E-dition No. 1,089 • Friday, December 13, 2019
Editor: Bob Johnson (bjibob@aol.com)
PBA Hall of Fame Ceremony Set for Jan. 18
Lots of industry members attend the annual Hall of Fame induction of the Professional Bowlers Association, and the 2020 induction will take place on Saturday, Jan. 18 in Arlington, Texas.
As was the case this year, the evening will begin with a cocktail reception at the International Bowling Museum on the International Bowling Campus. Unlike this year, the reception will be followed by a sit-down dinner, to be held at the nearby Arlington Hilton.
A shuttle service between the Hilton and the Bowling Campus will be offered throughout the evening,
The evening and ceremony will provide a fitting transition from the “new PBA” to the “new new PBA” as Rob Glaser and Mike Slade — two of the three former Microsoft executives who purchased the association at the beginning of the millennium — will be inducted for meritorious service.
Glaser and Slade, along with Chris Peters, who was inducted into the PBA Hall in 2015, ushered in a new era of prosperity for the PBA at a time when the association was struggling to survive. Now, two decades later, Glaser and Slade are being recognized for their contributions as ownership of the PBA has transitioned to Bowlero Corporation.
Also set for induction, in the Superior Performance category, is Tommy Jones.
For last-minute ticket information, contact PBA Head of Events Janay Haggerty at janay.haggerty@pba.com.
In addition to the Hall of Fame inductions, Jason Belmonte will be honored as the 2019 Chris Schenkel PBA Player of the Year, Mykel Holliman as Harry Golden PBA Rookie of the Year, Bowl 4 Life founder Chuck Gardner as the Tony Reyes PBA Community Service Award recipient, and Martin Larsen as the recipient of the Steve Nagy Sportsmanship Award.
The honorees were revealed online Wednesday by PBA CEO Colie Edison and PBA Commissioner Tom Clark from the FloSports headquarters in Austin, Texas.
Gift Idea: Bulk Orders Available for ‘EARL’
Looking for a great Christmas gift for your bowlers or employees? Consider “EARL: The Greatest Bowler of All Time,” the new book by Barry Sparks that chronicles the storied career of the late Earl Anthony.
Here are a few links to recent publicity about the book:
* York (Pa.) Dispatch — https://www.yorkdispatch.com/story/sports/columnists/2019/11/05/york-county-author-fills-void-book-bowling-great-earl-anthony/4165160002/
* Buffalo News — https://buffalonews.com/2019/11/01/bowling-earl-anthony-buffalo-book-barry-sparks/
* Peoria Journal Star — https://www.pekintimes.com/sports/20191019/peoria-bowling-murder-and-mystery-part-of-peorians-re-released-book-series
* The (Dublin, Calif.) Independent — https://www.independentnews.com/community/milestones/the-all-time-greatest-bowler-finally-gets-a-biography/article_c1459550-fa9b-11e9-9d88-9b2d2c4d84e2.html
* Seniors Lifestyle Magazine — https://seniorslifestylemag.com/lifestyle/press-release-greatest-bowler-of-all-finally-gets-a-biography/
For ordering information, go to: http://www.earlanthonybook.com. For details on bulk orders, call Keith Hamilton at 312-341-1110.
Coming in the January Issue of BCM…
Bowling Center Management, the business-to-business magazine of Luby Publishing Inc. and official publication of the BPAA, continues its 25th anniversary year and kicks off 2020 with a January issue that’s jam-packed with business-building information for bowling center and bowling entertainment center operators.
Here’s a quick look at what BCM readers can expect…
* How to make your league bowlers feel famous.
* A strategy for targeting lost league bowlers and motivating them to return.
* As tax season nears, a look at what can be written off and what can’t.
* A feature on a venerable candlepin center with an unusual (and delicious) revenue stream.
* What to do in the aftermath of a disaster.
* A calendar of holidays — official and otherwise — to help proprietors plan fun, revenue-generating special events throughout the year.
All of that… and a lot more… is coming your way in the January issue of BCM.
And in the January Issue of BJI…
* We’ll unveil BJI’s 2019 Person of the Year.
* A one-on-one interview with Brunswick Bowling’s Corey Dykstra reveals the thinking and strategy behind Brunswick’s acquisition of the brands of Ebonite International.
* A look at the top 19 business stories of 2019.
* The 2020 BJI Ball Guide will provide summaries of 107 bowling balls featured in “No Holes Barred” in 2019 — all in one place.
* A feature on newly elected USBC Hall of Famer Jim Zebehazy, an architect of several important youth bowling initiatives that are thriving today.
* Long-time ABC and USBC executive Roger Dalkin is back in the bowling industry, and we’ll let you know what he’s doing.
* America celebrated its Bicentennial in 1976 — a year that also was pretty good for the bowling business.
Business Briefs…
* Chrissy and Erik Koplin, who renovate businesses on their CNBC program, “Five Day Biz Fix,” say the most satisfying project undertaken during their new season was a New Jersey bowling center. The renovation enabled the proprietor to raise prices — something he had not been able to do for 10 years. New revenue streams also were created.
* Allen Theatres, which operates movie theater complexes throughout New Mexico, has announced plans to revamp its Talshor 12 venue in Las Cruces. The 31,000-sq.-ft. expansion would include 16 bowling lanes, a restaurant, a bar, an arcade with redemption games, darts, shuffleboard, billiard tables and party rooms. The company said it also is considering including escape rooms in the expansion.
* Harvest Park Bowl in Brentwood, Calif., a long-time PBA50 Tour host, was the scene of a parking lot shooting earlier this month. The victim was a 15-year-old boy, and local police assured citizens that the incident was “not a random act of violence” and “there is no threat to public safety.” A nearby school was locked down briefly.
Other News You Can Use…
* The race to the 2020 PBA Playoffs will begin in January with a new reward: a PBA Tour title. And the winner of the PBA’s inaugural showcase series in 2019, Kris Prather, also will receive credit for his second PBA Tour title. More: http://www.bowlersjournal.com/kris-prather-retroactively-awarded-pba-title-for-2019-pba-playoffs-win/.
* After a week off for a walk down Memory Lane with Hall of Famer Barry Asher, Phantom Radio’s trivia contest continues this week with Mike Anthony taking part. See how he does, and test your own knowledge of bowling trivia, by clicking here: https://kegel.squarespace.com/phantomblog/2019/12/11/mike-anthony-phantom-radio.
* CONTACT: Please send business news, event information, etc. to Bob Johnson at bjibob@aol.com. For breaking business news, visit bcmmag.com or bowlersjournal.com, and “Like” Bowling Center Management and Bowlers Journal International on Facebook. BJI Cyber Reports are now archived at bcmmag.com. Please remember that the Cyber Report is a B-to-B publication and not intended for consumers.
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