Computer Industry Giants Lace up for Tie-Breaking Round of The Computer Bowl

March 18, 1993 — With the score tied two-all, high-tech leaders from the East and West Coasts will go head-to-head in The Computer Bowl Friday, May 14, 1993, at the San Jose (CA) Civic Auditorium.

The coast that wins this march will reign supreme — “Computer Masters of the Universe”– until 1994 when the Most Valuable Players (the highest individual point scorers) of all five previous Bowls will compete in the ultimate Championship Computer Bowl.

The Fifth Annual Computer Bowl, produced by The Computer Museum and presented by the Association for Computing Machinery (ACM), is similar to the format of TV game shows. This bicoastal contest for computer knowledge and trivia has become the industry’s own celebrity classic.

This year’s Bowl is already in the bag, according to East Coast Captain MITCHELL E. KERTZMAN, chairman and CEO, Powersoft Corp. “Our team has superior intellect, more relevant experience, quicker reflexes, better verbal skills, sharper wit and better looks. If the West Coast team actually shows up, we’ll just kick butt, but in the stylish, dignified way that characterizes our modest approach.”

“With the momentum and home team advantage on our side, not to mention the positive karma we get from our superior West Coast climate, we’ll roll over and crush the East again this year,” retorts West Coast Captain DR. HARRY J. SAAL, president, CEO and chairman, Network General Corp. “Those guys will be out driving cabs Monday morning.”

Joining Saal for the West: JEAN-LOUIS GASSEE, chairman and CEO, Be Corporation; JERRY KAPLAN, chairman and co-founder, GO Corporation; MICHAEL A. MCCONNELL, president and CEO, SuperMac Inc.; LISA G. THO-RELL, director and principal analyst, client/server Computing Service, Dataquest Inc.

Joining Kertzman for the East: JOHN F. BURTON, president and CEO, LEGENT Corporation; NEIL J. COLVIN, senior vice president and chief technology officer, Phoenix Technologies Ltd.; ALAIN HANOVER, chairman, president and CEO, Viewlogic Systems Inc.; PATRICIA B. SEYBOLD, president and CEO, Patricia Seybold Group.

Hosted by STEWART CHEIFET, executive producer of the television show “Computer Chronicles,” the Bowl will be telecast live from San Jose to the Computer Museum in Boston and to Seattle, Washington, and will air nationally on PBS: Part I May 25-31; Part II June 1-7.

Microsoft Corp. Chairman BILL GATES is set to ask the questions, and 1992 West Coast Team Captain JOHN F. SHOCH, general partner, Asset Management Co., and 1992 East Coast MVP DR. DAVID L. NELSON, chairman, Fluent Inc., will judge the event.
To get ready for The 1994 Championship Bowl, the MVPs of past

Bowls will play in a Pre-Game Show featuring MITCHELL KAPOR, chairman, Electronic Frontier Foundation Inc.; BOB FRANKSTON, product creator, Slate Corp.; author PAMELA MCCORDUCK; and DR. DAVID L. NELSON from the East. From the West Coast; Bill Joy, vice president of R&D, Sun Microsystems Inc.; BILL GATES; DAVE LIDDLE, president and CEO, Interval Research Corp.; and JEFFREY C. KALB, president, MasPar Computer Corp. from the West.

The Bowl trophy has changed coasts almost every year. After winning in 1988, the East lost in 1990 but came back in 1991 to trounce the West 460-170. Last year, the West rolled over the east 320-240. A one-of-kind benefit for the Museum’s educational programs that plays out the legendary East/West Coast high-tech rivalry, the Bowl has raised over $2.5 million in donations and in-kind support since 1988. It attracts the support of hundreds of sponsors and enthusiastic volunteers, as well as media coverage around the world. The 1993 event promises to be the grandest Bowl of all.

The May 14th event offers businesses the chance to support educational programs and promote their own products or services. Fourteen companies have already signed on as Official Sponsors in categories including The Diskette, The Accounting Firm, and The Microprocessor. Various sponsorship opportunities are still available.

Educating the public about computers is the mission of The Computer Museum. As the world’s only museum solely devoted to computers and people and their impact on one another, it educates and entertains people of all ages and backgrounds with over 125 hands-on exhibits, three theaters, programs and the finest collection of historical computers and robots ever assembled. The Association for Computing Machinery is one of the world’s leading societies societies for computing professionals.

CONTACT:
The Computer Museum
Gail Jennes or Stacey Romanoff, 617/426-2800 x341/329