Bowling, The Wright Way - March 8. 1998 by Don Wright
Bowling Doesn't Need Mike

Somebody please help me understand what it is that Michael Jordan will do to make bowling better. I'm sorry, I too, like Mike, but does anyone really believe he will help bowling? He may help AMF's bottom line, but I don't see bowling getting better because of Mike. Naming a bowling center Michael Jordan Lanes in Chicago will make a person bowl about as much as a Toyota dealership with the same name will cause you to not buy American.

In a recent news release AMF announced that the second of its Michael Jordan Golf Centers is scheduled to open in Charlotte, N.C. in August of 1998. It will be a $2.85 million, state of the art golf practice and teaching facility. The Michael Jordan Golf Company, an AMF subsidiary, will of course operate it. A golf education and instruction program targeted specifically to disadvantaged and at-risk young people.

Exactly what is AMF trying to promote here? If they want to bring bowling to the forefront, open a $2.85 million, state-of-the-art bowling center, and staff it with certified coaches and offer the same people the same opportunity. Then you'll be doing something for bowling.

Having Michael Jordan open a few centers, make a few promo spots and hold a bowling ball with an AMF logo won't help bowling. Gordon Vadakin, coach at Wichita State University, in a Bowling Magazine interview said it best "It bothers me that we have to go to superstars in other sports to promote our game rather than use our own superstars."

The problem is our superstars don't have name recognition, nor to they receive obscene salaries or prize money. Former Team USA stars and current professionals like Chris Barnes and Kendra Cameron, Collegiate bowlers like Jeremy Sonnenfeld and coaches like Susie Minshew and Fred Borden can do a lot more for our bowling youth than Mike. Unfortunately, in addition to not being marketed as well as superstars, they aren't marketed as well NASCAR truck drivers, (Craftsman Truck Series driver Terry Cook) or Buckshot Jones. (You figure it out).

Michael Jordan is talking about retirement. In my mind, when that happens, any impact he may have had on bowling will truly be gone. Us die-hard fans will remember all the great things he did in basketball, but to the kid coming up through YABA he'll just be yesterday's news.

I received a lot of e-mail regarding my last column. Many of you wrote that you believed the punishment Pete Weber got did not fit the crime. Several people wrote that professional bowling is a sport where the participants pay a fee to be a member, they pay an entry fee to participate and then have no right to complain about the service they are paying for through fees.

I would like to quote from one letter from a worldnet writer - " I really think it's time for everyone involved in bowling to admit the PBA isn't getting the job done. Entry fees go up yet the prize funds go down. Where is all the money going? When are those so-called "marketing guru's going to get some legitimate sponsors?"

Here is part of a letter from an AOL reader - "I received the feeling from several touring pros that were here (PBA Regional El Paso) they felt the tour was heading for trouble. Requiring more of their players with less in return."

Nearly all the e-mail I received wanted the excitement Weber, Schlegel, Ozio and Hoskins bring to professional bowling. All spoke of the antics of Holman and believe they bring a personality to the sport.

Speaking of sport, all the e-mail, 100 percent said bowling was a sport. Many of those who wrote me said they had written to the columnist that felt bowling was not a sport.

I appreciate all the responses. It did bring out the good, the bad and the ugly. Sort of like the music on my Family and Friends site at my web page: http://www.vvm.com/~wrightd

Check it out. I now have the top 100 in team, doubles, singles and all-events of the ABC Nationals on my Reno link. You can also find more of my columns and bowling links.

Keep the e-mail coming and sign my guest book. See ya on the lanes.