Author Topic: How do PBA bowlers survive financially? (Read 14820 times)

johns811 · « **on:** January 23, 2007, 02:34:20 AM »

http://www.pba.com/stats/ytdstats.asp?Tour=1&Stype=Earnings

I was looking at what the PBA players earnings are for this season. Only the top 14 bowlers have made over 40K. Most of them under 20K. Don't these guys have to pay their own travel? Do they have to pay to enter tournaments? After taxes and expenses I don't see how they can afford it. Do they get any endorsements or salary from the ball companies?

DerHornen · « **Reply #16 on:** January 23, 2007, 06:18:35 PM »

There are very few that can claim to be "rich" from bowling. It's the very top echelon guys that are making good money. No way I would sacrifice my job to go to the PBA, unless I had the type of job would be flexible enough to allow me to be on tour.

Example, WRW's career earnings are less than 4 million. How many years has he been bowling, and he's the all-time career money leader? He's made enough money to be comfortable, but he's the exception. I'll take my earnings from engineering and be happy with what I've got.
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DP3 · « **Reply #17 on:** January 23, 2007, 07:11:54 PM »

Seeing how alot of these guys already come from financially stable backgrounds due to family businesses, financial support from family at a young age, and long time sponsors, I do not feel that bad financially for the ones who aren't making TV every week, because throughout the years they've saved up and had enough investments handed to them to be "alright".

Then when you have players that will bowl leagues in their off season, tournaments, and action matches here and there, they can make enough money to rival their income in that 20 weeks of the tour. Hell I've seen many instances in some of our leagues in the area where a guy might nut 30 brackets, a few high game pots, cash 10 times in mixed doubles and walk out on a league night with close to 2,000-3k cold cash. In the bigger bowling cities where alot of these guys reside, look how easy it would be to walk into a 40 team mens league and make that kind of money just bowling 3 games.

Now, I do think that it's a shame that you can be in the top 64 in the world at what you do and not even earn a quarter million per year to do it. Take a look at your daily job/career, now imagine that you are known throughout the world for being in the top 50 in the world at what you do, and you still make your same salary that you are making now.

I went to high school with a kid who is now playing professional basketball for the Bulls and he's played maybe 18 games in 2 seasons for no more than 10 minutes per game. Wanna take a wild guess at how much he's made in the league in 2 years just to sit on the bench and practice? More than your doctor and lawyer combined. And oh yeah, the team pays his car/house note too. Now that's what I call the life of a professional athlete. Ain't life grand?
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Jeff Carter · « **Reply #18 on:** January 23, 2007, 08:34:42 PM »

My weekly expenses are as follows :
Entry Fee - $500.00
Hotel - $300.00 ( some weeks more, some weeks less / and thats with Priceline )
Gas - $100.00 and up on average
Food - $200.00 as a minimum
Drilling / Transport Fees - $45.00 per ball drilled & $60.00 per week for my shelf

That doesnt include clothing, vehicle expenses ( oil changes, maintenance ), laundry fees, and other misc living expenses ( haircuts, entertainment, etc.. )

Total all of that up and you are looking at a minimum of $1200.00 per week. Having a roommate helps split lodging and gas, but the biggest chunk is in the entry fee ( note : PGA golfers pay $100.00 entry fees and play for a little more than we do ).

Equipment contracts vary from player to player ( i dont disclose the terms of my contracts ), but they arent as much as you might think. Most guys have a minimum salary if that.

The Prize Fund Breakdown is as follows :
1st Place - $25,000.00
2nd Place - $13,000.00
3rd Place - $6500.00
4th Place - $5500.00
5th - 8th staggers from $3500.00 - $5000.00
9th - 16th staggers from $2500.00 - $3000.00
17th - 32nd - $2200.00
33rd - 64th - $1800.00

I for one am very fortunate for the fact that i'm involved with several businesses with my father. That is why i didnt join the PBA until 99, i was home running one of the family businesses. Now i support myself out here, thanks to my dad paving the way. If it wasnt for him, i would have to get sponsors and to be honest, i probably wouldnt be doing this. With that being said, i still work as hard as possible in the offseason to earn a living. I do a lot of coaching ( individual lessons at home as well as camps/clinics ), trade shows ( for Storm/Turbo/Etonic ), and i bowl a full schedule of regionals during the summer. There was a stretch between 03-04 & 04-05 when i bowled 102 PBA events in 104 weeks, just to make a better living. I love what i do and this is all that i want to do for a living, but with the cut in prize funds and the whole concept of the Exempt Tour its getting tougher and tougher to justify this as a career. My daughter is already a pretty serious dancer at the age of 9, and she spends it faster than i can make it ( i'm sure all of you fathers can relate to that !!! )

Now dont forget that besides all of this, we all have to deal with House Payments, Car Payments, household bills, insurance, etc......

Life on Tour certainly isnt easy, even for the most of the top players. Hopefully things will start to turn around soon, and the sponsors will come knocking on the PBA door. If the prize funds were to double / triple you could make a very good living out here, but right now things are very tight for a lot of guys

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Bowl up a Storm,
Jeff Carter
www.stormbowling.com
www.jeffcarterbowling.com

hanginaten · « **Reply #19 on:** January 23, 2007, 09:00:46 PM »

I am not positive but, I think all the food, hotels, gas, balls, drilling, storage, and whatever else should be tax deductible. Which is not a lot. In the long run that helps with a lot taxes they don't have to pay around this time of year.

BOWL119 · « **Reply #20 on:** January 23, 2007, 09:04:57 PM »

Not sure if this has ben mentioned, But there are alot of them who own a Pro-Shop somewhere and then make a decent amount of money out of them. Of course having a backer and endorsements is always nice...
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T.J.

BOWLING IS FUN NO MATTER WHAT YOU SCORE. BUT A 300 IS ALWAYS NICE.

STRIKE ZONE, ONSLAUGHT & PYRO. STAND 22 AND THROW 10 OUT TO 5 AND CRUSH THE POCKET. AT LEAST THAT IS THE PLAN OF THE NIGHT...

GOOD LUCK AND GOOD BOWLING!!!

qstick777 · « **Reply #21 on:** January 23, 2007, 11:25:36 PM »

quote:
If you think those wages are low, Think about our service men/women.

In 1985, I was an E-5 in the US Navy. My pay at that time was $1,085 a MONTH.

I wonder what it is now?

http://www.dod.mil/militarypay/pay/bp/paytables/Jan2006_Basic_Pay.html

Starts at $1814.10 up to $2526.60 per month.
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Author Topic: How do PBA bowlers survive financially? (Read 14820 times)

johns811

How do PBA bowlers survive financially?

DerHornen

Re: How do PBA bowlers survive financially?

DP3

Re: How do PBA bowlers survive financially?

Jeff Carter

Re: How do PBA bowlers survive financially?

hanginaten

Re: How do PBA bowlers survive financially?

BOWL119

Re: How do PBA bowlers survive financially?

qstick777

Re: How do PBA bowlers survive financially?