Author Topic: Exempt System Ruined the PBA? (Read 2161 times)

Necromancer · « **on:** February 25, 2008, 06:05:33 AM »

If you look at prize pools on the PBA for careers of some of the top players, you will see what I see, the exempt system ruined it for the PBA. So a guy comes and says lets make a system so that the 'pros' don't have to qualify like other unexempt bowlers. At the time it was good for those in the system because they failed to see the future. They all thought they would have a constant stream of money coming in. I mean the top prizes per week were $100,000 or more.

But.... they failed to realize basic economics. What you do when you create this exclusive 'league' of 40 or whatever # of bowlers are in it, is LOWER the prize pool and LOWER earnings for even the best. So lets see WRW who used to win $100,000/tournament now can only win $25,000.

Bottom line is the exempt system backfired. Before everyone was equal and on any given sunday, anyone could make the telecast. More people entered the tournaments and prizes were respectable. Why would some amateur work 2x as hard to make the telecast as someone on this 'exempt' list?

In the end, the PBA died when the exempt system was implemented. If anyone can provide reasons why it is good or bad, discuss.

References:

"From the PBA Tour's inception through the 2003-2004 season, most national PBA events were open to the entire PBA membership. Starting in October 2004, the PBA adopted an all-exempt national tour format."

Around this time, the prize pool's began to shrink.

DISCUSS.

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Edited on 2/25/2008 3:08 PM

Pinbuster · « **Reply #1 on:** February 25, 2008, 02:57:24 PM »

Your focus is too narrow in time.

Prize funds shrank thru the 1990â€™s under the old PBA once they lost the ABC contract. They had no exempt tour at that time.

I can remember that there were first place prizes of 17K before they were bought out.

The new PBA raised first place to 40K until the last year or so.

Is the exempt tour good or bad? I donâ€™t know.

I donâ€™t think the field should be as open as many propose but there should be more than 63 exempt.

Prize money never really came from entry fees. It had to come from sponsors, pro-am, and television rights. When they lost TV payments they were hurting.

They wanted a limited field to build stars, get the same guys on TV all the time, simplify the scoring, so they put in match play so the novice could understand it, and they hoped to sell web viewing of the matches so the main tournament could generate more money. Few bought the package to view the matches so that failed.

You donâ€™t think they havenâ€™t tried to get more/better sponsors? The PBA would love to get more money, it would make the proâ€™s more money and them more money.

Even at its peak they didnâ€™t have more than 150 entries at 300 a piece for about $45K into the prize pool.

chitown · « **Reply #2 on:** February 25, 2008, 03:07:24 PM »

The first and most fatal mistake the PBA has made in my opinion is having the TV finals on Sunday! The PBA can't compete with the NFL or NASCAR!

The PBA should join forces with the USBC to come up with bigger prize money! Why not join forces with the USBC and add 2 dollars to their membership dues and have it go directly to the PBA prize fund! An increase of 2 dollars for all USBC membership cards would generate a TON of cash!

JessN16 · « **Reply #3 on:** February 25, 2008, 03:07:27 PM »

They aren't even remotely connected.

Prize funds and/or salaries (whatever applies) for high-level professional sports do not come from entry fees. They come from sponsorships and media contracts. EDIT: And ticket sales, and we know how many tickets you can (or can't) sell in a bowling center.

The decline of prize funds and the arrival of the exempt tour happened by coincidence only.

The bigger culprit is the ESPN TV deal, followed by the lack of sponsor dollars.

Jess

Edited on 2/25/2008 4:13 PM

JessN16 · « **Reply #4 on:** February 25, 2008, 03:09:37 PM »

quote:
The first and most fatal mistake the PBA has made in my opinion is having the TV finals on Sunday! The PBA can't compete with the NFL or NASCAR!

The PBA should join forces with the USBC to come up with bigger prize money! Why not join forces with the USBC and add 2 dollars to their membership dues and have it go directly to the PBA prize fund! An increase of 2 dollars for all USBC membership cards would generate a TON of cash!

I wouldn't mind ponying up an extra $2 but I don't speak for everyone, and many people don't want to do that. Sanctioning fees are bordering on being too high as it is.

The bigger problem, however, is it's a band-aid solution. If the USBC membership declines, so does your $2/head take for the PBA. The real problems are sponsorships and the tour's media deal. Those things must be fixed.

Jess

Krakken · « **Reply #5 on:** February 25, 2008, 03:38:11 PM »

The lack of money for PBA Prize funds is due to a general lack of interest in bowling as a sport. Yes USBC will tell you that 20 million or whatever went bowling last year. That is open bowling on a Sat night. League numbers have dereased drastically. Less people that care about bowling as a sport means less sponsorship $$ because the comapnies know they will not gain anything out of being the title sponsor.

I remember in the 90's, I worked at a 70 lane bowling center and it was IMPOSSIBLE to get a lane for open play between 4 pm and 10 pm Mon-Fri. It was packed with leagues.

Now I bowl in a 36 lane center that isn't even half filled any day of the week.

The interest in bowling as a competitive sport has declined drastically since the late 90's. People are taking up other interests instead of bowling.

They lose sponsorships every year. Look for Denny's to pull out at the end of this year. Mainstream America doesn't want to watch bowling on TV no matter when it is on. THe last few years it was on ABCD on Sat afternoon it didn't do well either and it didn't have the NFL to compete with.

Hitsomeballs · « **Reply #6 on:** February 25, 2008, 05:58:46 PM »

Krakken, has a great point. Another reason the PBA and bowling won't be successful.

I live in the bay area, In San Francisco there is 24 lanes in the whole city for about a million people. In San Jose, there is 114 lanes, three houses for a million people. In the 20+ years that I have been bowling, there have been so many alleys that have closed, I can't remember them all. Easily 10+, the land is worth more.

This is the problem, most bowling centers DO NOT WANT league bowlers, they want the recreational bowler! Why because in there short sighted view, they make more money. $7.00 a game, plus $6-8 shoe rentals, one place has a cover charge just to get in! These people are spending $22-30 everytime they go out. How can any youth afford to do this on a consistent basis? There is no future without the next generation.

Leagues every year get smaller and smaller, people lose interest, they think that just because they average 200 in there house, bowling one night a week, that they can compete with pro bowlers whats the challenge?

How many weekend golfers think that they can go out on the PGA tour and compete with Tiger, Phil or others. NONE! They can't courses are longer, harder and they just are not good enough.

Bowling has brought this upon itself, if there is no challenge, then what brings back the bowler? Should all leagues be sport leagues? I don't know, would that really hurt bowling? Probably not.

Bowling also has an image problem, they are NOT considered athletes, the stereotype of beer belly, beer drinking, Al Bundy persona still exists. It is a blue collar sport that cannot bring in advertisers. Professional bowling has no future without advertisers. Pro's bowling for a $25,000 first place prize, does more damage than good? WWR who is close to 4 million in career earnings does not help the perception. 4 million for a pro golfer is a good SEASON!

I'll step off my shoe box now.

BrianCRX90 · « **Reply #7 on:** February 25, 2008, 06:10:48 PM »

So what does the PBA need to do to get the normal 1st place prize of at least 40,000 like it was before and more someday and get the major tournaments back to 100,000?

mumzie · « **Reply #8 on:** February 25, 2008, 07:25:44 PM »

quote:
It is a blue collar sport that cannot bring in advertisers.

If you're saying that bowling can't bring in advertisers BECAUSE it's a blue collar sport, I have one word as an argument - NASCAR.

However - one thing NASCAR has that bowling doesn't is marketing. NASCAR really did a great job selling licensed merchandise. The PBA has barely scratched the surface.

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www.Shirts4Bowling.com
We Know What Bowlers Want

Platypus22 · « **Reply #9 on:** February 25, 2008, 08:03:48 PM »

For those who don't think bigger entry fees would help, look no further then televised poker.

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Bowling and Poker degenerate
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{o,o}

__)
-"-"-
O RLY?

JessN16 · « **Reply #10 on:** February 25, 2008, 09:29:12 PM »

quote:
For those who don't think bigger entry fees would help, look no further then televised poker.

--------------------
Bowling and Poker degenerate
___
{o,o}
__)
-"-"-
O RLY?

Televised poker has also been heading backwards in terms of TV ratings since it boomed a couple of years ago. Also, good luck if you think you can add an extra zero to PBA entry fees and get a strong response from the membership base.

Jess

JessN16 · « **Reply #11 on:** February 25, 2008, 09:31:13 PM »

quote:
quote:
It is a blue collar sport that cannot bring in advertisers.

If you're saying that bowling can't bring in advertisers BECAUSE it's a blue collar sport, I have one word as an argument - NASCAR.

However - one thing NASCAR has that bowling doesn't is marketing. NASCAR really did a great job selling licensed merchandise. The PBA has barely scratched the surface.

--------------------
------------------------
www.Shirts4Bowling.com
We Know What Bowlers Want

Here's the bigger draw to NASCAR: Fast cars and fast women.

Yes, NASCAR does a great job marketing itself, but its appeal is built in. Every kid grows up dreaming of driving the family car, racing, going fast, getting the girl, etc. That is not something that is inherent in the sport of bowling.

Jess

Necromancer · « **Reply #12 on:** February 25, 2008, 09:33:26 PM »

quote:
quote:
For those who don't think bigger entry fees would help, look no further then televised poker.

--------------------
Bowling and Poker degenerate
___
{o,o}
__)
-"-"-
O RLY?

Televised poker has also been heading backwards in terms of TV ratings since it boomed a couple of years ago. Also, good luck if you think you can add an extra zero to PBA entry fees and get a strong response from the membership base.

Jess

Exactly. Poker ended when internet poker became illegal by our good President of the US and A. It peaked at $12,000,000+ in 2006. It dropped to around $8,000,000 (top prizes) in 2007. It was due to a huge drop in turnout.

I think the opposite needs to happen. If entry was $50 like any local tournament, you better believe I would be on a plane to bowl with WRW!

I am sure not paying $200-300 of what they are asking for now. Screw that. I will only last 3 games LOL!
--------------------
Current Arsenal
Brunswick Fury
Columbia 300 EPX T1
Storm X-Factor Vertigo
Hammer Black Widow
Lane #1 Cobalt Bomb Solid
Brunswick Quantum Helix
Brunswick Quantum Double Helix
Storm Recharge
Columbia 300 SuperBeast
Storm Hit Blue Pearl
Brunswick Target Spare Zone
Ebonite 14 Fun Ball
Averages: Fall/Winter Sub 2007 213.000; Fall/Winter Season 2006 206.467; 2006-07 Year 213.067; 2007 Tourney 178.029;
BR Member Since: April 3, 2001

Author Topic: Exempt System Ruined the PBA? (Read 2161 times)

Necromancer

Exempt System Ruined the PBA?

Pinbuster

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chitown

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JessN16

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JessN16

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Krakken

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Hitsomeballs

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BrianCRX90

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mumzie

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Platypus22

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JessN16

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JessN16

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Necromancer

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