This is not trying to be inflammatory, or imply that I don't care about how bowling is being perceived.
What part of bowling needs to be saved? The PBA? The BPAA? USBC? Local bowling centers? AMF/Brunswick centers? Ball makers? The flagship events - US Open, ToC, World 10-pin Championships? Or perhaps a more nebulous concept - the 'integrity of bowling' itself? If we decide to save bowling, do we save everything listed before, or are there parts that need to be chipped away or revamped to save bowling?
If every organizational body went completely under, and we were only left with local centers and ball manufacturers, and centers rose to heights or fell into flames based on how they served their clients - would that save bowling?
If there was a single body above the BPAA, USBC, and PBA, and they were responsible for national and international marketing in order to make bowling be on the same levels as the PGA, NFL, NBA, MBL, and any other Sports organization -- would that save bowling?
Furthermore -- if bowling as an institution needs to be saved - every person who feels that way needs to do a gut check and honestly ask themselves "why"? Why does bowling need to be saved, how does it need to be saved, and what is your "buy in" level in saving bowling? Is it:
1. A personal reason --
"I love bowling with my league, and it's slowly going away"
"It's the one sport I'm good at"
"Bowling is a good family activity"
"Bowling is my exercise - and it's cheaper than just about any other sport except running:"
"I'm top dog in my center, and I don't want to give that up"
2. A professional reason
"I work for the PBA/USBC, and would like to keep my job"
"I own a bowling center, and don't want to go bankrupt"
"I'm an aspiring PBA tour player, and want there to be a tour to compete on"
"I make accessories or equipment for bowling, and believe in my product"
Note - all of the above are purely selfish reasons - not a judgement, but being factual. None of them look any further past "my want/my need". Which is fine, we are all me-centric by default. The challenge is to then decide what part of "this motivates me" can translate into "this can motivate my friends, neighbors". What will it take for you, the bowling public - not the administrations, not the organizations, not the manufacturers -- to force change to happen. The only vote you have that matters, (USBC member/BPAA member/PBA member/whatever) is the one you make on a daily or weekly basis with your hard earned cash - Bowling or something else. Granted, there are other entities that influence that decision - the bowling center management, the pro shop, the league personalities, kids, bills, etc.... But for those that believe that bowling must be saved, the grassroots is where change needs to happen.
Ultimately, if you want bowling saved, it will not - and cannot be saved from the top down. Those structures are already in place, and have proven to not be the answer required. For whatever reason - whether protecting the status quo, short term gains for long term losses, a corporate philosophy instead of an entrepreneur's philosophy -- the bowling "boat" has not righted itself using the current administrations in every agency.
So, with the historical precedent of 30-40 years where bowling was the unofficial official pastime of the blue collar / white collar workers. With what was once "good enough" being no longer "good enough". With owning a bowling center no longer being a cash guaranteed business, and the effort to change with the times not being shown across the board . . . the question is still: "Why save bowling"?
Once you answer that question - the how becomes so much simpler.
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