And The Geeks Shall
Inherit The Lanes

For those who thought bowling wasn’t quite geeky enough…

The Professional Bowlers Association authorized its board of directors to negotiate a sale to an investment group led by former Microsoft Corp. executive Chris Peters, RealNetworks founder and chief executive Rob Glaser and Mike Slade, former chairman and CEO of Starwave Corp. who now consults for Apple Computer Inc. All three men are life-long bowling enthusiasts, and Peters even tried his hand at the PBA tour after leaving Microsoft in 1998.

"The PBA’s been looking for a partner for more than a year, tyring to upgrade the sport of bowling," said PBA Commissioner Mark Gerberich, chuckling a little at his own cleverness. "We hope they spare no expense, that they don’t split too soon and that this deal is no turkey." Gerberich then stopped for a moment to dry his hand over a nearby blower.

Though the purchase price was not disclosed, the Seattle Times reported that the three investors paid $5million, plus $1.25 apiece for shoe rental.

"The Internet has become a consumer medium, and we can try to use technology to chage the perception of the game," said Slade. "Or, if that seems impossible, we can just add porn to the site and make a mint!"

"There are some things that appeal to your mind and some things that appeal to your heart," Glaser said. "And then other things, like bowling, that just leave a lot of people scratching their heads."