1-28-08

      USBC moving headquarters

    If you haven't heard USBC is moving to Arlington Texas to relocate their headquarter building.  Yes the move is again about money.........    It is a sad day for the Milwaukee area.  But a sadder day for the employees of USBC that will not be making the transition to Texas.  It is a different slap of the face to be told that you need to relocate to still have your job.  I hear that most of the employees of USBC will not be making the transition.  I really feel bad for the soon to be ex employees.

   But let's look at the bright side,  USBC can save more money and stay above water and not go broke........Well at least for a little while.    Maybe down the road USBC and the BPAA will be one organization......you never know.  But it sure looks that way.  

   This new location to the great state of Texas might be a good move.  First of all, it is a chance to start over.  Unfortunately when you hear USBC, the majority of the bowling population will first think of a negative thought about the organization one way or another.  In fact that is true when you think about other bowling corporations and organizations like AMF, Brunswick and the PBA too.  You never hear the good, but you can always talk about the bad.

   So I'm going to try and change my normal negative way of thinking and question asking and try to think about something positive to say about USBC headquarters moving to Arlington Texas.  Bowling will now be the 3rd most recognized thrown sport in Texas behind throwing cow  manure and throwing a lasso at calves. Uhhhhhhh what else is a positive thing.......... Jeff Boje and Kevin Dornberger could have a positive influence on the organization but only time will tell.  I will hold up hope that it can happen.  But honestly, will it happen!  I hold out hope that this could be the turning point that the sport needs to be successful in the future, new leaders (who don't like ass kissing) that aren't afraid of change and actually taking a chance and trying new things and ideas.

   Well that is all I have to say about this topic.........I think change is good for the sport especially when in my opinion, things have been done wrong for the last 2 decades...... Any change is good for the love of the game.

FOR THE "Love of the game"

  8-3-07

    Last Saturday I was home for the day wondering what topic to talk about this month on my website.  Nothing really came to mind until I turned on the television and noticed that a Kevin Costner movie was on.  I watched this movie  "For the love of the game" several times, and I had to watch it again.  This movie is about a man whose professional baseball career is winding down.  He thinks back in time, while pitching his final game.......a perfect game, about his life in baseball.  During his career he had many ups and downs, especially with his relationships. But with baseball he always did things the right way.  What is the movie saying exactly.... "For the love of the game"?

     For the love of the game is one of my  favorite sports movies.  Not because Kevin Costner's girlfriend's name is Jane. (I have a fiancé named Jane by the way)  It is because this movie tells a great story about a man having integrity about the game he loves.  Kevin's role in the movie, played his whole career with one team.  His team the Detroit Tigers were being sold, and the new owners wanted to trade him to a new team after 19 years.  In the end Mr. Costner retired, because he was devoted to the franchise's previous owner.  It was important for him to have played his entire career with one team which he totally committed to.   So his decision was based on the pride he had for his organization and how much he respected his former owner who treated him so well for his entire career.

     You are probably wondering why or how this story pertains to the bowling world or my bowling article.  Hopefully you will understand my point of view. 

     Let's take a look at USBC for instance.   Do they have the same slogan....."For the love of the game".  My opinion is that if all the individuals that are involved in the various bowling entities, will take the same approach as Mr. Costner did in the movie, things would be so much better for everyone.  Especially the people who support it, the bowlers.

     The United States Bowling Congress our governing body for our beloved sport has had a rough beginning.  Headquarters in my opinion is in total disarray.  Here is my opinion  of things that have gone wrong since day one.

Roger Dalkin as CEO-  I don't blame Roger directly.  Just the way he went about things to become CEO.  When you become the CEO of our governing body you better make sure that you have the right people in place for your organization.........Not the people who voted for you and kissed your ass.  Roger is a very likeable guy, and I like him too, he is a great person but not a great leader. But I do believe that we both love the game, and I will always respect him for that.

Decisions made by USBC Headquarters-  Terrible decisions have been made since day one of USBC's exsistance.  Most of the problems could of been advoided if they weren't so reactive in running their organization.  USBC will always handle a problem when it happens, instead of preventing it beforehand.  You have had several situations that have happened without much bowling common sense that should be blamed mostly by our governing body. (Robert Mushtare's 900,  Not including Wendy MacPherson in the Women's Challenge, 2007 Queen's tournament and T.V. show mess and the 2007 Open Championships tournament problems- registration fiasco)  I feel that the people that were in charge of these situations, had no love for the game.  Maybe they never had it to begin with?   Maybe some of these decisions made had different meanings, like no bowling common sense?   Maybe those decisions made,  could better themself within the organization,  instead of benefiting what matters the most, the bowlers who support the game of bowling.   Maybe the USBC board should start making more decisions logically, to run their organization in the right direction.  Hopefully this will happen soon?

Bowlers Journal Side Tournament-  USBC operates this tournament for Bowlers Journal  International the most popular bowling magazine in the world.  USBC could at least show that they care about running the tournament.  But is really is it in the best interest for USBC to run another event against the Bowlers Journal Championships.   I do agree that it is important to promote Sport Bowling, but do you think USBC could accomplish this in other ways instead of always trying to get all the pieces of the pie.  Bowlers Journal  International gave USBC this tournament to have obtain some credibility for the event by having USBC promote and conduct their event properly.  The only income the magazine receives from their own tournament is off the subscriptions bowlers receive when bowling the event.  But yet USBC's additional side tournament could limit those opportunities  by adding another tournament to try to make more money.  It doesn't seem to make sense.  Sport Bowling could have been integrated into the Bowlers Journal Championships and showcased  in next years venue site.   A win win situation for USBC and Bowlers Journal International, especially after an estimated profit of about $250,000 over four years made off a tournament that wasn't even USBC's to begin with.    I'm sure there are many reasons why the magazine won't pull their own tournament away from USBC and go back to running it themselves.  Unforunately  no one knows for sure why.   Now seriously, do some of the decisions being made sound like they are being made by people with bowling knowledge and common sense or are some people in the USBC tournament department really "dum-dum's"?

    USBC will have trouble getting the respect they deserve unless they get the right staff in place. The right staff would include people who work for the "love of the game".  USBC Headquarters does not need people who only seem to worry about money.  USBC Headquarters does not need people in the organization who seem to worry only about themselves.  

    This is one of the reasons why I am embarrassed about some things happening at USBC.  Don't get me wrong, there still are many great people at headquarters that do a great job and truly are looking out for the "Love of the game".  The problem I have is that all the people involved in the organization should have the same or similar vision or at least care.  For what ever reason many of them don't.   Maybe those that don't seem to care should not be involved in the organization as it moves forward.

    I would like to say to all the bowlers hang in there....... Hopefully good things will happen for our organization, I still believe that things can turn around.   USBC needs to get the pieces in place and do so quickly. 

    Last but not least, it is also the responsibilty of all bowlers to think, and honestly believe in the slogan "For the Love of the game".  If they can't respect the game and love it, they shouldn't belong to it or participate in it. 

    On a final note,  thought I would add this to go out to all the sandbaggers out there that know they cheat.  If you have to cheat just stay away.........Just do it for the "Love of the game".