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Author Topic: Is professional bowling necessary for the....  (Read 4085 times)

Rantings

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Is professional bowling necessary for the....
« on: August 20, 2003, 01:05:07 AM »
the survival of bowling? This is not a question about where it's legitimacy as a right due to the best bowlers in the world but as catalyst for the continued growth of bowling overall. (you know that sound like an oxymoron...continue growth...bowling ) Anyone venture a reply...

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mumzie

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Re: Is professional bowling necessary for the....
« Reply #1 on: August 21, 2003, 01:45:09 AM »
Well, from a personal level, it's very important to me.
But, until we have our "Tiger Woods", in these days of mtv and instant gratification, the shows probably don't matter much.
High Rollers, because of the bigger $$, are probably more exciting for the masses.
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CoachJim

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Re: Is professional bowling necessary for the....
« Reply #2 on: August 21, 2003, 05:37:08 AM »
I believe Walter Ray is Bowling's Tiger Woods. He won 2 majors last year and set the PBA Money record on some of the toughest conditions the pros have ever bowled on. I for one would hate to miss what happens this year.
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Rantings

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Re: Is professional bowling necessary for the....
« Reply #3 on: August 21, 2003, 08:45:39 AM »
CoachJim,

  I disagree with your assessment of Walter Ray and Tiger. WRW III is the best in bowling, much like Watson and Norman but he has not gotten to the Tiger-level. This is not a slam against WRW but Woods is just in a different sphere than anyone else in golf or the sports world. This year is a bad year for Tiger and he has won 4 tournaments in 13 tries. Any bowlers won four bowling tournaments would be considered a great year. Tiger is in a slump for him.
And I too would hate to see the PBA gone this year.

Mumzie and SB you probably got it right.

 

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Jeffrevs

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Re: Is professional bowling necessary for the....
« Reply #4 on: August 21, 2003, 09:08:21 AM »
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Pinbuster

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Re: Is professional bowling necessary for the....
« Reply #5 on: August 21, 2003, 09:10:59 AM »
It keeps bowling in the eye of media but I doubt if many new bowlers start because of watching  professional bowling.

Just as higher scores haven’t helped keep bowlers, professional bowling does not keep them as well.
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Jeffrevs

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Re: Is professional bowling necessary for the....
« Reply #6 on: August 21, 2003, 09:14:24 AM »
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Urethane Game

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Re: Is professional bowling necessary for the....
« Reply #7 on: August 21, 2003, 09:57:38 AM »
I believe watching bowling on TV does motivate people to bowl.  In Cincinnati where I grew up, I watched the King of TV bowling program every Sunday.  I begged my parents to take me bowling although we were all reluctant because we didn't know how to keep score.  Later, I recall that many proprietors reported increase in Sunday afternoon lineage as a result of the show.

I also, of course, enjoyed the PBA on Saturdays as well. I believe professional bowling is integral to the game's success.  I would argue that without TV, Golf would continue to be a country club sport and not enjoy the popularity it holds today.  Bowling is down but not out.  The game as a sport has a greater potential to bring new people and retain customers than the game where Disco Bowling is more important to the bottom line.

Edited on 8/21/2003 10:07 AM
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bamaster

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Re: Is professional bowling necessary for the....
« Reply #8 on: August 21, 2003, 11:00:04 AM »
Yeah, I asked this question on my forums because I'm tired of everyone complaining about the PBA exemption thing.  Here's my thought...

There is so much hubub about the future of the PBA. People act like the health of the PBA determines the health of the sport of bowling. Does the PGA determine the popularity of golf? If the PGA died, the other tours would survive because golf would go on.

But if the PBA fails, would bowling fail? Would the professional bowlers not have any place to bowl? Would they stop bowling?

Who cares what the PBA does? If the PBA shuts you out with the 64-man limited entries, does that mean you can't bowl regionals or other events?

Tony Melendez
http://www.allBowling.com
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NevadaBowl

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Re: Is professional bowling necessary for the....
« Reply #9 on: August 21, 2003, 11:27:57 AM »
As far as a Tiger-like character in bowling, there are only a few of that type, but they haven't panned out.  When Chris Barnes came on the scene, everyone knew who he was when he arrived, everyone knew he had immense talent.  And if he started the way Tiger did on the PGA Tour, by winning a bunch of tournaments right from the beginning, then we would have that Tiger-like being.  Unfortunately, as good as he is, it didn't happen.

And there is some potential in some corners such as Mack or Haynes or some of the other people in the periphery.  Let one of those show up and start winning continuously and that is what it takes to have our Tiger.  But the key with Tiger is that he started out as a winner.  And then got better.

As far as the PBA itself...I think bowling, like any other sport, needs its elite class, a pinnacle to which people aspire.  I think it would be a blow for professional bowling and its exposure to fall by the wayside.
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Rantings

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Re: Is professional bowling necessary for the....
« Reply #10 on: August 21, 2003, 01:31:18 PM »
Tiger Woods was a known commodity before he ever made the tour. He was feared as a competitor long before he set foot on the PGA tour. I do not see anyone known to us today to fill his shoes or capable of being such to bowling. Not saying their isn't anyone but not yet known. Who knows? Maybe somewhere out there is an Earl Woods training his son to be the next Tiger Woods of bowling.

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CoachJim

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Re: Is professional bowling necessary for the....
« Reply #11 on: August 22, 2003, 06:23:25 AM »
My point is that maybe Bowling's Tiger Woods is already competing on Tour, but they have Tiger proofed the lane conditions.

What if the lane conditions were more favorable to a guy like Robert Smith and he was able to bowl with his "A" game, instead of always having to tone it down and fiddling with his grip etc... He would dominate like Tiger Woods.

Robert Smith's strike ball is equal to a 400 yard drive in golf the problem is with the oil patterns that the PBA is putting down these days, the fairways are playing very narrow.

Until they make the lane conditions more favorable to bowlers who are more "fun" to watch then WRW is as close to Tiger as bowling will get.



Edited on 8/22/2003 6:34 AM
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Pinbuster

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Re: Is professional bowling necessary for the....
« Reply #12 on: August 22, 2003, 10:16:24 AM »
You guys are now starting to talk like T-GOD.

When you make the lanes easier, you make them easier for everyone not just the Robert Smith’s of the game. I would still being willing to wager that Walter Ray, Parker, Norm Duke would still be the bigger forces are tour. They would still find a way to win.

Why does everyone want to have a game decided on carry? You wall them up and it becomes potluck on when one of your balls doesn’t carry.  Is it in the first, second, tenth, or some other frame? The difference is 290 vs 279 or 280.

The best don’t want the game to come down to the luck of carry, they want have to throw quality shots under pressure and if they don’t they want a penalty.

Besides I think it would get old if every week the championship were 300 to 279.  The only excitement would come seeing when someone would get tapped then match over. And if someone shot 300 every week it would become stale after a while just like in leagues now where nobody hardly notices someone shooting 300 anymore, it would become to common place.
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CoachJim

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Re: Is professional bowling necessary for the....
« Reply #13 on: August 22, 2003, 03:18:56 PM »
quote:

NO RESPECT!!!

WRW is making adjustments to keep himself on top so I'm POSITIVE that you can change the conditions to HELP any player that you want but know one thing WRW WILL win numerous times because he's THAT GOOD!

What makes any of you so sure that WRW is playing is A game and isn't using his B or C game to stay on top?

 


I have every bit of respect for WRW, I know that no matter how "easy" they make the lane conditions on tour that WRW will always find a way to win. I am not arguing that point, but right now the conditions are so hard that WRW is always the hands on favorite to win just because he can throw the ball end over end (which is very hard to do consistantly) and tame those outrageously snappy back ends.

I would just like to see a fair shot put out that doesn't give an advantage to certain styles of players. The way it is now, there is a limit to how much hook you can play and get away with it. If you are a power player you will find that the ball will skid through the heads and then snap so hard on the back ends that no matter what you do the ball will not stop hooking unless you change your entire game to match up.

It is getting to the point where no matter what pattern they put down the end over end shot will work on it. I just wonder why more bowlers aren't going to the WRW style of bowling, instead of trying to put 800rpms on a ball. Right now there are more Robert Smith clones on tour than WRW clones, why is that? Especially if anyone who hooks the ball more than Chris Barnes can't seem to get a check much less win.
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CoachJim

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Re: Is professional bowling necessary for the....
« Reply #14 on: August 24, 2003, 07:53:19 AM »
quote:
I'm confused as to why you feel that WRW always throws the ball end over end? I've seen him in plenty of tournaments coming around the side of the ball generating a good amount of tilt. I also have experienced that during the transition periods on these patterns a player is required to alter their releases to keep striking so I feel that your generalization that "end over end" roll will always work as being incorrect



I know WRW is capable of playing any angle he wants, but he is most dominant playing his end over end shot, and it seems to overcome most tough lane conditions. I watched WRW practice and he played every angle all the way to the 6th arrow and never missed the pocket.

I would just like to know which of those patterns favors a power player?

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