Loose Cannon
Bowlers always have time to spare.
What were the good old days ? Remember watching Aussie bowling on a major network in the 90s, the coca cola classic on channel 9 brings back memories was usually after wide world of sports
What were the good old days?
- Thread starter mickyd213
- Start date
jayboybriz
Active Member
Lunch at the cricket
mjmclo
Active Member
With Terry Wenban commentating as I remember it.
jimcross
Active Member
becka_girl
Proud Vic Chick
Yes a lot of people are saying that the location is the reason they haven't attended but if you plan well in advance you could have got cheap flights to Townsville and found cheap accommodation. I think I could get $150 each way to Townsville from Melbourne which included my luggage ( I ended up using frequent flyers one way) and accommodation, I think I have said it before on here, a group of five of us have got an apartment together and we are only paying $143 each for four nights.
I suggest for the future you all subscribe to airline newsletters because you can get some absolute bargains!
I know the reason I haven't done Rachuig this year is simply because I do not have enough Annual Leave at work and the timing isn't great for the type of work I do, its our busiest period. 3 weeks off for World Championships and also a week and a half off for Commonwealth Games, it just couldn't work out for me this year.
I suggest for the future you all subscribe to airline newsletters because you can get some absolute bargains!
I know the reason I haven't done Rachuig this year is simply because I do not have enough Annual Leave at work and the timing isn't great for the type of work I do, its our busiest period. 3 weeks off for World Championships and also a week and a half off for Commonwealth Games, it just couldn't work out for me this year.
Yes Location is the main reason
AND
TBA pissed around for so long to announce where the Nationals was to be held AFTER
AMF Pissed on everyone by pulling out of the event and sponsorship
The fact is it had a huge effect on the NSW State Championship numbers, we had
lots of people say to us <"Where is the Nationals in 2013" We said don't know- they said
"Well I can't commit to bowling
Congrats , All sad but true
i agree geoff, the announcement was left far too late.
why the decrease in numbers?
Cost has to be a huge factor, prices for games has certainly gone up. even just getting time on the lanes to practice even as a TBA member these days is expensive in some places. like geoff said, juniors used to be able to get instructormat, practice with no pins and/or cheap game rates. does this happen anymore?
add onto that the cost of leagues, equipment then tournaments and travelling for some it becomes an unviable cost unless you have the dollars when compared to other sports. even the cost of tournaments now can add up to a point where it just becomes unviable for many people.
Bowling centres - surely there has been a decline of how many there are around compared to years ago? and the sense of community around league bowlers doesnt seem to exist anymore. nor do many centres care about their league bowlers anymore, only caring about what is going to get them the money. perhaps this sense of community contributes to people not wanting to bowl anymore?
juniors - simply put there is a lack of juniors coming through now, and i think its at a worrying point in some areas. juniors are the future of the sport realistically, and without them simply put bowling wont be around much longer if there is not an increase in numbers
The reason WA wasn't so well represented was costs and location. $1200 bowling costs from TBA and accommodation. Then airfare about $700 if you were lucky to get a special. Then money for meals and extra costs if you wanted to try out for Masters. Over $2K. Also late notification of venue was a problem. Opps forgot excess luggage costs !! All adds up.
My understanding of WA not attending Rachuig is quite different to your outline above
Cost is a huge concern as well
My view of Nationals is it should be held on the East Coast , major City, best Centre
Why because That is where the greatest majority of people are and that is a large reason
as to why the numbers this year will be poor.
how that has an effect on regional bowlers is another matter but taking the event to a regional
location is Not the answer, dumb as dog shit
Another problem with location is the matter of who TENDERS for the Nationals fewer centres are interested but again Geoff you are right about the Major City. One other problem this last week was the difference of opinion between the bowlers and tournament director regarding lanes to be used - why??? I am not sure.
I think a couple of Centres in Sydney were interested in a tender but did not as it was in Sydney for
the past 3 years running, At Rooty Hill, the best location in Australia to hold this event
I have no idea why more Centres did not Tender but I think that was largely due to the fact that the lead time
was really poor because AMF pulled the pin on the Sponsorship and then also did not allow any AMF Centre to Tender
No Idea what is going on in Townsville but again, with complete respect to Townsville and the Centre concerned, why
would it be one there !!!!!
Just my opinion
jayboybriz
Active Member
Agreed we should have a national stadium type situation as Mistagear alluded to a while back. Always at the same venue.
jason_doust
The Bowling Geek
Geoff is on the money. They were great days (and even better nights.) Houses, cars, schools and food all costed less as a proportion of our take home pay. We were more relaxed, and more happy as a result.
And the difference between your hook monster ball and the other end of your kit was about 10 boards, and that was back when I used to try to hook it!
You used to have to make your own hook back then. If you rolled it over the thumb, it stayed there. No fancy core engineering to fix a bad release.
Compared to today's game, it was a little agricultural. But it seemed more honest, despite the odd oiling skullduggery scandal. A lot of people walked away when reactive resin came out, myself included. It was stupid trying to bowl on old oiling technology with cheater balls. Chucker heaven. That was the beginning of the end. Well, reactive resin and negative gearing, making housing so unaffordable, which ties into the front of this little essay.
Cheers,
Jason
And the difference between your hook monster ball and the other end of your kit was about 10 boards, and that was back when I used to try to hook it!
You used to have to make your own hook back then. If you rolled it over the thumb, it stayed there. No fancy core engineering to fix a bad release.
Compared to today's game, it was a little agricultural. But it seemed more honest, despite the odd oiling skullduggery scandal. A lot of people walked away when reactive resin came out, myself included. It was stupid trying to bowl on old oiling technology with cheater balls. Chucker heaven. That was the beginning of the end. Well, reactive resin and negative gearing, making housing so unaffordable, which ties into the front of this little essay.
Cheers,
Jason
jason_doust
The Bowling Geek
P.s. Chris Bateup still runs great little day breakers. One coming up in a week or two at Wetherill Park.
Mistagear
www.xgamesbowling.com
If I look in the rear vision mirrors, I can see all the way back to a time when,
Bowling a 200 game was impressive,
Top bowlers boarded a plane to bowl on a prime time TV appearance, holding a single ball bag (2 ball bags had not been invented),
League bowlers owned twice as many bowling shoes as they did bowling balls,
Oil was applied to a lane to protect the lane from damage, not to assist the bowler to score higher,
ATBC was formed and quickly had the drive, foresight and funds to purchase commercial property in Sydney,
Social bowlers were quickly counseled in the basics of bowling and encouraged to join a League,
Bowling Centres saw their futures, as reliant on the health of the Sport of Bowling.
Bowling Associations were strongly supported, and saw their futures, as reliant on the depth of junior bowlers competing,
Bowling was a community and a lifestyle, where friendships formed extended beyond time spent at the Bowl.
I could probably think of much more, however if people have noticed, most of my posts are attempting to look forward and to improve the sport from wherever we find ourselves currently. I have noted that negative discussions attract many responses and when members try to provoke discussions to advance the sport, the silence is deafening.
People who come to this forum are the ones who care about bowling the most, unless there is a change in people's desire to help their sport, I can see things becoming worse.
Personally, I'm not prepared to allow that to happen and am doing as much as I can to change what has been done in the past which resulted in the situation we are currently experiencing. I hope others start to see the need for change
Bowling a 200 game was impressive,
Top bowlers boarded a plane to bowl on a prime time TV appearance, holding a single ball bag (2 ball bags had not been invented),
League bowlers owned twice as many bowling shoes as they did bowling balls,
Oil was applied to a lane to protect the lane from damage, not to assist the bowler to score higher,
ATBC was formed and quickly had the drive, foresight and funds to purchase commercial property in Sydney,
Social bowlers were quickly counseled in the basics of bowling and encouraged to join a League,
Bowling Centres saw their futures, as reliant on the health of the Sport of Bowling.
Bowling Associations were strongly supported, and saw their futures, as reliant on the depth of junior bowlers competing,
Bowling was a community and a lifestyle, where friendships formed extended beyond time spent at the Bowl.
I could probably think of much more, however if people have noticed, most of my posts are attempting to look forward and to improve the sport from wherever we find ourselves currently. I have noted that negative discussions attract many responses and when members try to provoke discussions to advance the sport, the silence is deafening.
People who come to this forum are the ones who care about bowling the most, unless there is a change in people's desire to help their sport, I can see things becoming worse.
Personally, I'm not prepared to allow that to happen and am doing as much as I can to change what has been done in the past which resulted in the situation we are currently experiencing. I hope others start to see the need for change
GraftonGez
Member
Doom and gloom is in every sport, cricket is one example, junior numbers are down and people talk about the good old days , country Rugby league is the same deal ,all I can say is that we all need to encourage TBA membership for everyone and get behind it and have major Tournaments in a more central location, 21 million population with land mass of the USA, it makes sense in these tough times.cheers to you all
