Archive for category: Jeff ‘Laca’ Conway Blogs

The latest artifact to the museum is a rather unique piece showing the making of the cesta. The piece was originally on display at the Tampa Fronton for decades, and then stored at the Ft. Pierce Fronton since 1998. The half-built cesta clearly shows the unique steps involved of a device that was patented February 6, 1900. Other versions of the cesta had been around for hundreds of years until A.B. Smith, a resident of California, produced a version that is still used today- nearly 125 years later! His “invention relates to the improvements in the hand basket-bat for use in playing fronton”, the patent reads. “In playing the game fronton the ball is caught in therein, thereby giving the player greater control over the ball and also affording a more ready means for projecting the ball”.

The artifact has been placed in the “A” suite of the museum, a section that is devoted to educating visitors the history of jai-alai and how its materials used in the sport are built. It is located in a built-in section of the wall next to the “Making of a Pelota”, which was donated by the great Al Almada

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The JLaca museum is open by appointment only.  Tours last 1-2 hours.

This same story can be seen on our new Facebook page – Pelota Press – Tampa Bay <-Click Here

More photos, news and results coming soon.

Hi Jeff: 

I’ve been a jai-alai fan since Bridgeport opened in the mid-1970s.  The game fascinates.  I saw many of the greats as a kid.  Little did I realize back in the late 1970s the strength and skill of the Bridgeport lineup.    Even though many were at their peak or past their prime, the skill level and action was fantastic.

A buddy and I would like to take a trip to the Basque area, to see where it all began and is still played with enthusiasm, as well as commercial and fan support.  We would like to visit several of the frontons, whether in St. Jean de Luz, Biarritz, Gernika for matches.  We would also perhaps see some of the variations in pelota (though the traditional “handball” version doesn’t look that exciting.)  We could also visit where amateurs compete/develop. 

My problem is that I don’t speak or read Spanish/French/Euskara and I don’t understand where/when the matches are held.   Seems as if there’s a Partido here and there, mostly in Summer.   Some of the sites refer to tournaments, but it’s not clear whether these are held consecutive days or whether there are gaps in between matches. We would like to put together a consistent schedule around which we could plan a “road trip.”  If possible, we also prefer to purchase tickets well in advance to ensure entry to matches. 

Can you direct me to an authority or source on the subject, who could explain which are the most important tournaments/sites around which we could schedule a week or potentially longer visit?  

Thanks in advance,

Jeff Russell 

This is an email I got about a month and a half ago. 

I find it interesting because this is a “Bucket List” trip I’ve been thinking about going myself for the past few years.  I’ve heard a few others that have mentioned about making a similar trip while out on the cancha over the years, too.

Ironically, I’m at a Yankee spring training game in Tampa that same afternoon with Pelota Press’s senior blogger Marty Fleischman and his wife Sue, a huge Yankee fan. I was also with an old college buddy, Wyatt Cook, from nearly 50 years ago.  Wyatt and Marty were discussing Pickleball.  I knew they were both avid players and swore by the sport.  Marty’s pretty good – a top ranked player in Tampa, so they had a lot to talk about.  After a few innings (games go quick now – thank God!) the discussion turned to jai-alai.  Marty mentioned he was going to Spain in September and the trip included visiting former players and various sites in the Basque region.

I was thinking, with a little work and all the connections in jai-alai we have, a true dream trip could be planned. 

Of course, Partido’s are one thing.  Nothing beats a good Partido.  You can’t bet on them over there, but who cares. I went to the Partido event last April at Dania, and it was awesome.  There was no betting, but it didn’t matter.  The play was a thrill to watch with a good enthusiastic crowd watching guys like Olharan trying to overcome an injury after getting nailed in the leg.  Partido tournaments in Mexico City are amazing with 30-point games and that long, long court of over 200 feet.  And of course, who could forget the numerous Partido’s in Miami, Tampa, Orlando and in Connecticut?      

So, any trip would have to include some Partido events.  As Pelota Press reader Jeff Russell mentioned, visiting the frontons and places where amateurs develop would be cool to visit, too.  I’m sure the sightseeing would be awesome, the mountains, and villages and local restaurants.

How long would the ideal trip take?  Where should one stay?  These are all good questions.

Anybody out there got any ideas?  Get together a big group?  Email me with ideas guys!  I’ll also get back with Marty and contact guys like Danny and Olharan, who recently visited the museum and certainly can answer all the questions.

Thanks, Mr. Russell, for your email.  I’ll be in touch.      

Okay, you puppy kickers and girl beaters.  Evan W. Coleman has had enough of your bullshit.  Texas Jai-alai is going to be the REAL DEAL!!!

Just Google “Texas Jai-alai” and you will see for yourself.  Texas Jai-alai has been open since 2009 and is alive and well.  Yes, even drawing up to 12,000 fans a night at one time. 

Yes, most of you “bad” puppy kickers that read Tigers site have seen the website claiming that Texas Jai-alai is coming.  That was in 2009.  Today, multiple websites rave about the success of Texas Jai-alai. 

Jai-alai.info reports that Texas is the second state in the U.S.  What?  I recall San Francisco (California), then St. Louis (Missouri), opening frontons.  And so did Chicago (Illinois), and New York City (New York).  Oh, Connecticut had 3 of them, and Rhode Island had one, too.   Talk about sloppy reporting.     

Fla-gaming.com reports that Texas Jai-alai, opened in 2009, is located north of the city of Dallas, in the Palermo area.  Near the facility, is a commercial complex, so spectators can enjoy shopping and dining as well as jai-alai.  There is even a day-care center.  The Texas Jai-alai fronton is large enough for 12,000 spectators, including the VIP section.  There are concession areas, gift shops, and luxury suites. 

Texastatesports.com reports that the “first fronton in Texas was built in Denton in 1977 by a group of investors from Miami.  The game was an instant success with crowds flocking to the new fronton the watch the matches and gamble on the outcome.  The fronton quickly became one of the most popular tourists attractions in Denton, and it wasn’t long before other frontons began popping up around the state.”

I couldn’t make up more bullshit than what’s when up on the “worldwide web”.    

Yes, it is funny that a posting on Tigers site by someone named “Corta Deportes” reports that a recent story published by “El Correo”, a Basque Newspaper says four frontons are about to open in Texas.  In 2009.  Folks, that was 14 years ago.  “Until now, the construction of a new fronton in Texas has been announced, that, next to the new one of Jasper in Florida, will change the negative course of a specialty that has been in a crisis for years.”  A capacity of 12,000 spectators.  Restaurants, cafeterias and even a day-care center.  A 45-man roster.  Big pay checks for the players included.  The story concluded with a link to the Texas Jai-alai site, the same one we have seen since 2009.  Yes, that posting was on April Fools Day.  But his other stuff has been up for years.

Heck, even this very website you are reading had an announcement that Donald J. Trump was reopening West Palm Beach.  And this very writer claimed he was building a jai-alai court in his front years for the past 9 years. 

But then its was a posting by Evan W. Coleman on Tigers site, also on April Fool’s Day that opened my eyes.  Yes, that is the very person who is responsible for Texas Jai-alai.  To be fair, he has not made the ridiculous claims that Texas jai-alai has been alive and well all these years.  He did state back then that it would take 10-12 years for this to happen.  We are past that point now, but we also lost two years of our lives due to the COVID era.                

Here is a reprint of his posting:

Gentlemen,
Someone was nice enough to forward this web site and the threads to me yesterday and I would like to take a moment to respond to all.

First and foremost, thank you all for your concern about our future. We are very excited about what lies ahead for us, so let me address some of the nay sayers.

When we (jai-alai) are added to the current list of para-mutual sports in Texas, it is our intent to start construction within 6 months. I have personally met with the Mayors and/or City Council members of Dallas/Fort Worth, Arlington, Grand Prairie, Irving, Round Rock, Grapevine, Houston, Katy, San Antonio, Austin, Plano, and Carrollton.

Each and every one of those cities have expressed a huge interest in having us in their city. My job will be to select which city will be the host to the first Fronton. Several of the afore mentioned cities have even offered to build the facility for us.

Unlike the above individual who seems better educated than the cities or me, they understand the economic impact that a new sport will have on their community.

Slots or as they’re referred to in Texas, VLT’s (video lottery terminals), are not something we wish to have in any of our facilites! I do not wish to be associated in any way with something that in 10-15 years will be looked upon another failure in Texas. Slots machines are not a cure for bad business practices.

It will written into our Bill that we WILL NOT be eligible to place them in our Frontons. We also, will not simulcast horse racing or dog racing.

Why? We will be a Jai-alai sports and entertainment facility. Not a casino, horse track, or a dog track. We will offer the finest Jai-alai entertainment that the United States has ever seen, period. If you come in wearing shorts or a tux, there will be a amenity for you. Whether it’s for those who wish to stand or those who would like their own suite for the evening or just to hang in the VIP section.

Bennett, those are P-r-o-t-o-t-y-p-e-s.
Jeez……kinda makes you wonder…..

The players will be treated like the professions that they are. Unfortunatly, we cannot pay them like the NBA, but we can sure treat them that way. They WILL be paid better than ever before, but that being said, they will have to train like the pro athletes that they are. They will also be required to meet the fans and do public apperances, but they will also be free to pursue outside endorsements as long as it doesn’t cast a negative shadow on the Fronton.

We will take a pro-active approach in developing a local fan base. We will not hide or shelter the players from the fans. Nor, will we make the game inacessible. This is the reason for the 30 meter court that will be built on the adjacent to the Fronton.

We have no intentions of making the same mistakes that other facilites have made.

The largest facility will have a capacity of 11-12,000….. not seating for that many. I wish. No two frontons will be identical. The size of the city will decide the capacity of the fronton.

Yeah, the stuff is priced like you’d expect merchandise to be priced from a professional sports franchise. Also, it will change a little each year so that no two years merchandise is the same. That’s what will help make it collectible.

And finally for those of you who hope we fail. I truly don’t understand why you bother to use this web site. I thought it was for the fans.

Isn’t there somewhere else that your negativity and your desire to see other people fail, be better served?
It is very obvious that you’re not a true fan. I bet you even hit girls and kick puppies.

In closing, for those of you who are fans and wish to speak to me in person, feel free……..even the puppy kickers.

PS……..we are less than one week from our deadline to help the Katrina kids. If you can’t swing a shirt or hat, how bout 5 or 10 bucks on the donation button????

To all, even the girl beaters, have a Happy Holiday Season.

—————————————————————————————————————————————————————-

For all this to happen, Mr. Coleman is living a dream.  First of all, he will need upwards of $150-$200 million dollars to pull this off – maybe less if he is able to get those cities to build the facilities like he says they might be able to.   Good luck on that one. 

He then takes a stab at “Bennett” and says, “those are P r o t o t y p e s”.  I would assume he’s pointing fingers at the same Bennett, who I would say has been the most respectable poster on Tigers site over the past 18-years.  It must have been a previous posting he made that I was unable to locate.  But I’m not sure.  This Texas jai-alai site has been brought up a few times over the past 14 years on Tigers site.        

The next fallacy is the 11-12,000 capacities of each of the frontons.  What!!!  Are you kidding me?  That’s more than the Tampa Bay Rays, Miami Marlins or the Oakland A’s average at their crappy ballparks.  

He then takes a stab at Tigers site and wonders why people use it.  He even goes to the extreme of calling them as those that would go around hitting girls and kicking puppies!  Again, I couldn’t make this stuff up.      

He also talks about having no slot machines.  Texas does allow horse and dog racing, with the latter all but gone now.  Competing against slots would be like me competing against Goiko in a singles match.  Its only a matter of time till casino’s are allowed in Texas.      

I wonder if that Coleman posting was by Ralphy Boy himself.  He does a great job of checking on anyone before anyone can post there, and Coleman is Mr. Texas Jai-alai.  But I’ve never seen a posting by Coleman in the past.   

If it was April Fool’s Day joke all along, it was pretty clever!  And a “Happy Holiday Season?”  Wasn’t that a few months ago?  Jeez.  I’ve had enough.

Time to go kick a puppy, I guess.  On second thoughts, no I won’t.   

America’s first and only public jai-alai court is getting a makeover.  After major expansion work in late 2021 that brought the cancha close to regulation amateur sizing for international tournament play, a couple of wrinkles needed to be addressed.  The overhead protection screen, designed to protect wild throws from going into a soccer practice court adjacent to the cancha (and tennis courts further east of the court), was a few feet too low.  On top of that, the netting was sagging, getting into the play of action on throws that normally would land in play.   After 14 months of extensive playing, parts of the walls – both in the front and side were cracking apart.  The overhead black paneling above the front wall was not able to protect multiple balls from getting thrown up and stuck on top of the 8” wide front wall.  A tall ladder is needed to retrieve the “lost” Matt balls, often getting left up there for days till someone has the balls to go up there.       

The entire screen area has been raised by about 4 feet, with the right side the most critically needed.  The walls have been patched; with new thick black padding added along the entire right side just outside of the front wall.  Work has also been done to the metal chopa and the paneling below it.

The next phase will include work on the rear sunshades, to help players better see the ball attempting to make rebotes coming and blinded by the sunset, usually right behind the back wall facing the west.

The goal is to ultimately raise the center cable to 8 feet above the walls, doubling the amount it is now after the first phase.         

Then finally, the “makeup” gets put on the cancha. The unsightly white effervescence, “leaking” from the cinder blocks that were added to the court on its expansion work in late 2021, will be cleaned up and then the walls all getting a fresh coat of green paint.        

A fundraiser by Belota last summer along with construction work run by NJAA/Sunshine League contractors Scott King and Eric Lanctot were able to pull this project off.  Puryear Park jai-alai founder Paul Kubala was director of the project.  And a special thanks to all those that donated their time on the 3-day project that was competed over the previous weekend.