Author Topic: Who you representing? aka phony balony ball deals (Read 5603 times)

Mr Straight Ball · « **on:** December 06, 2007, 03:10:05 AM »

My man Mr. Ripples commented once, there sure are a lot of people in your area on staff. After learning of some people on staff thanks to a certain pro shop owner demanding they be signed.

Why do companies sign people without ACCOMPLISHMENTS to justify why they are on staff. Please don't tell me that someone with no bowling knowledge but works in the pro shop is enough to be on staff. If I am wrong then tell me!

Don't say because I work at a pro shop, I can influence sales. When Joe Bowler comes to buy a ball, you better sell them whatever keeps the lights on in the shop, I know all about the business.
--------------------
STAY

FF MY BL

CK!
...Mr. Straight Ball prays his ball will hook one day!
40 Boards & A Ball
Is your ball ready to cross 40 Boards?
http://WWW.40BOARDS.COM

Edited on 12/6/2007 12:10 PM

walt8398 · « **Reply #31 on:** December 11, 2007, 09:28:32 AM »

Wow, what a great topic. MSB and I talk about this all the time. I've been on 3 ball company staffs and it is a combination of bowling accomplishments, knowledge of the game and personality. In my opinion, Mike L should have been on someones staff 2-3 years ago. Arguably, Bobby Hall Jr based on accomplishments has been one of the best bowlers in the area for the last 7-10 years and isn't on staff. Why? PERSONALITY and OFF/ON lane attitude. BALL REPS DON'T WANT TO HEAR THEIR STAFFERS YELLING THE F-BOMB (lol). Bill Barlow is another bowler who should be on staff.

If I were a ball rep, bowling accomplishments, knowledge of the game and personality would be a big deciding factor for me.

As for the people in the area that are on staff, you guys/girls need to get out and get recognized as a representative of your respective companies. Getting free/discounted equipment doesn't do the ball manufacturer any good if your not out competing with their equipment, PERIOD!
--------------------
Tony Walton
Columbia 300 Regional/Amateur Staff Member
VMSBT Tournament Director
http://www.vmsbt.com

Edited on 12/11/2007 10:29 AM

Edited on 12/11/2007 10:30 AM

Dbum · « **Reply #32 on:** December 11, 2007, 09:47:23 AM »

I 2nd that. People may have questioned me when I was signed, But I was bowling scratch events and doing well since I was 17 yrs old. I use to look up and bowl against guys like Tony Walton, Magic Gray, Rich Wolfe and so on. I'm still young at 32, but I have alot of games and tournaments on my hands...lol
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Darnell "DBum" Bell

Mr Straight Ball · « **Reply #33 on:** December 11, 2007, 09:58:08 AM »

Dbum is over there slow wheeling it, keeping the wear and tear off of that hand. LOL Well said Mr. Walton!

If someone hears, "THIS BALL HOOKS", a shop can sell a million of them! If you don't believe me, just look at all the heavy oil pieces people use in league on a medium oil condition. LOL Telling people a ball hooks off the lane is the fastest way to clear them off of the shelves.

It's funny to me that a ball company would actually listen to a pro shop owner and put people on staff. My driller is WAY smarter then all of those in pro shop industry committed to throwing one ball company. He gets balls from most of the companies thanks to him establishing a rapport with the different company representatives. Now that is using your pro shop connection to your benefit!

--------------------
STAY

FF MY BL

CK!
...Mr. Straight Ball prays his ball will hook one day!
40 Boards & A Ball
Is your ball ready to cross 40 Boards?
http://WWW.40BOARDS.COM

Edited on 12/11/2007 11:03 AM

walt8398 · « **Reply #34 on:** December 11, 2007, 10:05:16 AM »

Here is a list of local staffers. Please feel free to add if I miss any.

Storm
Brian Cavey
Chris Johnson

Roto Grip
Tony Chapman
Brian Skinner

Hammer
Greg Turner

Ebonite
Jim Lewis
Frazier Atkinson
Derek Petty

Banger Bowling
Stephen Hahn

Columbia 300
Kenny Lane
Yours Truly

--------------------
Tony Walton
Columbia 300 Regional/Amateur Staff Member
VMSBT Tournament Director
http://www.vmsbt.com

Dbum · « **Reply #35 on:** December 11, 2007, 10:08:21 AM »

Derek Payne - Storm

I don't know his name but there is a guy in Guru's pro shop at capital plaza said he was on Columbia 300 staff. I don't know what level.
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Darnell "DBum" Bell

LAStrikesALot · « **Reply #36 on:** December 11, 2007, 12:36:40 PM »

quote:
how about yall name some names on who yall feel should not have a contract and why

I don't think the thread is really about pointing fingers at who someone thinks should or should not be on staff. Its not an attempt to "hide" behind a computer either. For one, some of us participating in this thread know everyone who is posting anyway, so there is no anonymity to speak of. I think the thread is about why the ball companies take on some folks with limited accomplishments which is clearly provable by looking at a bowling resume, perusing tournament entries/results, looking at league rosters, and checking out bowl.com for honor scores.

It was said that yes, a company should want a person because they do a good job at their job. When you get hired at a company, do not you submit a resume? Do not you interview? You don't show up to Microsoft corporation with 5 years experience dropping fries at McDonald's and land a great job. You have to PROVE that you can do the job well...

I don't have an MBA, but logic tells me that a ball company would be smart to give deals to folks that can actually influence the sale of the products being pushed, and someone that bowls 2 leagues a week and 2 tournaments a year isn't really giving the product the exposure that my common sense tells me is necessary to influence the sale of the ball.

Furthermore it was said that "saying a ball hooks" can really influence a sale. I don't claim to be the majority at all, but I know that I'm not listening to just anyone on how well a ball will react. Here's an example: some people posting on this thread are out bowling every weekend, and they are seeing a wide variety of conditions. Now, if a person feels like they need a ball to target a specific condition, how is a staffer that is not out bowling anything supposed to recommend a particular ball for particular conditions that they don't even see? Case in point: Chris Barnes is on a video saying the Rival is his 80% ball because he can use it on 80% of the conditions he plays on. But I know he plays on quite a few different conditions laid down on quite a few different surfaces. How is the same person who bowls league 2 nights a week going to tell me the same thing and have it carry any weight for me? I mean, you use it 80% of the time in league? At a center that 80% of the time is the same?

My side hurts from the comedy...
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Latise Parker
40 Boards & A Ball
www.40boards.com

Edited on 12/11/2007 1:37 PM

Edited on 12/11/2007 1:38 PM

Edited on 12/11/2007 1:41 PM

LAStrikesALot · « **Reply #37 on:** December 11, 2007, 12:46:16 PM »

Isn't Mike Sinek on Roto Grip?
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Latise Parker
40 Boards & A Ball
www.40boards.com

northface28 · « **Reply #38 on:** December 11, 2007, 12:56:17 PM »

quote:
Here is a list of local staffers. Please feel free to add if I miss any.

Storm
Brian Cavey
Chris Johnson

Roto Grip
Tony Chapman
Brian Skinner

Hammer
Greg Turner

Ebonite
Jim Lewis
Frazier Atkinson
Derek Petty

Banger Bowling
Stephen Hahn

Columbia 300
Kenny Lane
Yours Truly
--------------------
Tony Walton
Columbia 300 Regional/Amateur Staff Member
VMSBT Tournament Director
http://www.vmsbt.com

What does this data prove? Most, if not all of the bowlers on the list are accomplished and I am sure well respected as far as bowling is concerned. But I digress, I am sure these are not the "fraudulent staffers". Can those names be provided? Or are they so obscure that most will not recognize the names? As someone eluded to earlier, the fastest, most effective way to sell a ball is to say "this ball hooks", as well as the balls aesthetics. If a staffer is throwing the latest and greatest from Company A, but has a totally different game than me, what good is that? In my opinion, physical talent/accomplishments, personality (most higher level players are NOT approachable), and knowledge of your particular companies product should play vital roles on obtaining a staff contract.
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Make history or sit back and watch it. -EV

Edited on 12/11/2007 1:56 PM

Edited on 12/11/2007 1:57 PM

Dbum · « **Reply #39 on:** December 11, 2007, 01:06:30 PM »

Well you can go about that different ways. If I throwing a new ball by company A and I know all the numbers about this particular ball, then by watching you bowl or if you know your numbers then I could probably help with your decision.

Someone asked for that list of names, thats why Tony posted that.. :-)

PS: If the staffer isn't approachable report him/her, because they are not doing there job.
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Darnell "DBum" Bell

Edited on 12/11/2007 2:09 PM

LAStrikesALot · « **Reply #40 on:** December 11, 2007, 01:09:20 PM »

quote:
What does this data prove?

It doesn't "prove" anything. Someone asked for a list of staffers in the area, so I believe walt was just providing one. And I wouldn't call anyone on that list "fraudulent" either. Each one of them took the deal that was offered to them. Nothing fraudulent about that.

And even still, you can take that list and see some of them have significantly more accomplishments then others and furthermore, quite a few less accomplishments then some of the other guys in the area. But *sigh* I again am standing by my statement that my curiosity with this topic and my interpretation of the point of the thread is not about if those guys "deserve" a deal so much as what type of criteria the ball company is looking at to make the call on who should get a deal. If it is truly just about "who you know" then the ball companies are doing themselves and the bowlers a disservice.
--------------------
Latise Parker
40 Boards & A Ball
www.40boards.com

Edited on 12/11/2007 2:11 PM

DP3 · « **Reply #41 on:** December 11, 2007, 01:13:07 PM »

quote:
Here is a list of local staffers. Please feel free to add if I miss any.

Storm
Brian Cavey
Chris Johnson

Roto Grip
Tony Chapman
Brian Skinner

Hammer
Greg Turner

Ebonite
Jim Lewis
Frazier Atkinson
Derek Petty

Banger Bowling
Stephen Hahn

Columbia 300
Kenny Lane
Yours Truly
--------------------
Tony Walton
Columbia 300 Regional/Amateur Staff Member
VMSBT Tournament Director
http://www.vmsbt.com

Dureya Smith(?)- Columbia 300
Mike Sinek- Roto Grip
Howard Ball Jr- Track
Rickie Banister- Lanemasters/Legends
Lynn Elmore- Lanemasters/Legends
Tubar Thompson- Lane 1

I have heard there are two other local Lane 1 staffers, but I do not know their names. I have heard that they are pro shop affiliates.

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-DJ Marshall
...The Twelve In a Row Pro Shop. Hyattsville, MD
Coach: University of Maryland Baltimore County Mens Bowling

northface28 · « **Reply #42 on:** December 11, 2007, 01:25:00 PM »

Ebonite-

Eddie VanDaniker Jr.
Essex MD

Chele Schirmer
Bel Air MD

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Make history or sit back and watch it. -EV

wildbush300 · « **Reply #43 on:** December 11, 2007, 01:38:54 PM »

Hey what about Solo Milbourne Storm.....LMAO
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Yvette
Tournament Director Triple Threat Tournaments
Triplethreat1560@aol.com

Joe Jr · « **Reply #44 on:** December 11, 2007, 02:00:19 PM »

Personally never been a fan of Pro shop staff contracts, I always felt like there's more deserving people out there in terms of honor scores and tournament results.
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My Vid
Formerly Brunswick Lefty & Richard Cranium

Quote from Conspirator300:
And yeah, I do know it all.. I don't spend 30+ hours a week learning more about bowling for my heatlh... I do it so I know more than all of you.. which I do. (besides the random few that are staffers/work in the bowling business.. which that population is decreasing little by little)

Mike L · « **Reply #45 on:** December 11, 2007, 08:15:34 PM »

Thanks for the compliments Tony. Your one of the guys that has seen me come up and earn respect from everyone. People may not like me and that doesnt bother me, but everyone knows when im bowling, im always a threat no matter what the pattern or scoring environment and ive earned that from people. I know i might get a lil intense sometimes, but to me thats just being competitive and wanting to win. It bothers me a lil bit that ive never even been considered for a contract and what makes it worse, is not only do I bowl something every weekend, and i think im pretty competitive on any condition, but i also run a center here in front royal. So why wouldnt a company want someone like me representing them? I don't know, just makes me wonder sometimes when I see people getting on staff that quite frankly cant compete in most tournaments.
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"Typical House Bowler"

Author Topic: Who you representing? aka phony balony ball deals (Read 5603 times)

Mr Straight Ball

Who you representing? aka phony balony ball deals

walt8398

Re: Who you representing? aka phony balony ball deals

Dbum

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Mr Straight Ball

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walt8398

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Dbum

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LAStrikesALot

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LAStrikesALot

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northface28

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Dbum

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LAStrikesALot

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DP3

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northface28

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wildbush300

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Joe Jr

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Mike L

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