yoani, It is my view there should be a catalog of very fine souvenirs available for sale to individuals, leagues and associations from one source that can command better prices and charge less than what the individual, league or association would pay on their own for a comparable whatever.
With junior bowling it is a bit different. I thought I had an idea sold to BPAA to offer a sticker program for bumper bowling where when a card was filled by very easy to get achievment stickers the bowler won a family bowling outing. Getting a something or other in the junior growing years can be a valuable incentive to continue bowling when they are saved. In my junior match games and masters I always gave medal awards that signified the year and placement and know many of the boys and girls saved those medals.
Very little that is given today for adults can be classified as something worth saving. I tried to sell the idea of artistic contests for years changes in some of the awards, like 600, 700, 800 emblems for men and women as an example of something that could be saved where the same old thing they have offered has little value as something to save and display. I have emblems from the 39 ABC national tournaments I bowled in and have them displayed on a plaque, all of them different with the city and year bowled as part of the design.
I think some men and women would save all time high emblems if they were available and having all that I mentioned as something that could be purchased would make it easier, also more expensive. My guess is there would more than a few men and women who would purchase emblems or medals they could place on a placque that listed the score, and date on them for every 600, 700, 800, not just all time highs
Anyway, getting out of the business of national having to supply awards as a cost to everyone, even a $60 ring going every year to some while 90% of the membership payers never even come close to any award scores is not fair and supplying service for all the membership is what USBC should be all about.
Don a similar marketing strategy was tried a few years back at my local alley with not much success. The alley bought a huge amount of little wooden pins and used a marker to write what they considered an achievement score on them to award to bowlers each league night. Then they tried to sell the bowlers display cases to put them in to hang on the wall. I do not remember ever seeing them sell any, but do not know for sure that they did not. I do know that they stopped awarding the little wooden pins. I strung all mine together to make a loincloth and wore it to the ladie's city tournament and danced to "It's Raining Men" in the opening ceremony. We also had our own version of "the Bud Light girls" enter the tournament that year. They would have won the team event if they had not been disqualified after a controversial skirt check.
skullpants:Don a similar marketing strategy was tried a few years back at my local alley with not much success. The alley bought a huge amount of little wooden pins and used a marker to write what they considered an achievement score on them to award to bowlers each league night. Then they tried to sell the bowlers display cases to put them in to hang on the wall. I do not remember ever seeing them sell any, but do not know for sure that they did not. I do know that they stopped awarding the little wooden pins. I strung all mine together to make a loincloth and wore it to the ladie's city tournament and danced to "It's Raining Men" in the opening ceremony. We also had our own version of "the Bud Light girls" enter the tournament that year. They would have won the team event if they had not been disqualified after a controversial skirt check.
RJN825: whiteoak: skullpants: I think that the proprietor who walled the shot up and made it easy to shoot 300 should pay for the jewelry. I also think that the company that sold him the $30,000 lane blocking machine should help him out a little. Now that's a big 10-4. What does a $30,000 lane blocking machine look like? In the local 12 laner I kegel in there's definitely nothing like that here. Heck, we're lucky if all 12 lanes work at the same time. So far this season there's been 3 300 games in ALL THE LEAGUES COMBINED (and 2 of them were shot by me, although I am lefthanded and have been told that's why I'm so lucky) You guy's must bowl in those new fangled "entertainment centers"
whiteoak: skullpants: I think that the proprietor who walled the shot up and made it easy to shoot 300 should pay for the jewelry. I also think that the company that sold him the $30,000 lane blocking machine should help him out a little. Now that's a big 10-4.
skullpants: I think that the proprietor who walled the shot up and made it easy to shoot 300 should pay for the jewelry. I also think that the company that sold him the $30,000 lane blocking machine should help him out a little.
I think that the proprietor who walled the shot up and made it easy to shoot 300 should pay for the jewelry. I also think that the company that sold him the $30,000 lane blocking machine should help him out a little.
What does a $30,000 lane blocking machine look like? In the local 12 laner I kegel in there's definitely nothing like that here. Heck, we're lucky if all 12 lanes work at the same time. So far this season there's been 3 300 games in ALL THE LEAGUES COMBINED (and 2 of them were shot by me, although I am lefthanded and have been told that's why I'm so lucky)
You guy's must bowl in those new fangled "entertainment centers"
whiteoak: RJN825: whiteoak: skullpants: I think that the proprietor who walled the shot up and made it easy to shoot 300 should pay for the jewelry. I also think that the company that sold him the $30,000 lane blocking machine should help him out a little. Now that's a big 10-4. What does a $30,000 lane blocking machine look like? In the local 12 laner I kegel in there's definitely nothing like that here. Heck, we're lucky if all 12 lanes work at the same time. So far this season there's been 3 300 games in ALL THE LEAGUES COMBINED (and 2 of them were shot by me, although I am lefthanded and have been told that's why I'm so lucky) You guy's must bowl in those new fangled "entertainment centers" Randy, Unfortunately all of the centers in my area are run by chains who will figure a way to block the lanes with or without the high priced lane machine. After all only an idiot can't put up a legal block with the 3 unit rule. Wish we had a few small, independent houses who would provide something other than the typical house shot. We are making some progress though as bowler demand has resulted in several houses in the area putting up sport/PBA Experience leagues.
I was talking to our lane guy and he said 7 units about 8 to 8. Length of oil is 42 ft buffed to 45ft. All I know is there is no "dry bump" off the gutter, if you swing it out there kinda' carelessly (like a spray and prayer) it's in the ditch or a 3 count if you're lucky.
I have been bowling for over 30 years. When I notched my first ring (a 299) I was as proud as I could be. I wore the ring constantly. On the night I received my ring, one of the old timers looked at it and said "what a shame, the award rings used to be much nicer." I had seen the older ones and they did not appear any more ornate than a class ring or the one I earned. Since then, I have earned 3 - 300 rings and another 299 and I only wear my rings to tournaments, banquets or when I really wish to intimidate another team.
I still have people approach me when I wear the rings and tell me how much they wish they could earn one. For the 298 and 299 games one award per bowling career is plenty and the plaques are fine. The 300 - 800 - 900 rings should always be awarded. The 100 over game and 150 over series award should be the same as the 298-299 award, once per career. A watch or ring will not break the national organization.
I do not know that bowling an honor score is any easier now than 20 years ago. I have heard that you can buy a 200 average with high end equipment, but I still see a lot of 180 bowlers with $200 balls.
I will miss getting the rings for 299's, ( I never earned a 298, I may have to buy one of them if I ever bowl 298), but it won't dampen my spirits or my desire to get the 300-800-900 awards. Strive to be the best, shoot for perfection.
I join the many frustrated bowlers who can't believe that the awards have been cut for the high achievement games of 298 and 299!I've been a bowler with the ladies association for over 20 years. Two weeks ago I bowled my highest game and series. I rolled a 299 and completed the series with a 738. To top it all off my average is only a 187.
I had no clue that the awards had been cut! I've watched awards taken away year after year while dues increase. I understand that times change and dues need to increase to reflect the cost of living. USBC should not have taken away the awards BUT instead should have regulated the amount of awards presented for high achievement games. It's not fair that the bowlers of the past can wear their rings in honor while the bowlers of today need to buy their own rings.
What frustrates me about this new awards cut is that I have "volunteered" for many years with the WIBC Association and the Youth leagues. We always looked foward to these high achievement awards for the bowlers that may only achieve this score once-in-a-lifetime. It's too bad that the window is shrinking for us amateur bowlers!!!
Claudia, You might want to read the latest changes that will be made to Awards.
http://www.bowl.com/articleView.aspx?i=13916&f=1
Yes and be sure to thank your local proprietor for walling up the shot, and making the awards program unaffordable.
Would someone please direct me to one of these houses with a walled off shot that makes 300-800-900 awards automatic. After many years, I finally earned my 1st 800 award this year and would like to add the 900 ring as well. If these establishments are so easy to score in, how come when I go to a USBC local tournament and throw a 700 series on a 212 average I still get beat by 170 average bowler who throws 650.
In the 80's and 90's I had a lot of 260 to 289 games that were just a tap away from being an honor score. When I broke through in 2001, it did lead to multiple awards and pretty much an award per season, and I earn the awards in different houses.
I am pleased that the game is so easy to you skullpants, and I am sure you have dozens of 300-800-900 awards, it does not lessen anothers achievement. No matter what the shot, it takes a degree of skill and a bit of luck to roll in the 290 to 300 range.
Draconas: Would someone please direct me to one of these houses with a walled off shot that makes 300-800-900 awards automatic. After many years, I finally earned my 1st 800 award this year and would like to add the 900 ring as well. If these establishments are so easy to score in, how come when I go to a USBC local tournament and throw a 700 series on a 212 average I still get beat by 170 average bowler who throws 650. In the 80's and 90's I had a lot of 260 to 289 games that were just a tap away from being an honor score. When I broke through in 2001, it did lead to multiple awards and pretty much an award per season, and I earn the awards in different houses. I am pleased that the game is so easy to you skullpants, and I am sure you have dozens of 300-800-900 awards, it does not lessen anothers achievement. No matter what the shot, it takes a degree of skill and a bit of luck to roll in the 290 to 300 range.
That is where you are wrong. When an achievment becomes commonplace it then becomes questionable as to whether or not it is even an achievment at all, and it only stands to reason that the governing body should then question whether or not it is worthy of an award, be it only a trinket.
So...USBC is just trying to run off higher average bowlers? Because they've already cut out a lot of awards to begin with. Anytime you average over 210 you get Congratulations on your 300, 800, 900. So, when I shoot my next 300, I can tell USBC "Thank You, but you'll never see anymore of my money, and you've managed to run off another bowler."
If they decide to make 300 rings gold, and make multi rings available, then they might be able to keep some of the higher average bowlers, because they will still have something to shoot for/get credit for. If USBC is going to have a "Lifetime Achievement Award", then make it something worthy of the title.
Just for kicks, I talked to some random higher average bowlers to get their opinion. They agreed with me, and said they too would leave if it wasn't worth their time, money or effort. Once again, I am very disappointed with USBC's decisions. Do they have anyone in the decision making process that is actually a bowler? This is definitely not the way to bring credibility back to the game.
No, but this may just be the way to make bowlers want to make the proprietors want to bring credibility back to the game. If you really feel that the awards program is that important, do you not also feel that the awards should not be so commonplace? Shouldn't it take an exceptional performance to earn one? Shouldn't such a performance be worthy of attention just because it is obvious that an obstacle has been overcome? Surely you must agree that today bowling cannot offer such challenges. This is the reason that the awards program is being cut and it is just a matter of time before it is completely gone.
So...USBC is going to punish those who don't bowl on a walled up house shot. Lovely. That's a great idea.
For example, our center runs 5 full leagues. Granted, we only have 16 lanes, but we've had only one 300 game bowled so far this year. This is the point I'm trying to make. Those of us who don't bowl at a "walled up shot" bowling center will suffer the consequences of USBC's lame decision. I'm not trying to fight USBC. I've been bowling for 17 years and I truly love the game. It seems to be in my blood. And I don't just bowl at one center - I go to different places to bowl. In those 17 years, I've only seen seven 300's and one 800 bowled, and I'm in the center usually every day. Our bowling center has a hard shot. PBA members who attend our Regional every year have commented on how hard it is to carry. Yes, they bowled on the PBA patterns, but only three 300's have been accomplished since the Regionals began, and none of those came from people like Chris Barnes, Wes Mallott or Mark Scroggins.
I would love nothing better than to see the game restored. If centers who put out the walled up shot, making it as "easy" as it's ever been for bowlers to shoot an honor score, can't seem to spark the interest of millions of new bowlers, what do they think cutting out the awards is going to do? What if baseball took away the Cy Young award? What if football took away the AFC and NFC Championships? What if boxing took away the golden glove? If you're not going to receive a special award for a special accomplishment, why do it? I don't believe that bowlings downfall is due to the increase in higher scores. I think there's more factors to it than that. If I'm paying $18 for a USBC Membership, plus league and tournament fees, I want something in return. Hopefully you can understand the point of my frustration.
