BallReviews
General Category => USBC Tournament => Topic started by: Traumabill on July 01, 2012, 04:22:15 PM
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I can't believe this was ever possible, but what we encountered this past Wednesday evening was nothing short of ridiculous. We had the unfortunate chance happening to be assigned lanes next to two teams from Wautoma, Wisconsin, who decided to travel hundreds of miles to bowl league. At least half of the participants appeared to be intoxicated prior to taking the lanes, and continued to drink heavily during the tournament. Several of the participants fouled, fell, or crossed the foul line during their competition. One of the competitors split his pants and continued to bowl with parts of his anatomy visible every time he bowled. As bad as that appeared to be, their significant others in the stands made ridiculous howls everytime one of their team members did something significant on the lanes, like the ball not going in the gutter. At least 5 other teams in our area, and our 2 teams complained to the USBC tournament supervisor on hand, who did nothing to correct the situation. If this is how the USBC is going to allow conduct on the lanes than they have a bigger issue on their hands than they think. Selling beer to competitors during the tournament is not a good idea, and why have tournament officials on site if they're going to allow this behavior to happen. If this were to happen at a NEBA, State, PBA, TNBA or nay other sanctioned tournament, the competitors and their significant others would have been removed from the tournament, after being warned. When the official on site was questioned after the squad, she saw nothing wrong with their actions.
I understand our participation in this tournament is not going to threaten anyone's day job, but in the past we've finished top 15 in the tournament and have three former touring pro's out of our 10. So we're not at our first rodeo. This is my tenth tournament, and our companion team has over 80 years combined and none of us had seen these actions before. And yet, the USBC doesn't want to hear about it? Everyone on site questioned didn't want to accept a complaint.
What are my options? I'm not looking for refunds or anything like that, just want to stop what happened to us from happening to anyone else...
Thanks for the rant,
Bill Daley
Better Bowling Concepts
Turbo Grips Regional Staff
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WOW...that really stinks...
Interestingly I had a friend out there a few weeks ago while Jason Wojnar and I think Derek Sapp were bowling. Their group got extremely loud during minors and made numerous people balk on the approaches. When USBC was asked to quiet them nothing was done. One of the guys in his group took matters into his own hands and made a loud yell when he threw a strike...causing one of them to balk. Of course one of them (he said it was Sapp) came down and exchanged words with him, telling him "we bowl for a living unlike you"....
Afterwards he walked by and overheard a tournament official apologizing to THEM for the interruption....
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What else is new. Civilized behaviour is a thing of the past it seems.
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That's typical Derek Sapp so I would not have expected anything less out of that idiot. He is a good bowler. Only if he was half as good as a human being as he is a bowler.
WOWZERS
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If they were drunk before they started selling beer while they were bowling didn't matter.
More arguments for separating USBC's tournaments into an Open Championships with Open and Women's Divisions that is the "serious" Sport tournament and a Classified (choose whatever name you like) Championships with Open and Women's divisions that is more for the "recreational" bowlers.
I can't believe this was ever possible, but what we encountered this past Wednesday evening was nothing short of ridiculous. We had the unfortunate chance happening to be assigned lanes next to two teams from Wautoma, Wisconsin, who decided to travel hundreds of miles to bowl league. At least half of the participants appeared to be intoxicated prior to taking the lanes, and continued to drink heavily during the tournament. Several of the participants fouled, fell, or crossed the foul line during their competition. One of the competitors split his pants and continued to bowl with parts of his anatomy visible every time he bowled. As bad as that appeared to be, their significant others in the stands made ridiculous howls everytime one of their team members did something significant on the lanes, like the ball not going in the gutter. At least 5 other teams in our area, and our 2 teams complained to the USBC tournament supervisor on hand, who did nothing to correct the situation. If this is how the USBC is going to allow conduct on the lanes than they have a bigger issue on their hands than they think. Selling beer to competitors during the tournament is not a good idea, and why have tournament officials on site if they're going to allow this behavior to happen. If this were to happen at a NEBA, State, PBA, TNBA or nay other sanctioned tournament, the competitors and their significant others would have been removed from the tournament, after being warned. When the official on site was questioned after the squad, she saw nothing wrong with their actions.
I understand our participation in this tournament is not going to threaten anyone's day job, but in the past we've finished top 15 in the tournament and have three former touring pro's out of our 10. So we're not at our first rodeo. This is my tenth tournament, and our companion team has over 80 years combined and none of us had seen these actions before. And yet, the USBC doesn't want to hear about it? Everyone on site questioned didn't want to accept a complaint.
What are my options? I'm not looking for refunds or anything like that, just want to stop what happened to us from happening to anyone else...
Thanks for the rant,
Bill Daley
Better Bowling Concepts
Turbo Grips Regional Staff
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Jeff,
I couldn't agree more with your statement about the beer selling. I just wanted to state it added to the problem. I agree, it's time to split the tournament up...
Bill Daley
Better Bowling Concepts
Turbo Grips Regional Staff
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So, who was the wiseacre that decided to hold the 2012 U.S. Women's Open Championship finals in a Reno dust bowl. What do they call this circus - extreme bowling.
I hate to see bowlers work that hard to make the final five only to be part of some TV sideshow. I would expect the USBC to reduce our fees next year if this is what they do with our money; how about a membership wide vote?
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On the face of it, splitting the tournament between fun and serious bowler sounds good. However, it is the fun bowlers who are supporting the professional amateurs. 99 percent of the team have no chance of winning, but they are paying for the prize fund and administrative costs. The teams going to the tournament every year thinking of winning and how big will be their checks will be instead of if they will cash may have to live with the "fun" teams.
With that said, USBC officials should have some control on what is acceptable while at the tournament.
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The USBC officials have as much control as they choose to exercise. They rode our team for bowling too slow. The monitor threatened to disqualify one of our team members if he answered his cell phone again. I know it was against the rules and he pissed me off as well, but it goes to show that it all depends on who is monitoring.
All and all it was a good experience to me being my first time goIng. Did not break 500 but that was my fault. I had not bowles much since the end of league in May and dropped down in weight from 16 to 14 due to problems with my hip.
Cleanest backends I have ever encountered. I wish someone had told me to bring urethane. With 10 people playing all over the place it was over under hell after the first five frames of team. The only consistent shot was straight up 5/6 to the pocket with no miss right. No way I could execute that line sing consistent and accurate.
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There is no doubt in my mind that who you are makes a big difference as how you are treated by some USBC officials. The more renowned you are the better treatment you get. Examples: Getting to move your team to bowl alone, being the first to use mock necks when it had been banned by all others, being allowed to ignore the 1 lane courtesy and being the last to finish without warnings or being reassigned to the later squads.
WOW...that really stinks...
Interestingly I had a friend out there a few weeks ago while Jason Wojnar and I think Derek Sapp were bowling. Their group got extremely loud during minors and made numerous people balk on the approaches. When USBC was asked to quiet them nothing was done. One of the guys in his group took matters into his own hands and made a loud yell when he threw a strike...causing one of them to balk. Of course one of them (he said it was Sapp) came down and exchanged words with him, telling him "we bowl for a living unlike you"....
Afterwards he walked by and overheard a tournament official apologizing to THEM for the interruption....
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Russell, as far as I remember bowling with Wojner in a tournament around Chicago, and numerous other accounts of his behavior, he's not exactly Mr. Polite. In fact, I found him kind of a dink. I actually seem to remember ticking him off, I think. I said something to the effect of him sucking, or some such thing.
Seems that those people will find each other, and bowl Nationals together. Reason being, if you're a jerk, I don't care how good you are. Don't be one on my team, or go bowl with someone else.
Good bowler, bad people skills when bowling.
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Good points about the recreational bowlers supporting the prize fund. In addition, brackets have been a license to steal for most of the top caliber bowlers until the last 3 or 4 years when recreational guys got smarter.
I started bowling nationals in 95 while it was still possible to bowl the Masters and nationals at one venue on the same trip. It was the only way the tournament really could be justified to me money wise. I continued after 2002 because the bracket money had gotten so good. However the last couple of seasons everything about the tournament has made it less attractive to serious bowlers from my perspective.
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Good points about the recreational bowlers supporting the prize fund. In addition, brackets have been a license to steal for most of the top caliber bowlers until the last 3 or 4 years when recreational guys got smarter.
I started bowling nationals in 95 while it was still possible to bowl the Masters and nationals at one venue on the same trip. It was the only way the tournament really could be justified to me money wise. I continued after 2002 because the bracket money had gotten so good. However the last couple of seasons everything about the tournament has made it less attractive to serious bowlers from my perspective.
Brackets are hit & miss with the number of classified teams (which appear to be going up). It's really luck of the draw. Luckily my squads have allowed me to pay for the entire trip plus some the last couple of years
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Russell, as far as I remember bowling with Wojner in a tournament around Chicago, and numerous other accounts of his behavior, he's not exactly Mr. Polite. In fact, I found him kind of a dink. I actually seem to remember ticking him off, I think. I said something to the effect of him sucking, or some such thing.
Seems that those people will find each other, and bowl Nationals together. Reason being, if you're a jerk, I don't care how good you are. Don't be one on my team, or go bowl with someone else.
Good bowler, bad people skills when bowling.
I agree, some people are just like that. I remember my first nationals when I was 18 I think. A little nervous to begin with as i had never seen a venue like it. I was following the rules of the lane courtesy and someone got upset because I "stepped up" on them wanting 2-3 lanes. Luckily for me I bowled with some guys who put him is place.
Bottom line is there are plenty of people out there that just have bad attitudes.
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I try to use one-lane courtesy at all times at the Open Championships. I like to bowl FAST :D
However, my teammates don't all practice one-lane courtesy. And many people we've bowled around through the years don't, either.
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Let's spilt the Open up . We will see how long before the Professional amateur's bitch that there is no money in it. We the regular bowlers are the ones who are the donators. Thank god i now can get in senior brackets so I can make some money back for all the years I donated. If they did spilt it up, it would be just a matter of time before the USBC took prize money out of our division to make the cry babies happy. Don't get me wrong I bowl with some of this guys in my league at Fox Bowl in Wheaton IL and they are real real good. I count about 10 guys who would be classified as a professional amateurs. And (2) I would classify as real baggers they only bowl when they can win money. the rest bowl the best every single time they bowl. Wojnar bowled in this league for a few years he was a jag then. I wish Sapp would have came down a said "some of us bowl for a living unlike you". (to Me) I would have said good for you but I make 3 times what you do if not more! I bowl because I love it. Not because I know nothing else. Bowling is one of my hobbies I can do. Hobbies cost money, when you turn it in to (I have to make money to support myself) that is a Job. Most of us bowl for Fun and if we win some money even better. We can't make everyone happy at the Open but the USBC and the Professional Amateurs must remember the name is the USBC OPEN Championship. If they want their own they can have it but they can't bowl with us they can only pick one. It is what it is, we all need to make it better for Bowling or there will be no bowling/ Open.
Just my .02
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Just got back. The day before we bowled, there was a "fight" of sorts. Sounded like a lot of huffing and puffing, but most of the officials seemed like they were almost expecting something like this to happen eventually. Get enough people together and you're going to have personalities that won't get along. Officials are still so worried about losing a few people that they're scared to upset anyone.
I talked with a couple workers that devote their time to the tournament every year. From their perspective, they'd really like to make this tournament much bigger so they don't have to scramble to find multiple jobs throughout the year. Many positions require this to be their full-time occupation for 4-6 months of the year. Growing the tournament also gives more power to add outside sponsors and get multiple cities offering incentives.
Sounds like there are many ideas of how to make this tournament bigger, but there will be problems that come out of this. Talks of another division around 181-210 or so. Talks of making it handicap and using tournament average. Talks of having side events at same site as main tournament (very possible at Reno). Anything reasonable that will make this tournament bigger is under consideration from what I heard. Most ideas seem to carry baggage with them.
I really like the changes for next year in having fresh oil for all squads, 6 on a pair for minors and not moving. However, I don't see any of those ideas adding thousands of new bowlers.
I'd love to see 15-20,000 teams, but I don't see how to get there. Adding women and the classified division has made the biggest impact on adding teams, IMO, in recent years. I'm not sure what other major impact will add another 5,000+ teams over the next 5 years.