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March 1998

   Feedback on my recent story about the PBA telecasts has, if anything, sparked renewed interest in the sport. Some wear their passion on their sleeve while others are steadfast in the belief that what you witnessed on ESPN was the ticket to increased viewership. One writer said I was quick to put down the new format. He said I shouldn't offer my insight if I didn't have an alternate plan. He asked me if I thought many of the young viewers were repulsed at what they saw.

  I've had some time to mull over the possible ideas. First, I'm only 36. So when I'm told to get out of the 60s and into the 90s, I guess I'm getting up there in age.

  Since some of my previous columns where I point out what's broke with our sport and how to fix it, don't appear, I'll take a moment to give you my reasons for the demise of the PBA and how to revitalize the sport in general.

  Let's face it, there is NO marketing guru sitting in a corporate office that will be able to come up with a gimmick to fix the problem. The answer will also not come from the corporate office of the Professional Bowlers Association. No, the answer to the problem lies just outside of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. It's in the laps of the professional bumblers at ABC headquarters.

  The ghouls of Greendale have to take charge of a sport that they are responsible for. They allowed the Bowling Proprietors Association of America to bully their way into decision making. Their joint venture, The System Of Bowling, was, and is still a disaster. The ABC began their self-destruction back in the early 1980s when they went to short oil. The result was premium scoring. It also brought to the forefront, cheating with the lane conditions. That's not to say there wasn't cheating, or blocking, prior to this. It existed before short oil. Short oil magnified the problem.

  All the while, scores have steadily increased. In 1989, my relatively small coverage area had a total of 13 300s. Last year the same area tallied 104. Many have placed the blame on resin. Yes, technology has entered the sport. But even as good as resin is, the great equalizer is tougher oiling patterns.

  So, my solution to the PBA dilemma doesn't have anything to do with their organization. They instead should be pounding on the front doors of that bowling Mecca, the ABC of Greendale. They need to get them to toughen up their rules regarding oiling patterns. They need to ask them to put a halt to legalized lane blocking.

  There needs to be that separation between amateur and professional. There are too many once a week bowlers averaging more than the pros. That can't happen if the PBA is to survive. I want to be able to see why Walter Ray Williams Jr. is better than I am. I want to be able to know that my 225 average is no where near what WRW would average under the same conditions. But unfortunately, there are far too many bowlers that average better on paper what WRW does over the course of a PBA season.

  Another factor is the size of the purse. They are flat out dreadful. It takes close to $1,100 a week to compete full-time on the tour. That total continues to rise as the purses remain stagnant. You have to ask yourself if it's worth it. If you bowl in all of the stops, and providing you make it into the tournaments along with several cuts, chances are you will need $30,000 to compete. How much do you make on your present job? Is it $30,000-$35,000? Add the two together and you need to make $65,000 to make the same as your regular job. Then take a look at the money earnings from last year. And chances are you aren't living out of a suitcase and away from your family. Oh, and let's not forget about the high-roller tournaments that offer prize money 50 times more than a PBA event.

  I give the present marketing firm credit for trying real hard to turn things around. But I don't think sign waving-shirtless-fake clapping stunts are the answers. What we need is to look up to these men for what they are. They are professionals. I want them to know that they are respected as the sport's best.

Dave Goodman
Easton, Pennsylvania

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