There has been a lot of talk lately about the integrity of the sport but what exactly do we mean - this idea of integrity? What are the inherent qualities that makes this or any other sport fair and creditable?

You can take a look at the qualities that make the sport honest, but without further examining how the sport of bowling lost it's way, then applying what we've learned to help return integrity back to the sport, we accomplish nothing. The status quo that has been maintained for the last 40 years will continue. We'll lose more participants and then we'll lose more bowling centers. It is of the utmost that we return integrity to the sport of bowling because as it stands right now this version of the "sport" is not selling. It's not generating a significant increasing viewership on TV. It's not generating the young talent in the numbers that we need to keep the sport vibrant. And it requires a lot of maintenance as we go to keep the illusion that the current game is a sport.

Let's glance at four major factors that determine the level of integrity for any competitive sporting event.

First, the object of the game must be set and kept at the same levels for everyone. Simply, the object of bowling is to knock down as many pins as possible to achieve the highest score. As to the basic object of the game, as long as there's no cheating, or any penalties imposed subjectively, we just have to rely on the math of one person knocking down more pins then the other person. We cannot arbitrarily raise the bar for one person or lower away for another. So therefore, all rules apply equally to all participants.

The second thing that we have to look at in a competitive sport deals with discrimination. Is this sport reasonably available to everyone on an equal basis? At the onset of the ABC, discrimination occurred because women and children were excluded from sanctioned competition. Also, bowling was known for the longest time as a whites only sport. But society and the regulatory body realized that these inequities were just that. Legislation was passed to allow everyone to participate on an equal basis. The regulatory body ultimately did its job.

As the governing body looked at discrimination in the sport, they proceeded to correct this in the right way. That is, they looked at doing the right thing first for the furtherance of the sport. And they did this without regards to how it affects the commercial or proprietary aspects of the game. And, as what usually happens, doing the right thing allowed greater interest in numbers in the sport. We could see evidence of that in the the formation of daytime women's leagues for example.

This idea of the body of the sport itself, the goodness in the wholesomeness and integrity of the sport first, is an important idea that we all must grasp. When the commercial and proprietary interest comes first before the "right thing to do" it degrades the sport. It has lead to the major reason why competitive bowling is in the dire straits that it is. We must do a 180° turn about and let commercial and proprietary interest follow the wholesomeness and credibility of the sport in the regulatory decisions that the governing body makes. Right now, and for the last 3 to 4 decades, it has been the reverse. It has devastated the sport. It has robbed competitive bowling of its participants. And most importantly, it has indirectly led to the closing of numerous bowling centers in the country.

With the advent the last couple of decades of new and more sophisticated equipment in bowling comes another restricted class of bowlers- economic class. The cost of equipping oneself with an arsenal to be truly competitive in the sport now places strains on even the most well to do parents, charged with bringing along junior bowlers who aspire to greater things. If you can't afford it, you can't afford it! It restricts a class of players from being able to participate. Unlike soccer for example, where all one needs is a pair of shoes and a ball, or basketball for one just need shoes and ball, competitive bowling requires an expensive littany of equipment to be competitive. And due to the planned obsolescence of new bowling balls, this expense just keeps on coming.

The third factor which defines the integrity of a competitive sport is- Do the playing conditions continually favor one athlete over another?

For the last 30 years in competitive bowling the answer to that question is a resounding yes. One of the most blatant examples is the lefty-righty controversy. As lane conditions and bowling equipment evolved, we began to realize that the left side and right side conditions were infrequently the same. That by changing the pattern, they can effectively "shutout" the left or the right side with a large degree of certainty. If we found that too many weeks in a row the lefties are dominating, we could change the pattern to shut them out.

The din of the argument of the lefty righty controversy hides an important realization of the effects of different lane patterns. Each and every pattern favors one competitor over another. It is inherent in every lane pattern. It is not confined only to the lefty-righty controversy, but the power player over the line player or the finesse player over the player who uses brute force and revolutions. And as lane conditions evolve over a block it may bring one style of player to the forefront while another style of player falls by the wayside. It is this favoring of one competitor over another which erodes the credibility of the sport.

In an effort to solve these inequities, we continually create new patterns with different characteristics in order to try to even out the competition. But this just compounds and multiplies the problem. We must realize that any introduction of a foreign substance on the playing surface will corrode the integrity of the sport. Like it or not, lane conditioner is a foreign substance applied to the playing surface. The answer is to have a completely clean playing surface. But right now, we really don't have the technology to make this an affordable reality for the bowling centers. We can however, minimize this effect by applying the lowest volume conditioner possible while still maintaining the protection of the lane surface itself. Doing this will require a revolution in how we look at equipping this game. It also requires a considerable leap of faith.

The fourth and by far the most important factor in determining whether or not a sport has a high level of integrity and credibility lies in the answer to this question- Do the results of the contest depend completely on the exclusive action and skill of the participants?

Currently, in competitive bowling the answer this question is a resounding no.

The evolution of lane conditions and equipment technology has taken a large portion of the skill out of the hands of the participants and infused it in the latest technology. Results do not necessarily reflect the skill of the participant. No longer is practice and practice needed to refine the skills of the aspiring kegler. One can now go into the Pro Shop and purchase themselves a game. Practice is no longer needed or desired or affordable! And when the results of the contests are influenced by outside means, the credibility of the sport is called into question.

So where did we go wrong? How as an industry did we let this happen?

The answer lies with regulating proprietary and commercial interests first with the integrity of the sport a distant second. For years now the ABC/USBC has demurred to the pressure of the proprietary groups and commercial interests. This lassiez-faire approach to governing the sport has been a disaster. To revive competitive bowling, we all in the industry must adopt the idea once again of the goodness and wholesomeness of the sport coming first and that naturally the commercial and proprietary interests will follow. It is a difficult idea to grasp. We as human beings tend to want instant gratification.

Are there other factors that led to the decline of competitive bowling? Of course. But when we look at the rate of decline of participants and just as important venue, comparing them to other competitive sports controlled by a governing body, not one comes close to the extreme loss of participants and venue that we see in competitive bowling. All of these other sports have had to deal with the same social and economic changes over the last 40 years. None of the major competitive sports have the overwhelming decline that competitive bowling has had.

We are running out of places to play!

Wow, long read. Didn't that come from the PBA forums? I liked the part about how competitive bowling is not solely determined by the bowler's skill and integrity, though. But I think it's similar in golf and racket sports (badminton, table tennis, tennis, squash, etc) to a (maybe lesser) degree.

First, welcome to the site.

Second, if you take the lane conditioner down that low you are giving the severely rev challenged or helicopter bowler the advantage. Besides nobody wants to go rock chucking, people want to bowl.

I suggest they put down the USBC National tournament pattern for any and all sanctioned competition. The National tournament pattern is the most fair pattern I have seen, it doesn't give an advantage to anyone, (anyone who bowls on it fresh that is). I saw high rev bowlers do well and low rev bowlers and everyone in between have a decent shot at the pocket, all it required was good Execution to score well, or someone to groove a shot in for them.

Modern bowling requires you to know much more than in days gone by. You need to know:

1. Lane Oil Transition
2. Bowling ball drilling patterns
3. How to alter your Angle, Speed, Equipment, Release, and Loft to stay competitive on all of the various patterns.
4. How to alter your physical game to get the most out of your abilities IE coaching, there wasn't much in the way of coaching back in the old rubber ball days.

So the solution is to take off the oil and force people to bowl conventional grip? Are you serious?

First of all, this version of the sport is selling. That's part of the problem. People have more fun bowling cosmic bowling on cra ppy condition then they do being committed to a 36 week league. Open play is selling. So you cannot argue about that. Proprietors and managers of centers are making more money off open play then they are league bowlers with MUCH LESS catering. You just don't have to do much to please open play bowlers. But league bowlers gripe, they complain, they have expectations as to lane conditions and overall center conditions. Open play doesn't. So its much cheaper to cater to open play then it is to league bowlers.

The closing of many centers isn't because of lack of traffic and bowlers. Most of it is from increase in land costs that prohibit the low profits a bowling center lives off of. It is not because of high scoring environment that bowling centers close. Its because you can build low income housing or other housing on the property and make much more money then keeping the bowling center. Santa Clara county had 15 centers, now they have 5. Its not for lack of population or bowlers.

You will never get a proprietor to give up income in place of "integridy". They cannot do so and stay in business. The economic times have changed since the highlight of Pro Bowling nearly a generation ago. Even then they had lane conditioner. Every league and tournament bowler should thank their lucky stars every time cosmic bowling starts and the open play chaos begins. Because of this (and the bar) the center stays open and can then cater to league bowling.

ABC/USBC is now run by the proprietors (BPAA). So any regulations we can get from them is more then we'll probably have in the near future. The problem with all the regulating and certifications and taping the lane conditions is that there's no back bone to the specifications, no reprecussions to non compliance and a severe lack of simple human labor to do this work.

Mr. JamesSalisbury......are you a local USBC director? A volunteer that is working nearly constantly to uphold what regulations and integridy we have? Have you been a state delegate? A National delegate? Because if you are not, then you have NO SOAP BOX upon which to preach. Believe me, we are doing the best we can with the abilities and power given to us. We hear a lot of griping but when it comes down to getting volunteer help there's no one to be found. Last Sunday morning at 6am, I was crawing around the pit area of a 48 lane center taking mearsurements. What were you doing? This Sunday I'll be doing the same for a 44 lane center. I truely don't see a major change coming anytime soon that will be in your favor. But I do know that without people like you that feel passionately about the sport in positions of USBC directors and delegates that we cannot hope to last. If you are not a USBC director, put your money where your mouth is and become one. Because there's no where else for your thoughts and ideas to have a platform.

Erin

The playing field is NOT level. And, until it is, there will always be questions on achievement. Just how many * can we place behind honor scores?

I can agree with his premise, but I don't think it has any bearing on integrity of the Sport. Because, as a Sport, Bowling takes out its more challenging shots in the Animal patterns. Bowling, for most, is a night out with friends. It is a recreation. The actual Sport of bowling has fewer and fewer bowlers every year.

It is a little ridiculous to think a 300 on a house shot is equal to one on the Shark. But, that's what we have. Ball technology and lane surfaces have changed the game drastically, and it's a never ending spiral. A 230 house shot average cannot be compared to the pros averaging 230 in a PBA tournament. But, it used to be. That is what Technology has changed.

I don't know how to resolve this. And, I hear the arguments in favor of the "new and improved" whatever. I hear there is better Coaching today, and kids start younger with training. And, that it still takes skill to roll the same ball on the exact line 12 consecutive times. But, it's not the same as it was in the early 70's, before the "advancements" in the sport. Today, it is definitely easier to score.

But, does that ruin the integrity of Bowling? Did that cause the demise of the number of bowlers? Did that cause lanes to close all over? I don't think so.

My take is to look at how bowling is viewed by others. I get a lot of question marks on faces of friends who really don't see the importance of bowling. Actually, they have a fairly low opinion of bowling and those who do it. It's not the same as the Country Club golfers. Bowling has an image of beer drinking, smoking, and kids with pants slipping to their ankles. And, that's not what an educated society wants to see. I bowl in 3 leagues and probably with over 220 people that I have gotten to know. I can't think of too many with a College degree. Those people don't go bowling. It's a status thing, as I see it, and bowling has a low image to many. As household incomes have risen, bowling is Not something that entertainment dollars are spent on. When household incomes were lower, Bowling was an economic night out, or day with the family. The ratio of family income to the number of bowlers seems to be inversely related.

I personally don't drink alcohol much, and fail to understand how an $8 stein of beer at a micro brewery is better than a $2 bottle of Bud at the lanes. Except, for the company one keeps. $8 beer drinkers do not bowl. And, that is what is coming out of College these days, the young professionals. I bet if bowling was a $20 event, they would spend money to do it.

Lanes are closing, true. But, if they were making money, and generating a proper return for the owners, they wouldn't be sold for development as they are. I talk with the former owner of the lanes in my town, that closed some 20 years ago. He explains that as the demographics of the residents changed from agrarian to professional, the bowlers disappeared. My town has grown from 7000 to 20000, in that time, but there are fewer bowlers. Instead of weekly leagues, he ended up with quarterly outings of New Comer Clubs. And, that doesn't pay the bills. He sold the lanes to a Plumbing supply warehouse. The Village forced that to close, because it wasn't the image they wanted on the Main Street. It was torn down in favor of a Bank. The bowling alley would have been forced out too.

Around here, Brunswick Houses are closing because they were built 30+ years ago, and don't offer the venue that the newer houses have. There is a much higher return in the Cosmic, the attached playland, game rooms, bumper cars, laser tag rooms, with outdoor batting cages and mini-golf. It has become a kiddyland indoors. NOT A BOWLING ALLEY. If I were to mention the name of another House near here, people would equate it with the Sand Volleyball leagues in the back. Not a bowling alley. Some people don't know the place stays open from Fall to Spring. Hey, they actually bowl in the building.

I go to the lanes quite a lot to practice. In the day, I see mothers with kids, and no others practicing. In the evening, I see a few dates, and no others practicing. And, the leagues are taking fewer and fewer nights of guaranteed business. Cosmic has filled the Weekend nights, not leagues. Actual bowling around here, is a Mon thru Thurs night event from 6 to 10 only. The Sport is going away. But, it is because of lack of interest, not the technology.

These are just my thoughts.
And, I am a dying breed, as a bowler, that is.

I agree with everything you say. Although I enjoy IPA's and Belgian Ale much more than the big three. When I go bowling, I settle for a miller lite or something, but would much rather have a good beer. Sure some 6 packs run 25 dollars but with around 10% alcohol and not tasting like watered down beer it's leaps and bounds a better deal.

I think a huge problem lies in there wasn't enough people ushering the next generation into bowling. When I was younger there was always somebody practicing at the lanes and would always be helpful to any questions you had. Also with commercial lanes (Brunswick AMF) becoming mainstays you didn't have the knowledgeable proprietor there and instead you have people who don't know jack about bowling behind the counters. Kids these days with parents who aren't well to do who want to get into bowling are already behind the 8 ball. In order to find some coaching you have to pay for lessons. Older days there were always people there willing to give a few tips for free. Now the only people bowling in open play are people trying to pass time.

Welcome to the site. Where in Pa are you from?

I have to say there are a lot of correct statements in the post, but they are tied to the conclusions by what I feel are invalid or unsubstantiated inferences.


The OP doesn't indicate that this is a problem. Agreed.


OP says race and gender are no longer discriminated against - correct. OP then says people with less money are discriminated against. Sorry, no. I could be bowling right now for $2.50/hr, unlimited bowling, and that includes shoes and a house ball. I could get my own ball and shoes for $100 - cheaper than getting set up to play golf. Yeah, a high performance ball would cost more, but so would a better set of golf clubs, or a good softball bat (many cost more than high performance bowling balls - is softball inaccessible?).


OP says they do. I say no. One style may have an advantage in one tournament, or for a block of qualifying. But that style doesn't always have the advantage. And, the best bowlers aren't affected. Norm Duke has made shows on the Shark, and the TOC when it was long. Tommy Jones and Mika have won on every animal pattern.
Additionally, at the recreational level, house shots are specifically crafted to make it easier to get to the pocket from every angle, leveling the playing field.


OP's answer:


Sorry, I don't believe I've ever been beaten by someone who went into the Pro Shop and purchased a game. I have seen poor bowlers shoot high games, but 1 high game doesn't make a good bowler, and it doesn't win you a tournament. I never went to practice in Little League. Frankly, I wasn't very good. I did hit a home run. But, that didn't win me anything (except a huge smile). It didn't tarnish baseball that I got a home run even though I never went to practice.

What "outside means" are influencing the results? Last I checked, the athlete is the one rolling their high tech bowling ball, and reading the pattern and transition to figure out how to roll the ball, where to roll it, and which one to use.

Hey! welcome to the forum. We have healthy, opinionated discussions here. BTW I disagree with your major premise, that this sport should be anything more than family fun (IMHO). After all, it's not an Olympoic sport. If someone were to set up a sanctioned Olympic version, then I would agree with most of what you say. For me, though, it is not at all like Track and field, but more like shuffleboard or horseshoes.

Hmm... Maybe that's a good idea - separate the family fun type of bowling and league bowling from the USBC sanctioned competitive tournaments.

Okay, that said, are you the famous James Salisbury?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Salisbury
inventor of th Salisbury steak?

(just kidding - I see you're on facebook...)

Times have changed. People have busier lives. They spend more time getting to and from work instead of bowling. They have more activities they can do with the accessability of the home computer and other digital entertainment (cable TV and video game units).

Every sport has changed over time. Look at the advantages in swimming today vs 15 years ago. How about Track and Field? Do they wear footgear that is from the 1980s? I looked up Pole Valting. They started with ash poles, then aluminum and now fiberglass. Plus they are now prebent. Do you think we should go back to using ash poles? Conditions fair for everyone? What about tennis players that prefer grass over clay? How do you think most High Jumpers felt when they first saw the Fosbury Flop? There's a style that instantly proved to be better then the status quo. And now that's how you jump the high jump. And the shoes. Did you know there are spikes in high jump shoes for extra traction? Is that fair? You cannot stop time or go back in time.

We do have degrees of difficulty now. That's why the Sport and PBA concept exists. Its there, go do it. We have different awards for Sport/PBA vs normal USBC Sanctioned leagues and tournaments. There's going to be Red/White/Blue conditions for tournaments this coming year on a trial basis. This year the award system for regular sanctioned play is getting a major overhaul and all the awards will be harder to achieve. I don't know anyone that used to bowl 20 years ago and now doesn't bowl simply because lane conditions are too easy.

As for coaching. Most Junior programs I've seen have coaching included with the league play. So "free" coaching is available. If you have a well coordinated Jr. program then you'll have kids. If you don't organize youth leagues well, then the kids will drop out. For adults, there are clinics, how to bowl leagues, free information via forums like this that you would not have had 10 years ago. Plus there are still people bowling that will help if you ask. I get asked all the time when I'm bowling. "how do you do that?" "Why doesn't my ball do that?" Do I tell them to take a long leap off a short pier? And hand them a business card? No, I give them information. But I did pay a lot of money to become a certified coach and I still give away more information for free then I get paid for.

I see all kinds of people bowling open play. I see the scratch bowler practicing next to the family of 4 with bumpers up. And on down the center a group of high school kids or church group bowling. I don't think its just a matter of passing time. I think the people that are open play bowling are there specifically to bowl because they want to bowl. Look what they had to go through to do it? Get to a special location at a special time (non league), and pay for shoes. I think if a bowling center is void of open play that there's probably a very good explanation for it. Bad part of town, run down fascility, too expensive. Why should I go to the nearby AMF center and pay $4.50/game when I can go 6 more miles down the road and pay $1? The house with $1 games is nearly always full of open play. The AMF house.....not so much. I think also in many parts of the country bowling is much more seasonal then here in CA. Hardly anyone plays baseball or golf in the snow, but they'll bowl. Consequently in the summer they do other activities.

Anyway, its a more complex problem then lack of integridy or high scoring pace.

Erin