I'm not suggesting playing baker system through the whole event, and I would rather see them playing standard 5 man team in a tv final, but I appreciate that there is not a lot of mileage in a format where one game takes an hour. I just don't see where the current format is going. . . less bowlers on TV, less bowlers on tour, less games being played by the bowlers......at the rate we are going, in a few years time the tour will consist of 10 exempt people playing single game matchplay against four celebrities, and two commisioners exemptions!
--------------------
Reality Is.......Working out how to carry the 10, only to start leaving the 7.

Get 20 teams of 5, all different sponsors (100 bowlers). Have them all bowl each other twice for qualifying (10 games one day, 10 the next) then whoever has the best match record their team wins. Now that is qualifying. After the team wins, those 5 go on to TV day, draw numbers from a hat 1-5 to determine their seed for step ladder. Get Bo Burton back in commentary (he hasnt missed a 10 pin all night....wiff) with the guy that filled in for Dave Ryan a couple of weeks ago and there you go. Each ball company gets a team, coporate sponsors get a team to make 20. That would work....
--------------------
NO SOUP FOR YOU!

But is the new exempt tour format actually working? What stars is it creating? Walter Ray trying to reach Earl's tournament wins record is a big story, but the new exempt tour has not created WRW. They have not even come close to making someone who everyone wants to talk about, with the exception of the Norm Duke ball-towel incident. I understand the golf analogy, but if you are trying to sell bowling, would it not be easier to seel it to people as an event to be able to cheer on your citiy / state team? Over here, where football (soccer) is the number one sport, people talk about great players, but support their teams whether those players play or not, or even if they move on. I'm sure it is the same with gridiron. Surely that kind of following is what bowling needs?
--------------------
Reality Is.......Working out how to carry the 10, only to start leaving the 7.

It may make it easier for people just tuning in for the first time. Rather than having the commentators talking about two bowlers who may or may not have met before, to bring up the rivalry between the brands each bowler is throwing. If I were a first time viewer, I may not recognise Robert Smith versus Brian Voss as being a good match, but in the context of Storm looking for their first tour title of the season versus a so far dominant AMF300 line up being 'promoted' by the commentators, that may be easier to understand to the much more casual viewer.....again, just a thought.
--------------------
Reality Is.......Working out how to carry the 10, only to start leaving the 7.