The PBA’s Tournament of Champions should be quite a show Sunday, but be aware — the air time for the major on ESPN has been moved up a half hour to 9:30 a.m. On the line is $50,000 and a two-year exemption on tour, and a couple of familiar faces will be going for that bounty: PA and the Big Nasty. Patrick Allen tied the record with his fifth straight TV show, and big Wes Malott, the first two-time and repeat winner in eight years of the Medford stop, attempts to strengthen his leading position in the player-of-the-year race. They are No. 1 and No. 4 in qualifying position, sandwiched around Rhino Page and Mike Scroggins.
This truly is the biggest weekend in the history of the PBA, for tonight (Saturday) is the gala celebration of the 50th anniversary. All but a handful of the top 50 players in history will attend (some active players on the list were trying to arrange for tuxes between squads at Lava Lanes last week). The all-time greatest bowler will be announced, and my guess is that Earl Anthony — for whom the Medford tournament is named — will beat out Walter Ray Williams Jr.
I’m reminded of the tourney here, with Susan Anthony, Earl’s widow, in attendance. We chatted a bit. She was very appreciative of the media coverage the event received and was intrigued to read in a notes piece that Malott didn’t practice much. “Earl,” she said, “had to practice or he was all out of sorts.” She also read with interest that PA had made consecutive shows when no other left-hander could figure out tough lane conditions, a trait of her late husband’s. Anthony rose to the top time and again when other lefties couldn’t get so much as a leg up.
Medford Meteor Marshall Holman, No. 9 on the all-time list, will be there tonight with his family, taking time out from the busy tax season (he owns a preparation business). An online vote on our sports Web page suggests two-thirds of those who responded think he should be higher or is in the right spot. I believe I overheard, while he was in the media room autographing mementos, that he will be sharing a table tonight at the Red Rock Casino with Mark Roth. The two greats bowled in a number of tour doubles competitions.
