WHY CHOOSE BOOZE?
By Jim Goodwin
In looking for new sources of revenue for USBC, someone thought it would be a good idea to sell “beverages†to tournament contestants for consumption during USBC Open Championship competition at the National Bowling Stadium in Reno. “Beverages†translation – beer, wine and other alcoholic drinks.
Wow – from the reaction of bloggers on all of the sport’s forums, you would think they are selling the souls of Joe Norris and Dick Weber.
We asked the reason for the decision, and received this answer from USBC National Tournament Director Brian Lewis:
“The decision to allow consumption of beverages, including alcohol, was made by USBC staff, with full support of the Board. We believe offering this service will be well received by many of our bowlers while also helping provide some additional revenue for the tournament.
Our goal is to provide the best experience for participants at our championships. As you well know, some bowlers come to the tournament for camaraderie and would like to enjoy a beverage with their teammates. If there is an indication this change affects the integrity of the event or negatively impacts the bowlers’ experience, USBC will re-evaluate the decision.â€
We also expressed our dismay to hear this news to Jeff Boje, and he understood that “sport†bowlers were going to have a problem with it. He even admitted that it might prove to be a mistake. But his job, and Stu Upson’s job, and Steve Johnson’s job, is to grow membership and grow revenues for USBC and BPAA.
Our question to Jeff was “At what cost?†We have tried to find any other sport that allows the consumption of alcoholic beverages during professional or amateur competition, and the only one suggested was darts – but we have not been able to confirm that it is allowed in a serious dart tournament.
It does seem a little sad, however, that the national championship tournament has been reduced to the same status as a mixed league bowling on a house shot. And it sort of reinforces our decision to leave this event after bowling in more than 20 of them several years ago.
Jeff asked us to keep an open mind about this – and we will – but we will also respectfully disagree with the decision and predict that this will be a one year deal so all you good ‘ol boy bowlers out there who crave to have an expensive brewski while bowling this event . . .drink up, and enjoy it while it lasts. And we hope the profit avails some of USBC’s money woes so they won’t need to continue this in the future.
Booze at USBC Open Championship Tournament?
Tell us it ain’t so!
by Jim Salisbury
Jim Salisbury is a bowler and bowling proprietor who is very concerned about the integrity od the sport. The following is, in our view, an honest, and emotional reponse to the recent decision to sell beer at the USBC Open Championships.
Salisbury''s words reflect the emotions being felt by many bowlers who may not have all of the information they need to fully understand the issues facing our sport and industry. And there are always two sides to every issue sometimes more. For more on this, see Bowl O Pinion, and Jeff Boje''s view from the USBC President.
Beer and bowling go way back. It is most enjoyable to toss a few back with friends after a friendly session on the maple and pine. Many a round has been bought upon failing to produce a strike when all your mates have hung you in the beer frame. The revenues produced in a typical bowling center bar during league night can be impressive. In Milwaukee, "Beer, brats and bowling" has been the mantra. One only has to look back at the golden age of bowling to find such classic teams as the Strohs, Hamm''s and Monarchs who have all won team titles at the Open Championships. Who can forget the exploits of the famous Budweisers? As a young man, I confess that I demurred to the allure of the Rhinegold girl.
But if you were able to ask the Webers, the Welus or the Norris'' what part beer played in their outstanding performances, the answer to a high degree of certainty would be none. The drinking of alcohol before and after competition was not unusual. The consumption of such during, unthinkable. To do so would degrade the competition, venue and the sport.
But now the big news out of Reno, suggestively and quietly buried in the fine print of a spinned release, is that the consumption of alcoholic beverages at Nationals will be allowed during the competition.
What have they done?
In one dumbfounding, unbelievable edict, the "leaders" of the USBC, the very institution we entrusted the sport to, hath proclaimed in no uncertain terms that amateur bowling to its highest level is no longer a sport, being reduced to a recreational activity. The National Governing Body, their very mission statement reads "Grow the sport", has fired the final salvo reporting the demise of the sport of tenpin bowling. They have placed the Open Championships on a par with the Tuesday night mixed.
What right do the people who made this unilateral decision have to single handedly destroy the reputation, rich history and unmatched tradition of the most prestigious amateur national tournament bowling has to offer? What a selfish act!
Forget Olympic status. It is hard enough to do drug testing before and after the event. To test during - impossible. One can see the post game interview, "It was the ball change in the fourth, the inside move in the seventh and the lager in the ninth that saved the day for me!"
And with that comes the end of the USBC as a National Governing Body. The evaporation of team USA and the end of Title IX funding follows.
To all of the bowling journalists throughout the land who have covered the sport of bowling so wonderfully I suggest that you go to the mirror and take a good look. Throw all your copy in the toilet for you will be reporting a big lie. The BWAA would be doing a disservice to this industry if it does not vigorously condemn this action in the most forceful language possible.
The Professional Bowlers Association must also come down hard on this subject. The reason is that its fine code of conduct faces an erosion from a governing body which has a weaker stance with regards to ethics. Drugs and alcohol have tarnished the careers of more than a few professionals. Placing an excuse for a return engagement with alcohol fosters nothing but tragedy. The commissioner needs to remind the membership that this should and will not be tolerated.
What a sorry position this puts our fine coaches in? How do you explain to young people that the USBC allows consumption of alcohol during the highest levels of competition? That its OK to drink during competition? What do you say to the parents? All coaches must condemn this, now!
All of the time, money and effort spent by the USBC in their disingenuous attempts to portray bowling as a sport has now in one swoop been wasted. This includes the money spent on training of coaches, research into equipment and lane specifications, the training facility itself - all wasted now that bowling as a sport has been declared by idiots as a purely recreational activity.
And finally to the delegates and the local association volunteers who form the backbone of the congress I say you have been betrayed on a level that is stupefying. No longer can you afford to consider the convention a vacation. Take back your congress! Take back your sport! Vote to suspend the rules and vote "no confidence" in your current leadership and show them the door! Throw the bums out!
A View from the President of USBC
When USBC has issues that affect bowlers, they sometimes have to make tough decisions, and as USBC President, Jeff Boje is involved in that process. He also knows that every decision will not be popular, but regardless, tries to make the best calls to benefit the greatest number of members. Here is what he has to say regarding some of the latest challenges facing USBC management:
The USBC is now facing the same financial situation as a majority of citizens the United States. We are victims of one of the most severe economic recessions since the great depression. We have real estate (the former headquarters in Greendale) that we are not able to sell at the value that we had counted on. Additionally, revenues have dropped dramatically in membership, sponsorship, advertising and participation in our Championships tournaments.
I want to be perfectly clear. The USBC is, without question, solvent. Core operations are fully funded and we are more than capable of meeting our fiscal obligations. However, we must do the responsible thing. USBC must increase liquidity, find new ways to increase revenues and be diligent in cutting expenses to become as efficient as we possibly can.
I reject the opinion that allowing alcohol to be consumed at the Championships tournaments destroys the integrity of our sport. I support the staff’s decision and believe that the arguments that I have heard in opposition to this “trial†policy change are exaggerated and based primarily on preconceptions, emotional reasoning and personal bias.
Taking chances and daring to make changes that increase revenues during tough economic times is not a travesty to our sport. Digging in our heels and refusing to try new things that allow us to grow as the Governing Body of an ever changing sport, in an ever changing world would be a far bigger mistake. One has only to watch the Olympic Games this year to find glaring examples of change. Some that have made heroes out of athletes in sports that did not even exist a few decades ago.
We must be careful when comparing ourselves to other sports. Being different is not a reason to do or not to do something. I know of no other sport that draws 70-80,000 competitors to its amateur championship competition year after year. Many sports have only a fraction of the active weekly participants that we have. I could go on and on. Don’t compare bowling to other sports and use that as the dominant rationale in a debate for our sport. It is a slippery slope and proves nothing.
I believe that this debate is lacking in substance and is being driven by a minority of competitors in our championship tournament. The majority of participants in the early going of this year’s tournament has found this a welcome change. It has even been met with applause in several of the opening squads. There have been no instances of intoxication, slowing down of the pace of competition or interrupting those that choose not to consume alcohol.
The most commonly expressed objection is that it reinforces the perception of the “beer-guzzling, fat, out-of-shape bowlerâ€. Allowing alcohol to be served while bowling at the championship tournaments does not create or reinforce this perception. If I were to point out the most damaging perception issue in bowling today it is not that of a “beer-guzzling, fat, out-of-shape bowler,†it would be a dumpy, run down, mismanaged bowling facility. This, unfortunately, in all too many instances, is very much rooted in fact.
Let’s be proud of who and what we are. I know of no other sport that so chronically tries to compare itself to other sports and then becomes so critical about being different. We are different. When all is said and done, we are better. Let’s wait and see what the results actually are of this policy change and then we can evaluate the pros and cons. In other words, let’s wait until the fat golfer sings before we judge.
Edited on 3/9/2010 4:28 PM
