A USBC-organized pre-Masters media march on New York City and Washington, D.C., in October launched two of bowling's brightest stars on to the pages and airwaves of some of this country's most venerated media outlets. As part of a prominent USBC goal to grow the sport and reputation of bowling, USBC Director of Communications Tom Clark aims to make national sports stars out of bowling stars.

USBC Team USA member Diandra Asbaty and PBA star Chris Barnes accompanied Clark on a media blitz that resulted in editorial coverage (see complete list below) valued at the equivalent of more than $2.5 million in advertising space. The residual benefits are invaluable.

Exposure in top national outlets captures credibility for the sport. If Sports Illustrated and USA Today report on bowling as a legitimate sport with recognizable, respected stars, other media sources sit up and take notice. One USA Today story on Asbaty led to multiple stories and mentions in other media coverage surrounding the USBC Masters and PBA tournaments. The Sports Illustrated Times Square photos of Asbaty and Barnes have turned up in multiple media sources, in bowling publications and in USBC print and online publications, including bowl.com.

How far can bowling stars go? If women's soccer stars can cross over into the mainstream and become household names, expect to see Asbaty or other top bowling stars on Oprah anytime soon, if Clark has anything to do with it.

Clark's precise and powerful strike on the mainstream media garnered him the Bowlers Journal International Person of the Year in the magazine's "year-round" issue, released in January 2006.

"When it comes to bowling ink, Tom Clark turned out to beat the drums louder and more furiously than anybody," wrote Bowlers Journal International editor and bowling industry mainstay Jim Dressel.

Read Clark's media tour blog.

Coverage resulting from East Coast media tour:

• ESPN The Magazine: interview with Pete Weber


• ESPN News, Oct. 12: live interview from ESPN Zone in Times Square with Chris Barnes to kick off PBA Tour season; replayed many times


• Sports Illustrated for Kids, Oct. 24-28: Internet radio show on sikids.com features interview with Chris Barnes and Diandra Asbaty


• USA Today, Nov. 15: full-page In Focus story on Asbaty as lead up to USBC Masters; includes photo of her at Chelsea Piers Lanes, New York City.


• Heavy Milwaukee TV and radio coverage, Nov. 15-20: Asbaty and the Masters coverage resulting from USA Today article


• USAToday.com, Nov. 16: live chat with Danny Wiseman on eve of USBC Masters match play


• USA Today, Nov. 16: story on top couple Chris and Lynda Barnes as Chris participated in the Masters and Lynda in the World Cup


• Associated Press, Nov. 20: 25 large papers ran full stories from the finals of the USBC Masters


• Sports Illustrated, Nov. 21: Barnes and Asbaty photo from Times Square in the Week Ahead section spotlighting the USBC Masters as a top TV pick for the week


• Sports Illustrated, Nov. 28: full-page story in Scorecard section on rebirth of PBA Tour, pegged to Masters results with large photo of USBC Masters finals bowling stage


• Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Nov. 29: "Five things you didn't know about bowling," with Asbaty - resulted from USA Today article


• "Inside Edition", Dec. 2: story on Asbaty with video footage from USBC BowlFest at USBC Masters


• "Good Morning America", Dec. 8: show featured hosts bowling with Asbaty in Times Square studio


• Sports Illustrated for Kids, January 2006: feature story in which Barnes and Asbaty advise kids on choosing a bowling ball; photo of both in Times Square