Neglected to post these here after I put them up last week.

The 11th Frame: USBC happy with Open Championships changes, more possible

http://www.11thframe.com/page/blog_id_5901


The 11th Frame: Complex financial terms aim to strike balance in contract between USBC and Reno for 2019-30 Championships

http://www.11thframe.com/page/blog_id_5906

avabob, you sent me a couple of private messages. I'm sorry but my inbox has not allowed me to open PMs for a LONG time.
please send me an email or Facebook message.
email is riggs7465 at frontier dot com

I have also observed the demographic seems to be aging.  No stats, just observing the squad room. 

Reno fatigue is a big problem for me.  The changes to the stadium are great and all, but for those of us who bring teams composed of 190 to low 200 average players, we go for the overall experience of the trip, to try to exceed personal bests, and maybe to win a few bucks.  We have no ambitions of getting eagles or winning big prize money. 

We enjoy the bowling, but like the overall trip with outside experiences, including new golf courses as part of the activities, is what most of us go for.  If I can't combine the bowling trip with a vacation experience with my wife, I can't go as I cant do two vacation trips a year and she has seen all she wants to see in Reno/Tahoe/Northern California.   

I bowled my 20th this year, and I'm not going to Reno next year - I'm burned out on Reno.  Several friends from the mid-Atlantic (a couple of whom actually could compete for eagles) who used to make up part of our teams have vowed not to return until the tournament comes back east of the Mississippi.  The fun of new places, new things to see in new cities that made the ABC's (now USBCs) so much fun to look forward to is not there when we go to Reno. 

I think an Orlando/Reno/new city rota would have brought lots more enthusiasm for participation.  Even Mobile or Pensacola or similar would help with more enthusiastic participation, I believe. 

I can see they are working hard, but I don't want to go just to help them increase participation rate. 

Riggs:  thank you for your posts of the future of the Open.  Some of the information I knew, but a lot I did not know other than myths.

Most of the people who bowl the Open do not have a clue as to the planning of even the smallest of bowling tournaments, let alone the Open tournament.

I for one, also think that the age demographics are starting to affect the entries as the senior entries are shrinking because of health, economy downturn of retirees and every ones income and of course the Reno syndrome.  I now have 23 years of participation and will get to 25, so I will continue to go wherever the tournament is held but I am not sure after that.

Reno has done nothing to warrent the USBC returning to that City. Hotels are getting old and run down, most people are not comfortable going to the Sands for bracket money.

That's a funny one. Yea, you're right. Reno has done nothing at all. Nope, they have not sponsored the tournament(even when it was in Baton Rouge last year), didn't build a custom bowling center, they don't support the sport of bowling at all do they.

I too would prefer the bracket payout be at the venue, instead of having to go to a different location for it. But is the Sands any more of a pain than the riverboat casino was in Baton Rouge? Or how about when it was in Vegas and you had to take a shuttle, drive, or a cab to Binion's?

I actually went to BR last year. Sure, now that was a nice town(in case you missed it, that's called sarcasm). I also went to Vegas four years ago, as I recall, it had a few issues of it's own to consider. The Vegas downtown (Fremont Street) looks kinda old and run down just like Reno. Las Vegas Blvd is new and glitzy, but very expensive.

I would prefer having the tournament travel as it did in the past, but it seems that option isn't available these days. Reno has it's warts, but so does everywhere else.

Reno has done nothing to warrent the USBC returning to that City. Hotels are getting old and run down, most people are not comfortable going to the Sands for bracket money.