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CLOUDY Temp: 45 °F Wind: CLM at 0 mph Wednesday, February 19, 2003 SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion - Politics AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map EXTRA HomeLife Magazine W3 Magazine Jobs @ Mail Tribune Tempo A & E Oregon CarZone Wellness Connection Real Estate Newspaper in Education Prime Times Outdoor Journal Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People CLASSIFIEDS Find a Car Find a Home Find a Job Find Everything E SOUTHERN OREGON Automotive Communities Entertainment Publications Recreation Calendar ABOUT US FAQ What's New Advertise Home Delivery Classified Ad Contact Us Media Kit Email Story to a Friend January 12, 2003 Danny Wiseman, chasing his 11th career title, purposely changed his appearance three years ago. Mail Tribune / Andrew Mariman And then there were five Flashy Wiseman can become the tour’s next millionaire with a strong showing By TIM TROWER Mail Tribune Three years ago, Danny Wiseman underwent a makeover with the idea that he would stand out from other players on the Professional Bowlers Association Tour. His shirts bear flames, dragons and assorted designs. People mistake his shiny slacks for leather. His hairstyle changes almost as frequently as the ever-evolving bowling ball and barbed wire tattoo on his arm. "I’m not the No. 1 bowler in the world," he said Saturday after qualifying for today’s finals of the Medford Open at Lava Lanes, "but people know when I’m in the tournament." Wiseman might be known for something else after today: If he finishes second or better — and he’s one of the tour’s best-ever TV performers — he’ll become the 25th PBA player with $1 million in earnings. In the Round of Eight, Wiseman defeated Mike Edwards in the best-of-five format, 3-0. Edwards had dispatched hometown favorite Marshall Holman, 3-0, in the previous round. Other winners were Bryan Goebel, who downed Chris Sand, 3-0; Bob Learn Jr., who, in dramatic fashion, beat reigning player-of-the-year Parker Bohn III, 3-1; and David Traber, who defeated Hugh Miller, 3-1. Of the four Round-of-Eight losers, Miller filled out the five-man finals as the wild card because he had the best match-play record. In today’s matches, Wiseman and Miller square off. The winner advances to the semifinals against Learn, making his second straight finals, while Traber and Goebel meet in the other semifinal. Wiseman’s bowling can speak for itself, but his loud appearance sometimes dominates the conversation. That’s just how he planned it when the PBA’s new ownership group took over. "They wanted us to have our own individuality, our own persona," says the 35-year-old Wiseman, who has 10 career titles, including one in this, his 13th season on tour. "They wanted us to shine from within." He took it to heart and pulled the clothes he wore to heavy metal concerts out of the closet to wear in PBA tournaments. At the same time, the fall of 2000, he made three TV finals. An image was born. "People would say, ‘What is he doing, wearing leather pants?’" said Wiseman. "It’s entertainment, so to speak. I wanted to separate myself from the image of the fat, beer drinking bowler who smokes, even though the guys out here aren’t anything like that." The decision did cost Wiseman a six-figure deal with an equipment company that dumped Wiseman because of his new look. Now, however, he has a Web site on which he’ll market his own line of apparel. Oh, yes, in the meantime, there’s bowling. He has a 43-23 match-play record on TV, a winning percentage of .651 that is the best among active players and fifth-best of all time. With career earnings of $982,944, including $83,000 this year, he can reach the millionaire milestone. First place is worth $40,000, second place $20,000. He also can become the first two-time victor this year. He won the Miller High Life Open Nov. 3 in Vernon Hills, Ill., besting Walter Ray Williams Jr. for the title, 277-237. Wiseman is fighting a painful arthritic toe on his plant foot that will be operated on in the spring, and he had been struggling the past couple of events with his approach. The latter is ironed out, and he’s ready to rock-and-roll. "There’s only one game (per opponent) on TV, so you just have to have fun and let her rip," he said. Should he move on to face Learn, he’ll get an opponent who let it rip against Bohn, only to have Bohn do likewise. With Learn leading 2-1, Bohn ripped off seven consecutive strikes, including two in the 10th and final frame. Bohn had to strike on his last ball to tie Learn’s 259 game, but he missed low for an eight count and a 257. Had he struck to tie, the two would have gone to a one-ball rolloff. "Parker always gives you his best," said Learn. "He got that last one a little left and it hung out there enough that it didn’t carry. Any time you have Parker getting up against you and he has to strike out, you assume he will." He did it twice to Learn in the Tournament of Champions last month. "It was nice of him to let me off the hook this time," said Learn. Goebel, 41, figures it’s nice to be back. When the nine-time titlist drove home to Shawnee, Kan., last Thanksgiving after another fruitless tournament instead of joining the tour on its swing east, he did so with retirement on his mind. But the long drive from Grand Rapids, Mich., gave him time to reconsider, and prompting from his wife sealed the deal. "In the six tournaments I bowled in the fall, I never missed by much," said Goebel, whose last win was in the 1998 Tournament of Champions. "I got to thinking that if I could get a little confidence, I could come back out and bowl well. "I have bowled very well this week, and my confidence grew every time I threw the ball. That hasn’t happened in two years." One person who didn’t make the finals was defending champion Ricky Ward. He was defeated by Traber, 3-1, in the Round of 16 Saturday, his best showing of the season. Reach sports editor Tim Trower at 776-4479 or e-mail [email protected] Printer Friendly Version Email Story to a Friend Subscribe Archive: Click to Search M Mail Tribune Home Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life Opinion - Politics | AP News | Archives | Site Map E Southern Oregon | Classified Copyright 1997-2002 Mail Tribune. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy web master feedback A D V E R T I S E R S