Scott
quote: Let's just let 'em run it down into the ground without a fight.
I think that is the point. It's not a fight, it needs to be a combined effort. No one is to blame, no one gets the credit, it's mutually beneficial to all. In some ways the proprietors are starting to get the message. Every other week leagues, short season leagues, nascar leagues are all examples of leagues that are targeted to a specific type of bowler. They can produce some excellent results. However, where ABC has fallen short is that these are not sanctioned bowlers. The traditional $16 sanction fee, awards, bonding, and lane certification are meaningless to these bowlers. ABC through Strike Ten gained several sponsors that provided free game coupons on their products. This greatly helped to bring open bowlers into the centers but produced vey few new sanctioned bowlers.
On pinbusters point for tougher conditions, I think ABC is making its point with sport bowling. Let there be a seperate distinction by identifying what a tougher condition is. Allow bowlers the choice of just how challenging a shot that they want to compete on. I have always felt that even house shots should be rated on a scoring potential scale. Let the bowlers know just how easy over difficult a particular house or lane condition really is.
On the issue of youth/adult bowlers. Scott, you make a great point. In current society, many youth bowlers drop out lae in high school or during college, move on to starting a career and a family and then will come back to bowling in their late 20's or early 30's as their lives stabilize. Only the very skilled continue bowling straight through.
I guess as far as Roger Dalkin is concerned, we will have to agree to disagree. Roger can be most effective by getting all the components of USBC working together before taking on a leadership role in the industry. That can't be done by making rules and tougher lane conditions but by finding a way to communicate with all bowlers and proprietors.
