Bowling, The Wright Way - October 15, 1998 by Don Wright
Some Random Thoughts

I was recently at a tournament and while waiting to bowl a cellular phone rang and suddenly there were a half dozen people looking for their phone and holding it to their ear. In a few moments, only one person was still on the phone. That event stirred some random thoughts.

• Were all those people with cell phones that important before cell phones? And, if so, how did they deal with it?

• I spent years as the chief, special agent for the U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Division and never had a cell phone, or a beeper. Now people who go home at 4:30 have both. I actually saw a woman bowling last week wearing two beepers!

• Why do people with multiple ball bags have to take every ball out and put them on the seats in the bowler's circle?

• Why can't bowling ball manufacturers put out three balls? One for heavy oil, one for medium oil and one for dry lanes. Then leave the rest up to the skill of the bowler.

• Blue jeans are probably worn by more people than any other type of clothing. Blue jeans and a sport coat are very common in Texas. So why are jeans banned in the ABC Nationals?

• If the PWBA allows skirts, why are they forbidden in the ABC Nationals?

• Everyone complains of "sandbagging," but no one wants to enter a new season with last seasons average. It's the best way to stop sandbagging.

• Why do some bowling centers raise their prices during a major tournament?

Two years ago when Strike Ten Entertainment was formed I was skeptical and wrote a couple of columns saying I didn't think they would have any positive impact on our sport. With $2 million dollars being loaned to them by ABC, WIBC and BPAA you have every right to expect something. I was told I was being premature in judging this organization.

Well it seems fellow scribe John Jowdy is also a little pessimistic. In a recent column he asks several questions that leads me to believe he doesn't think it's working either. But, apparently not wanting to commit himself, he ends the column with "the verdict is still out on Mr. Ryan and STE."

Me, I'll stick by what I have been saying - It's just another group of straphangers with no agenda, led by a hockey executive. Jeez, why didn't we get Hulk Hogan and the professional wrestling crew? They certainly have better television coverage.

While I am on the subject of "I told you so," Jim Goodwin in his editorial in the September issue of Stars and Strikes writes that bowling is broke. He states that the System of Bowling task force has released its findings and recommendations and has stated that "critical components, which control scoring in our sport, have become unbalanced."

Duh!

When I was writing columns about the sports integrity and the fact that bowling was broke, I was told I was too negative. Even though such greats in our sport and award-winning writers agreed with me, many would not go out on the limb and take a stance.

I said, and I still say, the Bowling Writers Association of America (BWAA) not only has the means, they have an obligation to take a hard line on the sports integrity.

I said before, and I'll repeat here, it took the System of Bowling task force two years to determine ":. the scores have become unbalanced." Something every bowler, proprietor and writer has known since the advent of short oil. You have to remember the System of Bowling was started in 1991. The task force has only been in operation for two years.

I have received a lot of e-mail regarding AMF centers throughout the United States. Some good news, some not so good. I plan to take all the AMF letters to the BWAA convention in Syracuse and present them to AMF so they see what the perception of their operation is. If you want to let me know about your AMF experiences, e-mail me at wrightdk@vvm.com, or send regular mail to me through this paper. (That's v v m, not wm)

See you on the lanes.