The Rise and Fall of Professional Bowling

On top of the pattern is most lanes have a urethane finish so the oil doesn't stay in one place. It moves around as it is bowled on so the shot can change. In the old days on lacquer finish, the pattern would move through use but not nearly as much because the lacquer was partially porous. There was an art to reading the oil or following the oil as preached by Nelson Burton Jr. I am a recovering Bowlaholic from which I quit cold turkey many years ago because of short oil. Now I am again a Poolaholic. :grin:

Al
 
"During the 1968-69 season, 905 perfect games were rolled; the 1998-99 season saw 34,470"

HOLY CRAP...!!
 
Being a PBA card carrying member, I have been head on with the battle over prize money and lack of events. I've never gone out on the national tour (what you see on ESPN) simply because there is no point in wasting tons of money to barely break even if you make the cut. To even make a profit, you have to make the round of eight if your lucky.

Even the regional circuit has taken an impact. Once upon a time, winning a regional event got you a nice ROI, but now, win and you can make the same amount punching the clock 9-5 in the course of a week.

We just do it because we love the game. Which is why I went part time with the bowling and came back to pool.
 
nobcitypool said:
The parallels are obvious. Kids and adults have way more alternative means of entertainment today. Why take up a hobby/sport that takes tons of work to achieve a mediocre level of expertise when you can spend a couple hundred dollars on an xbox and sit on your butt at home and play it? When I was a kid, your entertainment options were a pick up baseball or basketball game. Pool and bowling were a great treat because they cost money. Try finding a 15 year old today that thinks playing pool is a treat.
Click to expand...
There's a parallel to my favorite sport, thoroughbred racing. In the 70's a Jeopardy question (actually an answer as it was Jeopardy) stated that racing was the most popular spectator sport in terms of attendance, with twice the attendance of any other sport arena or stadium. In those days I had to get to Aqueduct real early to put a newspaper on a seat to reserve it. Now you just have to find a seat without birdcrap on it.
And just like video games is easier than learning pool, people today don't have to spend hours handicapping when they can just go to a casino and play with no effort. Kids today are just plain lazy!!!
 
Not about the decline of bowling, but years ago, after school I would walk across the street to the Village Bowling Lanes in Beaumont, TX. A couple of guys that I would see there a lot were Mark Williams and David Ozio... both later made the Hall of Fame in bowling... what are the odds?
 
Jeff Rosen said:
There's a parallel to my favorite sport, thoroughbred racing. In the 70's a Jeopardy question (actually an answer as it was Jeopardy) stated that racing was the most popular spectator sport in terms of attendance, with twice the attendance of any other sport arena or stadium. In those days I had to get to Aqueduct real early to put a newspaper on a seat to reserve it. Now you just have to find a seat without birdcrap on it.
And just like video games is easier than learning pool, people today don't have to spend hours handicapping when they can just go to a casino and play with no effort. Kids today are just plain lazy!!!
Click to expand...

There is a catch-22. with both bowling as well as pool. With the decline of pool and the closing of pool rooms you have a downward spiral. How is pool to recover without places to play and without places to play where do new players come from. It is a formula for extinction, at least as far as big table pool goes.
 
macguy said:
There is a catch-22. with both bowling as well as pool. With the decline of pool and the closing of pool rooms you have a downward spiral. How is pool to recover without places to play and without places to play where do new players come from. It is a formula for extinction, at least as far as big table pool goes.
Click to expand...
That is 100% correct and an accurate analysis & prospect.....sadly.
 
punter said:
Not about the decline of bowling, but years ago, after school I would walk across the street to the Village Bowling Lanes in Beaumont, TX. A couple of guys that I would see there a lot were Mark Williams and David Ozio... both later made the Hall of Fame in bowling... what are the odds?
Click to expand...

I met Mark Williams just the other day. He's here in Reno for nationals. Great guy, and still using the pinky hole.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top