why isn't bowling considered a sport by some?

[Shaneshu87]

i believe most of us have ran into this problem in the past
"what kind of sports do you play?"
"i'm a bowler"
and then you get that you gotta be kid'n me look as a reply.

i think the biggest issue is the physical requirements and appearance of your average league bowler. bowling is a sport with ZERO discrimination about the bowlers athleticism, you cannot be to skinny, fat, tall, short, or even drunk. i personally think that one of the biggest factors as to why people "look down" on bowling is because more than half the league bowlers on any given league night typically have a beer in their hand (i personally do not have a problem with that as i used to be a very heavy drinker). But what kind of image does this set for the sport we love so much? i feel like it's one of the reasons that our sport is not growing.

another issue i think in relation to the last is how the physical appearance of bowlers. (i was very obese at one time pushing 350lbs) bowling in many ways is the sport of obesity, that is not the fault of the participants, bowling just does not require the millions of hours in a gym so you can be stronger than the other guy. but i feel like we as bowlers should do something to change this image as well, especially since in this day and age obesity is unattractive. i have interviewed people who i saw bowling often during open bowl but have never seen them during a league and they said bowling is like "fat chicks and mopeds, it's all fun till your friends see you doing it" i tagged them in a facebook post later "met some new friends at the bowling alley!"

another reason, which i proud of Belmo defending, is that people see bowling as "Easy". recently a professional athlete, named Vin Gerard, called out Jason Belmonte to a game of bowling claiming that "anyone can do it" and he's right, just like anyone can play football, soccer, basketball, or baseball. the difference being that not everyone can play professionally no matter what sport it is. it is caused because most people just simply do not know that the PBA does not bowl on the same type of oil as your saturday night cosmic bowl. that is just due to a simple lack of education, if more houses offered sport shot leagues i then this problem could be solved.

ultimately i think it will take a combination of things to get bowling back to the way it was years ago. and in a world so obsessed with image, then image is the most likely place to start. i'm not saying we all have to go out and train like Rich Fronning 4 time winner of the Crossfit Games, but we as bowlers should be concerned with our public image, look at it this way, if you owned a business that catered to the public and children, would you want to see them intoxicated, unruly, or sloppy, when they're in public representing your business? no.

rant over

[Mudpuppy]

If you can drink beer while playing then it isn't a sport

[Mike White]

if you owned a business that catered to the public and children, would you want to see them intoxicated, unruly, or sloppy, when they're in public representing your business? no.

rant over

Remember, an large part of an owner's income is from the source of them being intoxicated.

[Shaneshu87]

If you can drink beer while playing then it isn't a sport

thats what i've been told as well lmao

[Shaneshu87]

Remember, an large part of an owner's income is from the source of them being intoxicated.

your right but that doesn't mean that we have to drink, there are other sources of income that the owner can find, alcohol sales are just the easiest/most profitable.

[Beagle]

If you can drink beer while playing then it isn't a sport

Ever hear of Babe Ruth or Mickey Mantle

[Shaneshu87]

Ever hear of Babe Ruth or Mickey Mantle

weren't they hockey players lmao

[Shaneshu87]

i understand that there are difficulties in trying to fill a house on a league night with out alcohol, but maybe there should be separate leagues "Fun League" and "Serious League" the fun league could even be no-tap.

[Beagle]

i believe most of us have ran into this problem in the past
"what kind of sports do you play?"
"i'm a bowler"
and then you get that you gotta be kid'n me look as a reply.

i think the biggest issue is the physical requirements and appearance of your average league bowler. bowling is a sport with ZERO discrimination about the bowlers athleticism, you cannot be to skinny, fat, tall, short, or even drunk. i personally think that one of the biggest factors as to why people "look down" on bowling is because more than half the league bowlers on any given league night typically have a beer in their hand (i personally do not have a problem with that as i used to be a very heavy drinker). But what kind of image does this set for the sport we love so much? i feel like it's one of the reasons that our sport is not growing.

another issue i think in relation to the last is how the physical appearance of bowlers. (i was very obese at one time pushing 350lbs) bowling in many ways is the sport of obesity, that is not the fault of the participants, bowling just does not require the millions of hours in a gym so you can be stronger than the other guy. but i feel like we as bowlers should do something to change this image as well, especially since in this day and age obesity is unattractive. i have interviewed people who i saw bowling often during open bowl but have never seen them during a league and they said bowling is like "fat chicks and mopeds, it's all fun till your friends see you doing it" i tagged them in a facebook post later "met some new friends at the bowling alley!"

another reason, which i proud of Belmo defending, is that people see bowling as "Easy". recently a professional athlete, named Vin Gerard, called out Jason Belmonte to a game of bowling claiming that "anyone can do it" and he's right, just like anyone can play football, soccer, basketball, or baseball. the difference being that not everyone can play professionally no matter what sport it is. it is caused because most people just simply do not know that the PBA does not bowl on the same type of oil as your saturday night cosmic bowl. that is just due to a simple lack of education, if more houses offered sport shot leagues i then this problem could be solved.

ultimately i think it will take a combination of things to get bowling back to the way it was years ago. and in a world so obsessed with image, then image is the most likely place to start. i'm not saying we all have to go out and train like Rich Fronning 4 time winner of the Crossfit Games, but we as bowlers should be concerned with our public image, look at it this way, if you owned a business that catered to the public and children, would you want to see them intoxicated, unruly, or sloppy, when they're in public representing your business? no.

rant over

yep gotta agree with most of what u said. but it starts at the top of the bowling industry as a whole. the individual proprietor is concerned about the cash register and rightfully so. bowling centers r closing and there is a reason for this. don't know the solutions but I know bowling is definitely more of a sport than curling which is in the Olympics.

[Shaneshu87]

yep gotta agree with most of what u said. but it starts at the top of the bowling industry as a whole. the individual proprietor is concerned about the cash register and rightfully so. bowling centers r closing and there is a reason for this. don't know the solutions but I know bowling is definitely more of a sport than curling which is in the Olympics.

you are right the big factors behind the existence and continuation of bowling are the big companies and their cash registers. but even in a building like a sky scraper, you need the bottom bricks to be in the right place and in good condition in order to support the weight. we as bowlers who love this sport are 100% responsible for it's decline and hopefully future increase. why? because WE are the ones who put money in the cash registers, and it is our responsibility as lovers of the sport to promote it as third party credibility, which is the most accepted form of credibility. we need to stand up and save our sport, what would pay the houses more? more bowlers or more alcohol sales? and i do believed they took curling out of the Olympics... i think any way not sure i'll research that one lol