Putting a cap on any league was a good idea until people started to sandbag. If you have a trio league and cap the teams at 660, the team that is winning and with a few weeks left is averaging 661 all of a sudden, then they will throw off so they can bowl the next season together. We want people to bowl the best they can, not bowl poorly to be competitive in the future.
I love the draft idea, espeically with an 8-team league. Shouldn't be too complicated.
Added prize money into the prize fund is very important as well. If you're shooting to get the cream of the crop, then you'll want to put a lot of money on top to lure them in. If this is going to be more of a laid back atmosphere for people to learn in, then charge $10/week and have no or very little prize fund and don't worry about sponsors.
To make the league credible it needs to be sanctioned. There is virtually no added work for the center other than having to reoil if their machine isn't putting out a legit shot.
The fact that the owner of the joint refuses to change shots tells us a lot about the state of bowling today and why it is where it is. It sounds like you are a person that wants to recruit bowlers for this person's bowling center to buy beer from them, pay their lineage, pay for food, and do whatever else, and he comes back to you with several restrictions. Sounds like a brilliant businessperson to me!
I'd imagine if you had rosters for 40 bowlers (8 5-man teams) that he'd change his tune quickly. Lazy people deserve to go out of business.
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Brian
MichiganBowling.com
http://www.MichiganBowling.comFamous Last Words of a Pot Bowler--"Ok, but this is my last game!"
