During the past two months, I was privileged to attend two very innovative promotions initiated by USA Bowling and spearheaded by Jeff Piroozshad and Joan Romeo.
The first was "Stormin' in the Rockies" held September 29 at Brunswick Heather Ridge Lanes in Aurora, Colorado. Appropriately named by co-sponsor Storm Products, it featured two teams made up of Storm staff members. One team featured former Team USA members now displaying their wares on the PBA Tour against current Team USA Storm staff members. Team USA 2002 members included Sean Rash, Michael Mullin, Andrew Cain, and David Haynes. The Storm alumni featured Derwin Pitre, Dave Garber, Steve Kloempken, and Robert Smith.
Members of Team USA 2002 proved too much for their alumni working for Storm Products Inc., and won the match 44-14. There was competition in singles, doubles, team, and a feature match. Team USA 2002 members Sean Rash, Michael Mullin, and Andrew Cain won their singles matches; Cain and David Haynes and Mullen/Rash captured doubles matches; and Cain beat former Team USA member Robert Smith in the feature match to lead the current team to victory. Storm's Derwin Pitre captured the final singles match, while the Storm team captured the team title.
The event also featured two pro-ams and a welcome reception sponsored by the Aurora Chamber of Commerce, which my wife and I were privileged to attend. Other sponsors were Master Industries, Twelve Strike Scoring System, Big Dog Sportswear and Circus Circus Hotel Casino-Reno—all clients of Joan Romeo.
The second USA Bowling undertaking was held in conjunction with the PWBA stop at Robinson Center Lanes on the Naval Base in San Diego. This event featured current Team USA members, four PWBA stars who were former Team USA members, the four highest PWBA current players in point rankings, and four PWBA Australian stars.
Team USA Alumni defeated PWBA two games to one in the best two-out-of-three finals in a Baker Scoring System.
The 16 competitors started by bowling four individual matches, with one member from each team on each pair of lanes. The high scorer on each lane received three points, the second high received two points, and the third received one point. The lowest on each pair received no points.
Team USA alums Kim Terrell, Liz Johnson, Kelly Kulick, and Kendra Gaines earned their way into the championship with a 35.5 point total.
Team PWBA, consisting of Carolyn Dorin-Ballard, Wendy Macpherson, Leanne Barrette, and Michelle Feldman were the challengers with 27 points.
Team Australia (Cara Honeychurch, Carol Gianotti-Block, Maxine Nabel, and Kelly Warren) scored 20 points.
Team USA (Lucy Sandelin, Lisa Pawlak, Jeanette Menacho, and Jennifer Petrick) tallied 15.5 points.
These two creative promotions were the latest in a series of strategies employed by the USA Bowling staff to publicize, beat the drums, and spotlight Team USA players.
The bulk of the credit for these inventive undertakings go to two of Jerry Koenig's hard working staff, Jeff Piroozshad, a former Bowling Writers Association of America Men's Collegiate Bowler of the Year from the University of Miami, and Joan Romeo, arguably the hardest working woman in the promotion of bowling today.
Piroozshad brings to the table vast experience in bowling competition. Jeff not only engaged in collegiate bowling, but prior to his association with Team USA Bowling, he along with his brothers were regular contestants at "megabuck" tournaments.
If the name "Romeo" rings a familiar note, Joan is the mother of two outstanding female bowlers, Robin Romeo Mossontte and Tori Romeo Carter. Robin's feats are legendary, beginning in the state of New York and further embellished by incredible accomplishments in California, PWBA, and WIBC competition that landed her in numerous Halls of Fame, notably the WIBC Hall of Fame.
Although Tori never seriously pursued a career in PWBA competition or attained the international stature and fame as her older sister, she has more than made her mark as a spunky competitor in Southern California circles.
Joan's background in advertising and promotion has been a tremendous asset to the bowling game, not only in her role as a drum-beater for USA Bowling but also in WIBC activities in the California area and more notably on the national scene.
Piroozshad and Romeo have become a potent one-two punch. Jeff created the competition theory, and Joan Romeo supplied the oomph and savvy that brought these concepts to fruition, just as she has in all her endeavors when called upon. Joan Romeo is a woman clearly ahead of her time. The bowling game could certainly benefit from more of this kind of ingenuity and energy.