Ladies & Gentlemen

This is a topic as a tournament director that I had to start because I think people need to know what it's like from a TD's perspective.

We (VMSBT & 40BBT) run tournaments because we love the game and the spirit of GOOD competition. Neither one of us are trying to pay our mortgages or car payments by running these tournaments. In fact, on occasion we both have paid more than 100% of the prize fund.

The two gripes that I have as a tournament director is the constant complaints about the scores and right/left issue. I know the right/left issue will never die. I've been bowling long enough (30+ years) to know that will go on FOREVER! Just recently we were told that players with certain games would stop coming to events because they felt they couldn't strike enough. These are players that have won before and had success when the shots are in certain areas of the lane. As a TD we poll the bowlers to hear what type of conditions that you guys would like to see. For the past 2-3 years the choice has been the PBAX patterns. Now, it's no secret that those patterns really catered to the players who play straighter and have lower rev rates. Four out of five of the animal patterns played out and I didn't hear the guys that hook it complain or say they weren't coming to bowl anymore because they couldn't get right/strike enough. Now that the PBA has changed the ratios and length on all of the animal patterns the players that "boom it" are EATING very well. I'm sure the straight players are lighting up the phones in Seattle with complaints and bending the laneman's ear every week. Trust me it happens. I was a PBA member for 16 years and I've seen HOFers complain to lanemen for hours on end.

Here is the difference between the PBA and our local events. WE DON'T TRAVEL AROUND WITH A $30k LANE MACHINE TO SHUT OUT A CERTAIN STYLE OR HAND! When we are fortunate enough to have a center that will allow us to choose a pattern, we ALWAYS choose a pattern that is FAIR. If there is OB, it will be on both sides of the lane. If the gutter is sparking, it will spark on both sides. Sometimes we are at the mercy of the center's house shot. House shot are OK every now and then (as I have stated in other threads) but aren't the norm. These are once a month events run by TDs who also bowl. So we know what it's like to lace 'em up.

Tournament bowling was DEAD in our area from about '98 - '02. We have it good now with 3 tournament organizations. We should support ALL of our local events. 40BBT and VMSBT work very hard promoting there respective annual events. WE DO IT BECAUSE WE WANT TO NOT BECAUSE WE HAVE TO.
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Tony Walton
VMSBT Tournament Director
http://www.vmsbt.com

Edited on 3/17/2009 10:08 AM

Edited on 3/17/2009 10:09 AM

Well I have to agree with you on the wall shots in VA.  My beef with VA is the lack thereof of oil.  With a lot of hand and getting older I can't project the ball down the lanes with enough speed.  I bowl at Burke and it's a fairly decent shot but the walls are dead so you see a whole bunch of corners.  Mark Glover used to shoe up with us back in his heyday and would quit after 18 games because that would affect his monster area average.  And if Nationals is any indication I truly do suck!

Edited on 3/18/2009 2:58 PM