JT “Action” Jackson, who earned his nickname by bowling “action” with his comedian friends in Los Angeles, has challenged 17-time PBA Tour champion Chris Barnes of Double Oak, Texas, to a one-game, All-In Showdown match that will be webcast live on PBA’s Xtra Frame online bowling channel on Friday, Oct. 24, from South Point Bowling Center in Las Vegas.
Jackson, a 37-year-old left-hander, has won one PBA Regional title and has cashed only once in 34 PBA Tour events, but he has no fear of taking on one of the PBA’s most accomplished players in a one-game match on the challenging PBA World Championship lane condition. Each player will put up $5,000 and they will bowl for a $10,000 winner-take-all prize at 5:15 p.m. ET (2:15 p.m. local time) on Oct. 24.
“I called (PBA Commissioner Tom Clark) and asked him if the PBA was going to do an ‘all-in showdown’ like they did a couple of years ago. No one had mentioned anything,” Jackson said, “but he asked if I wanted to do something like that, so he called Barnes, and it’s going to be me against him.”
It was a last-minute suggestion but Barnes, who did his share of megabucks, high-stakes action bowling before he even began his PBA career, quickly accepted the challenge. He’s the only PBA player who has agreed to participate in every winner-take-all contest since the concept was introduced as a special event at the inaugural PBA World Series of Bowling in Allen Park, Mich., in 2009.
Jackson, who has cultivated a successful career as a comedian and actor, including featured roles in Kingsford Charcoal, CDW computer and Hulu television ads, said he got his start in “action bowling” in 2003.
“Around that time, I was doing a lot of standup comedy in Los Angeles,” he said. “Me and a bunch of my comedian friends started bowling. I had never bowled like that, but a bunch of guys – including Kevin Hart – started bowling every Monday. We’d bowl for $1 a pin, whatever, and I discovered I could throw the ball pretty good. I lost a lot at first, but I started practicing six, seven hours a day for seven, eight months non-stop. I really took it serious, and that’s how I got better.”
But put his record against Barnes’ and there’s no doubt who will be the favorite.
“Oh, my goodness, you don’t need to tell me that,” Jackson laughed. “But in one game, anything could happen. In a marathon, I’m pretty sure he’d prevail. But one game? I know who he is; I respect him as a great bowler, but for me, personally, nobody out there shakes me up. I’m not afraid of anybody.”
Jackson also said he’s got the confidence of Kevin Hart, a PBA League owner (Philadelphia Hitmen), and one of the hottest acting properties in Hollywood. Hart is actually putting up Jackson’s $5,000 stake in the contest.
“Kevin’s putting me in,” Jackson said. “He’s aware of what’s going on, so that’s cool.”
Jackson also said he’s going to take the match seriously, but if Barnes initiates any trash-talking, “What you give me, you shall receive in return,” Jackson grinned. “I’m not going to start anything, but I’d love for him to start talking trash, because I’ll give it right back. And then some.”
For Barnes, the winner-take-all action matches take him back to his pre-PBA days.
“I’ve always liked action. It doesn’t happen that much anymore, but that’s what I do. I bowl,” Barnes said. “I’d prefer a longer format than one game, but it is what it is. It gets your heart pumping, and $5,000 for one game will get my blood flowing.”
The Jackson vs. Barnes match will be part of the PBA’s WSOB Xtra Frame coverage, and another bonus for new subscribers who enroll in the new XF Season Ticket program prior to November 30. For complete details about the special XF Season Ticket package, visit pba.com and click on the XF Season Ticket link.
TOP TEACHING PRO MARK BAKER’S “TIPS” TO BE FEATURED ON XTRA FRAME
The PBA has partnered with four-time PBA Tour champion and nationally-acclaimed bowling instructor Mark Baker to provide a series of Baker’s bowling tips to Xtra Frame subscribers as an added bonus.
During the GEICO PBA World Series of Bowling VI at South Point Bowling Center in Las Vegas Oct. 24-Nov. 2, a series of excerpts from Baker’s new instructional DVD, called “The System,” will be archived on Xtra Frame under the “Tips and Equipment” section where they will be available exclusively to Xtra Frame subscribers.
Baker also will be on hand at the World Series where he’ll visit the Xtra Frame booth periodically to offer his analysis and discuss his new DVD.
For fans interested in ordering “The System,” a link will be established on pba.com soon.
JOHNNY PETRAGLIA FEATURED IN VFW MAGAZINE ARTICLE
PBA Hall of Famer Johnny Petraglia was the subject of an article in the October edition of VFW Magazine by Richard Kolb featuring noted sports figures who served during the Vietnam War. Among other noted athletes who were featured in the story were Dallas Cowboys legend Roger Staubach and former Notre Dame/Pittsburgh Steelers star Rocky Bleier.
According to the article, Petraglia enlisted for a two-year tour-of-duty in the U.S. Army in September of 1966 and first served as a cook, which was required for all new enlistees. He was sent to Vietnam in October of 1967 where he served in the 368th Transportation Company that was responsible for the discharge and loading of cargo. He was discharged in June of 1968.
At the time Petraglia entered the service at age 19, he was already a PBA member and had just come off his first PBA Tour title – the Fort Smith (Arkansas) Open in August of 1966.
The October issue of VFW Magazine will be archived on the organization’s website in the near future. A digital version of the article is not available, but a copy of the magazine may be requested by email (magazine@vfw.org) or by calling (816) 756-3390.
DANNY WISEMAN YOUTH TOURNAMENT AWARDS $21,000 IN SCHOLARSHIPS
PBA Hall of Famer Danny Wiseman hosted his third annual Danny Wiseman Youth Scholarship Tournament Sunday at AMF Country Club Lanes in Baltimore, and wound up distributing more than $21,000 in scholarship money to the bowlers who advanced to match play. Brianna Marie Barna and Adam Zimmerman were the big winners. For final results of Wiseman’s event, visit his website: dannywisemanbowling.com
EUROPEAN PBA STARS TOP AMERICANS TO WIN 15TH WEBER CUP
A team of four PBA stars from Europe staged a huge rally on the final day to defeat a team of American counterparts in the 15th annual invitational 888.com Weber Cup competition at Metrodome in Barnsley, England, on Sunday. Trailing the U.S. PBA stars by four points heading into the final day, the European players won six of eight singles matches to create a 16-16 tie, and then defeated the American team, 242-220 in the Baker team finale to retain the Weber Cup.
In Sunday’s singles competition, Sweden’s Martin Larsen defeated Chris Barnes, 278-269; England’s Stuart Williams defeated Bill O’Neill, 227-180; Finland’s Mika Koivuniemi defeated Tommy Jones, 213-173; Barnes defeated Larsen, 260-246; England’s Dom Barrett defeated Wes Malott, 233-208; Koivuniemi defeated Jones, 230-196; Williams defeated O’Neill, 266-236 and Malott defeated Koivuniemi, 237-227, to set up the Baker team finale.
The annual Ryder Cup-style competition is a “made for television” invitational event conducted for European television distribution.
PBA REGIONAL SUMMARY: WEST, NORTHWEST WSOB VI REPRESENTATIVES DECIDED
Michael Haugen Jr. of Phoenix posted an 8-4 match play record and an 20-game total of 4,800 pins to win his 19th PBA Regional title and second in a row in the PBA Battle of Black Oak Casino West Open at Black Oak Lanes in Tuolumne, Calif., Sunday.
Haugen, who earned $2,500, defeated David Haynes of Las Vegas by 184 pins for the title. Haynes had a 5-7 match play record and 4,616 pins for his 20 games, including match play bonus pins. Haugen had previously won the Fog City West Open in Daly City, California, on Sept. 28.
The tournament was the final qualifying event for the PBA West and Northwest Region players to earn paid entries into the GEICO PBA World Series of Bowling VI plus berths in the PBA Regional and PBA Women’s Regional qualifiers which will kick off WSOB VI on Friday, Oct. 24, at South Point Bowling Center in Las Vegas. Haynes locked up the West Region’s PBA Regional berth while Josh Blanchard of Gilbert, Ariz., won the Northwest Region berth. The PBA Women’s Regional berths were won by Missy Parkin of Laguna Hills, Calif. (West) and Lindsay Boomershine of Brigham City, Utah (Northwest). Parkin finished fifth overall art Black Oak, earning $800, while Boomershine finished 15th to earn $460.
● “Super senior” Mike Henry of Brunswick, Ohio and partner Tom Carter of Rockford, Ill., defeated Mitch Jabczenski of Novi, Mich. and amateur Ed Mintz of Canton, Mich., 2-1, in a best-of-three-game match to win the PBA’s Park Centre Lanes PBA50/PBA60 Central Open Doubles title at Park Centre Lanes in North Canton, Ohio, Sunday.
Teams included one PBA50 bowler (between the ages of 50 and 59) and one PBA60 bowler (over the age of 60). The title was Henry’s fifth career regional title and Carter’s sixth. They split a $3,200 first prize.
● PBA Hall of Famer Mark Williams of Beaumont, Texas, won six of his eight matches to successfully defend his PBA50 Shreveport Southwest Open title, presented by Landers Fiat, at All Star Lanes in Shreveport, La., on Sunday.
Williams battled Mike Scroggins of Amarillo, Texas, for the lead throughout the event, but dominated Scroggins in the final game, 256-166, to secure the title and the $1,500 first prize by 191 pins.
● Ray Edwards of Middle Island, N.Y., won nine of his 12 matches and finished with a 20-game total of 4,657 pins to record a 282-pin victory over Sammy Ventura of Syracuse, N.Y., in the PBA50 Dover Eastern Open at Brunswick Doverama in Dover, N.J., Sunday.
Edwards, who turned 50 in June, was competing in his third PBA50 regional event. He had not won a PBA East title since July, 2009, but after a slow start and a key ball change, he reeled off eight consecutive match wins to build an insurmountable lead heading into position round.
● Blake DeMore of Springfield, Mo., defeated Kenny Calkins of Des Moines, Iowa, 238-216, to win the PBA Thunderbowl Midwest Open on Saturday at Thunderbowl in Council Bluffs, Iowa, and in the PBA50 half of the doubleheader, Jimmy Johnson of Ralston, Iowa, defeated Scott Greiner of Platte City, Mo., 201-189, for his second overall PBA Regional title and a $1,700 first prize.
In the standard PBA event, DeMore defeated amateur Tony Manna of Omaha, 269-209, while Calkins edged Rick Miller of Lincoln, Neb., 248-227, to set up the championship match. With his first regional title, DeMore won $2,100 and became eligible to enter the 50th anniversary Barbasol PBA Tournament of Champions in February in Indianapolis.
● The Oct. 17-19 weekend, the final weekend prior to the start of the GEICO PBA WSOB VI, will include the PBA Kokomo Central Shootout presented by Security Federal Savings Bank – a one-day, reduced entry fee event on Sunday, Oct. 19, with live coverage on Xtra Frame – at Heritage Lanes in Kokomo, Ind.; the PBA Young & Pratt Southwest Open at Dart Bowl in Austin, Texas; the Franklin South Open at Franklin Bowling Center in Franklin, Va.; and the PBA Sands Regency West/Northwest Challenge and Sands Regency West/Northwest Re-Entry Open at the National Bowling Stadium in Reno, Nev.
October’s schedule concludes with the traditional South Point All Regions Open and the South Point Member/Non-Member Doubles at South Point Bowling Center in Las Vegas, Oct. 31-Nov. 2.
For complete PBA Regional schedules, rules and entry information, visit pba.com, open the “schedules” tab and click on Regional Tours to find the event(s) in your area.
QUICK NOTES
● Xtra Frame is back on the air this weekend with live coverage of the PBA Kokomo Central Shootout presented by Security Federal Savings Bank on Sunday, Oct. 19, starting at 9 a.m. ET and continuing until conclusion. The one-day, reduced entry fee event will be hosted by Heritage Lanes in Kokomo, Ind.