Pro Bowlers Association Commissioner Tom Clark

By: Bill McAllister

I checked in with PBA commissioner Tom Clark to talk about an exciting week long celebration of all that is bowling!

It all starts with the PBA Detroit Winter Swing - Pro Tournament Qualifier at Thunderbowl Lanes in Allen Park this Saturday, January 19th and culminates with the Earl Anthony Players Championship. The Players Championship is a new idea by the PBA, which by the way is debuting right here in Detroit, where you have 5-man teams competing against each other. It just so happens that Detroiter and former Pittsburgh Steeler Jerome Bettis owns the Detroit team, aptly named, Motor City Muscle. Commissioner Clark also let us in on the owner of the Dallas team, it is none other than former NFL wide receiver Terrell Owens. L.A. Clippers guard Chris Paul and comedian Kevin Hart also own teams although it's not clear whether they will be in attendance next weekend or not. Bettis and Owens will definitely be in attendance next weekend at Thunderbowl Lanes! On Sunday, January 27th, the event will be televised LIVE on ESPN starting at noon.

Commissioner Tom Clark also talked about how different it is to bowl on professional lanes as opposed to grabbing some friends and heading to your local bowling alley, or in me and my friend's case, drinking beer and getting progressively bad by the time we reached the third game but I digress. Clark said, "I have a 200 average but if I bowl on these lanes, that becomes a 175 or 180". Ok, to me, that still doesn't sound that bad.

Tickets are available to the general public and for more information go to www.pba.com.