Post by: TamerBowling on April 19, 2012, 10:49:00 AM
I didn't want to get into the whole state of bowling discussion, but rather more specifically my frustration over the PBA and where it seems to be heading.
I wrote an article here:
Some highlights:
World Series of Bowling... More than half the current PBA season is bowled in less than 3 weeks. It's in one venue and taped, then aired months later. Does that bother anyone else? It just doesn't seem fair that a "Tour" could have half its season in one venue. So the guys that are hot for 3 weeks and like that venue basically make every show. Kind of sounds like what happened.
There seems to be no money left in it so not sure how it will survive. How can bowling be the most widely played sport in America, yet we can not convert people into viewers. Someone mentioned poker. How can poker generate such interest for a relatively boring game to watch. Is it really that much more interesting than bowling? If so, then the PBA need better producers/directors to liven up the shows. We need more sponsorship.
I think PBA execs need to be held to account. How many years will this go on, or can it go on? In my company, if we lose money, executives are on the chopping block.
Anyway, that's the short story. Check out the article and let me know what you think.
Anybody seeing a light at the end of the tunnel?
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Post by: Polish_Hammer on April 19, 2012, 11:21:31 AM
There is obviously a lot that has to change to make the PBA a marketable product again and bring back better prize money. I don't have an issue with the world series of bowling concept as it was out of necessity. When you are not bringing in viewership revenue then you have to reduce production costs by filming 8 tournaments over a short period of time. If you want to attract international bowlers to come to America you have to give them an opportunity to complete in more than one 20K tournament. The international bowlers were never afraid to bowl against the U.S. it just wasn't worth the airfare. My son has dreams of bowling in the PBA, so I sure hope they find a way to turn it around in the next couple of years but I fear it will be nothing more than a weekend hobby and that the days of "making a living bowling are over"
Post by: Stan on April 19, 2012, 11:47:56 AM
I agree in everything you wrote. Over the years, the PBA has tried many gimicks to revive its telecast. Bowling outdoors, in parking lots and even shopping centers (women). It has been one failed gimick after another. In my opinion, Tom Clark has got to go ! He is the gimick king. By trying to appeal to more viewers, Clark has alienated the faithful. There is a line drawn between those of us that want to see high scores and honest scores. Lettting the bowlers practice on the final TV pair where they can create a shot for them is not bowling. I am sure many of us would like to herd all the fish in a pond to one small section so we can throw in our line and catch as many as we want, but is that really fishing as a sport ?
Bringing in Rob Stone to some was good, but was it good for the "sport " of bowling. An announcer making FUN of the sport that he is covering. How many other sports on TV have announcers making fun of that sport. Then the kicker, the PBA actually has a song made dipicting a hambone. The PBA was made a joke and unfortunately it will remain one for a long time.
I alway had a thought. Its hard finding big sponsors. How about finding smaller ones and group them together. For instance, you can have the technology sponsor (IBM, Apple, Microsoft, etc.), cellular sponsor (ATT, Verizon, Sprint, etc.) Vehicles in Motion sponsor (Chevy, Ford, Honda, Nissan, etc.). I think you can see where I am going with this. By smaller, I do not mean size of company, although that would also work, but ones that would provide less money. I feel you have to be more creative and this is only one way.
I wish I had a fix, but I do not. All I can say is change the leadership and showcase the talent in a more professional manner and maybe the sponsors will come back.
Post by: TWOHAND834 on April 19, 2012, 01:58:16 PM
I think that getting rid of the exempt tour is a good step. That really limited what the PBA can do financial wise. In todays economy, if the TQR had 100 bowlers but they only take 3 or 4 people, my chances to make the show were slim to none. So, was it worth the cash to enter? Not really. Now by making it a non exempt tour again, I think more bowlers will think they have a better chance to make the show and entries will increase. They wont have to beat 97 other bowlers for 3 spots. The USA is not short of amazing talent. Just look at the US Open and Masters. How many entries are at those 2 tournaments compared to the others? Granted that doesnt mean that we will see 400 entries at every stop. But I could maybe see as much as 150-200 at times. So maybe with that in mind, they could possibly become a "tour" again as opposed to bowling half the stops in Vegas? Another thing they could do is instead of a 20 week season, they could have a season similar to the PGA; make it a 9 month long deal with a 2 week break every 8th week and have a "playoffs" at the end of the season based on points; 1st week take the top 80 in points, 2nd week take the top 60 in points, 3rd week take the top 40, and the last week take the top 20. It isnt as though the bowlers want to stop bowling as they go overseas to some tournaments when they are not bowling any tour stops. Another idea, is the Summer months would be a great time to have stops because tv wise, they wont go against NCAA/NFL Football, NCAA/NBA Basketball will be over. The only thing they would go against would be MLB and NASCAR. Summer Leagues are typically smaller as alot of bowlers take the summer off. So, why not maybe even have a fall season, say maybe 20 weeks, take a month off and then have a Summer Season with another 20 weeks? The PBA can get creative but I think maybe the first thing to do is have Tom Clark let go for someone who is an embassador to the sport, like a Brian Voss or or someone of that caliber to take over and run things.
Peace doesnt always have to be silent.
Post by: Russell on April 19, 2012, 02:17:13 PM
I'm not sure how the "execs" can be held accountable....
Bowling has been in a MASSIVE decline for 30 years. We have about 30% of the sanctioned members we had in 1980, and yet the population of the US has DOUBLED in that time....which adjusted means that bowling has dropped per capita by about 85%...
THAT'S AN 85% DECLINE.....
During that time equipment has become disposable....I have been saying this for the past few years that ball death was killing the game. Noone is paying attention to the fact that new bowlers come in and spend $150 on a Cyclone to learn how to throw a hook....3 months later the ball might as well be urethane. They have to spend $20 to bleed it out...but even that doesn't always work. Now they're having to spend another $150 on a new ball.
The statistics are misleading....bowling is not the most participated in SPORT...it's a very participated in GAME. People play putt putt by the millions...but you don't see guys running out to join the putt putt tour. Bowling needs some major changes, and until we accept the real deep issues it can't get better. Lane conditions and scoring aren't the problem....it's the cost.
That's just my .02
Little known fact: In Russian "Hope" and "Change" translate to "Tax" and "Spend"
Post by: Coolerman on April 19, 2012, 02:38:53 PM
If you really want to know how the pros feel,ask them.If you are a fan of certain PBA stars
on Facebook.Ask them. They are not happy.
No lefthander winning in over 50 years.That says volumes.
Post by: TWOHAND834 on April 19, 2012, 03:20:48 PM
Russell,
Read my post again. If you dont think people wont go out and bowl the tour then why do the 2 biggest tournaments of the year have hundreds of entries? Its not like eveyone gets a free entry. The talent level is out there. There are alot of people who want to but cant because of the exempt status nonsense. It was the Execs decisions to make it exempt. If the bowlers are not happy then that speaks way more volumes then any opinion we put on here. Obviously something has to change or the PBA will be no more. Like any other failure in life, it all starts at the top. Cant really compare the USBC to the PBA either.
Peace doesnt always have to be silent.
Post by: Sunshine n Lollipops on April 19, 2012, 03:21:04 PM
No left hander winning in 50 years? HUH? Did Jason Couch switch hands when he three-peated the TOC?
The PBA players are unhappy? Boofreakinghoo. Then they need to get off their asses and do something about it. Quit waiting for somebody else to set the table. Re-organize. Produce your own shows and market them to the highest bidder. Demand a say in when your match is going to televise. Go out and show potential sponsors what you can do. Get rid of the exemption except for the top twenty five point earners like it USED to be. Where the hell is the spirit of the original PBA that gave a guy $50 and organized the PBA decades ago. If they love the sport enough to try and make a living at it, they need to get involved and take control of their own destiny.
Don't believe in the Uzi, it just went off in my hand. I, I believe in love.
Post by: trash heap on April 19, 2012, 03:49:10 PM
Lane conditions and scoring are the reason for the high cost in this sport.
Post by: Coolerman on April 19, 2012, 03:52:15 PM
Post by: Sunshine n Lollipops on April 19, 2012, 05:00:14 PM
What I hi-lighted is what you wrote. What you wrote in reply makes sense now. Thanks.
Don't believe in the Uzi, it just went off in my hand. I, I believe in love.
Post by: Russell on April 19, 2012, 05:01:28 PM
I know my post is meant for the sport in general, and not just the PBA. I agree that the exempt tour was stupid. They needed to open up the fields, but the problem now is with open fields you'll have even more bowlers that won't find it worth it to go and bowl against the best on planet earth for $10k top prizes. Sure you'll find a few suckers that want the experience.
I disagree with the talent being there...there's just no way bowling has declined as much as it has and retained a similar number of top tier talent. Not saying there aren't great bowlers, but there are very few of them now compared to 20+ years ago.
I just think it's more than coincidence that in the same time USBC has declined as much as it has the PBA has declined too. It's not the PBA's fault (they aren't helping themselves either) that USBC won't grow a spine and do what is necessary to save the sport.
Little known fact: In Russian "Hope" and "Change" translate to "Tax" and "Spend"
Post by: Russell on April 19, 2012, 05:05:50 PM
Also I'd point out that the entire tour doesn't travel around and bowl worldwide....just the top tier. The guys that have their travel paid for by ball companies are the ones bowling overseas, not the guys making $30k per year in earnings. The tour needed to shorten the season to save expenses for themselves and the middle of the pack.
Guys bowling each week spend about $800 on travel, food, and entries. How can they do that for 9 months and only collect more than $2500 with a top 5 finish? It's how you read of stories of guys coasting into the WSOB on fumes with no $$ in their pocket.
Little known fact: In Russian "Hope" and "Change" translate to "Tax" and "Spend"
Post by: Xx 12 X 300 xX on April 19, 2012, 05:20:47 PM
If people didn't come and bowl a TQR for $200 against lesser competitors, where you only had to finish sometimes in the top 12 to be guaranteed a cashers check in the tournament than nobody is going to pay $500 to bowl against the whole entire PBA field for a chance at making $0 money.
Were people unable to understand that bowling for $200 against a lesser field gave you a better chance at making money?
PBA 1986 is not coming back anytime soon, with fields of almost 300 bowlers each week. 300 people are going to travel around the country for $10,000.
The World Series of bowling has been loosing 50 entries a year since the first year it was started, and these are all "open" tournaments to PBA members. There are almost 4,000 PBA members but you can't get 300 to show up for a tournament.
No money = nobody wants to bowl....and even if there was money I don't think many people would bowl. The game is too complex anymore, and you need a rocket scientist degree, a ball rep and unlimited bowling balls to compete against those who have those same luxuries.
People do not mind losing $$, but people don't like to just give $$$ away.
When I was young, towns would pool money together to put local young guys on tour. Bowling centers would sponsor their talented players on tour. The proprietor would bend over backwards for somebody who might be able to put their small little bowling center or town on the map. There was a sense of pride and accomplishment that everyone took part in to get their local "hero" out there against Roth, Holman and Anthony. The whole soul of the game has been lost. The proprietor doesn't care one bit, the bowling community doesn't care one bit.
You can't even get a proprietor to oil the lanes for somebody to practice on. There is no sense in pride or dreams of accomplishment at your local center.
The game is lost....and its not coming back.
I'm reminded of a story from both Norm Duke and Del Ballard about how they scraped and clawed and came up with about $10,000 to go out on tour. Leaving home not even old enough really to be men yet. Leaving home with a suit case and an old dilapidated vehicle. In search of a dream, and an opportunity to live out that dream. Bowling had a soul once, and a purpose. It gave any rag tag young man a chance to give it his best shot. $10,000 and a dream was all you needed. There might be young people out there today that "dream" but there is nothing to dream about in bowling, no journey, nothing that teaches them about life, travel, good times and bowling. Nothing to reach out for and accomplish.
Bowling without question has lost its soul.
Edited by Xx 12 X 300 xX on 4/19/2012 at 3:38 PM
Post by: trash heap on April 19, 2012, 05:38:10 PM
Totall agree with your reply, but this statement is what sticks out the most for me. Not pointing to this as the one area, but you see it all around.
Post by: Xx 12 X 300 xX on April 19, 2012, 05:43:28 PM
Not caring has nothing to do with social or economical trends in the world. Not caring has to do with the game not having a soul and barely having a pulse.
People bowl, and they still bowl leagues but there is no more pride in the game. That pride I talked about. It seems like everything in life, this me and only me attitude has brought us all down. We no longer take pride in our fellow bowler, or want to see the game be what it once was.
Pride and wanting to see the sport you participate in be successful has nothing to do with money, economics or social trends. It has to do with you and only you.
If people would take pride in their game, and call the newspapers, call the tv stations, promote the game they like to participate in, it would do wonders. Stand up for your game, be proud of your game and promote your game. One day it could once again be a sport.
Everyone seems to be "ashamed" of bowling. From the proprietors right down to the participants. It's ok to like and have pride in your game. Why let others tell you or influence you otherwise? There is nothing wrong with bowling, and let the world know it.
Edited by Xx 12 X 300 xX on 4/19/2012 at 3:49 PM
Post by: kidlost2000 on April 19, 2012, 06:01:35 PM
It isn't a tour, its the PBA west regional event with TV coverage. I lost interest a few years ago and it hasn't come back yet. If you want to grow a sport then take it to the masses live. look at PBA tour schedules up till the early 2000s when it still traveled to cities where people would go watch and you could try growing your fan base with the growth of High School bowlers.
Or move almost every event west of the Rocky Mountains and compete with the NFL on Sundays for most of your season and see how well that goes for your regional circuit.
R.I.P.
PWBA 1960 - 2003
PBA 1958 - ????
"1 of 1."
Post by: DON DRAPER on April 19, 2012, 06:30:47 PM
Post by: TamerBowling on April 19, 2012, 06:32:58 PM
This is one of the main reasons I started TamerBowling.com. I wanted to add something that could raise interest in the game. The youth are exuberant and can still be drawn into the game. There has to be an upside though. They'll get to college and know there's no career in bowling. Look at how many guys went to Wichita State. You can count the successful ones on one hand. It's not because there weren't really good bowlers coming out. There's just not enough money to justify a bowling career.
It's another interesting point you mentioned about being "ashamed" of the sport. In my field of work (major corporate), I rarely find bowlers. We actually had a league, but I was the only "bowler". It seems that bowling hasn't really given itself a reputation to lend itself to "white collar" folks. There's no reason for that. Interestingly, many of the followers of my site and surely visitors to this site are "white collar" folks.
You know I'm thinking...brand something, make it really expensive and people buy it. It could be made in China, but people will still by Ugg boots for 300 bucks! Why can't bowling do something similar. I think it needs to brand itself upmarket like golf. Cost is very reasonable for well-off people to play and it wouldn't have priced itself completely out of the masses.
Someone else mentioned equipment death as a cause for bowling decline. I tell you what, have of the bowlers in Ontario are using balls 5 years old or more! And these are some pretty competitive bowlers. Maybe it's lack of ball death that is putting pro shops out of business... :-)
I don't claim to have the answers and we've mixed bowling with PBA, which I do not believe they are synonymous. Surely they will trend together, but it's not the same. I just know there are many highly qualified business executives and I've been in the corporate world long enough to know that a great executive can turn around a sinking ship. Well, they may need to let the original ship sink, but they build a bigger and better one.
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Post by: Sunshine n Lollipops on April 19, 2012, 07:19:45 PM
Don't believe in the Uzi, it just went off in my hand. I, I believe in love.
Post by: kidlost2000 on April 19, 2012, 08:14:16 PM
Exactly. Let the PBA die, not our problem. I sure as hell don't care if it does. If I don't like the way a center does business I do elsewhere. If more people take that mind set then the business will change or die as well.
It is your hard earn money, don't give it away. Make them earn your repeat business.
"1 of 1."
Post by: TamerBowling on April 19, 2012, 10:39:07 PM
I think most of us don't have a tangible stake in PBA living or dying. It just a shame what's happening. I said at the outset, I wasn't looking specifically to discuss bowling in general.
I for one, enjoy watching top notch bowling on TV. Now, if the current PBA dies, I agree, oh well. A smart person will likely be able to revive it after it's "gone bankrupt", so to speak. It may just come to that because there seems to be too much baggage.
Where's Red Bull when you need them... They seem to sponsor every stupid little thing in sight.
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Everything Bowling, coaching tips, ball reviews, General bowling discussionsUSBC Certified Level I
Post by: BrianCRX90 on April 21, 2012, 04:24:14 PM
Post by: BrianCRX90 on April 21, 2012, 04:25:42 PM
Post by: Smash49 on April 21, 2012, 05:10:20 PM
Ok here is what is killing the sport of bowling and what is killing the PBA.
COST! Automatic scoring, synthetic lanes and sanction lane machines have made the cost of bowling skyrocket. I looked at replacing my scoring 3 years ago. 24 lanes was $135000! I wanted to replace my lanes and put in synthetics. That was another $135000! I did get a deal on my Kegel lane machine at $15000 but new it would have been $25000. Add that to a $5000 a month electric bill, and other bills it cost a fortunto own a center. The A2 pinsetters are close to 50 years old and take a lot of maintain. Pins cost $13 a piece and it takes 21 to run a machine correctly. Figure having 2 sets and rotating. If you subtract the scoring and the synthetics that would really drop the cost but people would quit bowling because they can't do math anymore!
Now the PBA! It cost a fortune to host a tour stop. Take a look at what it takes to put one on! Phone lines, bleachers, generators, lack of league revenue etc. etc. How many people actually get to watch the finals? 250 after a week of work. Compare to NHL hockey, 2 games at home in a week maybe 3? 50000 people in the stands. Travel cost?
Another factor is the sport patterns. Normal league bowlers do not bowl on them and have little interest. They watch the pros miss spares and struggle and many have no idea why. Oh some say it is much more difficult! To what degree the casual bowler does not know or care. If the pros are the best give them the house shot for most tournaments and make a special tournament for sport shot every once in a while. Let the pros blow the walls out. The scores across the board should change. Facts are the people that should be watching pro bowling on tv are the casual or league bowlers. Serious amateurs there are currently not enough of and some will watch but bowling needs the masses.
How many different 1 to 4 year sponsors has the PBA had? Even Barbersol has to wonder. Baby Ruth, Denny's?
The tour? Six Flags over Somewhere or gee we are in Vegas again! And the tour has no real stars anymore. Belmo, Rash and Weber just aren't doing it like Earl, Mark and Marshall.
Smash49
Slick, tacky, wood or synthetic it does not matter your slide is correct with SLSM Designs Bowlers Slide Sock. The Finest Slide Sock on the Planet!!!
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Post by: TamerBowling on April 21, 2012, 06:20:47 PM
I'm sorry but "cost" is too simple an answer. If that's the case, then you can make that argument for many sports but that's just not true. We have millions less bowlers and my guess is it has more to do with interest than it does cost. Cost wouldn't be an issue if you had the same number of bowlers from the 70s. I think cost is just something that stands out due to lack of revenue.
Professional teams (owners and localities) spend 100s of millions on new stadiums. It used to be fractions of that. Obviously, they spend because there's revenue.
The issues you mentioned is only there because the revenue is not there. For the PBA, they need to do something better in terms of branding and marketing. The PBA is a brand after all and it has been dragged through the mud. It has no star power, although there are many bowlers with potential star power. Earl, Mark, etc. bowled in the glory days of bowling. I don't think it's fair to say Belmo and others don't compare. Of course they don't. The PBA is in a very poor state compared to when Earl and Dick were bowling.
Take a look at this article about comeback brands.
Look at the companies that were in the tank or filed for bankruptcy and came back. Just to highlight a few companies, Old Spice, Polaroid, Muppets, and Dr. Martens. These are all companies that had a strong brand, then people lost interest. They found ways to bring the business back. These all must have had executives who really understood what it would take to bring them "back from the dead"...and maybe some luck. This is what the PBA needs. It needs a kind of revival. It's not going to come by living in the past.
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Post by: Smash49 on April 22, 2012, 12:59:06 AM
Cost is a big part and I agree peoples interest is another. There are a lot of things trying to get the entertainment dollar. It comes down to value and convenience. At one point watching a video at home gained more interest. It was cheaper to do also. Now kids according to the news do not read papers or want cars. The news says they would rather stay at home and do Facebook. There are a lot of problems with the sport/game of bowling. The list is long and it's going to take a lot to fix it. Currently very few people are interested in fixing it but would rather just sit and ride the current status to survive. Currently there is only 1 bowling center in the city limits of Dallas. A city of 1.2 million people. I can think of 10 centers that have closed up in Dallas alone, not counting suburbs.
With the lack of interest the PBA suffers. A few years ago I had a discussion with Brad Angelo about the exempt PBA. I told him I was tired of seeing Walter Ray every week. He made a good point, Walter Ray earned the spot. Watching the same people every week got boring. I tried to figure it out because I watch the Cowboys, Rangers, etc every week. The PBA lost me win they bowled with Bugs Bunny! Bowling had lack of purpose. There seems to be no reason for the PBA. It's just like 4 guys bowling.
Smash49
Slick, tacky, wood or synthetic it does not matter your slide is correct with SLSM Designs Bowlers Slide Sock. The Finest Slide Sock on the Planet!!!
www.bowlersslidesock.com
IBPSIA Certified Technician
Bowlers Journal International's Top 100 Coaches!!! 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010(73),2011(84)
USBC Register Volunteer
Post by: BruceKaratz on April 22, 2012, 09:32:33 PM
Let me be up front. I love bowling and I love to watch the PBA but bowling is pretty (*very) boring to watch for most people. There's a lot of channels, a lot of sporting events, the internet, and whatever else is going on in people's lives to make it easy to not pay attention to the tour. Then on top of that I have to sign up for PBA XTRA frame to see some of the tournaments (too much work for this guy, and I'm one who loves the PBA). It's too much work to watch the tournaments and many of us already know the tournament outcomes. They cheapened the sport by doing the WSOB all at the same time and same place and then putting out the telecasts over time (you do what you have to do though because it is a business after all). In my opinion, I actually like the current top dogs on the tour because you're seeing some of the old guys still on top which is excellent and the newer guys are starting to mature and make more and more telecasts. I honestly can't say that Randy Pedersen is the best announcer in my opinion. I believe I like Bo Burton, Gary Thorne, or Dave Ryan better, because they lended more class to event in my opinion. Also, I liked Rob Stone but I think he was the designated "cool guy" and he resorted to belittling the game at times.
The telecasts probably suck more than they should too because they probably reduce the production costs to make 'em cheap. When I watch a telecast, they talk about the pattern, but they never really show me or the average man the difference between the patterns and how it changes the ball motion and etc, etc. Also, they never delve into the science of each bowler's shot on the telecast, and show me what is really going on to make each player unique. Give me some close ups of their footwork, their hand at release, and then give me some pointers on integrating these things into my game. They talk about how difficult the game is and how little changes and adjustments matter, but that is all they do...they just talk, but don't really show me much.
Also, I can't say that the viewer would care but we never get to know the player or their families.
My bowling center doesn't have any marketing material for the PBA tour - no posters of players, no schedule of tour stops, and if you think about it, I know there are pros that come by my town on road trips, but they never stop and bowl in town (I thought that was something the old legends might have done). The telecasts don't have any cool advertisements enticing parents to get their kids into leagues because they can just drop them off, there are no rain outs or weather delays, and it's good clean exercise and competition or that adults can show up to your league and enter brackets (gambling, woot woot!). It's like the game need to advertise it's self for the family all the way down to dirty old drunk men lol. There's room for everyone in bowling and that is what makes it great. When they do try to market leagues or USBC, it's just really lame video.
One aspect that I personally think is cool is that in history bowling was a big gambler's sport. If the PBA is gonna continue to suck, why not just create a gambling bowling tour? I'm not saying this is a great idea but it might add a little more flavor and excitement to the game, but then again might create a black eye for it too. I guess bowling has tried to make itself more clean and family friendly though.
These are just my random thoughts though.
Post by: icefiction on April 22, 2012, 09:45:48 PM
Post by: Juggernaut on April 22, 2012, 11:51:36 PM
There is no way to ever figure out why bowling is seemingly dying, because it isn't any ONE thing that is causing it to decline as it has, it is a confluence of forces, culminating to cause the demise.
From technological advances changing the game into a totally different form that is only remotely recognizable, to the societal changes that have caused millions to go elsewhere to find their recreational activities, many MANY things have come into play.
You have the cost, but not just the cost to participate, but also the cost of the owners just to keep the place up and running. Long gone are the days of mopping a small amount of oil on the heads three times a week and people manually keeping score. Gone are the days of buying a $75 ball and having it last for decades, or simply having one ball that hooks and one that doesn't.
Gone are the days of bored people sitting at home, wishing for something to do. They can now sit right there on their couch and play games, watch movies, or even travel the world on the internet. They aren't going out and searching for something to do, they are staying home and having entertainment come to them.
Bowling costs money, takes time, and is even something you have to "go to the trouble" to do. People are inherently lazy and, unless they really LOVE something, they would usually rather stay home and have something come to them..
My grandmother used to ask me "Why did mohammed go to the mountain", and the answer was "Because the mountain wouldn't come to him". People used to go to the entertainment, because it wouldn't come to them then, but now it DOES come to them. Bowling used to be one of those destinations, but with people staying home more and more, bowling is just going downhill, and interest in it at ANY level is dwindling away.
_______________________________________________________________________
"The difference between stupidity and genius is that genius has its limits."
Albert Einstein
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"The difference between stupidity and genius is that genius has its limits."
Albert Einstein
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Post by: BruceKaratz on April 23, 2012, 02:53:41 AM
Post by: Cobalt Bomb on April 23, 2012, 09:28:34 AM
Yes
Post by: BruceKaratz on April 25, 2012, 12:05:10 AM
That's sad to hear. I can see it in the centers around my area...they just aren't being renovated and some of them are just plain shittay! It sucks that the industry is dying.
I personally don't believe bowling as a game, or leagues (USBC) or the PBA tour are marketed enough or possibly not even marketed correctly. Is the sanctioned youth bowler #'s declining (total or per capita)?