I know cliques exist wherever you're at, and whatever you're involved with it.  However, it seems like it's easier to notice or identify the "higher" you are up in any certain sport or activity.  Some seem worse or more extreme than others though, especially with kids and their parents.  Their kid is always better than someone else's, or they have a better excuse, etc.  But what is the deal with bowlers?  I don't think I know of anybody that doesn't have an angle or a strong opinion about something or someone.  You have the drinkers who just get drunk and loud and fight with the serious guys, you've got the easy going guys who don't even pay attention to the rules that fight with the sticklers, you have the people who know nothing but think they're qualified to coach anybody, you have the guys who have these gigantic egos because they have honor scores on a house shot, and then once you get up a bit in the industry, you have the super cliques where people are so full of themselves that they view everyone "underneath" them as inferior.  These are the people that are supposedly doing the right things, and trying to advance the sport, all while holding all the peasants outside the clique at arm's length, the people they're supposedly trying to help.  You ever get that feeling when you're at clinics or around people that are names in the industry that yeah, they're passionate about it, but really only about making themselves look better and pushing their own agenda?  When you actually want to get involved or contribute, it's almost like you get a pat on the head and shooed back outside so the grown ups don't have to deal with you whether you know what you're talking about or not. 

Now for once, I'm not trying to disguise complaints about something that's happening to me.  I just keep seeing it everywhere and I'm really getting sick of it.  If you really want to help or improve something, do it, get involved, make everyone feel important whether they suck and are completely incompetent or not.  We all at one point or another sucked and were incompetent, and if you don't give somebody a chance, you might miss or piss off somebody with potential.  Yeah, you can get on a bowling forum later and vent about it, but I'm sick of seeing people talked down to or treated like crap because they aren't an established name or have a reputation.  Bowling is like being back in high school all over again.  Yes, there are cliques everywhere you go, but some are just groups of people with a lot of things in common, not exclusionary elitists. 

Well I'm glad I'm not the only one that's seeing it.  I didn't think I was, but you're right.  People get sick of the egos and the drama.  I don't know how many people I know that have quit bowling and they'll tell me, "I kinda miss bowling, but I didn't realize how much drama I got myself out of, quitting was definitely worth it."  Even when you're not in the drama, you still have to witness it.  I've personally been in the middle of a few big messes recently, and everybody is just trying to play this power struggle game rather than actually solve a problem.  Again, it's not something that's personally happening to me or that I'm involved with (meaning I'm not the one being patronized or excluded, etc) but it's everywhere around me and it's really pissing me off. 

I have stated this in my proshop a few times as being a major issue

I will comment on things I can relate to.

you've got the easy going guys who don't even pay attention to the rules that fight with the sticklers

,

I admit. I am one of the sticklers for the rules. What bothers me the most is anyone who doesn't know the rules and tries to add their "common sense" to the rules.

The other person I do not like is the person who reads the rules and comes up with their own funky interpretation of it. Learn how to read.

I honestly don't care much anymore. If your great at bowling and think your cool doing it......your an idiot. Bowling is fun, bowling is not and wi not ever be cool. Average means nothing. When you look at it this way and try to enjoy bowling for what it is, its more enjoyable.

Yeap, gotta agree too . .

I don't know what he thinks, but unless you're on staff with somebody and required to wear one, I think it's tool-ish.  Now, some of those PBA shirts are really freaking cool, but I don't know that I'd wear them to bowl in.  I wear my pro shop shirt to league, but that to me is the same as being on staff with a ball company. 

Quote from: kidlost2000 on September 25, 2013, 05:11:25 PM

I honestly don't care much anymore. If your great at bowling and think your cool doing it......your an idiot. Bowling is fun, bowling is not and wi not ever be cool. Average means nothing. When you look at it this way and try to enjoy bowling for what it is, its more enjoyable.

Just curious, what is your opinion about someone wearing a PBA, USBC, or some sort of bowling ball manufacturer shirt while bowling?

Really? I know quite a few people are douche-bags and they don't bowl at all.

All for it. I have two, thanks to Brunswick. I rarely wear them but they are nice shirts. It looks better then grown men bowling in football jerseys in my opinion. Still I'm not going to make fun of them or judge them for doing it.

I don't really judge people on there looks, skill set, or what ever. It is bowling, it is for fun. Yes I take it seriously, but I know I'm a dork for it. It isn't a cool sport. I've met a lot of guys that are really good bowlers and super d-bags at the same time because of it. I laugh because they have no reason to be. That happens any where in life.

I have a drill press, 25 undrilled bowling balls and only bowl one day a week. Work has screwed me at that for years. Still it is my hobby, that I enjoy. Most of the people I have met through bowling are really nice, so I think that is something people should focus on more and not the few that think it is more then it really is.

Yeap, again, clique issue.  Because so many people that do that are tool bags, people will automatically assume you are too.  It's hard to care and let people know you care while at the same time acting like you don't care . . ya know?

Quote from: kidlost2000 on September 26, 2013, 10:51:53 AM

All for it. I have two, thanks to Brunswick. I rarely wear them but they are nice shirts. It looks better then grown men bowling in football jerseys in my opinion. Still I'm not going to make fun of them or judge them for doing it.

I don't really judge people on there looks, skill set, or what ever. It is bowling, it is for fun. Yes I take it seriously, but I know I'm a dork for it. It isn't a cool sport. I've met a lot of guys that are really good bowlers and super d-bags at the same time because of it. I laugh because they have no reason to be. That happens any where in life.

I have a drill press, 25 undrilled bowling balls and only bowl one day a week. Work has screwed me at that for years. Still it is my hobby, that I enjoy. Most of the people I have met through bowling are really nice, so I think that is something people should focus on more and not the few that think it is more then it really is.

The reason I ask this question, because of the topic. I guarantee if I get asked to sub at my local center, I walk in with a Storm or Columbia Shirt on, I know what most are going say or think. "He's a PBA wanna be". I am automatically judged. I some kind of show off or I think I am better than anybody.

This seems to be unique to bowling. Other Sports like Softball, Golf, or even Fishing...its okay to wear Shirts from the manufacturers.