EJ TACKETT SIGNS 10-YEAR EXTENSION WITH MOTIV

In the history of our sport, only a handful of bowlers have been signed to endorsement deals spanning more than five years.

Don Carter signed bowling’s first $1 million deal with Ebonite in 1964. Forty-two years later, Chris Barnes inked an eight-year, $1 million contract with Columbia 300.

Now, long-time MOTIV Bowling staffer EJ Tackett has extended his deal with that company, signing a 10-year contract.

Tackett, who has won 13 titles in seven years on the PBA Tour, has thrown MOTIV equipment from the beginning, garnering Rookie of the Year honors in 2012-13. Three years later, he earned PBA Player of the Year honors.

“It is a huge point of pride for me that every shot EJ Tackett has ever thrown as a PBA Tour member has been as a MOTIV staff player,” said the company’s Staff Manager, Brett Spangler. “I could not be happier than I am right now knowing that he is going to be with us for 10 more years.”

Tackett echoed Spangler’s enthusiasm.

“The people at MOTIV are like family to me,” he said. “Ten years means I don’t have to worry about anything but going out there and winning for another decade.”

Scott Wilbur, President of MOTIV Bowling, said, “EJ’s [Bowlers Journal International] magazine cover says, ‘I’m the guy, you come get me.’ We just responded with, ‘Okay, we would love to; here is a contract for ten years. Now let’s go set the bowling world on fire together!’”

Added Wilbur: “Truly it was an easy decision to make. He is a premier athlete, our true friend, and part of the corporate family here at MOTIV.”

Terms of the contract extension were not disclosed.

UPDATE: TACKETT DONATES $10,000 TO FIGHT EPILEPSY

EJ Tackett, who recently saw his first signature bowling ball, the limited-edition MOTIV VIP, released, also made news off the lanes when he made a $10,000 donation to the Epilepsy Foundation.

The donation was made in support of his 24-year-old brother, Zac, who lives with the disorder.

Tackett donated $1 from each ball sold to the foundation. In addition, his sponsor, BowlerX, donated 100% of the proceeds from its pre-sales.

For years, Tackett has been adamant about finding a big way to give back. When he was given the opportunity with the creation of the MOTIV VIP, his priority was committing $1 from every ball sale to a charitable organization. After discussing it with Zac, the brothers decided on the Epilepsy Foundation as the stepping-stone for their efforts to give back.

“I’m so grateful to BowlerX for their collaboration on this effort, which has allowed me to give back to a cause that’s near and dear to my heart because of my brother,” said Tackett. “The response from people I’m associated with and our bowling community has been better than we could have ever imagined. Anything I can do toward finding a cure for epilepsy, I’m going to try my best to do.”

In 2019, Zac had his first seizure in six years while behind the wheel of his car. He came out of the accident with a few scratches and the loss of his driver’s license for a brief time. Following the accident, his doctors adjusted his medication, and he has been able to control his seizures and drive again.

On Thursday, EJ was scheduled to participate in the Epilepsy Foundation’s “Stream for Epilepsy,” which brings together online content creators to do what they love while raising funds and awareness for epilepsy.

Tackett and the Epilepsy Foundation’s Chief Development Officer, Geoff DeLizzio, were to play the “PBA Bowling” game together while broadcasting live to the Epilepsy Foundation’s Twitch channel. During the stream, Tackett planned to discuss his brother’s experience with epilepsy and his new bowling ball, and to present the $10,000 check to the Foundation.

Noted DeLizzio: “Now more than ever, getting a donation like this is amazing. We are so touched and grateful to EJ and BowlerX for their support of our cause. This generous donation will help us continue to fund our work in research, education, advocacy and programs for families impacted by epilepsy.”