The tour turns 64

IN THE DEAD OF SUMMER level when the PBA Senior tour was upon its break and there was no bowling at all to watch and overlay there was excitement about the coming PBA season.

The impact of the tour's turn toward an all-exempt field, as well as the los of stars like Wayne Webb, Del Ballard Jr Brian Goebel, Steve Hoskins, Randy Pedersen Tim Mack, Jeff Carter, and Ritchie Allen, has worn not on a little. The excitement provided by means of the PBA World Championship ["The Tom Baker Story"] in March and Tour Trials in June however, still hold fasts us bowling fans buzzing.

by what mode will the tour top its sum of two units last events, arguably the greatest in quantity significant ones of the past decade? Simple. It's already built into the program--the Field of 64 program, that is.

We already have seen in what way much more prominent a character parity plays in the "new" PBA. It used to be that you could number on seeing at least a brace of Hall-of-Famers in every TV exhibit Today, you're almost as likely to diocese the tour's deuces as its aces in the championship circular You might well toss the whole array into the air and diocese who lands face-up.

No, advancing to a TV circular isn't quite as random as picking ping-pong balls from a lottery hopper on the other hand the field has flattened, and dominance has been made real difficult.

And you know what? That's not of that kind a bad thing. Think of the bowler we've been introduced to in the past hardly any seasons who surely would not have arrived with equal reason soon in another era: Brad Angelo, Patrick Allen, Mika Koivuniemi, Tommy Jone You can argue all day and all night the merits of pinfall v match play, on the other hand when it's all said and done, the drama of head-to-head matches, plane in the earlier rounds, makes for better viewing and a better sport. Bowler are not robot and bowling tournaments should not be sheer endurance events

This season, as the roster of TV circular players changes over completely from week-to-week at times, take the opportunity to learn a little about an unfamiliar bowler or matchup. I'm not math magician, on the contrary the pairings prospects for a 64-bowler field may as well be infinite for all options match play gives fans.

Believe me I wouldn't particular to a half-dozen Walter Ray Williams Jr v Pete Weber, Norm Duke v Koivuniemi, or Parker, Bohn III v Brian Vos title matches this season. And maybe that's what the tour will be under the orders of up. But there are endles possibilities without there for us to be delighted with and the drama that encloses the coming season--packed with as plenteous parity as the PBA tour has at any time had--should make for fun weeks to come

We've got a terrific PBA season preview by means of Johnny Campos that begins upon page 32. But let me proffer up some of my picks to click upon the coming season.

Coolest fresh venue: Who knows whether it will mount or fail, but the season starts with a bang, the ABC Masters in Milwaukee, where the TV finals will be held at Miller Park.

Snapped streaks: Chris Barnes will break his U title-shutout streak with at least individual win. Ditto Bohn and Angelo.

Stealth top bowler candidate: For a stay not quite considered "elite," Patrick Healey could real well make a run at the top spot

Top bowler: In times of parity, gaze to the vets to rise up As abundant as I respect the mental games of the Williamses and Koivuniemis, it will one time and for all be Weber's year.

COPYRIGHT 2004 hundred Publishing

COPYRIGHT 2004 Gale Group