1st Annual BowlingBoards.com Virtual Tour!!!

[Aslan]

Okay folks!!! I had a small invitational with a couple other Bowlingboard.com members earlier this month and we then had ideas floating around about a more inclusive tournament format. Bowlingboards.com thought it was a great idea (I wasn't so sure) and is offering a $25 gift certificate to the winner of Season 1.

Below is the tournament format followed by details in how to sign up and participate.

REGISTRATION IS EASY!!!
STEP 1: Simply post HERE between 3/25 and 4/9 indicating that you would like to participate.
STEP 2: If you have a USBC ID number, post it along with your indication that you'd like to participate so your starting average can be validated.
STEP 3: IF you have a USBC ID but no established average on Bowl.com as of yet…you'll need to e-mail me a scan of your league sheet from March 2014 or give me the link to your scoresheet if it's on league secretary or something like that.
STEP 4: List your home city, county, and state (where you reside) and the centers you've played in leagues at (sanctioned and non-sanctioned) during 2013 and 2014.

EMail: aslan_supreme@yahoo.com (It's an "L", I'm not asian)

FORMAT (How does the tournament work?)

Once we have the participants, I will list everyone's starting averages. No validation (USBC #, league sheet, etc..) = you bowl scratch.

I will then draw names out of a hat to pair up you with another participant for that month.

You will then have the REST OF APRIL to meet up with one or more bowling board.com users within 110 miles of you and bowl at a center that will be selected for you at random (chosen within 45 miles radius of your location). You will get a different center/alley each month of the tour. If you live in a remote area where alleys are scarce, you may have to bowl at the same center more than once. You will bowl 3 games, get a print out of the scores, and e-mail them to me BEFORE the end of April.

RULES:
- USBC rules apply.
- THREE games…not best of 9, not best of 12. Cheaters make Aslan very upset…and Iceman even MORE upset…if you need to cheat at an online tournament then save the bowling money and spend it on therapy.
- You MAY bowl 1 game as a "warm-up". 5 frames each if it's a pair of you…3 frames each if it's a threesome. More than 3 players may bowl 1 warm-up game per 3 players, 2 games per 4-6 players, 3 games per 7-9 players, etc…

SCORING:
- HANDICAP TOUR. Handicap is 90% of 220. (220 - your average) * 90%. 220 averages and higher bowl scratch.
- Your average (and thus handicap) changes EACH WEEK. It's a TOUR…which means for the months of April through September…it is a VIRTUAL LEAGUE where your average goes up and down (just like a league).
- You will get POINTS for each win against your pre-selected bowling opponent each game and overall handicap series. 4 points per month at stake.
- At the end of SEPTEMBER….the top half of the participants (minus 3) will compete in a single elimination virtual tournament similar to March Madness style single elimination.
- Regardless of point totals, the participant(s) with the:
- most games bowled above average.
- most improved average.
- highest scratch pinball.
will receive automatic bids to the tournament. If there is a tie or one of those participants already makes the cut, we'll just continue down the points list to fill the last 3 spots.
- Seeding in the tournament will be based on points: most points plays least points (of those that make the cut), etc…

OTHER IMPORTANT RULES/NOTES:
- IF you don't play one month, you forfeit all 4 points to the chosen opponent.
- IF you bowl in a center where you are in a league, you lose 10 pins per game of handicap.
- YOU MUST bowl against another BB user so you can validate each other's scores. BUT…if you don't live within 110 miles of another participant…that restriction is waived and you are on your honor.
- If there is some "issue" with meeting another user or an "issue" with the center chosen/assigned…email me and we'll work something out.
- All disputes will be handled by an independent 3-person committee of Bowl1820, noeymc, and Mudpuppy. Their majority decision is final.

Tournament WINNER receives a $25 gift certificate from bowling boards.com.

GOOD LUCK!!!

[Aslan]

Example of a participant registering, me!

REGISTRATION IS EASY!!!
STEP 1: I would like to participate.
STEP 2: USBC #8529-59071 (no average listed yet).
STEP 3: Have final scoresheet (emailed to myself) from league that just ended showing ending average of 165.
STEP 4: Yorba Linda, CA Centers I've bowled in leagues at: AMF Carter, Fullerton, CA and Concourse Bowling Center, Anaheim, CA.

BAMM!! I'm registered as a participant. If nobody else registers…I just won a $25 gift certificate by DEFAULT!! But hopefully zDawg and MWhite register….I want to defeat them AGAIN!!!

[zdawg]

STEP 1: I would like to participate because its the only way for me to win
STEP 2: USBC #8677-37848 (no average listed yet)
STEP 3: Emailed you the most recent score sheet from my league
STEP 4: San Diego CA, only one league at Kearny Mesa Bowl in San Diego, CA

BAMM!! You didn't just win a $25 gift cert by default

[bowl1820]

Notice:
The Gift Certificate has been Verified. So have fun.

For anyone wondering, bowlingball.com did offer a $25 Gift Certificate to sweeten the pot for the inaugural event of the tour.

[bowl1820]

Example of a participant registering, me!

REGISTRATION IS EASY!!!
STEP 1: I would like to participate.
STEP 2: USBC #8529-59071 (no average listed yet).

corrected Member ID: 8259-59071

- All disputes will be handled by an independent 3-person committee of Bowl1820, noeymc, and Mudpuppy.

Since this is the first I have heard of being on this committee. I respectfully decline.

[Mudpuppy]

Great work Aslan. I dig it.

I was hoping to maybe have a bit of a conference with a few of us (steering committee of sorts) to work out the details. $25 gift certificate is all fine and good but I was thinking more along the lines of a Hammer Deadly Aim for the winner. That gift certificate could go to the most improved average or something - imo. But then we would have to have "entry fees" for everyone to cover the cost of the ball, drilling and shipping. But I wouldn't think that would be an issue with paypal - a nominal like $20 entry fee. But I will roll with whatever you got going on and I will respectfully accept being part of the committee. I mean we can always run with whatever to see how it goes the first year and maybe telecon after the year is up to see if we want to make changes for 2015? Get some participation going, some feedback, etc.

I am confused though - you say "4 points per month" - does that mean bowling every week? I was hoping we could just bowl once a month. I like the fact that you say bowl with another BB member and that it is open to day / time of your choice within the month.

I am not 100% sure of random bowling alleys - I think that needs to be fine tuned. My initial thought was to get 2 or 3 bowling alleys that are local that the people running it might offer some kind of preferential treatment for our business. Maybe that is a free pop with 3 games of bowling or discounted bowling fees or whatever. I know the guy at the one alley by me would definitely do something. I think the -10 for bowling in your league house shouldn't apply but that is my opinion - shouldn't matter where you bowl. I think we need each person to submit a list of 5 bowling alleys they agree to bowl at and then it is randomly chosen from that list. Even with the concealed pistol license changes I am not going to bowl at some of the alleys around here - I shoot spares not people. I think if you start assigning random alleys that people don't agree to then you will seriously limit participation. If everyone submits 5 alleys and you agree to those alleys then new people joining can see those alleys and know who is bowling where (also beneficial to participation).

Ok so season starts in April and ends in September. How do you handle it if Joe Blow wants to join in say June? They just start in June with 0 points and gain points as they go? But that is not much incentive to join and qualify for the "September Madness" tournament? I guess it doesn't matter but might limit participation. Maybe a wild card spot for the tournament could be added to address this? Like for the people who didn't qualify for the finals each can submit their best series and the one with the highest over average qualifies as the wild card regardless of points?

One last thing (sorry no cliff notes here). I will throw in a custom wood sign for the overall winner. I will need input on design (nothing too crazy) but here is an example (non-bowling related) to give you an idea:

[Mudpuppy]

I would like to particpate

USBC: 1034-72601

I don't have a scoresheet at the moment - I will grab one next time I bowl, scan and email to you.

Currently bowl at: Plaza Lanes, Plymouth, MI and Novi Bowl, Novi, MI

[Aslan]

Notice:
Unless and until the Bowlingboards.com Admin./Owners. confirms they are offering any gift certificates, sponsoring or endorsing this tournament.

don't believe it.

Notice: Bowl1820 is a "hater". And yes, the site administrator reached out ot me directly offering the $25 gift certificate to the winner. For once...Bowl1820 is incorrect.

Since this is the first I have heard of being on this committee, I respectfully decline.

Well, okay...he's replaced with Iceman (if Iceman isn't dead). If Iceman is still MIA when the contest starts, we'll replace Iceman with zdawg since he was the first to register.

[Aslan]

Great work Aslan. I dig it.

I was hoping to maybe have a bit of a conference with a few of us (steering committee of sorts) to work out the details.

Since it's attempt #1, I'm sure some minore issues will come up as we put it together.

$25 gift certificate is all fine and good but I was thinking more along the lines of a Hammer Deadly Aim for the winner....I mean we can always run with whatever to see how it goes the first year and maybe telecon after the year is up to see if we want to make changes for 2015? Get some participation going, some feedback, etc.

EXACTLY. First year, it's a gift certificate offered by the site (graciously and appreciated by the way). If we get participation and it looks like people want to try it again next year, I'm sure the site or some other sponsors will surface. I'm a little weary about charging entry fees...that creates problems. The entry fee at this point is membership to the site...which serves a secondary purpose of growing site membership. I like that it's for "something" but only a $25 gift certificate at this point because it should keep cheating to a minimum.

I am confused though - you say "4 points per month" - does that mean bowling every week? I was hoping we could just bowl once a month. I like the fact that you say bowl with another BB member and that it is open to day / time of your choice within the month.

Once per month. 1 point for each game, and 1 for overall handicap series. So 4 points are at stake, similar to the way most leagues are run. Once a month is plenty at this point...people are busy, summer is upon us, people are in multiple leagues, and it's already a bit inconvenient having to meet another member and bowl at an unusual center (possibly) so making it weekly would be way too burdensome.

I am not 100% sure of random bowling alleys - I think that needs to be fine tuned.

Thats the part I'm most "shaky" on. We'll see how it goes. The thought behind it is to get people out of their comfort zone. As you saw in the FABHSCZVA Invitational, forcing MWhite to bowl in a place he wasn't used to created a much more level playing field...and it was a learning experience for all 3 of us. Had we bowled in my house, I'd have had a huge advantage since my game is tailored to wood lanes. Had we bowled in Mike's house...he'd have probably shot over 600 without even trying.

BUT....but...we'll see how it goes. I'm super lucky that I have probably 54 bowling centers within 90 miles of me. That is NOT the case for everyone. And I don't want to discourage participation by having people bowl in a place they are weary of (like Mike being afraid to go to San Bernadino for crime reasons). But I think participants should give it a chance and look at it as a "fun excuse to bowl in a center they normally wouldn't. I just bowled in 2 centers in Vegas. It was horrible..way too much oil. But I loved it! Other than the scores...I love trying new centers and seeing how different the centers can be.

I think the -10 for bowling in your league house shouldn't apply but that is my opinion - shouldn't matter where you bowl....Even with the concealed pistol license changes I am not going to bowl at some of the alleys around here

I've only been afraid to bowl in one alley and it was just north of 8-mile on Dequindre. I don't think it's there anymore. But yes, obviously for places like LA, Detroit, St. Louis...if the participants feel their safety is at risk I would re-draw them a center. And we absolutely need the -10 per game for people bowling in their own houses. Actually, -10 might be on the low side. In ANY house around me, I average 138-158...but at MY house...I average 165. Mike W. is a 200 average bowler that bowled a 127 on a lane he wasn't used to. He would have GLADLY taken a -10 point hit to bowl in Riverside at his house...GLADLY.

One of the first things I learned (that I previously thought was a myth) about bowling...lanes are NOT all the same. NOT by a LONG SHOT. And since we can't get everyone together in person to bowl on a level playing field...we have to level the playing field by randomizing the alleys. If we don't, we might as well just turn in our league scoresheets every week and have a virtual league using our league scores...which is boring.

But lets see how it goes. If random centers is a problem in season 1...we'll change it for season 2.

Ok so season starts in April and ends in September. How do you handle it if Joe Blow wants to join in say June?

Thats a good question. Ideally, it would be nice if everyone signed up in the 2 weeks alotted for registration. But I guess we could keep registration open up until the end of July. Anyone joining late would obviously be at a points disadvantage and wouldn't be eligible for "most improved average"...but I don't have a problem with adding people as we go along. [/QUOTE]

One last thing (sorry no cliff notes here). I will throw in a custom wood sign for the overall winner. I will need input on design (nothing too crazy) but here is an example (non-bowling related) to give you an idea:

Yeah, I was going to comment that your post needs cliff notes. But, and I can't see the picture now because my work IT is run by nazis, that is a very generous and appreciated offer. I would definitely like a custom wood sign when I win!

[bowl1820]

Notice: Bowl1820 is a "hater". And yes, the site administrator reached out ot me directly offering the $25 gift certificate to the winner. For once...Bowl1820 is incorrect.

To everyone I'm not hater of Aslan, like he wants wants you to believe.

Someone comes on here and says the site is giving a gift certificate or promoting something like this and the site admin hasn't posted a statement about it.

Then it needs to verified.

Update:
Which it has been verified by the Admin finally on 3-28-14

For anyone wondering, bowlingball.com did offer a $25 Gift Certificate to sweeten the pot for the inaugural event of the tour. We want this to be a fun thing that everyone can be involved in and have a chance at competing. Having handicap is the only way to achieve that.