The lane patterns for the 2013 United States Bowling Congress Open Championships will be unveiled the same way the single pattern was unveiled last year: in a live webcast the day before the tournament opens.
The Open Championships Kickoff Show will be webcast live from the National Bowling Stadium on BowlTV on BOWL.com at 3 p.m. Central time on on Thursday, Feb. 28, the day before the tournament opens.
USBC said in an email to captains that the show also will include "an exclusive behind-the-scenes look at the NBS, the 900 Global Showcase Lanes and much more."
I will watch the show and write a blog with my initial analysis of the lane pattern as soon as it's over. (That probably will mean no #GuessTheScore contest that week as Thursday is my league night.)
USBC said in this news release that longtime lane man Eric Pierson and three-time Open Championships titlist Matt McNiel, who will be the featured coach at the 900 Global Showcase Lanes this year, will be on the show to "discuss the patterns and potential strategies."
Since both of those esteemed men are left-handed ,y blog will be an opportunity to hear a right-hander's perspective on the pattern.
USBC also said that Managing Director of Tournaments Brian Lewis and Open Championships Tournament Manager Duane Hagen will be on to talk about "the ins and outs of the 2013 Open Championships and what to expect at the NBS this year."
"The show will feature a virtual tour of the one-of-a-kind venue, that also will be home to the Storm Bowlers Journal Championships presented by USBC, and include a look at the new Showcase Lanes on the ground floor, which will feature two unique side tournaments — the 900 Global Two-Game Challenge and Who's Got the Look Baker Bonanza presented by 900 Global — as well as the opportunity for coaching and practice sessions on the team event lane condition," the release states.
Here is what I wrote after last year's Kickoff Show. I will give myself credit for accurately predicting that last year's Open Championships would be the lowest scoring since 2005, as I recounted after the tournament here.
My blog on last year's Kickoff Show includes a link to that show and PDFs for the lane patterns from the Open Championships in 2012, 2011, 2010, 2009, 2006, 2005 and 2003.
USBC said the Kickoff Show will be the first of nearly two dozen live broadcasts from the Open Championships and Women's Championships this year. That schedule will be released "soon," USBC said.
