Author Topic: Future of Bowling (Read 1244 times)

MichiganBowling · « **on:** May 16, 2005, 04:15:38 PM »

I've been watching the conversations about the USBC proposal, and I've been talking to a lot of people about it as well. During the past week, I've been inspired to write something that might be a new take on it all.

Please take the time (if you truly care) to read the letter that I will be sending to USBC officials, ball manufacturers, and anybody else who cares about the industry and the bowling community.

http://www.michiganbowling.com/Articles/We%20Care.htm

Thanks!
--------------------
Brian
MichiganBowling.com
http://www.MichiganBowling.com

Famous Last Words of a Pot Bowler--"Ok, but this is my last game!"

stanski · « **Reply #1 on:** May 17, 2005, 01:16:40 AM »

It still amazes me everytime I hear someone talk about the past as if it were the epitomy of purity and class.

I'm sorry, but anybody who has been around the sport for any amount of time knows this is just not true! When a person discovered soaking acetone could soften a coverstock, they proceeded to take money from others until they found out what made his balls so much better. A year later, go into any hotel room and you would find a vat of acetone with a ball ready to go inside.

How many instances have you heard of people who used lead, mercury, and other substances in plugging to increase the hook?

How many times have you heard that the best bowler in town in the 50's threw an inferior 2 finger (thumb and middle finger) ball, or threw a backup ball? These were viable strategies that worked well.

Sandbagging has been around as long as handicap tournaments have been run. It is part of the game, it is very hard to combat it. I remember my father saying as a youngster in the 50's, he would go to the bowling alley to watch his dad practicing chopping spares. He became so good at this that he could chop nearly any spare at a moments notice, and no one would ever know what his tactic was.

The only problem with the decline of bowling is that it is a working class sport. An entire factory at one time could have housed leagues (in fact my father bowled in a league that literally filled a 60 lane house with bowlers just from his factory). The problem? The working class is being either eliminated in this country or not bowling anymore!

I believe the only way that bowling will become a mainstream sport again is to attract a younger generation. The question then becomes how do we do this? I believe there is no magic formula, and that somehow or another, bowling will swing back into popularity. In the 70's and 80's, you had to RESERVE or even pay for tennis court times. Now, its a stretch if you can find ANYONE playing anymore. Tennis was the in vogue thing, as bowling could become. The problem is that more and more people are glued to tv screens, cell phones, computers, and video games. No one wants to socialize in person, it all has to be electronic. Bowling is a social sport, yet our society is moving away from this.

People just have to realize that a 200 average is not a benchmark anymore. You KNOW when you see a good bowler, and it does not take a genius to figure out that working 5 years towards a 190 average when after a year you averaged 170 in the 60's is now the same as averaging 200 and working towards a 220 for 5 years. It is just a new yardstick.

Sorry that my thoughts are not linear, but I thought your article was great except for the few points here that I would argue. Great job promoting the sport, keep up the good work!
--------------------
stanski

Edited on 5/17/2005 1:15 AM

azguy · « **Reply #2 on:** May 17, 2005, 06:15:33 AM »

Maybe a bit off track....

I went to practice a few games yesterday, Monday, and a couple lanes down were 3 people just "throwing the ball to have fun". I watched a bit, and to my surprise , it was an older couple ( 60's-70's) and their grandson. I thought back to when bowling WAS a family thing, when on given nights most families were at the lanes , together, just having fun.

I was very young then, and mostly shooting pool, but I wondered if that could ever get back to the 'family thing' again ? I am limited by only having one - 24 lane establishment to bowl in and yes, it's on a military post, so the soldiers come first and everyone else falls in line , somewhere behind them.
Could a family thing exist again ? Could the interest in bowling as a family thing , as most started out, rebirth again ?

I doubt it, I say this as ..look at the posts. Some in here want tougher lane conditions. Not always a bad idea, but the families will not pay money to have conditions that takes away the 'fun' of the game for them.

If the league bowler wants to practice, there's usually a discount. Some lanes will be taken for that, cutting down the 'family' lanes.

You have leagues, again, cutting down the available lanes to family time.

Do I sound negative ? Maybe, but remember, I said I was practicing....not alone, my wife and my granddaughter. Yes, I'm raising my granddaughter and she has her own ball, single roller, ( she's only 5) and once her feet slow down a bit, she'll have her own shoes. She loves to bowl with us, and we take her as much as we can.

IMO, there needs to be a LOT more 'family time' in bowling, ( as a lot have said...younger folks) or in the years to come, there might not be but half the centers open, (except for the huge ones) but they will disappear in med to smaller towns across the US, as did the drive-in movies.

At times, I wonder, is bowling slowly going the way of the Drive-In movies ? It too, was once a 'family thing' and now, I bet there's less than 100 across the US.

I'm done.
--------------------
AZ Guy aka: R & L Bowlers Pro
rlbowlerspro@cox.net
www.rlbowlerspro.com

Sleep is over rated.

njbowl · « **Reply #3 on:** May 17, 2005, 07:11:09 AM »

I agree with you guys on the various resons for the decline of family bowling.
Two issues not addressed are:
Organized sports especially soccer and baseball dominate family life on weekends. In our town they start at 4 and go up to thirteen. Parents spend so much time a games and transporting they can't squeeze in family bowling.
Second is cost I recently took my daughter to a bowling party at a local house they had a great deal 2 hours of bowling and pizza , set up and shoe rental for $10.95 4 kids to a lane they bowled 3 games each and had a party.
If I take my two daughters non-party same lanes: $4.00 / game shoes $2.50 total cost three games $43.50 and no food. I understand wanting to make a profit at busy times IE Fri & Sat night but if the would cut families a break the house would be full of families. FYI there were 25 empy lane the whole time we were there from 12 to 2.
If they ran family promotions maybe more kids would begin to take interest.
Man lane discount to half price their league bowlers. Not everyone can commit to every week but I would pay for a yearly discount card and bowl with the family more often.
This site focuses on the high average bowlers. I am 58 bowling was the sport of the working class guy who needed a break once or twice a week. Notice as in the other posts it is the company sponsored leagues that have died. Two resons companies are cutting benefits and people are working longer hours just to make it.
Just some observations from a semi retired bowler who would be on the lanes everyday if I could. I never shoot 300 or 700 but still will someday soon I hope.
I meet I lot of great people old and young at the lanes, Bowlers a everyday people and usually just enjoy the challenge young and old.
--------------------
A Born again bowler with a mission to bowl 300.

azguy · « **Reply #4 on:** May 17, 2005, 07:52:27 AM »

I did forget much of what you said, when I was there (bowling) I had my pick of 24 lanes. It wasn't until the second game was almost over when the grandson and grandparents came in. Again, it's a military post so it's YOUR tax dollars that help run this one.

Baseball, not as much soccer is the biggie out here, and I'd guess 75-80% of the kids that play some sort of sport , play baseball. There are others, but I guess it's a change from one sport to another,maybe bowling will make a come back, but I'm not sure I'll see it before I die.

Of my 8 kids, 2 bowl, 4 are either in college or now teaching. One works for a mortgage company, one owns his own plumbing business, the other two run businesses with their husband/wife. Bowling is not a part of their lives, mostly due to time with family vs. time spent working.

A shame, but maybe "work" and time spent on the job, is a factor in the decline of many family activities...?
--------------------
AZ Guy aka: R & L Bowlers Pro
rlbowlerspro@cox.net
www.rlbowlerspro.com

Sleep is over rated.

MichiganBowling · « **Reply #5 on:** May 17, 2005, 10:53:16 AM »

Hey guys and gals, thanks for reading the article and posting. I am going to assume that everybody in this thread so far has read the article, but for everybody after this post, could you please start your post with either...

a) Yes, I read the article
or
b) No I didn't read it yet.

I'd just like to know who has read it and who hasn't, so that we can know if we are all on the same page so to speak.

Good points everybody so far, and thanks again for reading and posting!
--------------------
Brian
MichiganBowling.com
http://www.MichiganBowling.com

Famous Last Words of a Pot Bowler--"Ok, but this is my last game!"

Steven · « **Reply #6 on:** May 17, 2005, 12:20:02 PM »

Brian: First, I did read your article.

As always, I love your enthusiasm, but I believe you're still missing the boat. Your desire to recapture "community" is admirable, but the process is akin to herding cats and in today's world is not a practical goal. There are simply too many negative societal forces outside of our control. I know you hate hearing this and reject the premise, but reality bites, and in this case bites hard.

Remember, above everything else, bowling is a business and the house owners hold all the cards. Their goal is to maximize profit, and in the current economic climate, that means parties, cosmic and other gimmicks that bring in the most dollars for the least amount of effort. At the league level, that means catering to the bread-and-butter handicap bowlers who want to drink, eat, and have a good time. These folks want the gratification of scoring with the least amount of effort extended. So along these lines, the owners will reject any USBC changes that will cut into the ringing of the cash registers. Again, the owners have the power, and will not hesitate to protect their economic interests.

What will turn this around is developing the love for competitive bowling in the next generation of kids. Kids who love to bowl turn into adults who love to bowl and generate demand for the types of leagues that feed the tournaments we wish to see more of. It won't happen in the short term, but that can be the future if we wish to pursue it.
--------------------
"You want the truth? -- You can't handle the truth! "

Pinbuster · « **Reply #7 on:** May 17, 2005, 02:33:24 PM »

Bob â€“ What is considered a long format? In years past bowlers that I would define as flingers have won our city bowler of the year and their names would not come up in serious conversation of best bowlers in the city.

But that one year they caught lightning in bottle, matched up, threw a bunch of honor scores, and posted a high average. A year is a pretty long format.

This phenomenon is much more prevalent in the past. Because when you give everyone the pocket and scores are high just a couple of strikes a night difference in carry can mean 50 or 60 pins difference (besides the doubles broken up they miss half their single pin leaves). They go from averaging 230â€™s one year to 210 the next. In the past the good bowler could make up the small difference in carry by covering all their spares.

Sadly, I agree in that there is little they can do with lane conditioning and balls. The best I see is to ban particles and raise surface hardness.

Bowling has lost almost all pretense of being a sport and is nothing but a recreation.

stanski · « **Reply #8 on:** May 17, 2005, 03:13:00 PM »

quote:
I agree with you guys on the various resons for the decline of family bowling.
Two issues not addressed are:
Organized sports especially soccer and baseball dominate family life on weekends. In our town they start at 4 and go up to thirteen. Parents spend so much time a games and transporting they can't squeeze in family bowling.
Second is cost I recently took my daughter to a bowling party at a local house they had a great deal 2 hours of bowling and pizza , set up and shoe rental for $10.95 4 kids to a lane they bowled 3 games each and had a party.
If I take my two daughters non-party same lanes: $4.00 / game shoes $2.50 total cost three games $43.50 and no food. I understand wanting to make a profit at busy times IE Fri & Sat night but if the would cut families a break the house would be full of families. FYI there were 25 empy lane the whole time we were there from 12 to 2.
If they ran family promotions maybe more kids would begin to take interest.
Man lane discount to half price their league bowlers. Not everyone can commit to every week but I would pay for a yearly discount card and bowl with the family more often.
This site focuses on the high average bowlers. I am 58 bowling was the sport of the working class guy who needed a break once or twice a week. Notice as in the other posts it is the company sponsored leagues that have died. Two resons companies are cutting benefits and people are working longer hours just to make it.
Just some observations from a semi retired bowler who would be on the lanes everyday if I could. I never shoot 300 or 700 but still will someday soon I hope.
I meet I lot of great people old and young at the lanes, Bowlers a everyday people and usually just enjoy the challenge young and old.
--------------------
A Born again bowler with a mission to bowl 300.

I guess everything in New Jersey is more expensive! Here in detroit, 5 houses have $1 a game for anyone before 5 and $2 or $2.50 after that. One house during the summer has $10 for 2 hours even!

And yes, I did read the article.
--------------------
stanski

janderson · « **Reply #9 on:** May 17, 2005, 06:30:17 PM »

Yes, read the article.

You've addressed the general changes in our society and its values pretty well. I typically summarize that entire position in the off-the-cuff remark that we have become a society largely made up of the "me first and the gimmie gimmie" attitude.

I agree also that there are people who care. Unfortunately, that caring is all too often driven by the "I care about what I'll get out of it" mentality. Also unfortunate is that for any solution to succeed, it will have to feed and appease that attitude otherwise there will be no buy-in.

There is no bowling without the bowlers. Any human endeavor will reflect society's flaws as well as its weaknesses.

--------------------
J.J. "Waterola Kid" Anderson, the bLowling King : Kill the back row

joegunn · « **Reply #10 on:** May 17, 2005, 07:23:38 PM »

I read your article and enjoyed your assessment of the situation. I think Stanski made a good point by stating that bowling is a working class sport, and Redbear elaborated on the money aspects. In the "olden days", the husband was the sole supporter of the family and could maintain a house, car, etc. on his income alone. Today, a single income household is an aberation, and the men, who filled a lot of spots in these leagues, need to help out around the house and are not always able to commit to a 36 week league. And as housing prices and property taxes skyrocket, this gap will only widen.

While I agree, if you bowl a league and keep it simple by avoiding all the pitfalls (pots, brackets, etc.), you're still looking at $540 a year at $15 a week, and to many of the working class, this is an expense they can no longer afford. If you earn $15 an hour, the $540 is roughly 2.5% of your expendible income. At that rate, you can forget about practice. To take it a step further, if I would have told people in the 70's that some day they'd be paying upwards of $2.25 for a gallon of gas and $60 a month for TV, I wouldn't be able to type this because I'd be in a jacket with long sleeves.

While I am, like many of you, a huge fan of the sport, I'm not sure it's the sport itself that has driven people away, but rather other elements of society. It's no coincidence that most states have a lottery and/or legalized gambling, again, something that didn't exist in the 70's. It points back to instant gratification. Why would someone aspire to spend endless hours bowling, only to get beat by someone whose equipment matches up better, or worse, leaves a stone 8 to lose a tournament? On the up side, if you are willing to make that commitment, you may be able to be Player of the Year on the PBA...and make a couple hundred thousand, while the top golfer and poker player cashes in for $5MM. I'm sorry to be negative, but the light at the end of the tunnel is starting to get dim.

Thanks for reading,
Joe

MichiganBowling · « **Reply #11 on:** May 17, 2005, 10:34:54 PM »

I want to thank you all so much for reading the article. It really means a lot to me that you took the time to do so, because I know it was lengthy.

By all means, if new people read the article, keep on posting!!! Great posting so far!
--------------------
Brian
MichiganBowling.com
http://www.MichiganBowling.com

Famous Last Words of a Pot Bowler--"Ok, but this is my last game!"

Bluff · « **Reply #12 on:** May 17, 2005, 11:26:58 PM »

Future of Bowling .......................didn't know there is one
--------------------

Honestly I got a lot of balls. No NOT BOWLING BALLS!

Author Topic: Future of Bowling (Read 1244 times)

MichiganBowling

Future of Bowling

stanski

Re: Future of Bowling

azguy

Re: Future of Bowling

njbowl

Re: Future of Bowling

azguy

Re: Future of Bowling

MichiganBowling

Re: Future of Bowling

Steven

Re: Future of Bowling

Pinbuster

Re: Future of Bowling

stanski

Re: Future of Bowling

janderson

Re: Future of Bowling

joegunn

Re: Future of Bowling

MichiganBowling

Re: Future of Bowling

Bluff

Re: Future of Bowling