Author Topic: Making a living on tour ?? (Read 3671 times)

qstick777 · « **on:** April 11, 2005, 09:46:08 AM »

http://www.pba.com/ytdstats.asp?Tour=1&Stype=Earnings

Okay - there is the link to the top 100 earners this season. Honestly, can you guys say that even half of these people can "make a living" by bowling?

I don't know a whole lot about the tour - I guess it runs from Fall through Spring (October through April). I'm not sure how long a tournament runs, but I'm guessing its something like golf, so Thursday-Sunday, then figure in travel time and expenses (hotels, gas, meals, etc).

With #50 on the list making $43k, how reasonable is it to say these people are even surviving?

Where is the money?

I personally think some things need to change to bring more audience to the tour and increase revenue, but I'll save those for another post.

sdbowler · « **Reply #1 on:** April 11, 2005, 05:54:38 PM »

Also need to keep in mind how many of these guys are getting money from ball companies, shoe companies, insert companies, etc. So yeah some may not be getting much on tour but some could be getting off of endorsements.
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BRUNSWICK

shelley · « **Reply #2 on:** April 11, 2005, 07:35:40 PM »

Add to that their off-season work. When they're not out on tour (between April and October), they have other jobs, coaching, regional tournaments, pro-shop work, plus sponsor contracts. Even $43K in tour earnings is sufficient with the other work. Plus, their spouse may work, and if there are no children then that's more than ample.

SH

BowlerKidR · « **Reply #3 on:** April 11, 2005, 07:51:54 PM »

u do realise that there is the whole off season to work and have a paying job, and there is sometimes a wife that might like to make money working too.
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"Strike for show, spare for dough"
I LIKE TO BOWL

Im A Hammer Head 100%

stanski · « **Reply #4 on:** April 11, 2005, 09:00:50 PM »

Even with the fact that they have the opportunity to work in the offseason, its still rediculous that they would be forced to. They are the best in the world, they should be rewarded like those in other sports are. Check out golf's earnings after only a few months of play compared to bowlings complete season earnings.

http://www.pga.com/tournaments/money-leaders/pga_money_leaders.cfm

And they aren't even a third of the way through the season yet!
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stanski

Edited on 4/11/2005 8:54 PM

bowlitup · « **Reply #5 on:** April 11, 2005, 09:12:21 PM »

quote:
Even with the fact that they have the opportunity to work in the offseason, its still rediculous that they would be forced to. They are the best in the world, they should be rewarded like those in other sports are. Check out golf's earnings after only a few months of play compared to bowlings complete season earnings.

http://www.pga.com/tournaments/money-leaders/pga_money_leaders.cfm

And they aren't even a third of the way through the season yet!
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stanski

Edited on 4/11/2005 8:54 PM

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Ben
VIVA LA NACION!!!

*As I pull out my golf clubs from the garage* "Anyone wanna buy an Absolute Inferno"?

?!!!!!

Edited on 4/11/2005 9:07 PM

Edited on 4/11/2005 9:15 PM

qstick777 · « **Reply #6 on:** April 11, 2005, 09:56:33 PM »

Of course I realize they may have a spouse that works, and that there are another 6 months that they can work.

My point being that if a tournament is 4 days, you have to figure the other expenses, not just the prize money earned.

What about hotel costs, gas, travel, food, etc. Then, if you make the show you will probably fly your family out to watch. Unless the tour is picking up those expenses, I imagine they add up pretty quickly.

Its been discussed in another thread that ball contracts aren't really all that lucrative, and was suggested that only those that make TV get paid "the big bucks." It obviously isn't anywhere close to the stuff you see in Nascar (ie: get paid extra for drinking the product on TV, etc), because I don't think I've ever heard a bowler mention a sponsor during an interview.

I honestly thought I would hear somebody thank their ball manufacturer when they win - "Good bowling Tommy, how were the lanes today?" "Thanks, Dave. The lanes were a little tight, but thanks to the great ball from Ebonite I was able to adjust and make some great shots." Does anybody recall anybody ever saying that? Only thing I can recall is BV thanking Storm for supporting the tour, and he was throwing AMF!

stanski · « **Reply #7 on:** April 11, 2005, 10:12:27 PM »

quote:

I honestly thought I would hear somebody thank their ball manufacturer when they win - "Good bowling Tommy, how were the lanes today?" "Thanks, Dave. The lanes were a little tight, but thanks to the great ball from Ebonite I was able to adjust and make some great shots." Does anybody recall anybody ever saying that? Only thing I can recall is BV thanking Storm for supporting the tour, and he was throwing AMF!

Funny you say that, i remember tommy jones saying "it helps throwing the best ball out on the market right now (referring to big time)"

LoL at bowlitup, does anyone wanna trade a wmb, saw blade, and flash point for a titleist 983k? I'm with you there buddy, I really need to start practicing to see if I can ever get on tour.
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stanski

sdbowler · « **Reply #8 on:** April 11, 2005, 10:17:59 PM »

Also remember hearing Couch say the Ebonite ball's hit to hard and then having Angelo say that the Brunswick ones get all 10 though. Or something like that during a match. Please keep in mind that bowling never has and probably never will be a BIG time sport. It is not an offcial sport in the Olympics, but windsurfing or table tennis is. Bowling has always been considered a recreation sport. Until the light is shined differently on the sport that is all it will ever be seen as. It was nice to hear Mr. Bettis say that the bowlers on tour should be considered athletes. Don't know if this makes sense or not but hope it does help a little.
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BRUNSWICK

qstick777 · « **Reply #9 on:** April 11, 2005, 10:36:15 PM »

Okay, I was trying to think about this.

It looks like there are 21 events (so far). Lets say you are right around 62 (like Randy) and have made $25,000. Lets say you are on the road for 4 days out of the week (just for tourney time, not including travel days). Lets say you get some discount and stay at an "average" hotel (motel) for $50/night. Thats $200 for lodging. Then, you have to eat, so lets be really cheap and say you can eat for $20/day. Thats another $80. So far we are up to $280 for that tournament.

Is there an entry fee for the tour? If so, you gotta add that in. So, for somebody down around 62, you are looking at around $1000/week average. Not bad for doing something you love, but nothing compared to other sports.

Of course you still have to pay taxes, and I don't know if the PBA provides any kind of health benefits.

I don't know how much you can make in the off season with clinics, pro-shop, etc. I don't know too many people that can afford a "regular" bowling coach, let alone coaching lessons from a tour player, and how much more can you make with a pro-shop? I heard that Richard Wolfe had to sell his pro shop to go on tour this year.

I guess if I really have a point its this: A lot of times we see these people on TV and think "that guy is a pro, he must be rich. I wish I could make tons of money bowling." and in reality they aren't and they are struggling just to survive. Somebody mentioned in another post something about Randy yelling at a fan and that he should be happy to make his living bowling and not worry about a disruption from a fan. I guess if you consider that distraction cost Randy a chance to quadruple his earnings (I won't argue whether it should have affected him or not since I still haven't seem the event in its entirety) you can understand his reaction.

Pinbuster · « **Reply #10 on:** April 12, 2005, 07:13:07 AM »

It cost about $25,000 a year to tour full time. Entry into a PBA tournament is $500; the masters and US Open have their own fee schedule.

No health, no retirement, and they pay the full 12% for Social Security because they are self employed.

There probably arenâ€™t more than a dozen guys out there getting more than $12K in endorsement money a year.

DP3 · « **Reply #11 on:** April 12, 2005, 08:09:03 AM »

Most of the guys on tour come from privledged backgrounds in the first place. It's not like bowling is your only income when you've been sitting on a couple hundred grand in the first place since you were in your early 20s.
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-DP3
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tonybowls · « **Reply #12 on:** April 12, 2005, 08:20:45 AM »

I wonder what these guys would do if they had to go out and get real jobs.

Krumpy300 · « **Reply #13 on:** April 12, 2005, 08:34:51 AM »

Most of the guys on tour come from privledged backgrounds in the first place. It's not like bowling is your only income when you've been sitting on a couple hundred grand in the first place since you were in your early 20s.

I think we are talking about bowling and not golf....

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Repetition is everything..

jd1319 · « **Reply #14 on:** April 12, 2005, 11:56:51 AM »

another thing you have to look at, is these guys are getting paid what the market will bare. For them to get paid more, where is the money going to come from? TV rights? Don't think so. They may be the best in the world, but they are in a sport that simply put, doesn't pay like other sports. Golf has a lot of big money behind it, and a much broader appeal.

Author Topic: Making a living on tour ?? (Read 3671 times)

qstick777

Making a living on tour ??

sdbowler

Re: Making a living on tour ??

shelley

Re: Making a living on tour ??

BowlerKidR

Re: Making a living on tour ??

stanski

Re: Making a living on tour ??

bowlitup

Re: Making a living on tour ??

qstick777

Re: Making a living on tour ??

stanski

Re: Making a living on tour ??

sdbowler

Re: Making a living on tour ??

qstick777

Re: Making a living on tour ??

Pinbuster

Re: Making a living on tour ??

DP3

Re: Making a living on tour ??

tonybowls

Re: Making a living on tour ??

Krumpy300

Re: Making a living on tour ??

jd1319

Re: Making a living on tour ??