Bowling, The Wright Way - June 16, 1996 by Don Wright
Should Wheeled Bags Be Illegal? and ABC Nationals Survey

ABC NATIONALS - My wife and I have been to Salt Lake City about four times. We have traveled the state from Salt Lake to St. George and have commented every time on its beauty. Going there for the ABC Nationals was great fun.

My two teams were scheduled to bowl on June 10 - 11 and there was only one other team squad after ours, and the event ended. I have written before that the ABC Nationals is simply a tradition that my team mates and I would not miss. The competition is keen and the friendships are wonderful.

The ABC always has static displays throughout the convention center and one of those displays was a grouping of Bowling magazine covers. I found them quite interesting. Many of the things that we bowlers and writers are talking and writing about were being talked and written about over thirty years ago. Let's look at a few story titles over the years.

September 1963, The Unrealistic Average.
September 1964, Big Money Leagues Spell Danger Ahead.
September 1965, Doctoring of Lanes Dangerous to Bowling.
September 1966, Seniors Get Assist As Membership Grows.
September 1969, Today, Weber Could Buy The Store.
April 1976, Ball Hardness Minimum Is??? New Penalty For Lane Blockers.

Does any of this sound like it might have been written more recently?

This year the ABC had a rule that no bowling bags with wheels would be allowed anywhere past the lockers. No wheeled bags could be taken into the paddock area at all. For me, that meant buying two canvas tote bags and borrowing a wheeless bag from a friend in the Ebonite booth. I questioned the rule with the ABC officials because I told them I had shoulder straps and would carry the bags into the lane area. The answer was no wheeled bags allowed. Since I am a fairly stubborn person, I questioned the rule and was told that last year, while walking to the lanes from the paddock area, a bowler, not watching where he was going tripped over a bag being pulled, fell and broke his arm. Ergo, no wheeled bags.

While waiting for my shift, I engaged one of the ABC officials at the registration counter in a conversation and she stated that 84,500 bowlers competed in this tournament. One boob folks, not paying attention the previous year, caused 84,500 bowlers to suffer the ABC solution.

Now, I may be wrong, but ABC charges me $100. to enter this event. Columbia, Brunswick, Ebonite, and all the bowling related suppliers produce bags with wheels, yet because one person walks with his head up his bowling bag, we can't use our stuff!

I'll admit the "Macho Mule" should probably not be allowed. But, a two ball bag with wheels should be. Any bag that can be carried with a shoulder strap should be allowed. I was not going to drag my bag. I had shoulder straps.

I asked another question of the ABC officials. What about handicapped bowlers, or physically challenged individuals? I have a bowler on my team that had a broken back. He is physically challenged. There was a bowler in the paddock area that said he just had both knees replaced. One bowler had recently had a hip replacement. I was told that if someone needed help carrying their equipment we simply needed to inform the ABC officials and they would assist them. Guess what? That made me ask another question. Why don't you announce that service? Their response was, not many people know it. Duh!

ABC needs to rescind that rule. If they don't want you to drag your bag, okay. But, if a bowler has shoulder straps and can carry his equipment, wheels or no wheels, let him do it. If you can carry it, you can't have it.

Now, ABC says their concern is for bowlers safety. How about this. While walking to the lanes from the paddock area, a bowler beside me was carrying a bowling ball in his hand. He dropped it! Fortunately, it missed the lady behind him by a fraction. So much for safety.

And, as one of my team mates warned "don't trip over one of those wheeless bags, or we'll have to carry our balls in grocery bags next year."

All in all I had a great time. Great bowling, good friends, fine food and the beauty of Salt Lake City. I can't wait for next year. I just put some WD-40 on the wheels of my bag.

SURVEY - Based on some recent events, let's do a little survey. I will list a few questions and, if you have the time, please answer them and E-mail me your responses. I will follow up with the responses in a future column, mentioning no names.

1. Do you go to the ABC Nationals?
2. Would you like to be able to use your own equipment, including wheeled bags?
3. Do you think ABC does enough for you and your $100. entry fee?
4. Should women be allowed in ABC?
5. Do you subscribe to, or read any, bowling magazines?
6. Do you think lane conditions are too easy?
7. What is your average?
8. What change would you make in the ABC Nationals if you could make only one?
9. What's the best thing you can say about the ABC Nationals ?
10. What is it that gives you gas about the ABC Nationals.

I promise no names will be mentioned. Just E-mail me at KRDN72A@prodigy.com and let's get an opinion from the bowlers.