far above the other events. From a writer's viewpoint, it provided everything you needed, and that's why it has been the best event in history from the start.
"I appreciated it because it gave me an opportunity to meet and get to know the greatest players in the country, along with a lot of news media guys who weren't necessarily assigned to bowling," Pezzano continued. "The TOC put bowlers on the same plane with other athletes. In the early years, first prize was $25,000 and some of the greatest players in baseball only made $40,000."
The 2011 Tournament of Champions will award a $250,000 top prize as part of a PBA-record $1 million prize fund."Every writer who covered the Tournament of Champions had to look for something beyond what happened on the lanes. It could be whether or not the old veteran would last until the end, a story about the new kid on the block, the Mike Durbins (the first three-time TOC winner) who were always underrated, or the so-called discovery of a Dick Ritger, who really was one of the greatest bowlers of all time, but never got the credit until people saw him bowl in the Tournament of Champions."
"I would never have thought about an honor like this," he added, "but it ranks right up there with any honor I've ever won."
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