OK, I hate to post this, but I have received 24 emails regarding this and I believe it needs to be put out somewhere besides my email box.
This year for State tournament I spent 3+ hours getting together every tournament score and casher that I had from the past 2 years to turn in for the State tournament officials. Why did I do this, BECAUSE IT IS IN THE RULES. All bowlers regardless of their averages MUST turn in their cashers with scores... BLAH BLAH BLAH... ETC.... Well, this practice is only enforced I guess for certain people on CERTAIN TEAMS. I now look at the leaderboard for this tournament and see a former (might be current for all I know) PBA card holder who practices at least 10-20 games a week winning the Handicap AE portion of the tournament using an average of 199. Other winners did not report their CASHERS from the past/current year and for some very strange reason I did.... I have never made over $40 in this tournament in my life I do not believe, but I also know that if I dont, I would be the first to get DQ'd. Some of the other winners received 1099s from this tournament LAST YEAR and did not turn in one piece of paperwork from what I understand, I know the tournament director was INFORMED as I was forwarded what was written to him via emails regarding this.
I understand totally this is not an easy job, but when you make the entry blank and put rules on there, you had better be ready to enforce them,,, NO MATTER WHAT THE CASE! Anywho, done with this subject.. have a great day!
Full Dump, it would not be all that hard or expensive for USBC to produce a form on which avid tournament bowlers post the things required in written rules that should be followed by everyone. It would not all that hard to have these forms handed in when entering a tournament, looked at and returned to the bowlers prior to bowling if a rerate is going to be made that the bowler can accept or not bowl, or while they are bowling. This could easily be done for the classified division of the USBC national tournament and other major tournaments where 'cheaters' feeling 'safe' would no longer be 'safe'.
When it is applied after the fact, asking a bowler to produce it because they bowled well and have to scramble to get the records they may have never even known was needed because it was the the first they were asked to produce it. These forms could be available at local levels and from tournament directors for those seeking them or even reproduced if bowlers just got a look at them if it was posted in one of the magazines sent to all members.
I even sent a sample of a suggested form while lobbying national to actually enforce their written rules but no dice. Years ago, at the request of Ed Baur, I put together and sent him my thoughts on a better top to bottom organization that might actually work rather than what we have now which has no chance. In graph form it started from the top and branched down to local levels with everything I trumpet now with little success in it and maybe was even looked at when the original SM was being drafted since it included a linkage that included regional offices represented and financed by the for profits to support sanctioned bowling and PBA/PWBA that was introduced but trashed quickly by local/state association officers objections.
Full Dump, ata every level there is a need to get men and women who can and want to 'walk through walls', not just 'talk the talk' and seek ways to do even less and less that seems to have been the objective of some delegates to national conventions, some league, local, state officers, bowling center owners and the organizations representing them at state and national levels.
If we cannot even get agreement on how to enforce rules that are on the books to try and have fair and honest tournament playing fields what can we expect from the leaders who are going to try and find a way to get BPAA/USBC to work together?
Don Gates
Don, it is just typical of bowling to have 200 rules listed and only a few folks have to abide by them. The people who make the rules for this sport need a brain AND realize that if you have a rule, EVERYONE needs to follow that rule.... and I hate to keep saying it,,, but not just CERTAIN people on Certain teams.... EVERYONE. I was told 3 years ago someone complained about the group I went with and that no matter what anyones average is, whether it be 245 or 200 they had to turn in all cashers in writing and wishfully all scores bowled (I had nearly 300 ,what I can rememeber and have written down, tournament games bowled in the last year alone) THIS is a major reason why bowling is a JOKE. People laugh at bowling and how gay it is because you can have an entire rulebook, but the last rule is Tournament Director has the right to do basically anything they want. From league rules all the way to our National Tournament, the rules department has really let everything hit the fan.... they are so reactive instead of proactive it is ridiculous. And now I have seen how, not just myself, but how certain groups are treated in situations because 1 or 2 people complain about things they have no clue about!
I seen the emails and the responses that were sent to the T.D. for our State tournament, I even sent him 1 or 2. All of the emails stated the rules that were not followed and NOTHING was done!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It is a shame to witness this stuff and if by chance I had failed to follow the rules and by chance I bowled good (which will probably never happen at this tournament) I know for a fact I would be hit with 20 different verification forms to fill out and have signed by 20 different people.... GUARAN-FN-TEED....No doubts about it!
Dear Full Dump!:
EVERY SINGLE TIME I entered a tournament, I can assure you that I declared EVERYTHING required (under the tournament and/or ABC/USBC rules).
If, for instance, I entered the state tournament and either myself or a member of my group needed to declare something (tournament average, prize winnings, etc.) as per the rules, that group member and I both went to the tournament office to declare such information AND present such information in writing.
I once asked former state tournament secretary Bob Carr as to how many others made such "declarations," and his reply was, "YOU ARE THE ONLY ONE!"
and if it was in the rules, he didnt do his job very well,,, just like most in bowling for as long as I have been bowling. They only worry about what they believe to be the "obvious" and certain rules AGAIN, only apply to certain people.
Also, I dont bowl many Handicapped tournaments throughout the year, I drive alot to avoid them as much as possible. But for the 4 or 5 a year, I know for a fact not every reports everything and it a shame TD's dont do their jobs..... when someone gets a 1099 from the same tournament the year before, their should be cause for alarm,,,, Mr. Kistler?????
I can remember one time several years ago when I went to the tournament director of the MD state tournament to declare winnings over $300.00. Though reporting was required according to the events rules, the TD had no idea what I was talking about or why I would report it.
