Pro Bowlers Tour
Encyclopedia
The Professional Bowlers Tour, also known as Pro Bowlers Tour, is a broadcast of the Professional Bowlers Association
that aired on ABC
from 1961
to 1997
. In the telecasts, Chris Schenkel and the graphics displayed during the show would refer to the show as "The Professional Bowlers Tour", possibly to disambiguate from the NFL's
use of the term "pro bowler" when referring to players who were selected for the Pro Bowl
- an event also televised on ABC for many years.
and Billy Welu
. In 1974, Welu died suddenly of a heart attack
. The search for his replacement included bowling legends Dick Weber
and Dave Davis
, but it was the young Nelson Burton Jr.
who was ultimately selected for the analyst job in 1975. He remained Schenkel's broadcasting partner until the end of the series.
became extremely popular once ABC began airing it. Throughout the 1970s and early 1980s, Pro Bowlers Tour typically outdrew college football and college basketball in the ratings. Many sports fans considered it a weekly tradition to watch bowling on Saturday afternoons, which was a lead-in to ABC's Wide World of Sports. The series generally aired in the winter and spring as other networks later covered the summer and fall portions of the PBA Tour. In the 1990s, ABC also made stops in the summer events.
On the telecasts, Burton would host taped segments in which he would give tips or interesting facts about bowling.
, the game's two giants at the time, battled it out until the very end. It essentially marked the end of an era of bowling on network television due to declining ratings, although CBS
aired a few events during the 1998–99 season. Fox Sports Net
aired some bowling telecasts in 2000, and ESPN took over from there.
Footage of the series' final broadcast in 1997 is featured in the 2006 DVD documentary A League of Ordinary Gentlemen
.
A member of the Weber family threw the first (Dick) and last (Pete) balls on the series, demonstrating how both the father and son each dominated their own eras of the sport.
It was reported in newspapers that Chris Schenkel did not intend to retire after the series ended, even though he was in his seventies by 1997, as he wanted to earn more money to pay for his grandchildren to go to college. When CBS picked up the PBA Tour in 1998, there was talk of Schenkel moving to that network, but it never materialized. Gary Seibel (play-by-play) and Marshall Holman
(color) got the jobs instead.
Bo Burton has been the analyst on several bowling telecasts since his days on PBT. He analyzed PBA events for ESPN during the 1998 season. He also did color commentary for the 1998 Women's College Bowling Championship on ESPN2
, which included future PBA member Kelly Kulick
. Bo also called the 2007 and 2008 U.S. Women's Open events on ESPN alongside Marshall Holman
, who developed somewhat of a friendship with Burton over the years as a frequent competitor on PBT telecasts. In 2008, Bo served alongside Bill Macatee
and former To Tell The Truth
host Lynn Swann
for the Bowling's Clash of Champions, a contest that pitted men against women. In this event, broadcast on CBS
, a historic first time that a woman ever beat a man in a TV final occurred in the $50,000 title match, when Lynda Barnes, wife of professional bowler Chris Barnes, defeated Sean Rash
to take the title.
and Randy Pedersen
on the call, with Nelson Burton, Jr. joining them throughout the telecast with reflections on the history of the Pro Bowlers Tour on ABC. The second match of the telecast nearly ended in a perfect game as Mika Koivuniemi
defeated Tom Daugherty 299-100. Daugherty broke the old record for the lowest game in PBA History of 129, previously held by Steve Jaros. The match was also the largest differential in PBA history, with a spread of 199 pins.
Mike Aulby
and John Mazza
, among other pros who were not competing on the telecasts, served as a lane-level reporters for PBT and would interview bowlers competing on the show.
It became somewhat of a running gag
about how Schenkel was absent during some of the memorable moments of the series, because he was out on assignment covering other events for the network. For example, Schenkel missed the first three televised 300 games (Jack Biondolillo in 1967, Johnny Guenther in 1969, and Jim Stefanich 1974) as well as the first 7-10 split conversion as done by Mark Roth
in 1980. As his career progressed, he began covering bowling almost exclusively and thus saw many of the great moments toward the latter part of the series. Some even considered it to be a "curse" that if Schenkel was covering bowling, the bowlers would not throw a perfect game. This appeared to have some merit to it when Don Johnson
rolled a memorable 299 in the 1970 Tournament of Champions. He needed a strike on his final ball, but left a 10-pin. The curse was finally broken in 1987; with both Schenkel and Burton in the broadcast booth, Pete McCordic rolled a 300 game against Wayne Webb
. Immediately after the final strike, Schenkel yelled, "We have it! We have it!"
Schenkel would be in the booth for five more televised 300 games, as well as one of the only other two televised 7-10 split conversions, by John Mazza
.
Professional Bowlers Association
The Professional Bowlers Association is the major sanctioning body for the sport of professional ten-pin bowling in the United States. Headquartered in Seattle, Washington, the PBA membership consists of almost 4,300 members worldwide...
that aired on ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
from 1961
1961 in television
The year 1961 in television involved some significant events.Below is a list of television-related events in 1961.For the American TV schedule, see: 1961-62 American network television schedule.-Events:...
to 1997
1997 in television
The year 1997 in television involved some significant events.Below is a list of television-related events in 1997.- Events :-Debuts:-Miniseries:*Knots Landing: Back to the Cul-de-Sac, a reunion of the 1979–93 series*The Last Don...
. In the telecasts, Chris Schenkel and the graphics displayed during the show would refer to the show as "The Professional Bowlers Tour", possibly to disambiguate from the NFL's
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
use of the term "pro bowler" when referring to players who were selected for the Pro Bowl
Pro Bowl
In professional American football, the Pro Bowl is the all-star game of the National Football League . Since the merger with the rival American Football League in 1970, it has been officially called the AFC–NFC Pro Bowl, matching the top players in the American Football Conference against those...
- an event also televised on ABC for many years.
History
The first-ever telecast was actually taped and aired at a later date. The original commentators were Chris SchenkelChris Schenkel
Christopher Eugene "Chris" Schenkel was an American sportscaster. Over the course of five decades he called play-by-play for numerous sports on television and radio, becoming known for his smooth delivery and baritone voice.-Early life and career:Schenkel began his broadcasting career at radio...
and Billy Welu
Billy Welu
Billy Welu was a famous professional bowler, executive for the Professional Bowlers Association , bowling broadcaster, and a great ambassador for the sport. A founding member of the PBA, he won four PBA titles, including two ABC Masters championships...
. In 1974, Welu died suddenly of a heart attack
Myocardial infarction
Myocardial infarction or acute myocardial infarction , commonly known as a heart attack, results from the interruption of blood supply to a part of the heart, causing heart cells to die...
. The search for his replacement included bowling legends Dick Weber
Dick Weber
Dick Weber was a famous bowling professional and a founding member of the Professional Bowlers Association...
and Dave Davis
Dave Davis (bowler)
Dave Davis was a successful professional ten-pin bowler and former member of the Professional Bowlers Association . He grew up in Hackensack, New Jersey, and now resides in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida....
, but it was the young Nelson Burton Jr.
Nelson Burton Jr.
Nelson "Bo" Burton, Jr. is a professional ten-pin bowler and former longtime analyst for the Professional Bowlers Tour on ABC Television. He is the son of Nelson Burton, Sr., who himself was a successful bowler in his day, competing with the likes of Glenn Allison and Billy Welu...
who was ultimately selected for the analyst job in 1975. He remained Schenkel's broadcasting partner until the end of the series.
Popularity
BowlingTen-pin bowling
Ten-pin bowling is a competitive sport in which a player rolls a bowling ball down a wooden or synthetic lane with the objective of scoring points by knocking down as many pins as possible.-Summary:The lane is bordered along its length by semicylindrical channels Ten-pin bowling (commonly just...
became extremely popular once ABC began airing it. Throughout the 1970s and early 1980s, Pro Bowlers Tour typically outdrew college football and college basketball in the ratings. Many sports fans considered it a weekly tradition to watch bowling on Saturday afternoons, which was a lead-in to ABC's Wide World of Sports. The series generally aired in the winter and spring as other networks later covered the summer and fall portions of the PBA Tour. In the 1990s, ABC also made stops in the summer events.
On the telecasts, Burton would host taped segments in which he would give tips or interesting facts about bowling.
Decline
Although the series maintained high ratings throughout most of its years, ABC opted against renewing its contract with the PBA primarily due to the overall decline of the sport in the late 1980s and 1990s. This was partially attributed to the explosion of sports viewing choices in the 1990s, especially on cable television, the lack of any one bowling star to follow, and an aging audience for televised bowling. (Research in 1997 showed that 67% of the viewing audience for network TV bowling was at least 50 years old.)http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1010330/index.htmEnd of ABC's broadcasts aftermath
The final PBT broadcast aired on June 21, 1997 at the St. Clair Classic in Fairview Heights, Ill. that was won by Walter Ray Williams Jr. It was a very emotional broadcast in which Williams Jr. and Pete WeberPete Weber
Peter David "Pete" Weber, nicknamed “PDW”, , is a famous bowling professional on the Professional Bowlers Association Tour. Weber is one of the sport's most popular active players and is well known for his maverick, rebellious personality...
, the game's two giants at the time, battled it out until the very end. It essentially marked the end of an era of bowling on network television due to declining ratings, although CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
aired a few events during the 1998–99 season. Fox Sports Net
Fox Sports Net
The Fox Sports Regional Networks, or simply Fox Sports Net , are a collection of cable TV regional sports networks in the United States owned and operated by News Corporation.- Beginnings :...
aired some bowling telecasts in 2000, and ESPN took over from there.
Footage of the series' final broadcast in 1997 is featured in the 2006 DVD documentary A League of Ordinary Gentlemen
A League of Ordinary Gentlemen
A League of Ordinary Gentlemen is a documentary film about ten-pin bowling that was released on DVD on March 21, 2006. It was written and directed by Christopher Browne and stars PBA Tour players Pete Weber, Walter Ray Williams Jr., Chris Barnes, and Wayne Webb...
.
A member of the Weber family threw the first (Dick) and last (Pete) balls on the series, demonstrating how both the father and son each dominated their own eras of the sport.
It was reported in newspapers that Chris Schenkel did not intend to retire after the series ended, even though he was in his seventies by 1997, as he wanted to earn more money to pay for his grandchildren to go to college. When CBS picked up the PBA Tour in 1998, there was talk of Schenkel moving to that network, but it never materialized. Gary Seibel (play-by-play) and Marshall Holman
Marshall Holman
Marshall Holman is an American professional bowler primarily known for his success on the PBA Tour throughout the 1970s and 1980s. He also served as a color analyst alongside Mike Durbin on several ESPN and ESPN2 bowling telecasts from 1996–2001...
(color) got the jobs instead.
Bo Burton has been the analyst on several bowling telecasts since his days on PBT. He analyzed PBA events for ESPN during the 1998 season. He also did color commentary for the 1998 Women's College Bowling Championship on ESPN2
ESPN2
ESPN2 is an American sports cable television network owned by ESPN. The channel debuted on October 1, 1993.Originally nicknamed "the deuce," ESPN2 was initially branded as a network for a younger generation of sports fans featuring edgier graphics as well as extreme sports like motocross,...
, which included future PBA member Kelly Kulick
Kelly Kulick
Kelly Kulick is an American professional bowler from Union Township, New Jersey. She has won eight professional women's bowling titles and one PBA Tour title.-Bowling accomplishments:...
. Bo also called the 2007 and 2008 U.S. Women's Open events on ESPN alongside Marshall Holman
Marshall Holman
Marshall Holman is an American professional bowler primarily known for his success on the PBA Tour throughout the 1970s and 1980s. He also served as a color analyst alongside Mike Durbin on several ESPN and ESPN2 bowling telecasts from 1996–2001...
, who developed somewhat of a friendship with Burton over the years as a frequent competitor on PBT telecasts. In 2008, Bo served alongside Bill Macatee
Bill Macatee
Bill Macatee is an American sports broadcaster.-Early life and career:Macatee was born in Rome, New York, and grew up in El Paso, Texas. In 1978, he earned a bachelor of science degree in speech from Lamar University in Beaumont, Texas...
and former To Tell The Truth
To Tell the Truth
To Tell the Truth is an American television panel game show created by Bob Stewart and produced by Goodson-Todman Productions that has aired in various forms since 1956 both on networks and in syndication...
host Lynn Swann
Lynn Swann
-Collegiate:Swann attended the University of Southern California, where he was an All-American on the Trojans football team. He played under legendary coach John McKay, including the 1972 undefeated and national championship season. McKay said of Swann, "He has speed, soft hands, and grace." He...
for the Bowling's Clash of Champions, a contest that pitted men against women. In this event, broadcast on CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
, a historic first time that a woman ever beat a man in a TV final occurred in the $50,000 title match, when Lynda Barnes, wife of professional bowler Chris Barnes, defeated Sean Rash
Sean Rash
Sean Rash is a right-handed ten-pin bowler from Anchorage, AK, and is considered one of the brightest young players on the Professional Bowlers Association Tour. He now resides in Montgomery, Illinois.Rash joined the PBA in 2005...
to take the title.
Return of Bowling on ABC
PBA, through its renewed contract with ESPN, returned to ABC for the first time in over thirteen years, as it televised the 2011 Tournament of Champions from the Red Rock Lanes in Las Vegas. The event took place on January 22, 2011 in a live telecast, with Rob StoneRob Stone
Rob Stone is a sports commentator for ESPN. He has covered various sports including Major League Soccer, NCAA and NFL football, and is now the play-by-play announcer for PBA Tournament Bowling alongside color commentator and 13-time PBA titleist Randy Pedersen.-Early life and career:A native of...
and Randy Pedersen
Randy Pedersen
Randy Pedersen is a professional bowler and color analyst for ESPN's coverage of the PBA Tour. He works alongside play-by-play commentator Rob Stone. Pedersen grew up in Southern California, but relocated to Clermont, Florida in the early 1990s, where he has resided ever since...
on the call, with Nelson Burton, Jr. joining them throughout the telecast with reflections on the history of the Pro Bowlers Tour on ABC. The second match of the telecast nearly ended in a perfect game as Mika Koivuniemi
Mika Koivuniemi
Mika Juhani Koivuniemi is a Finnish ten-pin bowler, currently on the Professional Bowlers Association tour in the United States, who has won bowling titles in 12 different countries in his career....
defeated Tom Daugherty 299-100. Daugherty broke the old record for the lowest game in PBA History of 129, previously held by Steve Jaros. The match was also the largest differential in PBA history, with a spread of 199 pins.
Commentators
- (1961–1974) Chris Schenkel, Billy Welu
- (1974–1975) Chris Schenkel, various guest commentators
- (1975–1997) Chris Schenkel, Nelson Burton Jr.
Other commentators
On some broadcasts, either Schenkel or Burton were on assignment so other commentators filled in.- Verne LundquistVerne LundquistMerton Laverne "Verne" Lundquist, Jr. is an American sportscaster, currently employed by CBS Sports television.-Early life and career:Lundquist was born in Duluth, Minnesota...
- Al MichaelsAl MichaelsAlan Richard "Al" Michaels is an American television sportscaster. Now employed by NBC Sports after nearly three decades with ABC Sports, Michaels is one of the most prominent members of his profession...
- Dick WeberDick WeberDick Weber was a famous bowling professional and a founding member of the Professional Bowlers Association...
- Johnny PetragliaJohnny PetragliaJohnny Petraglia was born in Brooklyn, New York, and now hails from Manalapan Township, New Jersey. He is best known as a left-handed bowler and member of the Professional Bowlers Association , where he won 14 tour titles. He has also won six Senior PBA Tour titles...
- Dave Diles
- Tim BrantTim BrantTim Brant is an American sportscaster and Vice President and Director of Sports for ABC 7 / WJLA-TV in Washington DC. He has spent nearly thirty years covering sports nationally for CBS and ABC....
- Bud PalmerBud PalmerJohn S. "Bud" Palmer is a former pro basketball player. He was a member of the original New York Knickerbockers, and was their leading scorer in their inaugural season 1946/47...
- Keith JacksonKeith JacksonKeith Jackson is an American sportscaster, known for his long career with ABC Sports , his coverage of college football , his style of folksy, down-to-earth commentary, and his distinctive voice, with its deep cadence, and operatic tone considered "like Edward R...
Mike Aulby
Mike Aulby
Mike Aulby is a left-handed bowler and former member of the Professional Bowlers Association . He is one of only three PBA bowlers to win both a Rookie of the Year and Player of the Year award...
and John Mazza
John Mazza
John Mazza is a left-handed ten-pin bowler and former touring player for the Professional Bowlers Association . Mazza won eight titles on the PBA Tour and collected over $850,000 in earnings. He also won 11 PBA Regional titles....
, among other pros who were not competing on the telecasts, served as a lane-level reporters for PBT and would interview bowlers competing on the show.
It became somewhat of a running gag
Running gag
A running gag, or running joke, is a literary device that takes the form of an amusing joke or a comical reference and appears repeatedly throughout a work of literature or other form of storytelling....
about how Schenkel was absent during some of the memorable moments of the series, because he was out on assignment covering other events for the network. For example, Schenkel missed the first three televised 300 games (Jack Biondolillo in 1967, Johnny Guenther in 1969, and Jim Stefanich 1974) as well as the first 7-10 split conversion as done by Mark Roth
Mark Roth
Mark Roth is a former professional bowler. He was born in Brooklyn, New York City, New York. As a youth he resided in Meiers Corners, Staten Island, New York City, New York.-Bowling career:...
in 1980. As his career progressed, he began covering bowling almost exclusively and thus saw many of the great moments toward the latter part of the series. Some even considered it to be a "curse" that if Schenkel was covering bowling, the bowlers would not throw a perfect game. This appeared to have some merit to it when Don Johnson
Don Johnson (bowler)
Don Johnson was an American ten-pin bowler who spent many years on the Professional Bowlers Association tour.-PBA career:...
rolled a memorable 299 in the 1970 Tournament of Champions. He needed a strike on his final ball, but left a 10-pin. The curse was finally broken in 1987; with both Schenkel and Burton in the broadcast booth, Pete McCordic rolled a 300 game against Wayne Webb
Wayne Webb
Wayne Webb is the son of a Ten-pin bowling alley operator from Rehoboth, Massachusetts, USA and was one of the world's best Ten-pin bowlers from the late 1970s to the end of the 1980s...
. Immediately after the final strike, Schenkel yelled, "We have it! We have it!"
Schenkel would be in the booth for five more televised 300 games, as well as one of the only other two televised 7-10 split conversions, by John Mazza
John Mazza
John Mazza is a left-handed ten-pin bowler and former touring player for the Professional Bowlers Association . Mazza won eight titles on the PBA Tour and collected over $850,000 in earnings. He also won 11 PBA Regional titles....
.