Orlando Columnist Says PBA Rolls Gutter Ball In ESPN Debut

The "new, revitalized and thoroughly modern Professional Bowlers Association Tour made its ESPN debut Tuesday night," and in Orlando, Jerry Greene writes, "What I saw was the 'same old, same old,' except somewhat worse." Chris Peters, Mike Slade and Rob Glaser, the three former Microsoft execs who bought the PBA for $5M last year and signed a three-year deal with ESPN "put on this dreadful show." Greene reports, "After much promise about introducing new technology to the telecast, lips and voices were out of synch on taped interviews for the entire 90 minutes." The "technological highlight was showing us the speed of the bowling ball. [Bowler Brian] Voss, for example, was clocked at 17.1 mph. Hey, it's not a tennis ball, you know. In fact, when Brian Himmler clocked in at an astounding 26 mph, [ESPN analyst Randy] Pederson almost hurt himself in excitement. After all, 26 mph! Where will it end?" (ORLANDO SENTINEL, 9/27).