Host of the 2011 World Series of Bowling, South Point Hotel and Casino - Las Vegas, Nev.

Finally. One hundred sixty-two plus games later, the Major League Baseball season is over. Cardinals fans can run out and purchase their overpriced championship t-shirts while Rangers fans can sulk in their sorrows of being so close. Twice.

However, everyone can now look forward to the other World Series in professional sports. That’s right, the World Series of Bowling. But unlike the World Series of baseball which is, of course, a final match to determine the World Champion, the World Series of Bowling began in 2009 as a series of events to kick-off the Professional Bowlers Association tour season.

Eight separate events are being conducted at the South Point Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas over the course of two weeks for this year’s PBA World Series of Bowling. Beginning on November 4 and concluding on November 20, over 200 players will be vying for a chance to make the televised finals at one of he following tournaments: Viper Open, Chameleon Open, Scorpion Open, Shark Open, PBA World Championship, Carmen Salvino Classic, PBA Exempt Players Championship and Mark Roth-Marshall Holman PBA Doubles Championship.

My predictions for the 2011 World Series of Bowling include: several surprise players making the televised finals, no one winning more than one title and a whole heck of a lot of strikes from Bill O’Neill.

» Continue reading “World Series of Bowling Preview”

The Team USA duos of Chris Barnes/Bill ONeill and Kelly Kulick/Liz Johnson will each be bringing the Pan American Games gold medal in the doubles division back to the United States.

With a final score of 5,211, Barnes/ONeill led the men’s divison by 193 while Kulick/Johnson finished with 5,257 to lead the entire field and the women’s division by 328 pins.

Barnes led the U.S. mens team with 2,698 (224.8 average), while O’Neill shot 2,513 (209.4 average). Johnson led the women’s duo with 2,633 (219.4 average), while Kulick finished with 2,624 (218.7 average).

Today begins as all athletes will bowl another 6-game block to determine the singles division Pan American Games medalists.

Held every four years, the Pan American Games are the second-largest multi-sport event after the Olympic Games. This year, nearly 6,000 athletes from the American Zone are competing in 36 sports. The Pan American Games bowling event is taking place at Bolerama Tapatio in Guadalajara, Mexico.

Pan American Games doubles division final standings:

» Continue reading “Team USA Sweeps Doubles Gold At Pan Am Games”

PBA exempt player, Sean Rash rounds out field of eight for PBA All-In Showdown

If you were thinking about throwing down five grand to enter the Professional Bowlers Association All-In Showdown, you’re too late. The event, sponsored by bowlersdeals.com has an entry limit of eight bowlers and has officially filled.

The final entry, Sean Rash will join Tommy Jones, Chris Barnes, Chris Warren, Bill O’Neill, Brian Himmler, Ronnie Russell and Joe Paluszek for the short format, winner-take all event to kick of the 2011 World Series of Bowling at Southpoint Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas.

It’s easy to say that Bill O’Neill or Chris Barnes are the favorites to win but with such a unique format and diversity of players, odds are close to equal.

The PBA All-In Showdown will consist of each player bowling two games before the field is cut in half. The remaining top four will bowl two more games with the lowest two scores being eliminated. The final two competitors will bowl two final games, highest two-game series will claim the title and $45,000 prize.

The PBA All-In Showdown will be streamed live on pba.com’s Xtra Frame starting at 6:30 p.m. ET (3:30 p.m. PT) on Nov. 4.

Weber Cup Team U.S. captain, Chris Barnes

The final day of competition proved exciting as the Weber Cup will return to the United States for the seventh time.

After leading the first two days of competition, Team Europe fell behind as Team US made an incredible run winning eight of the first nine points of the day leaving them one point away from victory (first team to reach 17 points is the winner). That’s when Team Europe stole the momentum  and fired games of 251, 290, 233 and 245, winning four singles matches in a row, two wins away from claiming the title.

Players who competed in the next singles match were to be decided by Team Captains, Chris Barnes (U.S.) and Osku Palermaa (Europe). Surprisingly, both captains chose the other face. This battle of team captains would eventually end with Palermaa sparing in the 8th and 9th frame, opening the door for Barnes to strike in the 10th frame for the win. Final score: Palermaa – 237, Barnes – 248.

“I thought we showed a lot of heart tonight. Hats off to the Europeans as they were left for dead with four or five games to go and not many teams could’ve fought back the way they did,” said Barnes

» Continue reading “U.S. Makes Incredible Run To Win Weber Cup”

It was the goal of Team U.S. to make a run after falling behind to Europe in day one of competition at the 12th annual Weber Cup.

And while they didn’t slip behind father, they didn’t exactly make progress, either. Entering the third and final day of competition, Team Europe leads 10-8 in this race to 17 points.

Below are scores of each match in day two of competition:

» Continue reading “Europe Continues Lead Entering Final Day at Weber Cup”

Tommy Jones throws a shot during the Weber Cup in Manchester, England today

After the first day of competition at the 12th annual Weber Cup, Team Europe leads the United States 4-2.

Team Europe is comprised of four European standout bowlers; Mika Koivuneimi, Paul Moor, Dominic Barett and Oksu Palermaa.Team U.S. is comprised of four PBA exempt stars; Chris Barnes, Bill O’Neill, Tommy Jones and Mike Fagan.

The format of day one consisted of one team baker game followed by five individual singles games. Results were as follows:

» Continue reading “Team Europe Leads U.S. in 2011 Weber Cup”

Joe Paluszek has offically become the third bowler to enter the Bowlersdeals.com All-In Showdown to kick off the 2011 World Series of Bowling in Las Vegas.

Paluszek (pictured right) is a pro shop owner form New Jersey and well-known for his choice of gaudy apparel when he bowls. He says he raised half of his $5,000 entry and paid the remainder out of pocket.

Other competitors in the field include defending PBA World Champion, Chris Barnes and 2011 PBA Exempt Player, Chris Warren. But Paluszek’s not scared of his competition’s credentials.

“I have as good a chance as anyone,” he said

Which I think is true. But Paluszek is forgetting one huge factor. These guys (especially Barnes) bowl for money all the time. Bowling action at 2:00 am on Thursday night at your local center is a completely different animal than shoeing up against some of the best competition in the world, under the lights on tougher conditions. Just sayin.

An old school way for bowlers to make a buck is to “bowl action.” In a nut shell, bowling action is simply two bowlers getting together and betting on a few games. But it’s not “$20-bucks-says-I-beat-you” games. Thousands of dollars are often put on the line. It’s the quickest and easiest way for bowlers to make or lose a lot of cash. Just like throwing hundreds down on red at the roulette table in Vegas, it’s a gamble. Except fate is in your own hands when bowling action, which makes it more of a thrill.

Well PBA fans will get a taste of what it’s like when professionals throw down $5,000 each for a short format, winner-take-all event to kick off the 2011 World Series of Bowling in Las Vegas. Up to eight bowlers are allowed to partake and the winner takes home all the marbles including an added bonus of $5,000 provided by bowlersdeals.com. So far, Chris Barnes and Chris Warren are the only bowlers to enter.

If eight players enter the winner will go home with $45,000 after just six games. The format is two games each round with the field being cut in half after each round. The chosen oil pattern is the same used during the PBA Tournament of Champions.

I’m surprised at how excited I am to see all of this go down. I guess you have to be a bowler to appreciate the courage it takes to bowl in a format like this. No player is at an advantage so kudos to anyone with the balls to enter.

Professional Bowler, Kelly Kulick

This week, ESPN issued their annual “Body Issue” where they photographed professional athletes nude and strategically posed to not reveal any private parts. The purpose is to showcase the athletic form in a tasteful way.

After professional female bowler Kelly Kulick gained exposure after defeating all men on the PBA tour to claim the Tournament of Champions title in January 2010, ESPN contacted her to appear in the Body Issue.

It was the first time ESPN showcased a bowler in the issue. I had a chance to talk to Kulick yesterday about her experience posing nude for ESPN magazine.

Me: Are you happy with the photos?

Kelly: I am. I’ve only been able to see how a few of them turned out. There were poses other than the shot that ESPN chose for the magazine that I liked better but overall I was happy with how they turned out.

Me: When did the shoot take place and how long did they give you to prepare for it?

» Continue reading “Kulick’s Thoughts On Posing Nude”