Possibly even the entire "sport?"  As soon as I remembered bowling was supposed to be fun, my perspective changed.  I used to aspire to be like the custom jersey wearing dozen ball toting snobs for some reason, I guess it can be seen as a mark of success or "arriving."  What I found out though is that competitive bowlers, or the vast majority of them are like this, and the average bowler doesn't like that.  How much does it suck to go to a tournament and find out you're either on a pair with or bowling next to a team full of matching custom jerseys and KT tape and each bringing in 12 balls?  You know you're going to have to accommodate all their quirks, decipher how many lanes of courtesy to give, figure out how they want the balls arranged in the bowlers area, figure out where you can and can't put your towel, etc.  These elitists are everywhere, and now with high school bowling and collegiate bowling becoming bigger, the uppity snobs are being groomed at a younger age.  It's funny to listen to a 15 year old dog on handicap and complain about their fellow teens and how everything should just be scratch and people should just get better or deal with losing all the time, but at the same time wondering why their little "youth masters" tournaments don't have more entries.

The average bowler doesn't like competitive bowlers, and the competitive bowlers I believe are driving off the very crowd they're trying to obtain.  They keep whining about the decline of bowling and the sorry prize funds, but don't seem to realize that they condescend to, intimidate, criticize, and just flat turn off all those that would possibly be their peers with some coaching and practice.  Nobody wants to turn on the tv and see a bunch of uppity douchebags throwing fits or with all these weird and or showy habits or routines or being "sport pattern snobs" (or the holding your arm out to the side thing some of these college girls are doing which drives me insane).  I think competitive bowlers are actually contributing to or causing the decline of their own brand. 

How is it that several of us seem to miss this part;

"... accommodate all their quirks, decipher how many lanes of courtesy to give, figure out how they want the balls arranged in the bowlers area, figure out where you can and can't put your towel, etc.  These elitists are everywhere, and now with high school bowling and collegiate bowling becoming bigger, the uppity snobs are being groomed at a younger age..."


Luke didn't say if you wore a jersey with your name on it, you were a tool. Nor did he say if you brought "two six ball rollers" every week to league that you were a tool. So stop being offended, unless of course, you are the tool, then by all means, be offended. Just don't expect the rest of us to care if you are offended. 

I am actually much more likely to wear a golf type shirt (not with brand names though) bowling than ever purchasing a jersey.   Not a preppy but got in habit of wearing comfortable collared shirts for work in the past and now even prefer them often to my tshirts (which I now wear to work too).  Hammer did have that free giveaway for their jersey's with the Gauntlet.  Almost bought that ball but decided to get a Lane #1 SB instead.  If I got jersey as a thrown in not sure if I would have worn it or not.

I like to support the bowling industry but I don't want to feel like a walking billboard.  I wear this shirt from time to time to stay somewhat within those parameters:



I do on occasion bowl tournaments that require a shirt with the name on the back, so I've got a polo for that.  I haven't gotten a jersey yet.  If I did get one, it would probably be plain black with no company logos.

Lots of good points and replies here.  Yeah, I was pointing at more the guys who have a whole team with specially designed or custom jerseys and their million balls and all that nonsense that are trying to be serious.  I also know a lot of guys who are outstanding that don't walk around with their chests puffed out.  I have to wear something with my affiliations displayed (as it's been pointed out, if you're still paying for stuff, even if it's not much, are you really a "staffer?") when I'm in a bowling center, it's part of my contract, but I'm very conscious and aware of the looks I get and how it seems up front to people.  Once I talk to them a bit or banter with them, then they relax and most of the time I get the, "I was just worried I was going to lane jump you and piss you off or mess up your line or something."  Yeah, I've got a couple jerseys, and they're comfortable to wear, but they're just stock jerseys off the website that anyone can order.  I also have a team of guys that are getting matching jerseys, but based on an inside joke, they're going to be the most obnoxious pink Hello Kitty jerseys you've ever seen.  I've seen some people with fun or funny jerseys, and those aren't the people that end up being ass hats. 

But watching these college tournaments, and the guys at the OC that are half a game behind the entire squad because they've been doing PBA courtesy the whole time, these are the people the general community doesn't like, and yeah there are douchers at every average level, but it's really only the upper elite that are talking about saving bowling and how bad things are and how participation is down and everything, yet they're the ones crying about handicap and ridiculing people and putting them down and being super pissy about lane courtesy and all this stuff.  Nobody wants to be around all that, and I've heard several people say that if that's what being good looks like, they want nothing to do with it.  I've wanted to go to a lot of bigger events, but I just don't want to put up with all that crap, and I think a lot of people feel the same way.  Thanks for all the opinions, I'm likely going to make a beer frame video about this and wanted to get some different thoughts and perspectives, lots of good stuff here on both sides. 

Quote from: itsallaboutme on June 02, 2017, 12:33:48 PM

I play golf 4 or 5 times a week and I have yet to play with anyone that paid for a special shirt to be made with Titleist or TaylorMade plastered across the chest in 4" letters.

The only thing goofier than when the PBA guys starting wearing the jerseys is when people starting buying them and wearing them to league.

People are stupid. Its really uncanny.

As dumb as individuals are it takes a group and the whole none of us are as dumb as all of us to elevate to the next level of stupid.

I have been bowling since 1959 & love the sport. all I heard from most of you is nonconformist drivel.if you dont like the rules that apply get the f**k away from the game. to me most of you sound like the losers from our last election. grow up buttercups. just my 2 cents worth.

 C'mon Fred, stop holding back. Tell us how you really feel..............😉

Matching jerseys you say?