So, replying to several posts on this site is no big deal, but going to the bowl.com site to activate your membership is a hassle that you're just not willing to endure? I find that to be a little bit inconsistent.
As for the typical bashing of USBC that some have gotten into in this thread, I ask what are you expecting? What benefits ought the company to provide for the meager amount you pay in each year? Remember, at most, you're paying $21/year for standard membership. Only a portion of that goes to national dues. What exactly should our governing body be doing/providing you for that amount? Hell, to me the $18 I pay in each year is worth the bonding alone so that some lowlife doesn't run off with all of our league prize money, which does happen to people more often than you'd care to think.
One of you mentioned the magnets, key chains, etc. It's funny, I worked for USBC when they decided to get rid of all of that stuff (patches, etc), and you would've thought the sky was falling by the way people reacted. Mind you, I haven't seen an adult member display a patch in more than a decade, yet people were crying left and right about how disappointed they were that those were going away. Fast-forward to this year, and now USBC wants to move away from being an awards provider, so they are going to lifetime awards for 300-800. Again, you would think that they threatened to kidnap our children in the night. People are bellyaching left and right about it. Most people agree that scores are out of hand - which is something else people blame USBC for even though nobody is forcing any of us to throw high-powered modern balls or to accept cake house shots from our proprietors - yet we want to be honored for every 300-800 that we throw. Again, this seems inconsistent. In one breath we say that scoring is way too easy and that any moron can shoot big numbers today, yet in the next we spit venom because we want to honored and provided with trophies and trinkets to celebrate each score we put up.
The organization is losing members every year. Meanwhile, costs of doing business are going up on their end as well, yet everyone wants them to provide what they always have even though they have far fewer bowlers contributing to the pot than we had in years past. How exactly is that supposed to work? The fact is, it can't.
Let me be clear about something. I worked for USBC a few years back, and I was laid off when the company was forced to enact a 15% RIF DUE TO BUDGETARY PROBLEMS. If anyone has a reason to have an ax to grind with the company, it would be me. Nevertheless, I don't because I understand it was something the company had to do, just like I understand that getting out of the awards distribution business is something they have to do. The organization doesn't exist in order to hand out rings. They exist in order to uphold the playing rules, bond your league funds, promote the sport, etc. If you want rings and trinkets that badly, pay more to your local association so that they can do it, or put more into your league prize fund. Hell, buy yourself a damned ring or trophy! The point is, a sport's national governing body doesn't exist to hand out awards. Does the USGA send you a ring when you break par or get a hole-in-one? Nope. Why do we expect different of the USBC? The answer is because that's what it used to do, and some people can't get themselves out of the past!
Another funny element of this is that most of the complaints people have about all that USBC does or does not do for them are actually problems connected to an underperforming local association. When the local reps don't do their jobs well, everyone suffers, and it gives the whole organization a bad image. If you don't like the way your local association is operating, get involved. Try to get a position with the group so that you can be a part of making things better. If you don't do that. If you just sit on the sidelines whining and complaining, you're doing nothing to make the situation better.
I'm not trying to claim that USBC has always made the right calls in every situation. It hasn't. Mistakes have been made in the past, but bowlers have been complicit in many of those decisions. Still, the people working for that organization, by and large, love bowling and truly want the sport to grow and thrive, and I damn sure guarantee you that they aren't raking in big bucks and living the high life off of your membership dues! If you say otherwise, you're simply talking out of your rear because there is zero truth to that statement.
Sorry for the rant, which is obviously going to be viewed as an attack on certain individuals. That truly isn't my intent. I don't really even know these users. Still, I get sick and tired of reading same ignorant, mindless BS that is slung at USBC on sites like these. Don't throw stones. If you want things to get better, get involved and help make them better! Whining and complaining get us nowhere!
