Bowling, The Wright Way - August 2005 by Don Wright
36-Week Leagues

I take the summer off for a lot of reasons, but as I get older it's the time of the year I use to mend. Aches and pains from the winter leagues, tournaments, and travel seem to melt away during the summer. I get the opportunity to work in the yard and let the sun warm and sooth the old bones. The pool and a few water aerobics help the arthritis and by fall I am ready for the thirty-six week leagues.

Yes, we still have 36-week leagues and I enjoy them. I don't like split seasons and I don't like short leagues. If I want to do that I can open bowl.

As long as I can remember I have bowled 36-week leagues and I am not big on making changes. I like things they way they were.

One of the things I enjoy most about bowling is competing in the ABC Nationals, soon to be known as the USBC Open. In 2006 we will bowl in Corpus Christi, Texas and that's where I started bowling that tournament.

In 1992, the 89th Annual ABC Nationals was held in Corpus Christi and I took one team consisting of myself, Bill Munro, Harvey Parish, Owen Saiki and Jerry Northrop. I was hooked. Jerry and I have made every tournament since then and I now take two teams every year. I have ten bowlers, myself, Jack Pilkey, Don Miller, Verl Lantz, Garry McNiesh, Larry O'Keeffee, Bud Herron, Don Walker, Jerry Northrop, and Hugh Lovett, all retired military, with more than 250 years of military service who stay packed and ready for the national event. We may not bowl well all the time, but we have the prettiest cheering section since most of the wives accompany us.

Occasionally we bowl well. In fact I bowled my first 700 series (709) in 1993 at the Tulsa tournament. I had another 714 in the 1997 event in Huntsville, Alabama. This past event in Baton Rouge, Lantz rolled a 277 game and a 711 series. So, every now and then we do more than eat and have a good time.

I have my confirmed dates for Corpus and my guys are ready to roll. I know we'll have a good time and we know many great restaurants there.

Another tournament I enjoy is our state tournament. I take the same ten guys and once again the spouses join us and we eat well and have a good time.

Everyone is wondering what our state associations are going to do with regard to the USBC and what impact merging will have on our state tournament.

I, for one, hope both our state and national events remain the same as they have been.

In a recent column by Andy Rooney he wrote that there is little fan loyalty to teams anymore and he went on to explain what sports he felt made good television and bad. He said baseball was bad television - too slow. He said the best game to watch on television is football. He concluded his column with, "I'll talk about the excitement of bowling as a spectator sport on television some other time."

I thought about that statement and the telecast I watched of the Motel 6 Roll to Riches. I was actually at the event that lasted nearly six hours and I have to tell you, the televised version was pretty dull compared to what actually took place. The interaction of the bowlers to the spectators was amazing. The work it takes to put something together was also amazing. There were power outages, wardrobe changes, and emotions shown at the event that never were on camera for the televised event.

So, I tried watching "Bowling Night." Athletes, no matter how good they are at their sport, if they bowl bad it's bad television. Bowlers don't want to watch bad bowling. I'm not sure who the audience is that they are trying to get to, but I know it isn't bowlers and I found myself agreeing with Mr. Rooney.

We want bowling to get away from the "Rodney Dangerfield Syndrome," and earn respect within the sports field. To do that we have to depict it as a serious sport. Some dude with his hat on backwards and his jeans half falling off throwing gutterballs won't accomplish that goal.

Ed from Stuckey Bowl was better TV and better for bowling.

Come Fall it will be two years since we had a PWBA and I don't see any relief in the near future.

Only 77 bowlers participated in the PBA Tour Trials. Why?

Will bowling and bowlers be better off five years from now under the USBC, or should they have left well enough alone?

There are three things to ponder and you can send your answers to me at the e-mail listed below.

See you on the lanes.