The PBA's 50th Anniversary Gala 2009 By Joan Taylor

There have been so many descriptives coming out of the PBA's 50th Anniversary Gala, held at the Red Rock Resort in Las Vegas, I was hard-pressed to be original. This celebration was a senior prom, combined with a class reunion, capped off with the 28th PBA Hall of Fame inductions.

Starting with the entrance to the cocktail reception, formal photographs were taken of all the guests. Literally everybody wore his or her best. The only thing missing was the red carpet and (thankfully) Joan and Melissa Rivers.

Pictured right are USBC Queens and Bowling's Clash of Champions winner Lynda Barnes and husband, reigning PBA Player of the Year Chris Barnes. All photos Joan Taylor.

The ladies wore gowns and cocktail dresses. The gentlemen wore suits and tuxedos. Nobody was outlandish, not even Ernie Schlegel. An incredible duo billed as "Twice as Nice" provided happy music for Happy Hour.

Pictured left: L-R Samantha, Rosie, Marta and Janay Leddy,, PBA director of community relations/events, who made all the seating arrangements for the gala.

And then the real gala began.

More than 400 people filtered into the big banquet room. The meal and the setting were simple but elegant.

Pictured right: PBA Hall of Fame inductees Del Ballard Jr., left, and Norm Duke, right, with Warren N. Hardie, Vice President of Brunswick Corporation and President - Brunswick Bowling & Billiards

Pictured left: PBA Chairman of the Board Chris Peters, one of the three former Microsoft executives who purchased the PBA in 2000.

There were no party favors or fancy centerpieces. But each table had program books, which in themselves were mini-yearbooks. They had pictures and bios of the "50 Greatest Players in PBA History."

Perhaps to add humor, most of the pictures in the book were of the players when they first started out on tour. There were also longer bios and multi-photos of the three hall of fame inductees: John Handegard, Del Ballard Jr., and Norm Duke.

Pictured right: The Hardwick-clan. PBA and ABC Hall of Famer Billy Hardwick was the first PBA Player of the Year (1963).

Notable alumni in attendance included Steve Miller, former CEO of the "new" PBA and Mark Gerberich, one of the former Commissioners of the "old" PBA.

Pictured left: Tournament of Champions winner Patrick Allen, left, and runner-up Rhino Page.

Many bowlers were getting autographs from and photographs with other bowlers. People who had not seen each other for 40 years or more reunited, and countless stories of "remember when" filled the room.

Pictured right: 2003-04 PBA Player of the Year Mika Koivuniemi and his wife Leena.

If anyone would be crowned Queen of the Prom that night, it would have to be Peggy Elias, widow of the PBA Founder Eddie Elias.

The former Miss Ohio was touched by the festivities and the many people who reminisced about their own experiences with Eddie in the early days of the PBA.

She was given time at the podium (pictured left), and gave a brief emotional talk about how much passion Eddie had for the sport and its people.

My vote for King of the Prom would have to be Brian Voss just because he was Brian Voss in a tux.

Pictured right: USBC Hall of Famer Bob Hart, left, with 23-time PBA champion and PBA Hall of Famer Brian Voss.

Harry Smith would have been first runner-up. "The Tiger," Smith got a charge out of seeing the new 50th Anniversary PBA book (also available on the PBA.com website), which featured a famous photo of him jumping in the air after a key shot on the back cover. He was thrilled to see old friends in between giving autographs.

Nelson "Bo" Burton, Jr., (the "voice of the PBA" along with the late Chris Schenkel) was on hand to introduce the men who would introduce this year's Hall of Fame inductees.

Pictured left: Nelson Burton and Charlene Martino.

The most memorable quote came from John Handegard, who had asked his coach why he couldn't average 200 in his early days. The answer was "Because you haven't bowled 200s."

The other funny line was delivered by Norm Duke, who recalled a conversation with his son Brandon when Norm was about to leave for a tour stop.

Pictured right: PBA record holder Walter Ray Willimas Jr, (45 PBA titles and more than $4 million in career earnings) finished second to Earl Anthony in the voting for the greatest players in the PBA's first 50 years.

Young Brandon asked if Walter Ray Williams Jr. and Pete Weber were going to be at the same tour stop and when his father replied "Yes," Brandon assured his Dad that he didn't have a chance (at winning).

Pictured left: 34-time PBA champion and PBA Hall of Famer Pete Weber and whis wife Tracy.

Each of the top 50 or their family representative received a beautiful glass trophy symbolizing the 50th anniversary. A representative from Brunswick Bowling gave each a Viz-A-Ball with each bowler's own picture on it. Some of these are available on the PBA website.

Pictured right: The Earl Anthony clan and a Brunswick rep with the Earl Anthony bowling ball.

It was a magical evening, to say the least, and will be difficult to duplicate for the next big anniversary milestone of the PBA.

I was around for the 25th Anniversary celebration, which was a modest breakfast held at the Hilton Hotel in Akron, Ohio. The guests included members of the working press and any of the past Firestone Tournament of Champions winners who were able to attend. We each received a heavy glass engraved mug, which I cherish to this day. But the 50th Anniversary gala blew that out of the water.

If there were a downside, it would be an egregious oversight by whoever put the program together. A founding member and charter member of the PBA, their historian, and a PBA Hall of Famer, Chuck Pezzano, was not invited to be part of the Hall of Fame program.

Pictured left: PBA Chief Opearting Officer Tom Clark, right, and Mike Jakubowski, left PBA PR/Media Relations.

Chuck had emceed PBA Halls many times and was the only living person to have attended all of the induction ceremonies. He would have been great (not that Mike Jakubowski wasn't), and would have kept the evening rolling at a good pace. Who better to host the event than one of their own, especially considering that Pezzano is also close to the Elias family, having delivered Eddie's eulogy ten years ago.

Hopefully, if there is another gala in the not-too-distant future, someone thinks to ask one of their own to moderate the festivities. And by the way, Chuck's jokes aren't bad either.