I’ve used the “Cross-training” post category very little recently, but this post was deserving of it’s own blog article…

Mike Reiss, ESPN.com’s Patriots beat reporter, noted that, in a break from recent tradition, in which coach Bill Belichick took his team to the movies during the team’s playoff bye week, Belichick took his team bowling instead, at the new Splitsville bowling lounge at Patriot Place, near Gillette Stadium in Foxboro, MA.

It’s been a while since I made one of these posts, but I felt I needed to make this one with the Boston area connection…

According to NESN.com, Boston Red Sox starter Clay Buchholz and his wife Lindsay have formed the Clay Buchholz Foundation, the first event for which will be “Buchholz Bowl” on July 18 at the Lucky Strike Lanes on Landsdowne St. across from Fenway Park. The event will benefit “Pitching In For Kids”, which provides scholarships to underprivileged children, and “Christopher’s Haven”, which houses children undergoing cancer treatment. The above article has video of the Buchholzs discussing the event with NESN’s Jenny Dell.

I haven’t made a post to this category in a while because of issues with Google News search returning irrelevant results, but thought I should mention, as I did on Facebook yesterday, that former NFL wide receiver Terrell Owens, whose team in the PBA League Norm Duke was bowling for this past season, will be making his USBC Open Championships debut tonight at the National Bowling Stadium in Reno, of which BowlTV will provide bonus coverage before their regularly scheduled coverage of the minors appearance of Matt McNiel, defending Regular Doubles and All-Events champion. T.O. will be bowling with the Bowlers Journal International team, which will also include Mike Jakubowski, whom some of you know as the PA announcer on the PBA Tour telecasts, as well as the lead announcer on Xtra Frame.

The Chicago Sun-Times notes that Bears cornerback Charles Tillman will host a charity event on June 7 at Kings Lanes in Rosemont, IL to benefit his Charles Tillman Cornerstone Foundation, which assists critically and chronically ill children. Tillman was a finalist for the NFL’s Walter Payton Man of the Year Award last season for his charitable efforts.

As the Denver Post notes, Broncos long snapper Lonie Paxton, just like his former teammate, Vince Wilfork of the New England Patriots, will hold a draft day bowling party on April 26 at the new Celebrity Lanes in Aurora, CO, which will benefit the Active Force Foundation, which supports wounded veterans.

The Chicago Tribune noted that Cubs pitcher Kerry Wood will hold his 7th annual Strike Zone Celebrity Bowling Tournament at the 10pin Bowling Lounge in downtown Chicago on June 27 to benefit his Wood Family Foundation.

The Pittsburgh Pirates announced that pitchers Joel Hanrahan and Chris Resop will host the annual “Bowling with the Bucs” charity event on May 5 at Legacy Lanes in Baldwin, PA, which will benefit the team’s charitable foundation.

Baseball players need something to do after workouts and games during spring training, and the Newark Star-Ledger noted that the New York Mets will have their bowling-bonding junket on Sunday (exhibition games start this weekend).

The Montreal Gazette noted that Bruce Boudreau, coach of the NHL’s Anaheim Ducks, recently took his team on a bowling outing. Boudreau, unfortunately, fared worse than his players, as he suffered a lower-body injury.

The Orange County Register reported that American League West rivals, the Los Angeles Angels and the Texas Rangers, joined forces last night at the Bowlmor Lanes in Tustin, CA for the “Stars and Strikes” celebrity tournament to benefit Autism Care and Treatment Today, which helps fund treatment for families with children in the autism spectrum. Former major league reliever “Everyday” Eddie Guardado organized the event, in which Angels players Torii Hunter and Howie Kendrick, as well as Adrian Beltre of the Rangers, participated.

In an interview conducted for the Austin Chronicle, Pittsburgh Steelers rookie running back Baron Batch relates that he recently went bowling with one of his teammates, throwing 8 games over 200 and averaging 220 in them.

It seems that the Chicago Bears love bowling with their fans. According to another suburban Chicago report, receiver Johnny Knox hosted a charity event in Algonquin, IL last night for his Johnny’s Opportunity Knox Foundation, aimed at helping needy families in his native New Orleans and Africa. Of course, many of his teammates were present.

A Minnesota TV station caught up with Twins All-Star catcher Joe Mauer at his charity bowling fundraiser (for the Highland Friendship Club) in Little Canada. Fellow major leaguers Jack Hannahan and John Gaub were also at the event. The station’s report as it aired on the newscast accompanies the linked page.

An Arizona sports blog reported that Zabian Dowdell, backup point guard for the Phoenix Suns, hosted a bowling event at the Phoenix Lucky Strike Lanes last night to raise money for the Association of Arizona Food Banks. Ironically, his team would have been scheduled to play the New Orleans Hornets and Chris Paul, a well-known celebrity bowler himself, if not for the NBA’s lockout.

A suburban Chicago newspaper report stated that current and former Bears players were in a charity bowling tournament Monday night at the eSkape entertainment center in Buffalo Grove. The tournament, organized by James “Big Cat” Williams, an offensive tackle for the Bears for 11 seasons beginning in 1992, benefited Deborah’s Place (which I assume is a shelter for abused women) and the crisis nursery at Maryville Academy.

The Stamford Advocate reported that New York Jets wide-out Santonio Holmes raised nearly $34K for sickle cell anemia research last night with a bowling tournament at Jersey Lanes in Linden, NJ. The event was organized under the auspices of Holmes’ III and Long Foundation (referring to his namesake son, who is afflicted with the disease).

The Buffalo Bills have been one of the surprises of this NFL season, and safety George Wilson held a bowling fundraiser last night at Manor Lanes in Tonawanda, NY, as noted by the team’s official blog. The event benefited Wilson’s SAFETY Foundation for at-risk youth in the Buffalo area.

Inside Hoops, a basketball blog, notes that Dwight Howard of the Orlando Magic will host a bowling tournament in connection with his All-Star Celebrity Weekend at Boardwalk Bowl (typo in original article corrected in this post) on November 12. Proceeds will benefit Howard’s D12 Foundation.

The Royal Oak Patch notes that Detroit Lions safety Louis Delmas will pair up with Pistons forward Charlie Villanueva to host the “Bowling Spook-Tacular” on Halloween night at Royal Oak Star Lanes. Proceeds from the event will benefit the respective players’ charitable foundations.

An Arizona Cardinals blog noted that the team will participate in a “Kingpin Challenge” charity event on Tuesday, Oct. 11 at Brunswick Kyrene Lanes in Chandler, AZ. The post did not mention which charity(ies) the event would benefit.

Like their NFL counterparts before them, the NBA players haven’t let a lockout keep them from engaging in charitable activity, as the Orlando Sentinel notes that Magic guard Chris Duhon will host the Ten Pins for Kids charity tournament Saturday at the World Bowling Center. Proceeds will benefit the Families In Transition (FIT) program of the Seminole County public school system.

The Huffington Post notes that Kerry Wood of the Chicago Cubs will run his 6th annual celebrity bowling tournament on Sept. 18 at the 10pin Bowling Lounge in downtown Chicago. This year, the proceeds will benefit the Wood Family Foundation, which was started by Wood and his wife Sarah this season as a general children’s charity.

The Minneapolis Star-Tribune notes that Minnesota Twins center fielder Denard Span will be the host of the annual “Twins & Pins” charity event on Thursday, Sept. 15 at Brunswick Zone XL in Lakeville, MN. The event benefits the Jeremiah Program and Friends of St. Paul Baseball (part of Major League Baseball’s RBI program).

This is something I try to post every year. 😀

The Boston Globe noted on their Red Sox blog that Josh Beckett will hold his fifth annual “Beckett Bowl” for the Josh Beckett Foundation and Children’s Hospital Boston on Monday at the Lucky Strike Lanes on Ipswich St. across from Fenway Park. The post linked above has the number to call for tickets.

ESPN New York noted that Rex Ryan, the always-brash head coach of the Jets, took his team bowling and held an offense v. defense competition. The defense won by a single pin, the reward for which was a day off with no meetings.

The LAist noted that Dodgers first baseman James Loney will host the annual Dodgers Dream Foundation Bowling Extravaganza tonight at the Lucky Strike Lanes at LA Live.

The Oklahoman notes that Los Angeles Clippers forward Blake Griffin, who brought excitement to the slam dunk contest last All-Star weekend by dunking over a car in the final round, will hold a bowling event in connection with his first ever basketball camp on Friday at AMF Moore Lanes in Moore, OK. The event will benefit the Wilson Holloway scholarship fund (named after a friend and high school teammate who died from Hodgkin’s lymphoma in February) and Stand Up To Cancer.

The Ft. Worth Star-Telegram notes that Texas Rangers third baseman Michael Young will kick-start his new Michael Young Family Foundation with the “Celebrity BaseBOWL Tournament” at 300 Dallas in Addison, TX on Sept. 11 following the Rangers’ day game vs. the Oakland As.

As the NFL lockout appears headed to a conclusion, USA Today noted that New England Patriots cornerback Leigh Bodden held a bowling scholarship fundraiser at a bowling center in downtown Washington, DC, his hometown. Seven deserving students received $1,000 stipends at the event.