BallReviews
General Category => PBA => Topic started by: BornOnTheMatterhorn on June 01, 2013, 07:34:03 PM
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To quickly (because it is such a short list) sum up the PBA's total marketing efforts... here is the current line-up of sponsors (there are 5 in total): BRUNSWICK and USBC (both of which are industry and are no-brainers -- how much effort did it take to sign them up?). That leaves BARBASOL, JACK LINKS and GEICO. Wow. No wonder winners are getting measly 8 grand for a PBA title. Time to fire some people and hire a hobo to get better results within a week of hiring.
I have one SMALL request for the PBA Marketing professionals -- just one LITTLE accomplishment that I hope you can achieve: Have ESPN (your TV partner) list Bowling as a sport on ESPN.com. Okay? Can we handle that? Granted professional bowling is not a high-profile sport like baseball, football, etc. but couldn't it AT LEAST be acknowledged as a puny, minor sport under the MORE SPORTS tab?? Mixed martial arts is there. So is lacrosse and cricket. But NOT bowling. Maybe Tom Clark can pick up the phone and point out to ESPN that they actually show PBA on their network. This is unbelievable to me. Perhaps someone can explain how this is really possible.
On a positive note (you know -- give credit where credit is due), CBSSPORTSNET does list the PBA on their website. Perhaps this is the new direction to go for the PBA (even though tape delayed telecasts are pathetic and ridiculous) -- maybe the PBA can negotiate harder with ESPN or leave them altogether for a better relationship with CBS. We, and the poorly paid pro bowlers (look how may earn less than McDonald's employees), can only hope.
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I have thought the same. The winner should get 20,000....at least.
Cav
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Is this for the fall tour or just the summer swing? If its just the summer swing then its basically regional style pay. Maybe just an attempt at a hyped up version of regional events to get more views for the events.
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Entries were less than 1/2 the price of a regular event, so the prize fund is about 1/2 of the regular tournaments. This summer swing is an extra 4 events that give the players extra chances to make money. I bet most players are happier with this format than the gimmick summer series events. They also put all the events in 1 area and over 10-12 days to help reduce the expenses of traveling for 4 weeks from city to city.
If you ran a business, would the PBA really be that high on your list of sports you would want to sponsor?
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This is the PBA's fault...news flash...bowling has declined 80+% in the past 30 years.....it's not the PBA...it's bowling. It's the flood of bowling balls and impossible to understand game for new bowlers. It's the barrage of honor scores that cheapen the professional game.
Just because they SHOULD be paid $100k for a tourney win doesn't mean the money is there.
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Listen guys, heres the real problem with bowling... There is no advertising and NO MONEY at all in it.
Im not the smartest man ever but I really think the PBA needs to find a Millionare, to invest money into it and it would ultimately create a level that bowling has never seen in todays society. I mean someone willing to gaurentee a Million $ first place prize. This would have such a vast effect on bowling you wouldnt believe. People would come out of the wood work to compete for such an amount. Youre average Joe league bowler would go from bowling 5 games a week to 50 to try to live the dream as anyone else would. You have to look at the backend effect of any investment and right now, theres just no reason for anyone to want to compete with the small prize funds etc.
Does anyone else agree with what Ive said?
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Listen guys, heres the real problem with bowling... There is no advertising and NO MONEY at all in it.
Im not the smartest man ever but I really think the PBA needs to find a Millionare, to invest money into it and it would ultimately create a level that bowling has never seen in todays society. I mean someone willing to gaurentee a Million $ first place prize. This would have such a vast effect on bowling you wouldnt believe. People would come out of the wood work to compete for such an amount. Youre average Joe league bowler would go from bowling 5 games a week to 50 to try to live the dream as anyone else would. You have to look at the backend effect of any investment and right now, theres just no reason for anyone to want to compete with the small prize funds etc.
Does anyone else agree with what Ive said?
...not really. A single million dollar tournament would never rejuvinate the entire sport. Maybe a million dollar tournament every year...maybe. But you have to look beyond what first makes as well. Are you really going to find some person with an infinite amount of money willing to guarantee something like 1M for first, half a million for second, and so on so the top placers make some life changing money, and is he going to fund this guarantee every year? No. Besides, what would this person get out of the deal?
Second, you are not going to get Joe Bowler practicing 50 games a week for one tournament, even if it is every year. He has to work hard at the game, and learn about it on his own time while sacrificing most of the other things he does with his free time. He has to take time off work and travel to this thing, and all he has is half a prayer of accomplishing anything. You would attract some of the Joe I-average-230s, but I don't think even a majority of them would really get up off the couch for one tournament like that.
Also, I don't know if you remember that a couple of millionaires actually bought the PBA a decade or so ago and pumped a bunch of money into it...
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The PBA and the USBC are jokes. Soon it will be called Kegel Pro Bowling. AMF balls cant be used in PBA competition because they didnt pay the shake down money that the PBA demanded. EVERY ball company should stop paying this ransom money. All management of the PBA should be fired....what have they done? Nothing! Soon bowling at the pro level will be non existent. My local tournaments have a bigger payout then most regional tournys with 1/4 of the entry fee. The sport needs to go back to basics like it was in the 60's and 70's...NOT 50 different kegel oil patterns etc.... and these ball companies....each new ball "more back end snap, more continuous hook..." At this point the ball should be hooking into the next lane.
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Mbosco, I was meaning that large amount for every tournament played so forth... For some people in this world, donating 15 million would be nothing to them if they want to save the sport of bowling. Im just own a proshop so you know Im broke :) but the sport in general just needs some incentives, which goes to where the sport has never been. I am sure 20 years ago it was better with the value of the dollar so forth but still nothing compared to what it should be.
I was just suggesting here some please dont think im being stupid. I dont know what the PBA has in the future but I feel its a time bomb ticking and is fixing to go under... As far as equipment and lanes go there is no fix for that because they have already created such a monster that they couldnt possible turn around. It doesnt matter whether they put a 20 ft pattern out or a 60 ft. pattern, the high rev players as well as the two handers are still going to dominate. There really is no ultimate fix other than to change completely like said above... They have to find sponsorship money and alot of it, stop draining everything and cut every end possible. Maybe they could even go up on the PBA dues to hell 199$ a year or something. They will ultimately be hurting once all the ball manufactories do tell them to go screw themselves. Im actually surprised that it hasnt happened yet.
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Gosh if only some millionaire had bought the PBA and invested millions...maybe someone with ties to Microsoft....hhmm....didn't that happen about 12 years ago? Didn't it fail miserably when they propped the prize funds up with artificial money?
The cough isn't why you're sick....it's the virus.
The PBA isn't the illness....it's bowling as a sport.
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So exactly what the heck killed the sport? Is there one single thing or is it a combination of several?
I mean I was looking back at the history of the PBA and everything seemed to be going fairly well and then they changed television, the new balls came out, they got new ownership, and now its almost like it doesn't exist.
I understand other sports have grown in popularity but in the span of like 10 years the thing seemed to just go * poof*.
I'm guessing one step lead to another but just wondering wtf happened ( I had take a hiatus from the sport during that time so have no clue)
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I'll keep this as short as I can....it's not the "sport"....
It's society....
We work later than we did 40 years ago when bowling was at its peak. We work longer hours....we have longer commutes....people don't want to commit 4 hrs per week for 9 months to something that is going to keep them out even later.
Bowling was always the blue collar game....now the blue collar society is pretty much gone.
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I can understand that, I don't bowl in leagues anymore because I work 12 hour nights on a rotating 2 week shift so the days I have off this week are different the next.
Sounds like to me an adjustment needs to be made in the length of the leagues and how they work. Granted I know a ton of that is steeped in tradition but I hate seeing it fall apart.
Hell if I could get a Tuesday/Wednesday league or a Thursday/Friday league or hell even Sunday/Monday I would be there in a heart beat :D
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Sorry I am late to the party here. I think you have all missed the real reason for the decline of bowling:
People are changing. Part of it is as Russell says, people working more, living further away from those jobs because the housing markets went so high. Then we had 2008, people are out of jobs, people are underemployed, not making the same amount of money they used to. Something has to give and usually it's recreational sports like Bowling. The other thing is people are getting older, the Baby Boomers who were the large influx of ABC/USBC members are getting older. dropping out of the list as they can't compete anymore. And the next generation of bowlers, the youth, have more things to take up their time then ever before. Soccer is more popular than ever in the US. You have so many other activties both outside and inside of the house. Fringe sports are growing, look at the growth of MMA, the growth of golf, etc. Now throw in Playstation, iPad, Xbox360, the growth of the internet and all it brings....the list goes on and on. Where does bowling fit into this? It doesn't. ESPN had a list of the top earners in every sport (the only one I can find is from 2011), Men's Bowling (and this was a good year, when WRW JR earned $152K) came in 36th out 41 sports (Women's bowling was 41st, another sad commentary). What was ahead of bowling....Squash, Professional Eating, Racquetball and even Sumo Wrestling. Joey Chesnut made $218.5K in 2010 for stuffing hot dogs in his face.....and we wonder why bowling can't find sponsors. Bowling is caught in the endless destructive cycle.....maybe if you offered more money for winning, you could get more attention and get more sponsors...but you can't give more money for winning unless you attract more sponsors.
Also, bowling needs to find a new home other than ESPN. ESPN love bowling because it can put it on against the NFL every week, and get better ratings than anything else it can put there. But it's not going to pay for bowling to get a 1 share or whatever it is either. With the proliferation of Network Sports Networks (NBCSport Network, Fox Sports 1, etc) bowling should be able to find a home where it can get a better time slot and see if it can thrive a little. Maybe it is wishful thinking on my part, but it is something that should be investigated.
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The players need to bet their own cash against each other. Just like rap music, the announcers gotta talk up the chedda. Maybe their have backers.
I'm on an adult league and I don't think the average age has been falling of my league-mates. The bowling alley needs to start Nanny Leagues where they watch your kid like a daycare or kidspark.com. This way we at least have some way to attempt to bring the youth back.
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Since the PBA recently signed a new deal with ESPN you can count on more lame events in a bowling center no where near you.
Almost all of your U.S. events are in one place which is a great way for people not to come see your product in person. The rest of the events will be held overseas.
For a world economy that is struggling, bowling is growing in these countries. Know your product, know your market, grow your market.
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Think they really missed out not going with someone like CBS sports network. They gave them a good time slot and replayed it during the week several times.
I honestly think the product is fine, its the strategy they are using thats a total failure.
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The bowling industry keeps recycling the same crappy executives. Tom Clark, you suck. You sucked as usbc chairperson and you suck as commissioner of the pba.
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When you are limited with choices the choices you make look limited
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When you are limited with choices the choices you make look limited
+1 million
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Guarantee the PBA takes all that sponsorship money just to buy the telecasts. You think ESPN just gives them that time slot? This is very common in the sports world outside of the big sports.
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Wow, it's really too bad that the brain trust on here isn't given the opportunity to take over organizations like USBC and the PBA because then bowling would soar to unforeseen levels of profit and prosperity. We have guys and gals on this site who know everything that's wrong with these organizations and, if given the chance, could sort all of it out and make it work where all of these other dummies have failed year in and year out. I will be praying that one you hits the MegaMillions jackpot so that you'll have the money and power to put all of your foolproof ideas to work!
Give me a small break. As I've said a million times on here, does the PBA and USBC do everything right? Of course they don't. Have all of their decisions panned out? Of course they haven't. Still, I believe that these people are trying. I also believe that many of the armchair quarterbacks on here have no idea what they're talking about. As such, they oversimplify everything and make it seem as if major bowling industry prosperity is right there for the taking, but these organizations are just too stupid to take advantage of it. I'm not saying that improvements can't be made. Of course they can; however, I can't tell you exactly what those improvements are because there are so many factors in play. I guess I'm just not as smart as a lot of the users on here because they certainly seem to have all of the answers!
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Wow, it's really too bad that the brain trust on here isn't given the opportunity to take over organizations like USBC and the PBA because then bowling would soar to unforeseen levels of profit and prosperity. We have guys and gals on this site who know everything that's wrong with these organizations and, if given the chance, could sort all of it out and make it work where all of these other dummies have failed year in and year out. I will be praying that one you hits the MegaMillions jackpot so that you'll have the money and power to put all of your foolproof ideas to work!
Give me a small break. As I've said a million times on here, does the PBA and USBC do everything right? Of course they don't. Have all of their decisions panned out? Of course they haven't. Still, I believe that these people are trying. I also believe that many of the armchair quarterbacks on here have no idea what they're talking about. As such, they oversimplify everything and make it seem as if major bowling industry prosperity is right there for the taking, but these organizations are just too stupid to take advantage of it. I'm not saying that improvements can be made. Of course they can; however, I can't tell you exactly what those improvements are because there are so many factors in play. I guess I'm just not as smart as a lot of the users on here because they certainly seem to have all of the answers!
Ah, the inherent rights of the internet brethren to complain without any ideas or methods to achieve a desired result.
Though I feel for everyone when it comes to wanting change, it is quite a daunting task to make any real changes. The USBC is currently (where I am located) being staffed by the old and out of touch. Our local association is staffed with retired people (average age has to be above 65) who are doing the same things that have been done since the 60s. No one wants to take a position with the local association when the time required dips into their work and personal life. I would love to be involved but I have a job that pays and a wife and son that don't get enough time, and they are of course more important.
I know Gene used to work with USBC and I too think they are trying to make a difference, but until new blood WANTS to be involved, I am afraid things won't change too much. At least that is how I see it.
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spmcgivern,
You hit on one of my main points. Most bowlers whine and complain about all that is done wrong by those in power, yet they do nothing to get involved and try to make changes. Instead, they come on sites like these to tell everyone just how stupid those who are involved are. What does that accomplish? Nothing! My local association isn't run very well, but I don't bash them up and down the block. Why? It's because I haven't stepped up and gotten involved to make it any better. Until I do that, I don't think I have much of a right to complain. If you are unhappy, voice your gripes, and get involved to help make the situation better. If you are unhappy and you do nothing but sit on the sidelines talking crap, all you are doing is whining!
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why do some of the bowlers look like power rangers.....wow those pants...shirts i dont mind but the matching pants wow....ok im not here to bash the pba...i really enjoy the shows taped or not and i like the blue dye ive seen on the lanes,like mike j next to randy on commentary...reminds me of nelson and schinkel but better...i like that they tell you whats in the bag and the strenght rattings of the balls...i like how randy peterson explains how the lanes breakdown this is a great thing...it gives the bowlers creditbility and creditbility to the sport...got to be shot maker or your not going to make it on the pba....i dont know if they have a show on major network this year but if they did with blue dye...i think would open lot of peoples eyes to the pba...now on a side note i think they should have a small segments with the ball reps explaning the equipment their using and why....set a display up in between matches have the talk a little each ball how they react and why the bowler has chosen these balls for this event...chas
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I think the blue oil and using it as a teaching tool is one step in the right direction. One thing I think we need to do is get back to bowling in a bowling center! If the PBA truly is struggling lose the set for TV, scale things back and keep the show simple like it used to be. I like turning the tv on and it actually be a bowling alley they were bowling in, how can average joes relate when they turn the tv on and it looks nothing like where they bowl?
Also, educate-but don't alienate your audience. Can't tell you how tired I am of hearing how terrible our average everyday bowler is vs. the guys we watch-we are the only sport that try's so hard to tell our audience how much they suck! Yes most are unaware but hopefully the dye will help educate as a visual tool. We should be encouraging people to bowl not discouraging them, and it starts from the top down. Jmo....