BallReviews

General Category => Miscellaneous => Topic started by: dicnic on September 23, 2003, 07:20:31 PM

Title: Why So Few 5 Person Team Leagues?
Post by: dicnic on September 23, 2003, 07:20:31 PM: Seems to me that years ago, (back when I had hair), most of the bowling leagues had five (5) person teams. A four (4) person team league was seen now and then, but usually, a TEAM was always 5 folks. Nowadays, four bowler teams are the norm, and we have quite a few Trio leagues and even Doubles team leagues. Is this simply due to the general decline in league bowling? Or is there some other reasons for this shift?
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Title: Re: Why So Few 5 Person Team Leagues?
Post by: Smash49 on September 24, 2003, 10:30:00 AM: I think part of it is due to the decline in bowling. Less interested people in some areas. Also the length of time it takes for a 5 person league. If it's a late league it gets you out around midnight. a 4 person league would get you out 30 mins. or so earlier. This has changed a bit in our area. We for the most part no longer have an early and late league so they are starting around 8 pm. This gets you out at 11.

Smash49
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Smash49
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Edited on 9/24/2003 12:06 PM
Title: Re: Why So Few 5 Person Team Leagues?
Post by: JOE FALCO on September 24, 2003, 10:56:33 AM: There are so many things that come into play here .. in NY we had a 4/5 man league (all men) starting at 6:15 PM and we were rushed out of the house with a 4/5 man (all men)league that started at 9:00 pm.

There are less bowlers around today .. most people have DIFFERENT REASONS for the decline .. a few that I believe are as follows:

1. Folks just don't have the time. Most need to work two jobs to keep up with HOUSING/cost of living.
2. Bowling COSTS .. CENTERS charges for bowling have gone up where it is TOUGH for PEOPLE WHO DON'T BOWL to go an get interested in BOWLING.
3. EQUIPMENT COSTS .. bowling balls and shoes are a must to get into a league .. not many can set THOSE EXPENSES aside for their own pleasure in todays world.
4. CENTER CONDITIONS. Many bowlers give up the sport because of conditions that were defined by BENNETT in his posting. Feeling is that it's not worth going to the league where you are UNABLE TO HELP YOUR TEAM and feel embarrassed from a POOR SHOWING.

In my opinion these are the contributing factors to FEWER BOWLERS in todays leagues.
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J O E - F A L C O
Title: Re: Why So Few 5 Person Team Leagues?
Post by: charlest on September 24, 2003, 11:02:37 AM: People now take so long to bowl between socializing, going to the bathroom, changing balls, getting booze from the bar, etc. that a 5 person league is sheer agony these days. I had a friend who was so used to 2 and 3 person leagues that when he subbed for me in a 5 man league, he literally forgot where he was playing between turns to bowl. That was hysterical!

ANyway 3 1/2 hours is now the norm for 5 person leagues to finish.
AGONY! AGONY! AGONY! AGONY!
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"Those who do not remember history are doomed to repeat it."
Title: Re: Why So Few 5 Person Team Leagues?
Post by: Pinbuster on September 24, 2003, 11:14:31 AM: I believe the standard of 5 was set to maximize revenue in bowling centers.

As Sawbones said, there use to be waiting list to get into leagues especially the early leagues. Around here early leagues start at 6:00 PM and 5 person teams took about 2 Â½ hours to bowl. This let a second shift get on around 8:30 and be done around 11:00. If you went to 6 or more on a team, the time to bowl would go to 3 hours with the second shift not getting done till after mid-night. They would have probably lost a lot of bowlers for second shiftâ€™s so to maximize profit they settled on 5 person teams.

With the inability of centers to fill leagues they are now going to 4 person and less per team leagues. Often when going to 3 person or less they increase the number of lines bowled to make up for the loss of lineage.

As far as tournaments go it would make more since to go with an even number if doubles are being bowled but I donâ€™t think you are going to see the ABC changing nationals soon.
Title: Re: Why So Few 5 Person Team Leagues?
Post by: Michael DeSantis on September 24, 2003, 11:41:43 AM: The 5-man league I bowl on Thursday Nights starts at 9PM and finishes around midnight. You don't want to see me at 5:15AM Friday when I get up for work, it isn't pretty.
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"Chopping Wood For over Two Decades"
Title: Re: Why So Few 5 Person Team Leagues?
Post by: 9andaWiggle on September 24, 2003, 12:34:08 PM: I wonder if this changes from area to area. Around here, 5 man leagues are the norm unless you're talking the short specialty leagues.

Personally, I like the 4 man concept. My favorite league of all time had 4 man teams where there were 7 points per night. 1st game was team, 1 point. 2nd game you split into doubles for 2 more points. 3rd game was every man for himself singles for the remaining 4 points. Lot of fun since you got 3 different competition formats in one night.

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Why, WHY won't the last one just fall?? It's WIGGLING for cryin' out loud!!
Title: Re: Why So Few 5 Person Team Leagues?
Post by: ThongPrincess on September 24, 2003, 03:01:06 PM: Most of the 6 PM leagues here are 5 person due to popularity of the time. The later leagues are generally 3-4 person teams. I allows for more teams, and gets the league out at a more reasonable time.
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To err is human to be thonged is divine