Bowling Highlights Column 9-21-07

King & Striker Appear In New York City

Thanks to United States Bowling Congress mascots King and Striker, The
Bowling Foundation's Bowling Pin Cart and several majorleague baseball
teams, National Bowling Week and the days before and after it were
celebrated in grand style.
National Bowling Week, officially held Aug. 25-31, was sponsored by the
Bowling Proprietors' Association of America, International Bowling Pro Shop
and Instructors Association, Professional Bowlers Association, Strike Ten
Entertainment and USBC.
The biggest events came in the country's biggest venue, New York City.
That's where King and Striker appeared in the audience of the CBS Early
Show on Aug. 26, paraded down 5th Avenue later that morning and walked
around Times Square the next day where they were photographed by numerous
adoring fans.
Earlier in August, Striker accompanied the Bowling Pin Cart on its move
from its previous home at BPAA headquarters in Arlington, Texas, to the
National Bowling Stadium in Reno, Nev. The tour stopped in El Paso, Texas,
site of the 2010 USBC Women's Championships; Albuquerque, N.M., site of the
2008 USBC Open Championships; and Las Vegas, site of the 2009 USBC Open
Championships before making its way to Reno, site of the 2007 U.S. Women's
Open, a USBC event.
Baseball's role in National Bowling Week began Aug. 11 when the Missouri
State USBC Association sponsored a bowling day in St. Louis at Busch
Stadium. Before the St. Louis Cardinals/Los Angeles Dodgers matchup, the
Mr. Kingpin mascot helped warm up the crowd from the field and later rolled
out the ceremonial first pitch, a Storm baseball bowling ball. The stadium
scoreboard recognized USBC as the national governing body and notified fans
of National Bowling Week. Nearly 400 bowlers bought tickets to the
ceremony.
On Aug. 19, King and Striker held the finish line tape for the famous
Sausage Race at Milwaukee's Miller Park, home of the Milwaukee Brewers.
The mascots also were featured on the FSN Wisconsin game telecast and
King appeared on that evening's ESPN Sports Center after having trouble
making it up the grandstand stairs. Both mascots also spent time in the
stadium's lobby having their pictures taken by kids attending the game.
On Aug. 30, USBC Hall of Famer and Houston bowling proprietor Bill
Lillard of Houston threw out the first pitch at the Houston Astros/St.
Louis Cardinals game at Minute Maid Field. The eight-time USBC Open
Championships titlist admitted to being somewhat nervous for the occasion.
I put it right over the plate - on the second bounce, Lillard joked. I
haven't been so nervous since I needed two strikes in the 10th frame to win
the 1966 Miller Open (PBA Tour) stop in Milwaukee. Lillard's first pitch
was a featured segment on CBS affiliate KHOU-TV.
Two days later, USBC Ambassador Walter Ray Williams Jr. commemorated
National Bowling Week by signing autographs before the Sept. 1 Florida
Marlins/Philadelphia Phillies baseball game at Dolphin Stadium.
Another top bowler, Danny Wiseman, is scheduled to throw out the first
pitch at the Baltimore Orioles game-on Sept. 24.
Other national events included announcement of the winners of second
annual Show and Tell art, photography and writing contests, PBA's Show Us
Your Finish Work Video Contest on bowlspace.com, four special PBA youth
clinics and a Buy One Game, Get One Game Free coupon promotion in
conjunction with Big Brothers/Big Sist