Top Qualifier O’Neill Picks “Viper”
for PBA World Championship Finals
Bill O’Neill of Southampton, Pa., who won his third career Lumber Liquidators PBA Tour title in the Pepsi Viper Championship in the 2010 PBA World Series of Bowling in October, has selected the Viper lane condition for the 2011 PBA World Championship finals as the PBA Tour launches the live television portion of its schedule Jan. 14-16 at South Point Bowling Center.
The first-ever three-day, eight-player stepladder finals will air on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, Jan. 14-16, on ESPN2 and ESPN. O’Neill, the top qualifier after 60 World Series games bowled on five different PBA lane conditions, earned the right to select which lane condition would be used for the championship finals and to no one’s surprise, he selected the lane condition he dominated in winning four matches to win the Viper title.
The Viper pattern is considered a medium to high-scoring condition that involves oiling the lane to a distance of 37 feet, and allows for multiple angles of attack for those who can successfully read the changes in conditions as competitors break down the original application of oil.
In winning the Pepsi Viper Championship, O’Neill averaged 242.75 in easily defeating PBA Hall of Famer Amleto Monacelli, Mike DeVaney, Tommy Jones and Andres Gomez. In all four matches, O’Neill rarely missed the pocket while all four of his opponents struggled.
O’Neill also knew that none of the other seven PBA World Championship finalists – No. 8 Jason Belmonte, Australia; No. 7 Wes Malott, Pflugerville, Texas; No. 6 Michael Haugen Jr., Carefree, Ariz.; No. 5 Mika Koivuniemi, Hartland, Mich.; No. 4 Chris Barnes, Double Oak, Texas; No. 3 Osku Palermaa, Finland, and No. 2 Sean Rash, Montgomery, Ill. - made it to the Viper championship round.
“I didn’t want to bowl on the Cheetah pattern for a major title,” O’Neill said in explaining his lane pattern choice. “The Cheetah condition is too easy. I don’t want to get into a shootout. I didn’t want to bowl on the Shark because that pattern plays to the advantage of Sean (Rash) and Osku (Palermaa), who have higher rev rates than I do.
“I made the show on the Scorpion pattern, but I didn’t have a good look,” O’Neill continued. “And I won my first title on the Chameleon a year ago in Detroit, but on the Viper, I bowled four games and had a really good ball reaction. I bowled four matches on TV and we’ll be bowling on the same pair of lanes for the World Championship finals, so I’ll take my chances.”
The PBA World Championship finals will be the first ever to include eight players and air over a span of three days. The finals will begin at 5 p.m. Eastern on ESPN2 on Friday, Jan. 14, when the No. 8 World Series qualifier (Belmonte) bowls a one-game match against the No. 7 qualifier (Malott). The winner will then meet No. 6 Haugen.
Friday’s winner will advance to Saturday’s 9 p.m. Eastern telecast, also on ESPN2, for a one-game match against No. 5 qualifier Koivuniemi. That winner will meet No. 4 Barnes.
Saturday’s winner moves into the championship field on the Lumber Liquidators PBA Tour’s traditional home, ESPN, for the 1 p.m. Eastern finals on Sunday. The first match will involve Saturday’s survivor against No. 3 qualifier Palermaa. Next up will be the semifinal match against Rash. O’Neill will await the final survivor in a showdown for the $50,000 first prize and the season’s first major title.
O’Neill has experienced the waiting game before. He was a finalist in the 2009 PBA World Championship where he also had to wait three months between qualifying in suburban Detroit and the live finals in December in Wichita, Kan.
“I spent the whole three months between qualifying and bowling in the finals last year wondering what it would be like to win,” he said, “and it kinda negatively impacted me. I put too much pressure on myself.”
In Wichita, O’Neill lost his semifinal round match to eventual champion Tom Smallwood of Saginaw, Mich., 211-159.
“This time, I’m going to be more relaxed and just do what I’m going to do,” O’Neill said. “I’ve got one game to bowl and I’m going to try to make every shot count. I’m going to try not to get too worked up, or think too far ahead or worry about winning.”
Tickets for the PBA World Championship television shows are available at South Point Bowling Center or online at pba.com. A three-day television pass is $50; tickets for the three individuals shows are $20 each.
2011 PBA WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP FINALS
South Point Bowling Center, Las Vegas, Nev., Jan. 14-16
FRIDAY, JAN. 14 (ESPN2)
2 p.m. (5 p.m. Eastern, 2 p.m. Pacific) – PBA World Championship, Stepladder Round One (No. 8 Jason Belmonte, Australia, vs. No. 7 Wes Malott, Pflugerville, Texas; winner bowls No. 6 Michael Haugen Jr., Carefree, Ariz.)
SATURDAY, JAN. 15 (ESPN2)
6 p.m. (9 p.m. Eastern, 6 p.m. Pacific) – PBA World Championship, Stepladder Round Two (Friday winner vs. No. 5 Mika Koivuniemi, Hartland, Mich.; winner bowls No. 4 Chris Barnes, Double Oak, Texas)
SUNDAY, JAN. 16 (ESPN)
10 a.m. (1 p.m. Eastern, 11 a.m. Pacific) – PBA World Championship (Saturday winner vs. No. 3 Osku Palermaa, Finland; winner bowls No. 2 Sean Rash, Montgomery, Ill.; winner bowls No. 1 Bill O’Neill, Southampton, Pa., for title)
Friday, January 7, 2011
Jason Couch to Bid for Record Fourth
PBA Tournament of Champions Title
With its expanded field for 2011, the $1 million PBA Tournament of Champions could be the greatest assemblage of bowling talent ever in one tournament.
Will the 46th running of PBA’s signature event produce another storybook finish like Kelly Kulick’s win in 2010 or Tom Smallwood’s PBA World Championship victory in 2009? Will one of bowling’s greatest players like Walter Ray Williams Jr. win his first Tournament of Champions? Or, will Jason Couch win an unprecedented fourth Tournament of Champions title?
The bowling story of the year will be told when the live stepladder finals are televised on ABC at 2:30 p.m. Eastern on Saturday, Jan. 22, from Red Rock Lanes in Las Vegas. The winner will earn a record first prize of $250,000.
The story begins with a Tournament of Champions field that will feature an “Elite Field” and a “Champions Field.”
Players who are automatically seeded into the “Elite Field” are: 2010-11 Lumber Liquidators PBA Tour exempt players; any player who was listed among the “50 Greatest Players in PBA History” during the PBA Tour’s 50th anniversary celebration in 2009; any PBA Hall of Famer; any player who has won five or more PBA Tour titles; any player who has won a PBA major title, and winners of the 2010 PBA Senior U.S. Open, USBC Senior Masters, PBA Regional Players Championship and Regional Players Invitational.
Couch, a 15-time PBA Tour titlist who won three consecutive Tournament of Champions in 1999, 2000 and 2002 (event was not held in 2001), is one of 14 past champions entered in the tournament.
“It’s the most prestigious tournament in the sport and everyone who competes in it is a champion so that should tell you what winning it means to a bowler,” said the 41-year-old Couch. “Everyone who competes in the tournament is a champion who knows what it takes to win. Mentally, you have to keep reminding yourself that you belong there and that you’re the player to beat if you want to be successful.”
The only other player to win the Tournament of Champions three times is retired PBA Hall of Famer Mike Durbin, who won in 1972, '82 and '84, but at this point in his career Couch knows he’ll have his work cut out for him if he hopes to win a record fourth.
“It’s a great honor just to be mentioned in the same breath as Mike Durbin and any of the other past champions for that matter,” Couch said. “When I won three in a row I definitely felt like I was the guy to beat. But, at this point in my caree,r you’ve got to look at guys like Bill O’Neill and Tommy Jones among so many others who are really bowling well right now.
“Personally, I feel as strong mentally as I ever have but as the tournament approaches I’m now putting the focus on my physical game. Like most majors the key to success is to take it one block at a time—I usually set making match play as a goal, then making the TV finals and finally winning. That’s how I approach it, anyway, and I’ll do the same this year.”
The other past Tournament of Champions winners entered are defending champion Kelly Kulick (2010), Patrick Allen (2009), Chris Barnes (2006), Dave D’Entremont (1996), Norm Duke (1994), Bryan Goebel (1998), Michael Haugen Jr. (2008), Steve Jaros (2005), Tommy Jones (2007), Johnny Petraglia (1971), Wayne Webb (1980), Pete Weber (1987) and Mark Williams (1985 and 1988).
All other PBA champions will start the event in the Champions Field. The Champions Field will include players who have won four or fewer PBA Tour titles or a PBA Regional, PBA Women’s Series, PBA Senior Tour or PBA Senior Regional title as of Jan. 9. Titles won by players who were not members at that time are not eligible.
The Champions Field will bowl two seven-game qualifying rounds on Sunday and Monday, Jan. 16 and 17 – to determine which players will join the Elite Field. After 14 games, the top half of the Champions field (up to 90 players) will join the Elite Field (Champions qualifying scores will be dropped)..
The combined Elite Field will begin qualifying on Monday evening, Jan. 17. All bowlers will bowl 20 games in four five-game blocks to determine the top 54 (based on 216 entries) who will advance into the Cashers Round.
After two eight-game blocks in the Cashers Round, the top 24 based on 36 total games will advance to a traditional 24 games of round-robin match play. At the conclusion of match play, the top four will advance to the ABC final on Saturday, Jan. 22.
While the overall format has changed significantly for this year to accommodate the expanded field and huge prize fund, Couch says he will be up to the challenge.
“That might be another thing in my favor,” Couch said about the format. “When I won those three tournaments each format was a bit different and they were conducted in three different venues.”
While Couch will be concentrating on an unprecedented fourth Tournament of Champions title, like any other bowling fan he’s looking forward to seeing the end result regardless of how he finishes.
“This is what I dreamed of as a kid watching the PBA Tour with my dad on Saturday afternoons,” Couch said. “We’ve come full circle now and I won my first title on ABC so just being in this atmosphere again is going to be special.”
PBA Tournament of Champions Title
With its expanded field for 2011, the $1 million PBA Tournament of Champions could be the greatest assemblage of bowling talent ever in one tournament.
Will the 46th running of PBA’s signature event produce another storybook finish like Kelly Kulick’s win in 2010 or Tom Smallwood’s PBA World Championship victory in 2009? Will one of bowling’s greatest players like Walter Ray Williams Jr. win his first Tournament of Champions? Or, will Jason Couch win an unprecedented fourth Tournament of Champions title?
The bowling story of the year will be told when the live stepladder finals are televised on ABC at 2:30 p.m. Eastern on Saturday, Jan. 22, from Red Rock Lanes in Las Vegas. The winner will earn a record first prize of $250,000.
The story begins with a Tournament of Champions field that will feature an “Elite Field” and a “Champions Field.”
Players who are automatically seeded into the “Elite Field” are: 2010-11 Lumber Liquidators PBA Tour exempt players; any player who was listed among the “50 Greatest Players in PBA History” during the PBA Tour’s 50th anniversary celebration in 2009; any PBA Hall of Famer; any player who has won five or more PBA Tour titles; any player who has won a PBA major title, and winners of the 2010 PBA Senior U.S. Open, USBC Senior Masters, PBA Regional Players Championship and Regional Players Invitational.
Couch, a 15-time PBA Tour titlist who won three consecutive Tournament of Champions in 1999, 2000 and 2002 (event was not held in 2001), is one of 14 past champions entered in the tournament.
“It’s the most prestigious tournament in the sport and everyone who competes in it is a champion so that should tell you what winning it means to a bowler,” said the 41-year-old Couch. “Everyone who competes in the tournament is a champion who knows what it takes to win. Mentally, you have to keep reminding yourself that you belong there and that you’re the player to beat if you want to be successful.”
The only other player to win the Tournament of Champions three times is retired PBA Hall of Famer Mike Durbin, who won in 1972, '82 and '84, but at this point in his career Couch knows he’ll have his work cut out for him if he hopes to win a record fourth.
“It’s a great honor just to be mentioned in the same breath as Mike Durbin and any of the other past champions for that matter,” Couch said. “When I won three in a row I definitely felt like I was the guy to beat. But, at this point in my caree,r you’ve got to look at guys like Bill O’Neill and Tommy Jones among so many others who are really bowling well right now.
“Personally, I feel as strong mentally as I ever have but as the tournament approaches I’m now putting the focus on my physical game. Like most majors the key to success is to take it one block at a time—I usually set making match play as a goal, then making the TV finals and finally winning. That’s how I approach it, anyway, and I’ll do the same this year.”
The other past Tournament of Champions winners entered are defending champion Kelly Kulick (2010), Patrick Allen (2009), Chris Barnes (2006), Dave D’Entremont (1996), Norm Duke (1994), Bryan Goebel (1998), Michael Haugen Jr. (2008), Steve Jaros (2005), Tommy Jones (2007), Johnny Petraglia (1971), Wayne Webb (1980), Pete Weber (1987) and Mark Williams (1985 and 1988).
All other PBA champions will start the event in the Champions Field. The Champions Field will include players who have won four or fewer PBA Tour titles or a PBA Regional, PBA Women’s Series, PBA Senior Tour or PBA Senior Regional title as of Jan. 9. Titles won by players who were not members at that time are not eligible.
The Champions Field will bowl two seven-game qualifying rounds on Sunday and Monday, Jan. 16 and 17 – to determine which players will join the Elite Field. After 14 games, the top half of the Champions field (up to 90 players) will join the Elite Field (Champions qualifying scores will be dropped)..
The combined Elite Field will begin qualifying on Monday evening, Jan. 17. All bowlers will bowl 20 games in four five-game blocks to determine the top 54 (based on 216 entries) who will advance into the Cashers Round.
After two eight-game blocks in the Cashers Round, the top 24 based on 36 total games will advance to a traditional 24 games of round-robin match play. At the conclusion of match play, the top four will advance to the ABC final on Saturday, Jan. 22.
While the overall format has changed significantly for this year to accommodate the expanded field and huge prize fund, Couch says he will be up to the challenge.
“That might be another thing in my favor,” Couch said about the format. “When I won those three tournaments each format was a bit different and they were conducted in three different venues.”
While Couch will be concentrating on an unprecedented fourth Tournament of Champions title, like any other bowling fan he’s looking forward to seeing the end result regardless of how he finishes.
“This is what I dreamed of as a kid watching the PBA Tour with my dad on Saturday afternoons,” Couch said. “We’ve come full circle now and I won my first title on ABC so just being in this atmosphere again is going to be special.”
Grammy-Nominated Bowling For Soup
To Perform at PBA Tournament of
Champions Jan. 22 in Las Vegas
Grammy-nominated American rock/punk band Bowling For Soup will perform its newest song – “Saturday Night” – during the ESPN on ABC telecast of the $1 million Professional Bowlers Association Tournament of Champions finals Saturday, Jan. 22 at Red Rock Lanes in Las Vegas.
Bowling For Soup will release its 11th studio album on the Razor & Tie label—“Fishin’ For Woos” on May 3.
BFS lead singer Jaret Riddick attended the 2010 PBA Tournament of Champions, witnessing the historic victory by Kelly Kulick from the front row.
“As you can imagine, we’ve done our share of bowling alley appearances,” said Reddick. “None have been as exciting for me as attending last year’s Tournament of Champions as a fan. It was amazing to watch history being made when Chris (Barnes) took on Kelly Kulick in the championship match and to witness the first woman ever winning a major PBA event.
“When the PBA invited us to perform this year, we jumped at the chance and are genuinely excited to participate in this major sports event.”
Bowling For Soup will perform its newest release during the Tournament of Champions telecast, which airs at 2:30 p.m. Eastern, much like the Black Eyed Peas scheduled halftime performance at Super Bowl XLV Feb. 6 in Dallas. In additon, Bowling For Soup will perform live during the Tournament of Champions opening and closing segments.
"Bowling For Soup and PBA are teaming up to provide pro bowling's version of the Super Bowl halftime show for the live ABC national television audience", said Mike Jakubowski, PBA Cross Marketing and Multimedia Specialist. "Bowling fans already have a million reasons to watch the Tournament of Champions, Bowling For Soup's new single release on the show provides one more great reason to watch."
The quartet, consisting of Reddick (lead vocals, guitar), Erik Chandler (bass, backing vocals), Chris Burney (guitar, backing vocals) and Gary Wiseman (drums) have made previous television appearances on “Jimmy Kimmel Live”, “Tonight Show With Jay Leno”, “Live With Regis & Kelly”, “Last Call With Carson Daly”,” Late Late Show With Craig Kilborn” and the “2006 Billboard Music Awards”, among many others.
Bowling For Soup is best known for its singles “1985”, “High School Never Ends” and the Grammy-nominated “Girl All The Bad Guys Want”. In addition, the band has had songs in the movies, “17 Again”, “Ice Age 2” and “Freaky Friday” and written theme songs for “Jimmy Neutron” and Disney’s “Phineas & Ferb”.
To Perform at PBA Tournament of
Champions Jan. 22 in Las Vegas
Grammy-nominated American rock/punk band Bowling For Soup will perform its newest song – “Saturday Night” – during the ESPN on ABC telecast of the $1 million Professional Bowlers Association Tournament of Champions finals Saturday, Jan. 22 at Red Rock Lanes in Las Vegas.
Bowling For Soup will release its 11th studio album on the Razor & Tie label—“Fishin’ For Woos” on May 3.
BFS lead singer Jaret Riddick attended the 2010 PBA Tournament of Champions, witnessing the historic victory by Kelly Kulick from the front row.
“As you can imagine, we’ve done our share of bowling alley appearances,” said Reddick. “None have been as exciting for me as attending last year’s Tournament of Champions as a fan. It was amazing to watch history being made when Chris (Barnes) took on Kelly Kulick in the championship match and to witness the first woman ever winning a major PBA event.
“When the PBA invited us to perform this year, we jumped at the chance and are genuinely excited to participate in this major sports event.”
Bowling For Soup will perform its newest release during the Tournament of Champions telecast, which airs at 2:30 p.m. Eastern, much like the Black Eyed Peas scheduled halftime performance at Super Bowl XLV Feb. 6 in Dallas. In additon, Bowling For Soup will perform live during the Tournament of Champions opening and closing segments.
"Bowling For Soup and PBA are teaming up to provide pro bowling's version of the Super Bowl halftime show for the live ABC national television audience", said Mike Jakubowski, PBA Cross Marketing and Multimedia Specialist. "Bowling fans already have a million reasons to watch the Tournament of Champions, Bowling For Soup's new single release on the show provides one more great reason to watch."
The quartet, consisting of Reddick (lead vocals, guitar), Erik Chandler (bass, backing vocals), Chris Burney (guitar, backing vocals) and Gary Wiseman (drums) have made previous television appearances on “Jimmy Kimmel Live”, “Tonight Show With Jay Leno”, “Live With Regis & Kelly”, “Last Call With Carson Daly”,” Late Late Show With Craig Kilborn” and the “2006 Billboard Music Awards”, among many others.
Bowling For Soup is best known for its singles “1985”, “High School Never Ends” and the Grammy-nominated “Girl All The Bad Guys Want”. In addition, the band has had songs in the movies, “17 Again”, “Ice Age 2” and “Freaky Friday” and written theme songs for “Jimmy Neutron” and Disney’s “Phineas & Ferb”.
PBA Spare Shots
RICHEST TOURNAMENT IN PBA HISTORY WILL BE "LIVE" ON PBA.COM'S XTRA FRAME
Never before in bowling history has every player, every squad, every shot been under as much scrutiny and pressure as we’re about to witness in the $1 million PBA Tournament of Champions. And never before have bowling fans had the opportunity to watch all of the drama unfold like they will this year by subscribing to Xtra Frame, the official video streaming channel of the PBA.
Before the four-player stepladder finals return to ABC live at 2:30 p.m. Eastern on Saturday, Jan. 22, Xtra Frame will provide a front row seat for all qualifying and match play rounds at Red Rock Lanes Jan. 16-21.
Fans can start a monthly subscription for just $7.99 and watch the battle for $250,000, the richest prize in the history of professional bowling. Visit http://xtraframe.tv/pba to sign up for more than 50 hours of live qualifying and match play coverage of the Champions Field and the Elite Field. The webcast will air worldwide via Xtra Frame, featuring in-depth analysis from PBA players, Jeff (The Bowling Doctor) Mark, and experts from all PBA Product Registered companies, hosted by Mike J. "Laneside."
Xtra Frame's Jackie Bowling also will return to Las Vegas for live Powerhouse reports offering on-lane conversations between players and PBA Product Registered ball representatives. Shortly after the live qualifying and match play rounds, content will be available on-demand for viewers who are unable to watch the live webcasts.
On Jan. 22, Xtra Frame will produce live PBA:39X60 pre-game and post-game shows before and after the live ABC show.
BILLY HARDWICK, NELSON BURTON JR. TO INTRODUCE PBA HALL OF FAMERS
PBA Hall of Famers Billy Hardwick and Nelson (Bo) Burton Jr. will be part of the 2011 PBA Hall of Fame induction ceremonies on Saturday, Jan. 22, at Red Rock Resort in Las Vegas when they introduce newly-elected hall of famers Len Nicholson and Dale Eagle, respectively. Mike Roth, director for ESPN’s PBA telecasts, will introduce Randy Pedersen.
The PBA Hall of Fame ceremonies will follow the live ABC television finals of the $1 million PBA Tournament of Champions which begin at 2:30 p.m. Eastern. The hall of fame festivities, which also are open to the public, get underway at 7 p.m. Tournament of Champions and hall of fame tickets are available on pba.com.
WORLD BOWLING WRITERS HONOR KOIVUNIEMI, KULICK
Mika Koivuniemi, a native of Finland, who has had exceptional success in the international bowling arena as well as on the Lumber Liquidators PBA Tour, has been elected to the World Bowling Writers Hall of Fame along with England’s Kirsten Penny.
Koivuniemi, who has won eight PBA Tour titles including two majors since joining the Tour full-time in 1999, has won titles in 15 countries around the world. He is the only European ever to win the DyDo Japan Cup.
WBW also has selected 2010 PBA Tournament of Champions winner Kelly Kulick and England’s Dominic Barrett as 2009-10 World Bowlers of the Year.
Koivuniemi and Kulick will receive their WBW awards during the PBA Hall of Fame dinner at Red Rock Resort in Las Vegas on Saturday, Jan. 22. Tickets for the post-PBA Tournament of Champions awards dinner are available online at pba.com.
ENGLAND’S STUART WILLIAMS WINS QATAR OPEN
England’s Stuart Williams, who missed the start of the 2010-11 Lumber Liquidators PBA Tour season in October because of a travel visa problem, won the recent Qatar Open in preparation for his return to the United States for the PBA Tournament of Champions. Williams defeated Denmark’s Mai Ginge Jensen, 422-401, in the two-game title match to win 30,000 Euros.
NOTED LANE MAINTENANCE EXPERT JIM JARYSZAK DIES
Jim Jaryszak, who worked closely with the PBA in developing the “animal” lane conditioning patterns used in PBA competition and PBA Experience league programs, died unexpectedly on Dec. 30 from a blood clot in his lung. Services for the Dyer, Ind., native were held Thursday in his hometown. At the time of his death, Jaryszak was a member of the USBC Equipment Specifications and Certifications staff.
RICHEST TOURNAMENT IN PBA HISTORY WILL BE "LIVE" ON PBA.COM'S XTRA FRAME
Never before in bowling history has every player, every squad, every shot been under as much scrutiny and pressure as we’re about to witness in the $1 million PBA Tournament of Champions. And never before have bowling fans had the opportunity to watch all of the drama unfold like they will this year by subscribing to Xtra Frame, the official video streaming channel of the PBA.
Before the four-player stepladder finals return to ABC live at 2:30 p.m. Eastern on Saturday, Jan. 22, Xtra Frame will provide a front row seat for all qualifying and match play rounds at Red Rock Lanes Jan. 16-21.
Fans can start a monthly subscription for just $7.99 and watch the battle for $250,000, the richest prize in the history of professional bowling. Visit http://xtraframe.tv/pba to sign up for more than 50 hours of live qualifying and match play coverage of the Champions Field and the Elite Field. The webcast will air worldwide via Xtra Frame, featuring in-depth analysis from PBA players, Jeff (The Bowling Doctor) Mark, and experts from all PBA Product Registered companies, hosted by Mike J. "Laneside."
Xtra Frame's Jackie Bowling also will return to Las Vegas for live Powerhouse reports offering on-lane conversations between players and PBA Product Registered ball representatives. Shortly after the live qualifying and match play rounds, content will be available on-demand for viewers who are unable to watch the live webcasts.
On Jan. 22, Xtra Frame will produce live PBA:39X60 pre-game and post-game shows before and after the live ABC show.
BILLY HARDWICK, NELSON BURTON JR. TO INTRODUCE PBA HALL OF FAMERS
PBA Hall of Famers Billy Hardwick and Nelson (Bo) Burton Jr. will be part of the 2011 PBA Hall of Fame induction ceremonies on Saturday, Jan. 22, at Red Rock Resort in Las Vegas when they introduce newly-elected hall of famers Len Nicholson and Dale Eagle, respectively. Mike Roth, director for ESPN’s PBA telecasts, will introduce Randy Pedersen.
The PBA Hall of Fame ceremonies will follow the live ABC television finals of the $1 million PBA Tournament of Champions which begin at 2:30 p.m. Eastern. The hall of fame festivities, which also are open to the public, get underway at 7 p.m. Tournament of Champions and hall of fame tickets are available on pba.com.
WORLD BOWLING WRITERS HONOR KOIVUNIEMI, KULICK
Mika Koivuniemi, a native of Finland, who has had exceptional success in the international bowling arena as well as on the Lumber Liquidators PBA Tour, has been elected to the World Bowling Writers Hall of Fame along with England’s Kirsten Penny.
Koivuniemi, who has won eight PBA Tour titles including two majors since joining the Tour full-time in 1999, has won titles in 15 countries around the world. He is the only European ever to win the DyDo Japan Cup.
WBW also has selected 2010 PBA Tournament of Champions winner Kelly Kulick and England’s Dominic Barrett as 2009-10 World Bowlers of the Year.
Koivuniemi and Kulick will receive their WBW awards during the PBA Hall of Fame dinner at Red Rock Resort in Las Vegas on Saturday, Jan. 22. Tickets for the post-PBA Tournament of Champions awards dinner are available online at pba.com.
ENGLAND’S STUART WILLIAMS WINS QATAR OPEN
England’s Stuart Williams, who missed the start of the 2010-11 Lumber Liquidators PBA Tour season in October because of a travel visa problem, won the recent Qatar Open in preparation for his return to the United States for the PBA Tournament of Champions. Williams defeated Denmark’s Mai Ginge Jensen, 422-401, in the two-game title match to win 30,000 Euros.
NOTED LANE MAINTENANCE EXPERT JIM JARYSZAK DIES
Jim Jaryszak, who worked closely with the PBA in developing the “animal” lane conditioning patterns used in PBA competition and PBA Experience league programs, died unexpectedly on Dec. 30 from a blood clot in his lung. Services for the Dyer, Ind., native were held Thursday in his hometown. At the time of his death, Jaryszak was a member of the USBC Equipment Specifications and Certifications staff.
“New Ideas… New Tournaments…
and a Renewed Commitment to Partners”
The 2011 LPGA Tour season will feature new, ground-breaking ideas for tournaments; new events in the U.S., Taiwan and China; and a renewed commitment to its existing and long-term corporate partners through a unique qualifying format for its season finale and a season-long celebration of tournament title sponsors called the “Countdown to Titleholders.”
The 2011 LPGA Tour schedule was unveiled this week during a TV appearance on Golf Channel by Commissioner Michael Whan followed by a conference call hosted by Whan and 2010 Rolex Player of the Year Yani Tseng.
“Our 2011 schedule reflects the key strategic initiatives of the LPGA: Global – new events in the U.S. and abroad; Partnership – consistently increasing the value to our current business partners; and Responsibility – embracing the history of the LPGA and making a commitment to the future of the women’s game,” Whan said.
All three of these elements will be showcased at the inaugural RR Donnelley LPGA Founders Cup, a tournament designed to honor the LPGA’s pioneers, showcase the world’s greatest female athletes of the present and, most importantly, build a strong and robust future for women in the game of golf.
“The heart and soul of the LPGA association is embodied by its gifted and engaged players, who to this day still embrace the same primary responsibility established by the LPGA’s Founders: To leave the Tour better than how they found it,” Whan said. “The LPGA vision is to inspire, empower and educate, and thanks to the best female golfers in the world, and our visionary partner RR Donnelley, we will be doing just that at the RR Donnelley LPGA Founders Cup.”
“I’m very excited about the 2011 schedule,” Tseng said from Rancho Mirage, where she returned today as Kraft Nabisco Championship defending champion to read to schoolchildren, receive the keys to the city and meet with media. “With the economic downturn, Commissioner Whan and his team have done a great job to secure as many events as they did in 2010. The addition of Taiwan and China events further prove we are truly a Global Tour. They have also done a great job to schedule the events that make our global travel a bit easier.
“I was very fortune to play many USGA Championships while I was a junior golfer from Taiwan, so I am thankful to the LPGA Founders for their vision and dedication that has allowed me to play on the best stage of women's golf. To honor our Founders, I fully support the RR Donnelley LPGA Founders Cup. Through this event, we can all give back to LPGA-USGA Girls Golf program to support the future of the women's golf.”
Players participating in the RR Donnelley LPGA Founders Cup, a new 54-hole, stroke-play event to be televised on the Golf Channel, will forgo a tournament purse in favor of financially supporting the LPGA Foundation that runs the LPGA-USGA Girls Golf program. The tournament, with a field of 132 players, will help raise funds to grow the game at a grass-roots level much as Marilynn Smith, Shirley Spork, Louise Suggs, Marlene Bauer Hagge, Bettye Danoff and the 8 other LPGA Founders first set out to accomplish more than 60 years ago.
The event will be held March 18-20 at Wildfire Golf Club at JW Marriott Phoenix Desert Ridge Resort and Spa in Arizona. RR Donnelley, the world's leading printing and integrated communications services company, will use the RR Donnelley LPGA Founders Cup to expand on its role as "Official Print Provider of the LPGA.” The tournament will be officially sanctioned, thus providing official LPGA and World Golf Halls of Fame and Rolex Rankings points, as well as official statistics and impact to the LPGA Official Money List purposes.
“We are very proud to help make possible this special event which will provide scholarship and other assistance to girls and young women,” said Thomas J. Quinlan III, RR Donnelley’s Present and Chief Executive Officer. “The special character of the RR Donnelley LPGA Founders Cup celebrates enduring values and outstanding achievement. Since our own founding in 1864 and throughout our continued evolution into a global provider of integrated communications, we have worked around the world to bring these same qualities to our business.”
The Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) was established in 1950 by 13 brave women who set stereotypes aside to provide economic opportunities for women and girls. The LPGA owes its long and distinguished history to the hard work and dedication of these 13 women who not only formed the Association, but also organized tournaments, drafted by-laws, set up golf courses and did everything necessary to make professional golf a possibility for women.
LPGA-USGA Girls Golf is the LPGA's primary junior golf initiative which introduces girls from the ages of 7 to 17 to all areas of the game. The program also teaches the values inherent in the game itself – patience, perseverance, honesty and respect, providing young girls with the building blocks to become future role models both on and off the golf course. Many LPGA members, including 2010 LPGA-USGA Girls Golf National Ambassador Brittany Lincicome, Morgan Pressel and Vicky Hurst, were introduced to the game of golf through LPGA-USGA Girls Golf. The program is supported by all of the major golf organizations led by the USGA, but also including the EWGA (Executive Women’s Golf Association), PGA Tour, PGA of America and the Masters Tournament. In recent years, LPGA players have made significant donations to the LPGA-USGA Girls Golf program, including Inbee Park, who donated $50,000 in 2008, and Na Yeon Choi, who donated $30,000 last year.
LPGA-USGA Girls Golf has nearly 200 sites around the country and has served more than 60,000 participants since its inception in 1989. Girls Golf was originally established in Phoenix—where the inaugural RR Donnelley LPGA Founders Cup will be held—by LPGA Teaching & Club Professional (T&CP) member Sandy LaBauve.
“With the introduction of the RR Donnelley LPGA Founders Cup, the LPGA and USGA will be able to more than double the revenues/donations to Girls Golf, and significantly increase the program’s exposure, impact and coverage,” said LPGA Tour legend Nancy Lopez, a new member of the LPGA Foundation Board of Directors.
The 2011 LPGA Tour schedule also will feature the inaugural Titleholders, a season finale with a field made up of three qualifiers from every official LPGA Tour tournament, a format never previously used in professional golf. The “Countdown to Titleholders” will be a season-long unifying program that showcases the best performing players from the 2011 LPGA Tour season, and also highlights each and every title sponsor on the LPGA Tour. The 2011 LPGA Tour schedule will feature 25 official money events in 12 countries, plus the bi-annual Solheim Cup matches pitting the United States against Europe.
“Each week, we’ll talk about who is “in” for Titleholders, which enables us to discuss our key title partners every week, not just during their tournament,” Whan said. “In fact, at the Titleholders tournament, we will showcase every tournament title sponsor so you’ll see Kraft Nabisco, State Farm, Wegmans, Safeway, Evian and all our business partners represented. It truly will be a celebration of the partners who make the LPGA so special.”
The LPGA Tour season kicks off with back-to-back tournaments in Asia—the Honda LPGA Thailand (Feb. 18-20) and HSBC Women’s Champions in Singapore (Feb. 24-27). The season’s first major, the Kraft Nabisco Championship (March 31-April 3), will celebrate its 40th anniversary following the RR Donnelley LPGA Founders Cup (March 18-20) and the LPGA’s return to the Los Angeles area when the Kia Classic is held at Industry Hills Golf Club at Pacific Palms from March 24-27.
Among other highlights of the LPGA Tour schedule released today:
Following its purchase of Bell Micro, Avnet now will serve as the title sponsor of the popular Mobile, Alabama tournament, to be held April 28-May 1 following the Tres Marias Championship;
The Sybase Match Play Championship, ShopRite LPGA Classic and LPGA State Farm Classic will return as U.S. tournaments preceding the season’s second major, the Wegmans LPGA Championship. Wegmans has stepped up as title sponsor after serving as Presenting Sponsor in 2010, and will increase the 2011 purse to $2.5 million. The Jamie Farr Owens Corning Classic Presented by Kroger will not be conducted in 2011 but will return for 2012-2014;
Paula Creamer will defend her U.S. Women’s Open title on the challenging, picturesque East Course at The Broadmoor in Colorado Springs, Colorado July 7-10;
The traditional two-tournament European swing of the Evian Masters (July 21-24) and RICOH Women’s British Open (July 28-31) will be followed Aug. 5-7 by the new Imperial Springs LPGA in Guangzhou, Guangdong, China in a partnership with the China Golf Association (CGA) and China LPGA. This represents a big financial run for the LPGA superstars, as they’ll compete for purses of $3.25 million, $2.5 million and $2.0 million over the course of these three weeks;
The Safeway Classic Presented by Coca-Cola Aug. 19-21 will return the LPGA to North America as one of the LPGA’s summer highlights. The CN Canadian Women’s Open follows, to be played in the Montreal area Aug. 25-28 as Michelle Wie defends her title at the Hillsdale Golf & Country Club in Mirabel, Quebec;
Walmart joins the LPGA as a title sponsor for the first time at the Walmart NW Arkansas Championship Presented by P&G, to be held Sept. 9-11 at Pinnacle Country Club in Rogers, Arkansas. Walmart previously served as Presenting Sponsor while P&G served as Title Sponsor. The Navistar LPGA Classic Presented by Monaco RV will move up earlier in the year, to be played in Prattville, Alabama from September 15-18, and will represent the final tournament held prior to the Solheim Cup;
The highly anticipated bi-annual Solheim Cup, pitting U.S. players vs. European players representing the Ladies European Tour (LET), will be held at Killeen Castle in Dunsany, Ireland from Sept. 23-25;
and a Renewed Commitment to Partners”
The 2011 LPGA Tour season will feature new, ground-breaking ideas for tournaments; new events in the U.S., Taiwan and China; and a renewed commitment to its existing and long-term corporate partners through a unique qualifying format for its season finale and a season-long celebration of tournament title sponsors called the “Countdown to Titleholders.”
The 2011 LPGA Tour schedule was unveiled this week during a TV appearance on Golf Channel by Commissioner Michael Whan followed by a conference call hosted by Whan and 2010 Rolex Player of the Year Yani Tseng.
“Our 2011 schedule reflects the key strategic initiatives of the LPGA: Global – new events in the U.S. and abroad; Partnership – consistently increasing the value to our current business partners; and Responsibility – embracing the history of the LPGA and making a commitment to the future of the women’s game,” Whan said.
All three of these elements will be showcased at the inaugural RR Donnelley LPGA Founders Cup, a tournament designed to honor the LPGA’s pioneers, showcase the world’s greatest female athletes of the present and, most importantly, build a strong and robust future for women in the game of golf.
“The heart and soul of the LPGA association is embodied by its gifted and engaged players, who to this day still embrace the same primary responsibility established by the LPGA’s Founders: To leave the Tour better than how they found it,” Whan said. “The LPGA vision is to inspire, empower and educate, and thanks to the best female golfers in the world, and our visionary partner RR Donnelley, we will be doing just that at the RR Donnelley LPGA Founders Cup.”
“I’m very excited about the 2011 schedule,” Tseng said from Rancho Mirage, where she returned today as Kraft Nabisco Championship defending champion to read to schoolchildren, receive the keys to the city and meet with media. “With the economic downturn, Commissioner Whan and his team have done a great job to secure as many events as they did in 2010. The addition of Taiwan and China events further prove we are truly a Global Tour. They have also done a great job to schedule the events that make our global travel a bit easier.
“I was very fortune to play many USGA Championships while I was a junior golfer from Taiwan, so I am thankful to the LPGA Founders for their vision and dedication that has allowed me to play on the best stage of women's golf. To honor our Founders, I fully support the RR Donnelley LPGA Founders Cup. Through this event, we can all give back to LPGA-USGA Girls Golf program to support the future of the women's golf.”
Players participating in the RR Donnelley LPGA Founders Cup, a new 54-hole, stroke-play event to be televised on the Golf Channel, will forgo a tournament purse in favor of financially supporting the LPGA Foundation that runs the LPGA-USGA Girls Golf program. The tournament, with a field of 132 players, will help raise funds to grow the game at a grass-roots level much as Marilynn Smith, Shirley Spork, Louise Suggs, Marlene Bauer Hagge, Bettye Danoff and the 8 other LPGA Founders first set out to accomplish more than 60 years ago.
The event will be held March 18-20 at Wildfire Golf Club at JW Marriott Phoenix Desert Ridge Resort and Spa in Arizona. RR Donnelley, the world's leading printing and integrated communications services company, will use the RR Donnelley LPGA Founders Cup to expand on its role as "Official Print Provider of the LPGA.” The tournament will be officially sanctioned, thus providing official LPGA and World Golf Halls of Fame and Rolex Rankings points, as well as official statistics and impact to the LPGA Official Money List purposes.
“We are very proud to help make possible this special event which will provide scholarship and other assistance to girls and young women,” said Thomas J. Quinlan III, RR Donnelley’s Present and Chief Executive Officer. “The special character of the RR Donnelley LPGA Founders Cup celebrates enduring values and outstanding achievement. Since our own founding in 1864 and throughout our continued evolution into a global provider of integrated communications, we have worked around the world to bring these same qualities to our business.”
The Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) was established in 1950 by 13 brave women who set stereotypes aside to provide economic opportunities for women and girls. The LPGA owes its long and distinguished history to the hard work and dedication of these 13 women who not only formed the Association, but also organized tournaments, drafted by-laws, set up golf courses and did everything necessary to make professional golf a possibility for women.
LPGA-USGA Girls Golf is the LPGA's primary junior golf initiative which introduces girls from the ages of 7 to 17 to all areas of the game. The program also teaches the values inherent in the game itself – patience, perseverance, honesty and respect, providing young girls with the building blocks to become future role models both on and off the golf course. Many LPGA members, including 2010 LPGA-USGA Girls Golf National Ambassador Brittany Lincicome, Morgan Pressel and Vicky Hurst, were introduced to the game of golf through LPGA-USGA Girls Golf. The program is supported by all of the major golf organizations led by the USGA, but also including the EWGA (Executive Women’s Golf Association), PGA Tour, PGA of America and the Masters Tournament. In recent years, LPGA players have made significant donations to the LPGA-USGA Girls Golf program, including Inbee Park, who donated $50,000 in 2008, and Na Yeon Choi, who donated $30,000 last year.
LPGA-USGA Girls Golf has nearly 200 sites around the country and has served more than 60,000 participants since its inception in 1989. Girls Golf was originally established in Phoenix—where the inaugural RR Donnelley LPGA Founders Cup will be held—by LPGA Teaching & Club Professional (T&CP) member Sandy LaBauve.
“With the introduction of the RR Donnelley LPGA Founders Cup, the LPGA and USGA will be able to more than double the revenues/donations to Girls Golf, and significantly increase the program’s exposure, impact and coverage,” said LPGA Tour legend Nancy Lopez, a new member of the LPGA Foundation Board of Directors.
The 2011 LPGA Tour schedule also will feature the inaugural Titleholders, a season finale with a field made up of three qualifiers from every official LPGA Tour tournament, a format never previously used in professional golf. The “Countdown to Titleholders” will be a season-long unifying program that showcases the best performing players from the 2011 LPGA Tour season, and also highlights each and every title sponsor on the LPGA Tour. The 2011 LPGA Tour schedule will feature 25 official money events in 12 countries, plus the bi-annual Solheim Cup matches pitting the United States against Europe.
“Each week, we’ll talk about who is “in” for Titleholders, which enables us to discuss our key title partners every week, not just during their tournament,” Whan said. “In fact, at the Titleholders tournament, we will showcase every tournament title sponsor so you’ll see Kraft Nabisco, State Farm, Wegmans, Safeway, Evian and all our business partners represented. It truly will be a celebration of the partners who make the LPGA so special.”
The LPGA Tour season kicks off with back-to-back tournaments in Asia—the Honda LPGA Thailand (Feb. 18-20) and HSBC Women’s Champions in Singapore (Feb. 24-27). The season’s first major, the Kraft Nabisco Championship (March 31-April 3), will celebrate its 40th anniversary following the RR Donnelley LPGA Founders Cup (March 18-20) and the LPGA’s return to the Los Angeles area when the Kia Classic is held at Industry Hills Golf Club at Pacific Palms from March 24-27.
Among other highlights of the LPGA Tour schedule released today:
Following its purchase of Bell Micro, Avnet now will serve as the title sponsor of the popular Mobile, Alabama tournament, to be held April 28-May 1 following the Tres Marias Championship;
The Sybase Match Play Championship, ShopRite LPGA Classic and LPGA State Farm Classic will return as U.S. tournaments preceding the season’s second major, the Wegmans LPGA Championship. Wegmans has stepped up as title sponsor after serving as Presenting Sponsor in 2010, and will increase the 2011 purse to $2.5 million. The Jamie Farr Owens Corning Classic Presented by Kroger will not be conducted in 2011 but will return for 2012-2014;
Paula Creamer will defend her U.S. Women’s Open title on the challenging, picturesque East Course at The Broadmoor in Colorado Springs, Colorado July 7-10;
The traditional two-tournament European swing of the Evian Masters (July 21-24) and RICOH Women’s British Open (July 28-31) will be followed Aug. 5-7 by the new Imperial Springs LPGA in Guangzhou, Guangdong, China in a partnership with the China Golf Association (CGA) and China LPGA. This represents a big financial run for the LPGA superstars, as they’ll compete for purses of $3.25 million, $2.5 million and $2.0 million over the course of these three weeks;
The Safeway Classic Presented by Coca-Cola Aug. 19-21 will return the LPGA to North America as one of the LPGA’s summer highlights. The CN Canadian Women’s Open follows, to be played in the Montreal area Aug. 25-28 as Michelle Wie defends her title at the Hillsdale Golf & Country Club in Mirabel, Quebec;
Walmart joins the LPGA as a title sponsor for the first time at the Walmart NW Arkansas Championship Presented by P&G, to be held Sept. 9-11 at Pinnacle Country Club in Rogers, Arkansas. Walmart previously served as Presenting Sponsor while P&G served as Title Sponsor. The Navistar LPGA Classic Presented by Monaco RV will move up earlier in the year, to be played in Prattville, Alabama from September 15-18, and will represent the final tournament held prior to the Solheim Cup;
The highly anticipated bi-annual Solheim Cup, pitting U.S. players vs. European players representing the Ladies European Tour (LET), will be held at Killeen Castle in Dunsany, Ireland from Sept. 23-25;
Wednesday, January 5, 2011
TV Visits Hall of Fame
Tri-Valley junior varsity basketball players, from the left, Devin Donnelly, Gavin DuBois and Shatik Smith admire the display of World Series rings at the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum in Cooperstown during a break in the action in last week's Dick White Holiday Basketball Tournament.
Tri-Valley Central School varsity and junior varsity basketball players and coaches pose for a photo while standing on the interior steps of the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum in Cooperstown last Tuesday prior to taking a tour through the facility.
Eldred native and Cooperstown Coach David Bertram, left, visits with Tri-Valley Coach Brian Tingley during last week's Dick White Holiday Basketball Tournament at Cooperstown Central School. TRI-VALLEY BASKETBALL
TEAMS VISIT HALL OF FAME
ELDRED NATIVE COACHING
AT COOPERSTOWN CENTRAL
Basketball met baseball on December 28 when the Tri-Valley Central School Varsity and Junior Varsity basketball teams became guests of The National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum at Cooperstown.
The visit to the independent, non-profit educational institution dedicated to fostering an appreciation of the historical development of baseball and its impact on our culture was part of the two teams two-day competition in the 2010 Dick White Holiday Basketball Tournament at the Red Bursey Gymnasium at Cooperstown Central School.
Another highlight of the trip to Cooperstown was visiting with Sullivan County native David Bertram, the head coach of the host Cooperstown Central School Varsity Redskins basketball team. The Eldred native and a 1990 graduate of Eldred Central is in his 11th year at Cooperstown.
Following a successful basketball career at Eldred Bertram attended and played basketball at Division 1 Niagara University and in 1998 played semi-professional basketball out of New York City for the Hudson Kings.
Prior to accepting a teaching-coaching position at Cooperstown Dave coached two years at Edmeston and was part of the faulty at Tri-Valley Central School for two years in 1998.
His most successful year at Cooperstown was in 2003 when his team went 26-1 and lost by several points in the State Class C finals.
Dave's mom and step-father and three sisters and 3 brothers still live in the Eldred area.
Prior to the second day of tournament competition the visit to the Baseball Hall of Fame took place at 10 in the morning and Bears players eyeballed and commented about a number of former baseball stars in the Hall of Fame and that their tour gave them more understanding and appreciation of the game.
Tri-Valley's basketball teams were found to be comprised of a number of Yankee, Mets and Boston fans and those great players of the past got a lot of their attention.
Coaching staff accompanying the team included JV Coach Jason Closs, Varsity coach Brian Tingley and official scorekeeper Kevin Giroux.
Brad Horn, Baseball Hall of Fame Senior Director of Communications and Education officially welcomed the Tri-Valley teams and coaching staff and everyone enjoyed their brief two-hour visit before having lunch and returning to hoop competition at 2 p.m.
Tournament competition on December 27 found the Fort Plain JV defeating Tri-Valley JV 62-47 and the Fort Plain varsity defeating Tri-Valley varsity 54-23. Tournament play on December 28 found the Tri-Valley JV defeating Cooperstown JV 76-49 in the consolation game with individual tournament scoring highlights by Tri-Valley JV point guard Shatik Smith with 28 points.
Dave Bertram's Cooperstown varsity team defeated Tri-Valley varsity 77-40 in the varsity consolation game.
Basketball competition and baseball knowledge all learned in a two day stay in Cooperstown, NY. Full photo coverage of some of the tournament basketball action and the tour of the National Baseball Hall of Fame is available at
http://edtownsendphotos.clarkcolor.com/clark and if it asks for a privacy code put in the word ( photome ).
Basketball met baseball on December 28 when the Tri-Valley Central School Varsity and Junior Varsity basketball teams became guests of The National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum at Cooperstown.
The visit to the independent, non-profit educational institution dedicated to fostering an appreciation of the historical development of baseball and its impact on our culture was part of the two teams two-day competition in the 2010 Dick White Holiday Basketball Tournament at the Red Bursey Gymnasium at Cooperstown Central School.
Another highlight of the trip to Cooperstown was visiting with Sullivan County native David Bertram, the head coach of the host Cooperstown Central School Varsity Redskins basketball team. The Eldred native and a 1990 graduate of Eldred Central is in his 11th year at Cooperstown.
Following a successful basketball career at Eldred Bertram attended and played basketball at Division 1 Niagara University and in 1998 played semi-professional basketball out of New York City for the Hudson Kings.
Prior to accepting a teaching-coaching position at Cooperstown Dave coached two years at Edmeston and was part of the faulty at Tri-Valley Central School for two years in 1998.
His most successful year at Cooperstown was in 2003 when his team went 26-1 and lost by several points in the State Class C finals.
Dave's mom and step-father and three sisters and 3 brothers still live in the Eldred area.
Prior to the second day of tournament competition the visit to the Baseball Hall of Fame took place at 10 in the morning and Bears players eyeballed and commented about a number of former baseball stars in the Hall of Fame and that their tour gave them more understanding and appreciation of the game.
Tri-Valley's basketball teams were found to be comprised of a number of Yankee, Mets and Boston fans and those great players of the past got a lot of their attention.
Coaching staff accompanying the team included JV Coach Jason Closs, Varsity coach Brian Tingley and official scorekeeper Kevin Giroux.
Brad Horn, Baseball Hall of Fame Senior Director of Communications and Education officially welcomed the Tri-Valley teams and coaching staff and everyone enjoyed their brief two-hour visit before having lunch and returning to hoop competition at 2 p.m.
Tournament competition on December 27 found the Fort Plain JV defeating Tri-Valley JV 62-47 and the Fort Plain varsity defeating Tri-Valley varsity 54-23. Tournament play on December 28 found the Tri-Valley JV defeating Cooperstown JV 76-49 in the consolation game with individual tournament scoring highlights by Tri-Valley JV point guard Shatik Smith with 28 points.
Dave Bertram's Cooperstown varsity team defeated Tri-Valley varsity 77-40 in the varsity consolation game.
Basketball competition and baseball knowledge all learned in a two day stay in Cooperstown, NY. Full photo coverage of some of the tournament basketball action and the tour of the National Baseball Hall of Fame is available at
http://edtownsendphotos.clarkcolor.com/clark and if it asks for a privacy code put in the word ( photome ).
Monday, January 3, 2011
Here & There Column 1-4-11
Do You Like Your Privacy?
As we wish all a Happy, Healthy and Prosperous New Year we also offer some concern in the year 2011 about our whereabouts and offer the question do folks actually give a hoot about their privacy and location awareness.
In this era of social networking it has become very difficult to keep your location to yourself.
Now with the use of Facebook and Foursquare their are features that allows us to check in online and announce our location.........are we showing any concern about this?....and as far as using your iPhone as a GPS devise its being suggested that you use a dedicated GPS devise for navigation help and not a mobile phone with built-in mapping services.
Location privacy issues are beginning to become major concerns and are presenting many problems. Last winter another website began posting people's whereabouts on the Internet which dispersed information that allowed anyone to see when folks were not at home.
The global positioning systems and Wi-Fi capabilities installed in many cell phones also tend to be a big risk.
Folks just seem to like the idea of informing others what they are doing, where they are going, what they are buying etc. etc. and many times there just is too much information being put out there and many just do not gets what all this means.
Now if you wonder if we use Facebook I do have to admit that I use it mainly to get the word out on my Web site and our Bowling, Golfing and Here & There columns and what we are writing about and pictures we are taking but I refuse to use to announce when I'm going out to dinner and where I'm going to be at 8 p.m. tonight........info like that produces a big privacy risk and information the real world does not need to know.
Folks will just have to learn that there are privacy issues involved and that they should understand the extent that their location information is being shared.
Have fun with these many Internet social websites but privacy should become a priority.
As we wish all a Happy, Healthy and Prosperous New Year we also offer some concern in the year 2011 about our whereabouts and offer the question do folks actually give a hoot about their privacy and location awareness.
In this era of social networking it has become very difficult to keep your location to yourself.
Now with the use of Facebook and Foursquare their are features that allows us to check in online and announce our location.........are we showing any concern about this?....and as far as using your iPhone as a GPS devise its being suggested that you use a dedicated GPS devise for navigation help and not a mobile phone with built-in mapping services.
Location privacy issues are beginning to become major concerns and are presenting many problems. Last winter another website began posting people's whereabouts on the Internet which dispersed information that allowed anyone to see when folks were not at home.
The global positioning systems and Wi-Fi capabilities installed in many cell phones also tend to be a big risk.
Folks just seem to like the idea of informing others what they are doing, where they are going, what they are buying etc. etc. and many times there just is too much information being put out there and many just do not gets what all this means.
Now if you wonder if we use Facebook I do have to admit that I use it mainly to get the word out on my Web site and our Bowling, Golfing and Here & There columns and what we are writing about and pictures we are taking but I refuse to use to announce when I'm going out to dinner and where I'm going to be at 8 p.m. tonight........info like that produces a big privacy risk and information the real world does not need to know.
Folks will just have to learn that there are privacy issues involved and that they should understand the extent that their location information is being shared.
Have fun with these many Internet social websites but privacy should become a priority.
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