onefrombills
11-11-2008, 02:46 AM
There have been many memorable moments on the lanes already this 2008-09 Lumber Liquidators PBA Tour season, but perhaps the most significant news of the year for fans might be coming from off the lanes, on pba.com. First, a recap of a young 50th Anniversary season difficult to top:
- NBA superstars including LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Paul teamed with PBA stars such as Jason Couch, Tommy Jones and Chris Barnes to in the first-ever PBA/celebrity telecast, the Chris Paul PBA Celebrity Invitational presented by the brands of Ebonite International. LeBron James struck in the 9th frame to lift he and his partner Jason Couch’s team to an upset victory over top seeds Chris Paul and Chris Barnes. The show landed the PBA great media exposure in places such as on ESPN SportsCenter, E:60 news magazine show, Slam magazine, Jim Rome’s Rome is Burning, Sports Business Journal and USA Today.
- Future PBA Hall of Famer Norm Duke became the first bowler in PBA history to win three consecutive major championships. After closing out last season by capturing the PBA World Championship and U.S. Open, he lead off the first official event of the year in Wichita by winning the World Championship again. Duke had the first seven strikes in the title match victory over last year’s Player of the Year Chris Barnes. On the show, Duke, Barnes and Steve Jaros debuted the new official jersey of the PBA Tour in bold, unique colors. Earlier in the week, Australian two-hand bowling sensation Jason Belmonte lead the qualifying after 27 games by over 240 pins.
- Seven-year veteran Brad Angelo erased the tag of being “the best player on the PBA Tour to have never won a title,” by getting his first one this Sunday in Omaha at the Pepsi Viper Championship. Angelo downed perhaps the new holder of that distinction, top qualifier Chris Loschetter. On that same show, all-time titlist Walter Ray Williams Jr. became the first player to win over $4 million in lifetime earnings. Also in Omaha the ground-breaking seven-week PBA Women’s Series, presented by USBC, launched with Team USA player Stefanie Nation earning her first title.
- The remarkable Walter Ray Williams Jr. won his unprecedented 45th PBA title, appropriately at the Lake County Indiana Golden Anniversary Championship. Walter Ray, 49, shows no signs of slowing down in his assault on the PBA record books. And as an added treat, to commemorate the Golden Anniversary of the PBA the first televised senior championship in seven years found a first time winner in Timothy Kauble.
Meanwhile, pba.com has offered fans a service that may trump even those accomplishments and moments:
Xtra Frame, the online video membership service of the PBA Tour, has featured three straight weeks of successful LIVE streaming of the critical final rounds of match play a the PBA World Championship in Wichita, KS, the Pepsi Viper Championship in Omaha, NE, and the Lake County Indiana Golden Anniversary Championship in Hammond, IN. PBA web analytics show that over 1,300 fans watched on their computers each week for an average of over 42 minutes each as players such as Norm Duke and Chris Barnes advanced through the round of eight in exciting match play victories over Parker Bohn III and Todd Book, respectively, in Wichita. The following week in Omaha, Xtra Frame fans witnessed a rollicking round-robin match play session on Halloween night which featured clutch performances by Brad Angelo, Wes Malott and Stefanie Nation to earn spots on the show. And last Friday night, viewers saw an awesome display by Walter Ray Williams Jr. in defeating Bohn in four straight games en route to the finals.
Fans not only enjoyed the live competition from these non-televised portions of the events, but the unique commentary coming from the announce booth. Xtra Frame host Jeff Mark was joined by exempt pro Ryan Shafer and PBA Hall of Famers Nelson Burton Jr. and Carmen Salvino during the World Championship webcast. Burton Jr., one half of the most famous broadcasting team in PBA history (pairing with ABC’s Chris Schenkel for 24 years), gave insight onto the new look PBA Tour and original PBA member Salvino shared memories of the first 50 years in PBA history.
Omaha’s Xtra Frame coverage included on-air appearances by PBA Women’s Series star Missy Bellinder, exempt pro Joe Ciccone, Storm bowling ball rep Chris Schlemmer and PBA star Sean Rash who detailed his experience on the World Championship ESPN finals from the previous week.
And in Indiana, emerging star Mike Fagan joined the booth offering his unique insight onto the PBA Tour – not without controversial comments that have had people talking since.
“Bowling fans will simply have to have Xtra Frame,” said PBA Tour Commissioner Fred Schreyer. “It’s a treat for fans to be able to watch what is often the most exciting part of a PBA Tour event – the final round before the TV show. Giving fans a chance to see the top players battle it out for a spot on the show right on their home computer from wherever they are is something the PBA is very proud of.”
This week, Xtra Frame broadcasts live twice. First on Tuesday, Nov. 11, the match play round of the unique and controversial Ultimate Scoring Championship is live from Taylor, MI. Fans will have the opportunity to watch players slug it out in a blistering strike fest as PBA stars attack a more scorable oil pattern than they normally face. The pattern is closer to what typical league and open play bowlers compete on, which has delivered the highest scores in the history of the sport in recent years.
Next, fans will watch live on Friday, Nov. 14, as the round robin match play round from the Chameleon Championship unravels. A champion will be crowned on this PBA Experience pattern on Sunday, but they have to make it through Friday’s pressure packed games to get there.
Other features on Xtra Frame include exclusive interviews with PBA Tour stars, behind the scenes coverage of the PBA Tour, full high-quality rebroadcasts of ESPN finals and specially dedicated months featuring multiple broadcasts of top player appearances in PBA Tour finals.
Xtra Frame membership is $5.95 per month.
Fans wishing to gain membership need only to:
· Go to http://www.pba.com/xtraframe/Join.aspx
· Type in your email address, which is your username
· Type in a password twice
· Go through payment processing system
· You will be charged $5.95 per month
Now What:
· Once you’ve paid, go to www.pba.com/xtraframe
· At the top of the page type in your email address and password that you created in the beginning of the process
· Once you’ve pressed “Login” you will be able to click on any video icon and begin playing that video in Windows Media Player
· The video is optimized at 320X240, but you can increase the size to full screen. Size media player down and watch live scoring in another window if you are watching a live stream.
· Tune in every week to watch the Round of 8 or final rounds of Round Robin Match Play LIVE! to see how Sundays telecast is decided
· Also, check out archived ESPN telecasts and behind-the-scenes extra interviews shot on the Lumber Liquidators PBA Tour
- NBA superstars including LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Paul teamed with PBA stars such as Jason Couch, Tommy Jones and Chris Barnes to in the first-ever PBA/celebrity telecast, the Chris Paul PBA Celebrity Invitational presented by the brands of Ebonite International. LeBron James struck in the 9th frame to lift he and his partner Jason Couch’s team to an upset victory over top seeds Chris Paul and Chris Barnes. The show landed the PBA great media exposure in places such as on ESPN SportsCenter, E:60 news magazine show, Slam magazine, Jim Rome’s Rome is Burning, Sports Business Journal and USA Today.
- Future PBA Hall of Famer Norm Duke became the first bowler in PBA history to win three consecutive major championships. After closing out last season by capturing the PBA World Championship and U.S. Open, he lead off the first official event of the year in Wichita by winning the World Championship again. Duke had the first seven strikes in the title match victory over last year’s Player of the Year Chris Barnes. On the show, Duke, Barnes and Steve Jaros debuted the new official jersey of the PBA Tour in bold, unique colors. Earlier in the week, Australian two-hand bowling sensation Jason Belmonte lead the qualifying after 27 games by over 240 pins.
- Seven-year veteran Brad Angelo erased the tag of being “the best player on the PBA Tour to have never won a title,” by getting his first one this Sunday in Omaha at the Pepsi Viper Championship. Angelo downed perhaps the new holder of that distinction, top qualifier Chris Loschetter. On that same show, all-time titlist Walter Ray Williams Jr. became the first player to win over $4 million in lifetime earnings. Also in Omaha the ground-breaking seven-week PBA Women’s Series, presented by USBC, launched with Team USA player Stefanie Nation earning her first title.
- The remarkable Walter Ray Williams Jr. won his unprecedented 45th PBA title, appropriately at the Lake County Indiana Golden Anniversary Championship. Walter Ray, 49, shows no signs of slowing down in his assault on the PBA record books. And as an added treat, to commemorate the Golden Anniversary of the PBA the first televised senior championship in seven years found a first time winner in Timothy Kauble.
Meanwhile, pba.com has offered fans a service that may trump even those accomplishments and moments:
Xtra Frame, the online video membership service of the PBA Tour, has featured three straight weeks of successful LIVE streaming of the critical final rounds of match play a the PBA World Championship in Wichita, KS, the Pepsi Viper Championship in Omaha, NE, and the Lake County Indiana Golden Anniversary Championship in Hammond, IN. PBA web analytics show that over 1,300 fans watched on their computers each week for an average of over 42 minutes each as players such as Norm Duke and Chris Barnes advanced through the round of eight in exciting match play victories over Parker Bohn III and Todd Book, respectively, in Wichita. The following week in Omaha, Xtra Frame fans witnessed a rollicking round-robin match play session on Halloween night which featured clutch performances by Brad Angelo, Wes Malott and Stefanie Nation to earn spots on the show. And last Friday night, viewers saw an awesome display by Walter Ray Williams Jr. in defeating Bohn in four straight games en route to the finals.
Fans not only enjoyed the live competition from these non-televised portions of the events, but the unique commentary coming from the announce booth. Xtra Frame host Jeff Mark was joined by exempt pro Ryan Shafer and PBA Hall of Famers Nelson Burton Jr. and Carmen Salvino during the World Championship webcast. Burton Jr., one half of the most famous broadcasting team in PBA history (pairing with ABC’s Chris Schenkel for 24 years), gave insight onto the new look PBA Tour and original PBA member Salvino shared memories of the first 50 years in PBA history.
Omaha’s Xtra Frame coverage included on-air appearances by PBA Women’s Series star Missy Bellinder, exempt pro Joe Ciccone, Storm bowling ball rep Chris Schlemmer and PBA star Sean Rash who detailed his experience on the World Championship ESPN finals from the previous week.
And in Indiana, emerging star Mike Fagan joined the booth offering his unique insight onto the PBA Tour – not without controversial comments that have had people talking since.
“Bowling fans will simply have to have Xtra Frame,” said PBA Tour Commissioner Fred Schreyer. “It’s a treat for fans to be able to watch what is often the most exciting part of a PBA Tour event – the final round before the TV show. Giving fans a chance to see the top players battle it out for a spot on the show right on their home computer from wherever they are is something the PBA is very proud of.”
This week, Xtra Frame broadcasts live twice. First on Tuesday, Nov. 11, the match play round of the unique and controversial Ultimate Scoring Championship is live from Taylor, MI. Fans will have the opportunity to watch players slug it out in a blistering strike fest as PBA stars attack a more scorable oil pattern than they normally face. The pattern is closer to what typical league and open play bowlers compete on, which has delivered the highest scores in the history of the sport in recent years.
Next, fans will watch live on Friday, Nov. 14, as the round robin match play round from the Chameleon Championship unravels. A champion will be crowned on this PBA Experience pattern on Sunday, but they have to make it through Friday’s pressure packed games to get there.
Other features on Xtra Frame include exclusive interviews with PBA Tour stars, behind the scenes coverage of the PBA Tour, full high-quality rebroadcasts of ESPN finals and specially dedicated months featuring multiple broadcasts of top player appearances in PBA Tour finals.
Xtra Frame membership is $5.95 per month.
Fans wishing to gain membership need only to:
· Go to http://www.pba.com/xtraframe/Join.aspx
· Type in your email address, which is your username
· Type in a password twice
· Go through payment processing system
· You will be charged $5.95 per month
Now What:
· Once you’ve paid, go to www.pba.com/xtraframe
· At the top of the page type in your email address and password that you created in the beginning of the process
· Once you’ve pressed “Login” you will be able to click on any video icon and begin playing that video in Windows Media Player
· The video is optimized at 320X240, but you can increase the size to full screen. Size media player down and watch live scoring in another window if you are watching a live stream.
· Tune in every week to watch the Round of 8 or final rounds of Round Robin Match Play LIVE! to see how Sundays telecast is decided
· Also, check out archived ESPN telecasts and behind-the-scenes extra interviews shot on the Lumber Liquidators PBA Tour