Shannon said that in what, 2012? I'd like to think someone could change their tune in 10 years, but even if he hasn't changed it personally, if he has to change it for Bowlero to make money (and him to retain his position) then he'll change it out of convenience.
He said that in 2014.
And while I get that a person can change their minds about what they said, it's that much harder to undo the damage caused by the actions behind what they said. After his comments, Bowlero all but killed pro shops in their alleys, eliminated leagues, eliminated alleys, and pushed the league bowler out in favor of the recreational use and party crowd, and charging $15 - $30/per half hour in an attempt to lure that crowd, which apparently isn't going as well as they hoped.
I get the changing of their minds to try to get the league bowlers back, but they have a lot to undo that burned the league bowlers to get them to trust them again to not repeat the damage they have done. Like Poison sang
Like the knife that cuts you: the wound heals, but the scar remains.I think a lot of people take a look at what the USBC's mission statement is and try to apply similar logic to Bowlero. USBC can afford to be stoic in its mission (to a fault, for that matter) because that's in line with what nonprofits typically do. For-profit corporations are a lot more nimble as a rule, as they are serving a different endgame (profit vs. true "mission").
That's roughly the same with any corporation versus non-profit, along with who those entities are beholden to: For example, banks are beholden to the shareholders of that bank, while credit unions are beholden to the members of that credit union. Similar applies here: Bowlero is primarily beholden to the shareholders of the company, where the USBC is beholden to the members of the USBC.
The big thing in this discussion is that the USBC was/is doomed. It has no leverage with centers anymore, and it lacks both the physical and monetary assets to grow league bowler membership by itself. It must do so in concert with BPAA and Bowlero centers -- and that's assuming the USBC would change its mission statement to prioritize recruiting new bowlers, which it has never shown any interest in doing. If Bowlero kills the USBC, it will be a case of hastening the inevitable. The USBC's core business going forward is going to be much leaner -- coaching/training, and running Nationals, the latter of which is the one thing Bowlero can't reproduce like-for-like because of its longevity and history. As the prime director of how the sport is going to be played in private centers, those days were going to be over in the next 10-20 years anyway. Now it's probably the next 5-10.
While not defending the USBC, it didn't help that one company bought out most of the chains of alleys in the country. That does put a strain on the supply of alleys in the country, and could effective bring in talk of monopoly. But that is for another conversation altogether.
Again, I don't think that Bowlero's certification program will kill off the USBC, as a lot more than just leagues depend on the USBC. I mean, Team USA, Jr. Team USA, Collegiates, participation in PABCON, World Cup, and other international tournaments all depend on the USBC, in addition to stateside tournaments. The USBC is the governing body on those, and because of that, the USBC isn't going anywhere. At the most, Bowlero's offering will only be as an alternative to what the USBC already offers, stateside. That's why I keep saying that people need to hold fire with talk of this killing off the USBC.
BL.
