wchester
Bowling Tragic
An Interesting Letter That Was Sent To The Foundation Subject: "To Tell The Truth".
To Whom It May Concern: From: Mr. Larry O'Neill
Well it has been many years now that you have been "trying" to understand the physics of a ball rolling down a lane and all of the various factors involved. You have lent your services to various tournaments, especially the PBA and PWBA, and what have you come up with - "Sport Bowling"? Obviously, the only thing you have determined is that there are so many factors in today's bowling environment, that even after your year's of experience (and I do give you kudos' for your persistence). you can't control what goes on!!! Here is a novel idea - why don't you tell the world the truth….that under today's ball compositions and lane compositions and pin compositions and lane oils, it is impossible to control what goes on!!! Are you afraid of the manufacturers? What have they done beside rip-off the bowling public for many years with the next most hooking ball and/or dynamic weight block and at yet another higher cost to the bowler. The manufacturers can be directly blamed for the elimination of any required skills in the "sport" of bowling and you are just trying to help them continue on with their public thievery!!! Or maybe they own you, too!! I really do believe that you think you are trying to help, but in reality you have already discovered the answer….this bowling environment can not be controlled.
Dear Larry:
I read your letter with great interest. I couldn't have said "what I feel", any better. It is sometimes really difficult to keep going, working within the system and trying to re-create the illusion that everything is ok. We work on the fact that we eliminate question about the professionalism in the performance on the job. We take precautions to the extreme, so that we can control what is not in question. Telling the truth, hmmm, now that is an interesting thought. Nobody wants to hear it, is my first response.
The first step has been taken; Sport Bowling. It is not the end game, but for the first time, a line has been drawn in the sand. It is not perfect, but it is more of a guideline than we have ever been given. It is a rule that is a "work in progress". Once we have more tournaments and leagues, collect more data and get the infrastructure together, I am positive that the balls will be revealed. Fairness and equity is totally in the hands of the players in the present bowling environment. If the right-handers get together "out", then it will shut out the left. If the right-handers spread from the gutter to 25, then the potential for left-handed domination is real. We make it obvious to play "out" and the scores are too high, "bombs away!!". Go figure!!
Yes, we already know it is almost impossible. For us, we believe the impossible just takes a little longer. I knew in January of 1997 that we had no chance. I needed an oil to hold-up 5-times longer with the balls that were in use "then". That is why we started our own lab for understanding the chemistry of oils and cleaner. We discovered that lane oil had never really been studied. Shocker!!!
You must realize there are millions of people involved in bowling and that is a tremendous amount of social inertia to overcome. You can NOT change the way society is going overnight. When we ask for ball control - it is NOT the manufacturers who cry out the most, it is the bowlers o scream, "Don't take away my ball". Most people in this world are not thinkers, they are followers and aren't concerned about anything except their own little world. That is the sad truth. Lane maintenance and conditioning have been ignored for over 30-years by the industry as a whole. We can NOT repair it in one fell swoop. We just "carry on". We are committed to this. "If not us, who"? "If not now, when"?
Sincerely, John Davis
President of Kegel Co.
To Whom It May Concern: From: Mr. Larry O'Neill
Well it has been many years now that you have been "trying" to understand the physics of a ball rolling down a lane and all of the various factors involved. You have lent your services to various tournaments, especially the PBA and PWBA, and what have you come up with - "Sport Bowling"? Obviously, the only thing you have determined is that there are so many factors in today's bowling environment, that even after your year's of experience (and I do give you kudos' for your persistence). you can't control what goes on!!! Here is a novel idea - why don't you tell the world the truth….that under today's ball compositions and lane compositions and pin compositions and lane oils, it is impossible to control what goes on!!! Are you afraid of the manufacturers? What have they done beside rip-off the bowling public for many years with the next most hooking ball and/or dynamic weight block and at yet another higher cost to the bowler. The manufacturers can be directly blamed for the elimination of any required skills in the "sport" of bowling and you are just trying to help them continue on with their public thievery!!! Or maybe they own you, too!! I really do believe that you think you are trying to help, but in reality you have already discovered the answer….this bowling environment can not be controlled.
Dear Larry:
I read your letter with great interest. I couldn't have said "what I feel", any better. It is sometimes really difficult to keep going, working within the system and trying to re-create the illusion that everything is ok. We work on the fact that we eliminate question about the professionalism in the performance on the job. We take precautions to the extreme, so that we can control what is not in question. Telling the truth, hmmm, now that is an interesting thought. Nobody wants to hear it, is my first response.
The first step has been taken; Sport Bowling. It is not the end game, but for the first time, a line has been drawn in the sand. It is not perfect, but it is more of a guideline than we have ever been given. It is a rule that is a "work in progress". Once we have more tournaments and leagues, collect more data and get the infrastructure together, I am positive that the balls will be revealed. Fairness and equity is totally in the hands of the players in the present bowling environment. If the right-handers get together "out", then it will shut out the left. If the right-handers spread from the gutter to 25, then the potential for left-handed domination is real. We make it obvious to play "out" and the scores are too high, "bombs away!!". Go figure!!
Yes, we already know it is almost impossible. For us, we believe the impossible just takes a little longer. I knew in January of 1997 that we had no chance. I needed an oil to hold-up 5-times longer with the balls that were in use "then". That is why we started our own lab for understanding the chemistry of oils and cleaner. We discovered that lane oil had never really been studied. Shocker!!!
You must realize there are millions of people involved in bowling and that is a tremendous amount of social inertia to overcome. You can NOT change the way society is going overnight. When we ask for ball control - it is NOT the manufacturers who cry out the most, it is the bowlers o scream, "Don't take away my ball". Most people in this world are not thinkers, they are followers and aren't concerned about anything except their own little world. That is the sad truth. Lane maintenance and conditioning have been ignored for over 30-years by the industry as a whole. We can NOT repair it in one fell swoop. We just "carry on". We are committed to this. "If not us, who"? "If not now, when"?
Sincerely, John Davis
President of Kegel Co.
