Tom Clark's No. 7: Prather Wins Inaugural Playoffs
Tom Clark's No. 7: Prather Wins Inaugural Playoffs
Coming in at No. 7 on PBA Commissioner Tom Clark's favorite shows of the past decade was Kris Prather's win at the 2019 PBA Playoffs.
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This the fourth in a 10-part series by PBA Commissioner Tom Clark.
As PBA Commissioner, my greatest privilege has been having a front row seat to PBA history.
I've worked more than 250 PBA finals since 2008. One thing has been guaranteed: Our events and our players always deliver compelling drama. Every time.
But as last decade came to a close, I singled out my 10 most memorable shows from 2010-19, with some personal notes:
No. 7: 2019 PBA Playoffs Semifinals and Final, Bayside Bowl, Portland, Maine
Kris Prather defeated Bill O'Neill in an exciting two-game match for the $100,000 first prize live on FOX on a Sunday, a day after the live final four where Prather advanced past Anthony Simonsen and O'Neill got past Sean Rash.
The two-day finale on broadcast TV followed a 10-week inaugural PBA Playoffs bracket of elimination match play featuring the top 24 players on the 2019 points list. Emanating from the packed new side at Bayside Bowl, the final four was full of great shotmaking and cutting edge sports TV with FOX and the PBA investing in graphics, slo mo presentations, anchor desks, exciting camera angles and special commentators.
Those shows were so special to me because it was the culminating event of our first season on FOX Sports. My goal had been to find the perfect media partner, willing to invest, promote, create and work together to bring the true sport of bowling to more people and FOX won. Now things were playing out, and the new PBA Playoffs format we had devised together was at the heart of the new FOX Sports PBA Tour season.
When Prather, going by the nickname “Shark” by the BoPo faithful, converted the 3-4-6-7-10 to take Game 1 of the final and the building erupted, it was clear the Playoffs worked. FOX worked. The PBA was off and running.
Watch the semifinals show here:
Watch the championship here:
Tom Clark’s Top 10 Countdown
1. To be released June 6
2. To be released May 30
3. To be released May 23
4. To be released May 16
5. To be released May 9
6. To be released May 2
7. 2019 PBA Playoffs Semifinals and Final
8. 2019 PBA Indianapolis Open
9. 2018 USBC Masters
10. 2012 PBA WSOB Scorpion Championship