It's finally tournament time, that exciting time of the year when we all gear up for city and state tournaments, and of course, the USBC Open Championships. Since I will be busy at the Open Championships in Albuquerque for the next six months, my time on the lanes will be limited, but this weekend I had an opportunity to travel back to Milwaukee for a couple of prestigious events.
On Saturday, I bowled the team event of the Wisconsin State Tournament with Kristin Warzinski, Lucas Wiseman and Nick Siefers (also employees at USBC Headquarters) and Greg Thomas, who used to work at the USBC/Storm Bowlers Journal Championships. Despite a slow start, we finished with a 3,317 scratch total, and most of us were pretty satisfied with the overall effort. Although our score likely won't win, it was exciting just to participate in the event for the second consecutive year. Bowling in these tournaments is one of the main benefits of being a USBC member.
On Sunday, I bowled in the GMBA Classic Team Tournament with Team USA member and recent USBC Team USA Trials winner Derek Eoff and Bryan O'Keefe (also USBC employees), two-time Open Championships titlist Steve Brinkman and fellow left-hander Eric Fritton. Two years ago we won the event, but this year things just didn't go our way. With 26 teams, it was twice the size of the previous two events, and there were a lot of talented players from Wisconsin, Illinois and even Iowa. Honestly, I have no idea where were ended up, but we were far from making the cut to the top six.
Personally, at one point I thought I'd figured things out and started one of the four qualifying games with the front five, only to follow it up with an 8 pin and four splits for 190. Not the finish I was hoping for, but it was good for a laugh or two. I still have not heard who won, but whomever it was definitely earned it. The conditions were challenging and spares were VERY important, as it should have been. Definitely worth the trip just for the experience. Shot making, spare shooting and accuracy were the keys to success, just like the Open Championships, the Bowlers Journal Championships and the Roto Grip Sport Bowling Challenge in Albuquerque. Events like these are a great test of progress and ability and a great warm-up for the next event.
Anyway, after the tournament, a handful of us went off to the second big event of the day, an exciting all-you-can-eat sushi session. It was a good opportunity to have a nice meal and spend time with some really good friends before heading back to Albuquerque. You can bet I won't miss the freezing temperatures and piles of snow in Wisconsin, but I have met a lot of really great people in my time up there.
But with the fun weekend behind me, it's back to business. Things are continuing to come together at the convention center. In fact, last night they hung the new test scoreboards over the 12 side-event lanes. So far they look amazing and the graphics are sharp. I would encourage anyone who has time to check them out on the webcams. Also check out the seating areas, Center Aisle, Center Desk, the vendor booths, etc. It's really beginning to look like the one-of-a-kind stadium that we are so proud of each year.
With the venue almost ready, it's time to get the staff in place. Our managers and supervisors have been hard at work setting up their areas and training schedules and many of our travelers are in town, helping out and ready for the main event to begin. Orientation starts this coming weekend, and we'll all be hard at work early next week.
As of right now, I have planned an end-of-construction open house for sponsors and media on Feb. 6. The days after will be filled with our sweepers and practice sessions for local bowlers to test the lanes, machines and scoreboards, the high school tournament, Special Olympics, Bowlfest, youth tournament and finally opening day! Only 18 more days.
It's really something to be here and see this all come together and see the pride in everyone's eyes as the start of the tournament approaches. We are all glad to be here and to be able to put on such a memorable show for the bowlers each year.
Right now, I am sitting at my desk in our spacious Media Relations office at the Albuquerque Convention Center. The walls that surround me were not here when I came to visit in December. The transformations that our crews do to these buildings continue to amaze me year after year. In fact, a guy just walked by my office saying that he's taken care of this building for 14 years and can't believe what we've done to it. Parts of the venue are unrecognizable, and he's even had trouble distinguishing between the new walls and the previously existing ones. Also, between the colors and the Adobe design, the setup really says Albuquerque.
Aside from my office being nearly completed, this week has been like one big reunion. Tournament managers and supervisors have been arriving in town all week, and many of our travelers will be here next week. So far, I've seen Steven (Day Manager) from Kansas, Rita (MOD) from Oklahoma, Kevin (Registration Manager) from Milwaukee, Gabe and Lon (Tournament Services) from Florida, Steve (Employment Source) and Merri (Tournament Services) from Montana, Jerry (Bowlers Journal) from Colorado, Danny (Scale Room) and Jeff (Center Desk) from Alabama, Horse (Lane Maintenance) from New York, Jen (Tournament Services) from California, Big John (Scale Room) from Ohio and Daniel (BBE) and David (Lane Monitor/Maintenance) from Reno.
This group is in addition to Tournament Director Brian Lewis and his family, Associate Tournament Director Mindy Corr and Chris and Shannon Chartier and their family, who all spend a year in each city and move from one tournament site to the next.
And then the computer guys, Mike from Colorado, Dave and his wife Madonna from Florida, Mike from New York and Gary from Headquarters in Milwaukee have been in and out since Dec. 16 to set up the computer nextworks and more than six miles of wiring.
It's amazing to see people of all ages and points in their careers come together from all corners of the country to help run this prestigious event. Each person has his/her area of expertise, but all share a love of the sport and the dedication to make this event bigger and better each year. Of course, it's difficult to pack and move every six months, but the rewards far out-weigh the stresses.
Anyway, it's great to be back and see everyone again.
I've been in Albuquerque for three days now, and I seem to be settled in. Everything is unpacked, I know my way to the main places I need to go and things are coming along nicely at the convention center.
Today, I had the chance to meet the two gentlemen who will be working with me in the Media Relations department this year, John and Damon. They are both from the Albuquerque area, so their experience with the local media definitely will be welcomed. My former wingman, David Ellis, is taking the year off to get married. All of us here at the tournament wish him the best, and maybe he'll return for the 2009 event in Las Vegas.
I also had the opportunity to talk to my brother, Casey, who will be working in the Ebonite booth for the second consecutive year. Tomorrow he will begin his 2,000-mile journey from Fort Lauderdale. While the trip is long, it's all part of the experience. So much of the Open Championships is about traveling around the country and seeing new places. Spending six months in a place also gives you the chance to experience a lot of culture and diversity. And while we all work closely at the tournament and consider ourselves to be a big family, it's always nice to spend some extra time with my brother too.
Back in the venue, the Brunswick folks and the construction crew continue to work feverishly on the lanes, vendor areas and offices. The highlight of the day was the hoisting of the first scoreboards, one of the most recognizable features of the tournament. I encourage everyone to check out the webcams on USBCopen.com to see the progress of this one-of-a-kind bowling stadium.
SAFE AND SOUND
A little more than 33 hours and 1,450 miles ago, I was having lunch in Milwaukee and watching the snow begin to fall. Now, I am safe and sound in Albuquerque and ready to get to work. Tomorrow will be spent unloading the car into my new apartment, followed by a trip to New Mexico Sports and Wellness to apply for membership. I have one month to work off the damage from my two-day drive-thru diet to make sure my suits still fit for the start of the Open Championships, where we like to "dress for success."
While the trip was relatively uneventful, I was amazed by what a huge role technology plays during travel these days. With all of the gadgets and chargers, my car was like Best Buy on wheels. The best feature of the trip had to be the device that connects to the power source and allows the iPod to play through the radio. What brilliant way to bring 548 songs along and keep things moving with offerings from Hip Hop to Honky Tonk, Air Supply to Xzibit.
I also was able to keep in touch with USBC Headquarters in Milwaukee thanks to my Bluetooth headset. I was able to make sure the USBC/Storm Bowlers Journal Championships page is up and running, finalize the details for Open Championships Tournament Director Brian Lewis to appear on Phantom Radio (an Internet radio show accessible through bowlersjournal.com) at the end of the month and answer some questions about the tournament program and participation displays. Add in the e-mail capable phone, and I could technically work out of my car for the next six months without missing a beat.
At one point this morning, I also got a call from Carolyn Dorin-Ballard. Even though it was just to discuss a project we are working on, how cool is it to talk/work so closely with someone you've looked up to and watched on TV for so many years? Getting to meet and work with so many great bowlers definitely is one of the perks of this job.
On any given day at the Open Championships, it is possible to run into a hall of famer, a tournament champion or record holder or one of the sport's biggest stars. But at the same time, I get to hear and share the stories of so many other bowlers and tournament regulars, which is rewarding in itself. Any person I meet or write about could be the next big star or the future tournament pinfall leader. Every day is an adventure. Every day is a reward.
Now that I'm here, I won't waste any time getting to work. There's already a function scheduled for Thursday. ...
GREETINGS FROM SPRINGFIELD, MO.
After a late lunch with two-time USBC Open Championships titlist Steve Brinkman on Monday, I decided it was time to get on the road. The snow was beginning to fall in Milwaukee, but I didn't know if it was going to be a quick shower or a race against the weather.
The trip began with a brief delay as I was forced to referee a disagreement between MapQuest and the GPS, but given the weather, I decided to choose the route that would get me the furthest south the fastest.
Driving across the country definitely leaves a lot of time for thinking....thinking about the friends I left behind, the friends I'm about to see after six months away and of course, the excitement of the upcoming Open Championships. During the next six months, thousands of bowlers will travel the same route with their sights on Open Championships glory.
Nine hours, two tanks of gas, six CDs, one bathroom break, periodic construction updates from Albuquerque, a few text messages from friends in Milwaukee and nearly 600 miles later, I am in Springfield, Mo., resting up for another long day of driving. Even the dog (Bella) is used to the routine and very well behaved. She's not real big into conversation though. Today's trip was made possible with much help from McDonalds and Mentos. Tomorrow, I'll look forward to stopping for lunch at what used to be the world's largest McDonalds, somewhere near Tulsa, Okla.
Anyway, the update from Albuquerque is that the construction is coming along very quickly. As of today, furniture was being arranged and computers were being set up in my office and the nearby Tournament Services area. It's hard to believe that in three weeks we will be hosting our end-of-construction open house for media, sponsors and dignitaries, and one month from today, Bowlfest will highlight a week of activities on the tournament lanes and help kick off the 2008 event.
The other big news of the week is that the USBC Masters will make its return to the Open Championships venue for the first time since 2001. The Masters will take place in Las Vegas the week before the start of the 2009 Open Championships.
Speaking of Las Vegas, good luck to everyone participating in the USBC Team USA Trials this week.
BACKGROUND
Hello everyone. It hardly seems possible, but another USBC Open Championships is upon us. While preparing for the 2008 USBC Open Championships in Albuquerque, N.M., I was asked to share some of the behind-the-scenes secrets that make the tournament happen each year.
During the next six months, more than 60,000 bowlers will head to the Albuquerque Convention Center to compete in the world's largest participatory sporting event. They will take in all the grand setting of the huge tournament installation has to offer. They will roam through the vendor area, check-in and check their participation records at the new Tournament Services counter (formerly know as Registration, Bowlers Services and Brackets Information), have their bowling balls weighed and checked for balance, sign up for brackets, get their pre-tournament instructions in the squad room, march down Center Aisle and generally be treated participants in a major sporting event.
But who are the people who make it happen every day for 143 consecutive days?
Believe it or not, there are only three people from the home office in Greendale, Wis., and three others who work for USBC full-time who also work at the tournament during its five-month run. I am one of those people. The other people who staff the tournament are traveling employees (who follow the tournament year after year) and part-time or temporary staff that are hired locally.
The group of travelers spends six months at home pursuing other interests, and then they return to help run the tournament for five months. We also hire about 50 locals to help out in the many departments.
I head up the tournament's public and media relations area and manage a staff of two (hired locally) to help document the daily events of the tournament, manage the content and message boards on USBCopen.com, manage the Albuquerque media during the tournament, contact the hometown media for each bowler we write about, send daily press releases to our comprehensive media list, help with the daily operation of the tournament and help provide information and answers at the Tournament Services counter.
For the past week, I have been packing up my apartment in Milwaukee and my desk at USBC Headquarters in Greendale. Whatever I couldn't fit in my car was packed in an eight-foot by four-foot wooden crate and will be transported to Albuquerque on the truck that also will contain all paperwork and materials from HQ that are needed to service the bowlers from Feb. 16 until July 7.
Also making the same trip in the coming weeks will be Tournament Services Manager Kevin Olson, who has been working at the tournament in a similar capacity since 1986, and Lane Maintenance Manager Eric Pierson, who is from Waukesha, Wis., and has been splitting his time between home and the tournament for a handful of years.
ON THE ROAD AGAIN
Monday afternoon, after tying up some loose ends, I will turn in my apartment keys (ending my six-month lease), pack the dog and the rest of my belongings into my car and begin the 1,414-mile journey that will take me through Wisconsin, Illinois, Missouri, Oklahoma and New Mexico. So far, I have made similar trips to and from Baton Rouge, La., Corpus Christi, Texas, and Reno, Nev., each time packing my things and going from one six-month lease to the next.
The packing and moving process is down to art and most arrangements are made online, site unseen. Luckily, Facilities and Construction Manager Chris Chartier and his family, Open Championships Tournament Director Brian Lewis and his family and Associate Tournament Director Mindy Corr all made the move to Albuquerque directly from Reno in August, so they've been able to give me some tips about the area.
This time, I decided to live in downtown Albuquerque, just 0.7 miles from the convention center, which is about a 12-15 minute walk with 20-25 stores, restaurants, bars and shops in between. It's definitely going to be a little different than the past two years when I rented a house with two other employees and commuted a minimum of 25 miles a day.
My recent preparations haven't gone as smoothly as hoped. On the way back to work last week, my car (2003 Honda Accord) died on the way back to work from lunch. After a police escort to safety and a quick tow to the mechanic, the verdict wasn't good. The prognosis was a blown transmission, a potential $3,000 expense and the possibility of not being able to leave for Albuquerque on time.
After another tow to the Honda dealership, it turned out that the transmission had been recalled because of a defect and would be replaced for free. Excellent. I also had them do an oil change, tire rotation, full fluid flush and replacement, brake check, battery replacement and wiper check. After picking up the car on Friday, I also picked up a GPS to help with my trip. I am very good at getting lost. Hopefully it will be a smooth ride.
ALBUQUERQUE
I recently spent a week in Albuquerque getting to know some of the media, sponsors and locals who I will be working closely with during the tournament. I was able to sign my lease, learn my way around a little bit and check out some of the restaurants in the downtown area.
My official start date at the stadium will be Jan. 21, and construction, which began on Dec. 16 with about 30 truckloads of materials, will nearly be complete. There are five webcams up and running, my office is almost ready for me and I am definitely looking forward another tournament. Yes, the days are long, but it is very rewarding to be able to meet so many bowlers and hear all of their stories. While every day is the same schedule wise from 7 a.m. until 2 a.m., it is the bowlers who keep things interesting.
During the next six months, I will share some of my adventures at the tournament and in Albuquerque, from what's going on at the stadium, to where the best lunch spots are.
If you have any questions along the way, drop me an e-mail or catch me on the message boards on USBCopen.com
