I remember a marketing class that I took in college. Its all coming back to me now; that project I had to build a brand.

Listen, this Golden Anniversary Season – you can hear it, it’s unmistakable. I have heard more people talking about bowling again, passionately. NBA stars, professional players, league bowlers, college kids. That’s how you build a brand, sports fans – maintain a passionate fan base, create new fans.

I heard the rumblings at Taylor Lanes and the conversation continues through phone calls, e-mails and message boards. For a sport to be worth talking about you need passion, worthy competitors and a plain old, barn-burning controversy. Suburban Detroit had all of that and a bag of chips over the last two weeks. When your brand is worth talking about, you are worth following, watching, buying merchandise.

The position round of the Chameleon Championship lurched to a halt when a scoring error was discovered. The message boards exploded, outrage, how could this happen! Things happen, remember the 3-day World Series rain delay? Both the NBA and NFL have had recent experiences with officiating, resulting in massive controversies, life happens.

The PBA rectified the scoring error and went the extraordinary step to call ESPN and add a half hour to the television show. People are still talking about that, especially Mike Machuga.

The Ultimate Scoring Championship, the first event in the new Extreme Swing of the Lumber Liquidators PBA Tour. Again the message boards explode, outrage, the end of bowling as we know it. What was that all about? Qualifier, qualifying rounds, match play and finals, this week with a more forgiving lane condition, somebody wins; sounds like many other PBA events through the years.

Just called it what it was, how’s that for truth in marketing? People are still talking about it; now they wonder what will happen in the GEICO Plastic Ball Championship and the Etonic Marathon Championship. Are we back to building a brand?

The most compelling uprising could have been the bands of bowling fans at Taylor Lanes that were determined to loudly chant “4-Bagger” whenever four strikes in a row were thrown. There were also many “Hambone” signs in the audience, the fans were INTO it!

I will never forget the now infamous Hambone vs. 4-Bagger uprising in suburban Detroit. Sell PBA T-shirts with Hambone and No Hambone, both would move. That idea just might have bought me a passing grade in that marketing class.