The East's Most Read Bowling Weekly
Sports Reporter
Our 81st
Anniversary
Year
The Nation's Leading Bowling Tournament Newspaper Since 1940
Vol. 81 No. 13
PBA Returns June 6
With Made-for-TV Events
The PBA will be back live on FOX on Saturday,
June 6 from 7-9 p.m. Eastern with the first-ever PBA
Strike Derby.
The telecast will be the first in a series of made-for-
TV special events produced by the PBA.
Go Bowling! PBA Tour players Tommy Jones,
Kyle Troup, Sean Rash, EJ Tackett, Kris Prather,
Shawn Maldonado, Anthony Simonsen and Bill
O'Neill will be the participants.
All of the competition will take place at Bowlero
Jupiter in Florida, with no fans in attendance and pro-
tocols in place for the safety of the players, officials
and production crew.
First up for the PBA on June 6 is the inaugural PBA
Strike Derby, which will see the eight players take
part in a timed competition, with each getting two
minutes to record as many strikes as they can. They’ll
then be placed into an elimination bracket, with the
“strike derby” continuing until the champion is deter-
mined.
The following Saturday (June 13), also on FOX,
from 6 to 8 p.m. Eastern, the PBA Summer Clash will
take to the lanes with its one-ball elimination format
that has twice garnered the highest TV ratings in
more than a decade. This year, the top two PWBA
Tour players in 2019 points, Shannon O'Keefe and
Danielle McEwan, will join the eight PBA players in
the first round.
Next up in July, featuring more players to be
named, will be a four-night, live PBA King of the
Lanes series on FS1, with dates to be announced. The
event will begin by deciding the “king"’ of the lanes,
who then will defend the crown against a different
challenger in a one-game match. The winner will be
the king and return the next night to face new chal-
lengers, with that process continuing each night.
Regularly scheduled PBA Tour events on FOX
Sports that were postponed due to COVID-19 —
including the PBA World Series of Bowling’s animal
pattern championships, the USBC Masters, the PBA
Playoffs and the PBA League team competition —
are being rescheduled for the fall and winter.
May 28, 2020
More COVID-19 Updates from Our Bowling Family
* The city where candlepin bowling was invented,
Worcester, Mass., is losing its last candlepin center. The owner
of Colonial Bowling Center told the Telegram & Gazette that
Colonial would not be reopening after being forced to shut
down in March due to the coronavirus pandemic. “Everything
comes to an end,” proprietor Nick Andreson said. Andreson
opened the business in 1960, but now, at age 91, says he longer
has the energy he once had, and that the state-ordered closure
solidified his decision. “This threw me over the edge,” he
added. “I never in my wildest dreams thought we’d close
down the economy.” Read more here:
https://www.telegram.com/news/20200518/final-strike-
worcesters-last-candlepin-alley-closes
* Bowling’s most storied annual tournament, the Petersen
Classic, will not be moving to Bowlero Mount Prospect (Ill.)
this year, as was originally planned. Because of the pandemic,
Bowlero was not able to secure permits or third-party workers
to build out the 18-lane Petersen arena in Mount Prospect. So,
instead, the tournament once again will be held at the Bowlero
location in River Grove, Ill. The tournament’s opening date
has been changed from June 5 to June 27. More information is
available on the Facebook page of “The Pete.”
* One of the primary frustrations associated with reopening
is the arbitrary nature of the types of businesses being includ-
ed in specific “phases.” For instance, in Nebraska, centers
could reopen as long as they permitted no more than 10 peo-
ple in the building — not exactly a business plan for success.
Two center operators in Lincoln, John Losito and Jason Korn,
are suggesting that their businesses be included in the same
category and with the same restrictions as restaurants, which
are being allowed to open with 50 percent capacity. Losito told
the Lincoln Journal Star that making only odd- or even-num-
bered lanes available “lends itself very well to social distanc-
ing.”
* During phase two of the reopening process in Texas,
restaurants are being allowed to operate at 50 percent capaci-
ty. But the same isn’t true for bowling centers. 2019 BPAA
Proprietor of the Year Mike Logan, who operates Grand
Station Entertainment in College Station, told the Cyber
Report that he is being allowed to reopen Friday at only 25
percent occupancy and with an order to keep his game room
closed for the time being. “It’s like trying to operate with both
hands tied behind our backs,” he said. “But we’ll take what we
can get.”
* The timetable for reopening accelerated considerably for
bowling-center operators in Pinellas County, Fla., this week
25 cents
after a key executive order from Governor Ron DeSantis. A lit-
tle extra help from the Pinellas County Sheriff Bob Gaultieri
and County Administrator Barry Burton set things in motion in
a big way. Governor DeSantis's Executive Order 20-123,
released last Friday, established that all counties throughout
the state officially could move into “Full Phase 1” reopening.
The order explicitly allows for facilities such as gyms,
libraries, retail stores and restaurants to open to the public at
50 percent occupancy. While the order did not specifically
identify bowling centers and movie theaters among the types
of businesses allowed to reopen, Gaultieri and Burton inter-
preted that to mean they were not explicitly prohibited from
reopening, either. “Nothing within the order restricted movie
theaters, didn’t restrict bowling alleys, either,” Burton said
during a Facebook Live announcement alongside Gaultieri.
“Under phase one, movie theaters, bowling alleys, those types
of venues are allowed to operate using the 50-percent capaci-
ty and social distancing requirements.” For a full report,
including comments from local proprietors who reopened this
week, go to: https://www.bowlersjournal.com/two-florida-
proprietors-that-were-set-to-host-2020-pro-tour-events-have-
reopened-heres-what-they-told-us/
* Main Event Entertainment had reopened five locations in
Georgia and Oklahoma as of Cinco de Mayo, with others com-
ing back on line as states eased restrictions. The 44-center
chain must deal with 17 different sets of state regulations, but
CEO Chris Morris told Forbes all customers in all locations
shared three desires: to have fun with their families and loved
ones, to get out of the house, and to be safe. Addressing the lat-
ter issue, the company is now providing “bowling valets” to
help customers select bowling balls and sanitize each ball that
gets touched, and utilizing color-coded zones in its laser tag
arenas. Read the full Forbes story here:
https://www.forbes.com/sites/joanverdon/2020/05/19/bowl-
ing-valets-and-socially-distant-laser-tag-main-event-arcades-
reopen-with-new-rules/#9d1d56247606
* QubicaAMF’s “Beyond the Frame” Facebook group will
have an opportunity to view interview with Darin Van Tassell,
owner of The Clubhouse in Statesboro, Ga., on Thursday, May
28 at 3 p.m.
To join the “Beyond the Frame” Facebook group, go to:
www.facebook.com/groups/QubicaAMFbeyondtheframe.
* June 1 will be a big reopening day in Kentucky, with bowl-
ing centers, auto dirt tracks, fitness centers and movie theaters
among the businesses on the list — all with certain restric-
tions.
2 SPORTS REPORTER May 28, 2020

ROCKAWAY LANES
To our valued customers,
Rockaway Lanes will be closed due to
the government limitations in place to
slow the spread of the Coronavirus.
We will resume our normal operations
once the Governor lifts the ban.
Please stay safe and healthy during
this time!

Sincerely,
The Management and Staff
Rockaway Lanes
May 28, 2020 SPORTS REPORTER 3

Jib Lanes~Flushing (718) 591 - 0600 www.JibLanes.com

Maple Lanes RVC~Rockville Centre (516) 678 - 3010 www.RVCLanes.com
Farmingdale Lanes~Farmingdale (631) 249 - 4300 www.FarmingdaleLanes.com
Coram Country Lanes~Coram (631) 732 - 2022 www.CoramCountryLanes.com
Countryside Lanes~Clearwater, FL (727) 796 - 8100 www.CountrysideLanes.net
4 SPORTS REPORTER May 28, 2020
May 28, 2020
“The Greatest Bowler of All Time” Biography
CHICAGO--Professional Bowlers
Association (PBA) superstar Earl
Anthony, who died in 2001 at age 63, was
perhaps the greatest athlete without a
biography. That's no longer the case, how-
ever, as Luby Publishing recently pub-
lished EARL: The Greatest
Bowler of All Time by Barry
Sparks, a writer from York, Pa.
Anthony, a southpaw from
Tacoma, Wash., forged a domi-
nating career on the PBA Tour
from 1970 to 1983, winning 43
titles. In 2008, he was named
The Greatest Player in the PBA's
50-year history by a panel of
bowlers and media members.
"It's mystifying how any ath-
lete who is considered the great-
est in his sport could go this long
without a biography," said
Sparks. "Imagine if there were
no biographies of Hank Aaron,
Michael Jordan, Wayne Gretzky,
Peyton Manning, Arnold Palmer
or Jimmy Connors."
Sparks thought it was an injus-
tice, and he set out to rectify it.
He spent two years interviewing
people, researching and writing
the biography.
Keith Hamilton, president of
Luby Publishing, the world's
leading publisher of bowling
periodicals, said, "As the years
march on, the heroes of our game who
were cherished by bowling fans will fade
from memories and become less revered.
But bowlers like Anthony, Dick Weber,
Carmen Salvino, Don Carter, Don
Johnson and Billy Hardwick and others
from the past should continue to be cher-
ished and celebrated, much as Ruth,
Gehrig, Mantle, DiMaggio, Aaron and
Mays are still revered by baseball fans.
It's my hope that Earl's biography can
help make that happen."
Sparks says Earl Anthony was bowl-
ing's unlikeliest superstar. He didn't pick
up a bowling ball until he was 21. He did-
n't go on the PBA Tour full-time until he
was 31, an age when many athletes'
careers are ending.
After winning three Player of the Year
awards, he suffered a major heart attack
SPORTS REPORTER
in 1978. With a fierce determination, he
returned to the lanes to win Player of the
Year three more times. PBA founder
Eddie Elias called Anthony's feat "one of
the greatest comebacks in sports history."
Sparks takes a season-by-season look at
Earl's impressive career. He shares the
challenges Anthony faced, the reasons he
was able to enjoy unparalleled success, his
greatest achievements and his frustrations.
The author interviewed more than 100
people, including 23 PBA Hall of Famers,
to get a greater insight into the superstar,
who defined greatness. Earl's peers
shared stories about his work ethic, com-
petitiveness, adaptability, temper and
humor.
EARL: The Greatest Bowler of All
Time can be ordered online at www.ear-
lanthonybook.com.
The 293-page book includes more than
two dozen vintage photographs. Ten per-
cent of the book's profits will be donated
to the Earl Anthony Scholarship.
5
Looking back to 1985…
Does Anyone Remember The Frame Game?
by Dave Williams
Those of you that enjoy The Game Show Jeopardy fame had been touted as the host
Network and have been around the game of of the new format that would involve a
ten pins for a while, might remember a professional bowler, a celebrity guest star,
bowling related show that was designed by and league bowlers.
Bernstein/Hovis Productions, in associa- Dick Weber (who else?) had been select-
tion with the Taft Entertainment Company ed as the first professional bowler for the
and MGM Studios, and known as “The pilot filming and first show. Ken goes on to
Frame Game.” say, “League bowlers will be selected from
Ken Lowman, former editor of the the audience to play for cash and prizes. A
California Bowling News, made mention car was mentioned as one of the prizes, as
of the show in The Low Man Report, in well as merchandise from AMF and oth-
September of 1985, when he compared the ers.”
new production to the famous Jackpot AMF Rocket Bowl in Chatsworth was
Bowling, with host Milton Berle, that pre- selected as the first center to participate, by
miered on January 9, 1959. It was on this inviting 150 of their league members to the
show in 1961 that professional bowler pilot filming; followed by Corbin Bowl of
Therm Gibson won $75,000, which adjust- Tarzana, and Grand Central Bowl of
ed for inflation would be worth almost Glendale, in succeeding weeks. Bus trans-
$650,000 today! portation was to be provided by the pro-
It is surprising to note that Leo Durocher duction company from the host bowling
was the host for the first two episodes of center, but in the case of AMF Rocket
Jackpot Bowling, followed by Mel Allen Bowl, the event was postponed. That’s
and Bud Palmer, before the where my knowledge about
network finally settled on this promotion ends, and why I
Milton Berle… with Chick ask the question - Does
Hearn providing the play- Anyone Remember the Frame
by-play! Chick Hearn went Game?
on to become perhaps the Ken mentions in his column,
most famous basketball “I have seen the stage set
announcer of all time with designer’s drawing and it is
the Los Angeles Lakers, spectacular. I can think of no
where he broadcast an unbe- reason that this production can-
lievable 3,338 consecutive not be a complete success and
broadcasts on radio and tele- a great benefit to the game.
vision, beginning in 1961. This show has the stamp of
Jackpot Bowling initially The Frame Game quality and excitement that
aired from T-Bowl, a bowl- GM Frank Ross of AMF Rocket should draw hosts of non-
ing center that still exists in Bowl sent this sign up form for bowlers to the tube and eventu-
league bowlers wanting to attend
the hamlet of Wayne, New The Frame Game pilot taping back ally to bowling centers to give
Jersey, but moved to in 1985. our game a try.”
Hollywood Legion Lanes in Hollywood for While researching further, I noticed from
the 1960 season. Ken comments in The word searches that Bernstein/Hovis had
Low Man Report, “The wish that another success in bringing forward new game
show of this type would again air has been shows. Their biggest success was
voiced on numerous occasions by many of “Anything for the Money,” with Fred
today’s proprietors who remember the Travalena, that originally aired in 1984,
good old days.” followed by Lingo in 1987, and Yahtzee in
Lowman, an eternal optimist that I 1988. The Game Show Network advanced
enjoyed chatting with almost every Friday their own version of Lingo in 2002, with
afternoon during my time in the San host Chuck Woolery, but there’s no infor-
Fernando Valley, felt that The Frame Game mation on the world wide web about the
might be the answer to the proprietors fate of The Frame Game.
wishes. He mentioned that Art Fleming of
6 SPORTS REPORTER
"The quality of a leader is reflected
in the standards they set for themselves."
- Ray Kroc
COVID-19 Strikes Down Bowl Expo
There is good news on the coronavirus front: Death toll estimates in
the U.S. may be lower than previously predicted.
Meanwhile, however, time ran out on International Bowl Expo.
BPAA leaders waited as long as they could in hopes of going forward
with the 2020 Expo, which was to have taken place July 2-6 in
Aurora, Colo. But with virtually every state asking people to stay at
home, and with airlines substantially cutting their flight schedules,
there was no other choice but to cancel Bowl Expo for this year.
May 28, 2020
We will be closing temporarily as a
proactive precaution against the
coronavirus pandemic. Our first day
closed will be Saturday, March 14,
with no current planned reopening
date. This is of course a very fluid sit-
uation and can change, so we will
update with changes as they occur.
We wish everyone and their families
good health and will see you all soon.
$5,000 Pezzano Scholarship
Deadline is April 30
Do you know of a young person who loves bowling
and loves writing?
The International Bowling Media Association
is working to help create the next generation of
bowling journalists through the Chuck Pezzano Media
Scholarship, which is valued at $5,000.
To learn more about the scholarship, or to direct a
young person you know to the application form,
use this link in your browser: :
https://www.bowlingmedia.org/Portals/0/Documents/
CRITERIA%20WEB.pdf
The final application deadline is April 30, but interested students
should begin the pre-application process immediately.
Even more imminent is the deadline for the
2019 IBMA Writing Competition.
Entries must be received by March 15.
Information is available by using this link in your browser:
https://www.bowlingmedia.org/Portals/0/Documents/Writi
ngCompetition/2019/2019_Writing_Comp_Application.pdf
May 28, 2020 SPORTS REPORTER
DO NOT READ THIS
You didn’t listen did you?
Proof the ads in the Sports Reporter get read!
Need bowlers for your league?
THIS SPACE FOR RENT
Email: sportrsreporter1940@aol.com
Or Call 201-865-5363
Dear Bowlers, while we know that all of the
leagues would love to continue bowling, we feel it
is in everyone's best interest to close Lodi Lanes.
We will reevaluate the coronavirus situation and
tentatively reopen on March 30th.
This is an unfortunate situation, but we want
everyone to be safe so we can get through this
together.
Thank you all for your understanding. We will
keep you updated.
Lodi Lanes
7
USBC Amends Playing Rules to
Help Get Leagues Rolling
The United States Bowling Congress Board of Directors has approved
waivers and modifications to USBC Playing Rules to provide certified
leagues and tournaments with greater flexibility to return to bowling
while adhering to local health guidelines related to COVID-19.
The modifications allow certified competition to take place on one
lane for the entirety of a game. Also, bowlers will be allowed to use iso-
propyl alcohol, more commonly known as rubbing alcohol, to clean
their bowling balls during competition. The Environmental Protection
Agency lists isopropyl alcohol as an approved disinfectant for use
against COVID-19.
Effective immediately, USBC has temporarily waived USBC Playing
Rules 106a, 106b, 320a and 320b, which state that two lanes must be
used for competition and bowlers must alternate lanes. It also waived the
requirement that both lanes must be used for a bowler to be eligible for
awards and average recognition.
USBC said it would continue to monitor the COVID-19 pandemic and
may rescind the waiver of Rules 106a,106b, 320a and 320b at any time.
The USBC Board, which has the authority over general playing rules,
was able to make the waivers following the adoption of General Playing
Rule 14 - Emergency Authorizations. That rule states USBC may
authorize temporary modifications to the General Playing Rules, Award,
League and Tournament Rules in cases of emergency.
Read more here:
https://www.bowl.com/News/NewsDetails.aspx?id=23622334430.
As a precautionary measure we
will be closed until further notice.
We will post on our Website and
Facebook page
when we are open again.
Everyone be safe.
8 SPORTS REPORTER May 28, 2020

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Williams photo
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