EXCALIBUR, that's in where lies the catch-22 of the situation. Yes, the women want and DESERVE more money in their prize funds.....unfortunately, nobody is stepping up to the plate to help make up the funds. If you cut back on the prize funds that are being offered in the tournaments, then the entries themselves will fall out the bottom, because it just won't make economical sense to go to the expense to enter the tournaments (and all of the travel expenses, lodging expenses, equipment expenses, and other dollars incurred while competing) when there isn't enough prize money coming back to even cover the expenses of competition. As it is, only a fraction of the competitors who enter will see a dime in money for their efforts and monetary investments, and to further degrade the payouts will only kill the PWBA Tour itself. Maybe the Regional events MIGHT survive, but the Regionals depend on the bigger names entering to muster up the public interest, so the demise of the Tour could also lead to the demise of the Regional program.
I have to give credit where credit is due. John Sommer III has been very generous to the game to invest some $4 million of his money in hopes of seeing a return of some type in his investment, but there is a limit to how much liability one individual can absorb. I'm sure that this situation is killing John emotionally, but what other choices does he have at this point, seeing as how no other big dollar sponsors are willing to step up to the plate? The PWBA has survived BECAUSE of John's efforts, but that well has about run dry. I'd hate to be in the position that he is faced with, because I know how attached he is to the women's Tour.
It puzzles me that none of the ball manufacturers are even waving their arms at this point, as some of their advertising is at risk here too. You'd think that the ball companies would at least have a vested interest in what happens here, but it appears that they just don't care.
At this point, it will take a miracle similar to what happened to the PBA to save the PWBA. Maybe the same group with the PBA might see the wisdom of preserving the PWBA as well, or at least one would hope so. After all, I'd venture at guess that women make up at least 40% of active bowlers today, if not even a larger figure. Losing the PWBA would be isolating a significant share of the bowling public and bowling consumers. The chain reaction effects would be felt clear into the bowling manufacturing industry. No PWBA means a lesser interest in women's bowling, which in turn leaves fewer women driven towards serious competition, which in turn leads to less interest and fewer bowlers purchasing high end equipment, and the ripple effects could even be felt at the local level in women's participation at local bowling centers.
Yes, there is a dark gray cloud on the horizon here, and living in Tornado Alley myself, one starts wondering about impending danger.
