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PBA Releases Its 2009-10 Media Guide

The PBA (Professional Bowlers Association) just released its 2009-10 Media Guide.  I have embedded a copy at the bottom of this post.  Highlighted as one of the three bowlers on the cover of the Media Guide is Dynasty‘s own Jason Belmonte.  Of interest in the media guide is the remaining 2009-10 PBA Tour schedule, full bios on the PBA Tour exempt bowlers, and a nice highlight of Belmo winning the 2008-09 Rookie of the Year award on page 293.  But what I enjoy the most is the “Welcome to the PBA” message on page 4.  I have reproduced the bottom half of that message, below.

Innovation continued in 2009-10, with the introduction of the first PBA World Series of Bowling – an intense five-week series of tournaments based in suburban Detroit where 13 different champions were crowned. The inaugural PBA Women’s World Championship ensured the first woman in history a berth in the 2010 PBA Tournament of Champions, and the resurrection of the PBA Senior World Championship gave the PBA’s elder stars much-wanted television exposure along with a third major championship and another TOC berth.

Working with the entire bowling industry in a very difficult economic climate, the PBA has worked toward innovative activities that will make professional bowling more marketable to mainstream America, and it continues to work toward building its base of international fans through innovative Internet developments such as Xtra Frame, an online “bowling television channel” available through pba.com, the PBA’s official web site , and an agreement that will allow hundreds of thousands of EuroSport viewers in Europe to watch PBA Tour telecasts.

For the 2009-10 season, the PBA developed a new electronic version of its traditional PBA Media Guide, giving the news media finger-tip access to PBA facts, figures and records along with a wide variety of digital photography. Expanded news and graphic support will be a continuing part of the PBA’s media relations effort. As always, the PBA encourages the grassroots news media to attend its events whenever possible, and to contact the media staff for assistance in event coverage when on-site presence isn’t possible.

I am happy to hear that the PBA is being proactive in embracing openness and the benefits that technology may bring to its product.  It will benefit its brand and help out my bowling clients in the process.

By Darren Heitner

Darren Adam Heitner, Esq., is a preeminent sports attorney and the founder of Heitner Legal, P.L.L.C., a Fort Lauderdale-based law firm specializing in sports law, contract negotiations, intellectual property, and arbitration. He earned his Juris Doctor from the University of Florida Levin College of Law in 2010 and a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science, magna cum laude, from the University of Florida in 2007, where he was named Valedictorian of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. Admitted to practice in the state bars of Florida, New York, and the District of Columbia, as well as multiple federal courts, Darren also serves as a certified arbitrator with the American Arbitration Association.

As an adjunct professor, Darren imparts his expertise through teaching Sports Law at the University of Florida Levin College of Law and Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) at the University of Miami School of Law in the Entertainment, Arts, and Sports Law LL.M. program. His scholarly contributions include authoring several books published by the American Bar Association, such as How to Play the Game: What Every Sports Attorney Needs to Know, and numerous articles in prominent publications like Forbes, Inc. Magazine, and Above the Law. His thought leadership in NIL has earned him recognition as one of the foremost experts by The Wall Street Journal, USA TODAY, and On3, and he has been lauded as a “power player in NIL deals” by Action Network and a “top sports trademark attorney” by Sportico.

Darren’s passion for sports law led him to establish Sports Agent Blog on December 31, 2005, initially titled “I Want To Be A Sports Agent.” The platform, created as a New Year’s resolution, has grown into a cornerstone of the sports agency community, offering in-depth analysis of industry trends, legal disputes, and agent-player dynamics. His commitment to the field is further evidenced by his representation of numerous athletes and sports agents, as well as his prior role as an Adjunct Professor at Indiana University Bloomington, where he developed and taught a course on Sport Agency Management from 2011 to 2014.

Darren’s contributions have been recognized with prestigious honors, including the University of Florida’s 40 Under 40 Award, the University of Florida Levin College of Law’s Outstanding Young Alumnus Award, and designation as the best lawyer in Fort Lauderdale by Fort Lauderdale Magazine. He remains an active voice in the sports law community, sharing insights through his weekly NIL newsletter and his X posts, engaging a broad audience on legal developments in sports.