Page 24 - BCM July 2024

TIMELINE
TIMELINE

1974 July 31. Despite being positioned as ■ Co ee-and-donuts leagues are
nothing unusual in America. But at
the revenue-generating arm of Bowl-
ing Inc., STE operated at a $3 million the new bowling center that’s located
FIFTY YEARS AGO
de cit during Ryan’s tenure. inside a parking garage in Paris, the
■ e bubble has burst in the Japa- league o ering is quintessentially
nese bowling world. After reaching ■ In what’s called an unrelated move, French: café au lattes and croissants.
a high of 125,708 lanes in March of the Professional Bowlers Associa-
1973, that number has shrunk to tion announces it will join STE after ■ Smaller centers in the Paci c North-
104,700 as of March of this year. Japan experiencing a “dramatic shortfall” in west continue to close, the latest being
is known for short-lived fads, and advertising revenue for its “Pro Bowl- the 12-lane Eighty-Second Avenue
younger bowlers have moved on to ers Tour” series on CBS. Meanwhile, Bowl in Portland. In a metaphoric
other things. e good news is that the PBA’s agreement with e Mar- slap in the face, it will be replaced by a
league play is nally starting to see quee Group, the company tasked with Nevada Bob’s Professional Golf Shop.
some growth. securing those advertising dollars, is
“under review.” 2014
■ United Nations Ambassador Daniel
Moynihan rolls the rst ball to chris- ■ As part of its sponsorship extension TEN YEARS AGO
ten the four-lane installation at the with the PBA, ACDelco is granted 16
U.S. Embassy in New Delhi. Pro-Am spots for its regional sales ■ In a surprise presentation during
team at each Tour stop. “When he was the USBC Senior Masters at the South
■ How to fairly handle dues for chain still playing, Michael Jordan wasn’t Point Bowling Center in Las Vegas,
operators with a large number of lanes going to take me into the Bulls’ locker Johnny Petraglia receives bowling’s
is the hot topic at the BPAA Conven- room,” notes Paradigm Marketing Flowers for the Living award.
tion in Lake Tahoe, Nevada, where and Communications President Marty
Nick Mormando is elected president. Gould, whose company functions as a ■ It’s o cial: e telecasts planned for
e proposed $1-per-lane dues in- liaison between the PBA and ACDel- the 2014 World Series of Bowling will
crease is tabled. co. “Tiger Woods isn’t going to say, be taped at the new bowling stadium
‘Hey, let’s go hit some balls.’ What the at the South Point resort. Direc-
■ BPAA’s new $250,000 building in Ar- PBA can o er that other sports can’t tor of Bowling Mike Monyak green
lington, Texas, is nearing completion. is real accessibility to its stars for an lights moving the TV taping from the
extended period of time.” resort’s bowling center to the stadium
■ As speculation heats up over who since construction of the new facility
ultimately will succeed the late Billy ■ e mammoth Hongta Sports is months ahead of schedule.
Welu in the “Pro Bowlers Tour” com- Center in the northern China city of
mentator’s chair, Dave Davis says Kunming will be getting some bowling ■ Before the New England Patriots
he will chuck his bowling career if center design assistance from Denver- begin their National Football League
selected. Meanwhile, the PBA’s TV based Architectural Concepts. Kevin pre-season, Splitsville Luxury Lanes
coordinator, Frank Esposito, stresses Mills and Kevin Sullivan present is scheduled to open a $4.5 million
that the decision will be made by the conceptual design for a bowling venue at Patriot Place in Foxboro,
ABC-TV, not the PBA. facility in the 2-million-square-foot Massachusetts.
complex.
■ Most centers make a few extra bucks ■ Motel Caswell in Tewksbury, Massa-
o pool tables and/or pinball ma- ■ How can you bowl 390 meters below chusetts is being sold to make way for
chines. Two centers in California have sea level without scuba gear? Visit a proposed 45,000-square-foot bowl-
more, uh, elaborate ancillary pro t the new Golden Tulip Privilege Dead ing center that will feature 32 lanes,
centers. WonderBowl features an Sea Resort in Israel, which boasts 302 including eight designated for parties
elegant dinner theater, while Carolina luxurious rooms, a beautiful spa, a and corporate events.
Lanes o ers a completely nude oor Scottish pub and an eight-lane bowl-
show. ing center equipped with Heddon ■ ree masked robbers make o with
1999 synthetic lanes and pinsetters and $47,000 as league o cers were pre-
Qubica scoring. Plans call for a tour-
paring to distribute nearly $100,000
nament to be held that could go into in season prize money to bowlers
TWENTY FIVE YEARS AGO
the “Guinness Book of Records” as the at Cozy Bowl in Queens, New York.
■ Steve Ryan will be departing as CEO rst bowling tournament in the lowest Police say they are looking into the
of Strike Ten Entertainment, e ective place on Earth. possibility that it was an inside job.

22 • BCM • JULY 2024 www.bcmmag.com

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