A lot of what's wrong with bowling, in one little anecdote.

[white_rabbitt]

Glad you found something! I was just wondering how difficult it would be to find a spot in a league near me.

[Aslan]

the league officer called me back right away and was super nice and has a league and a spot for me in a few weeks - short league, with a free T-zone at the end of it for $10 a week!

That doesn't sound right. I've only seen ONE league that was $10 and that was an unsanctioned farse of a league that only lasted like 10 weeks. AND they give you a ball??

I mean, it's probably not a sweeper and the ball kinda blows....but still.

[swingset]

That doesn't sound right. I've only seen ONE league that was $10 and that was an unsanctioned farse of a league that only lasted like 10 weeks. AND they give you a ball??

I mean, it's probably not a sweeper and the ball kinda blows....but still.

Yeah, you have it right - it's a 10x10 league ($10/week for 10 weeks), and it's unsanctioned. Don't mind that at all, personally, I've got my ring and plenty of magnets...but for the ball and some bowling alone it's worth it. They've got 64 people signed up so far, so it sounds like it's going to have a decent turn out.

It's not ideal, I'm sure, probably just a goofball league but it's the night I have free and it beats sitting at home. At least they seem to want the business.

[Amyers]

My guess would be pricing is probably somewhat different between central Ohio and Southern California. Most of my leagues are between 10-13 a week and are sanctioned.

[axslinger]

That doesn't sound right. I've only seen ONE league that was $10 and that was an unsanctioned farse of a league that only lasted like 10 weeks. AND they give you a ball??

I mean, it's probably not a sweeper and the ball kinda blows....but still.

I just finished an 8-week league, $8 a week and a free T-Zone. Again, AMF. They do all these 8, 9 and 10 week leagues. Not sure why.

[Aslan]

I just finished an 8-week league, $8 a week and a free T-Zone. Again, AMF. They do all these 8, 9 and 10 week leagues. Not sure why.

Because AMF is a failure and Bowlmor has convinced the industry that league bowlers are an annoyance. So AMF lost their league bowlers and in a idiotic attempt to get them back have focused on "shorter" leagues that are less involved. Granted, that usually results in a non-sanctioned league full of sandbaggers and idiots who may or may not actually bowl more than a couple of the 10 weeks...which leads to a negative experience for many of the league members....but AMF and Bowlmor have never been accused of thinking in the long term.

I think the 10-week league, non-sanctioned league I was in when I first started...they didn't give everyone a useless TZone...they catered a dinner during the last week...something like that. I can't remember how many teams were in the league...not many. 1-2 of them stopped coming after a couple weeks. The team that won just threw their ball opposite handed into the gutter in week 1 to establish low averages and then bowled to their potential/skill level as the season progressed. But..non-sanctioned = less "picky" about little things like "rules" and fair play.

[Mike White]

Yeah, you have it right - it's a 10x10 league ($10/week for 10 weeks), and it's unsanctioned. Don't mind that at all, personally, I've got my ring and plenty of magnets...but for the ball and some bowling alone it's worth it. They've got 64 people signed up so far, so it sounds like it's going to have a decent turn out.

It's not ideal, I'm sure, probably just a goofball league but it's the night I have free and it beats sitting at home. At least they seem to want the business.

I would like to see the USBC get the stick out of their ***** and allow individuals to be sanctioned even if the league as a whole isn't.

That way their scores would count for averages/awards as long as the rules of the league are consistent with sanctioned leagues.

[Mike White]

Because AMF is a failure and Bowlmor has convinced the industry that league bowlers are an annoyance. So AMF lost their league bowlers and in a idiotic attempt to get them back have focused on "shorter" leagues that are less involved. Granted, that usually results in a non-sanctioned league full of sandbaggers and idiots who may or may not actually bowl more than a couple of the 10 weeks...which leads to a negative experience for many of the league members....but AMF and Bowlmor have never been accused of thinking in the long term.

I think the 10-week league, non-sanctioned league I was in when I first started...they didn't give everyone a useless TZone...they catered a dinner during the last week...something like that. I can't remember how many teams were in the league...not many. 1-2 of them stopped coming after a couple weeks. The team that won just threw their ball opposite handed into the gutter in week 1 to establish low averages and then bowled to their potential/skill level as the season progressed. But..non-sanctioned = less "picky" about little things like "rules" and fair play.

Brunswick chain of centers had been doing 8 for 8, with a T-Zone long before AMF and Bowlmor came into the picture.

When you consider the cost of manufacturing the T-Zone, and it was made by a sibling to the Bowling Center, they can easily afford to give away the ball.

[Aslan]

I would like to see the USBC get the stick out of their ***** and allow individuals to be sanctioned even if the league as a whole isn't.

That way their scores would count for averages/awards as long as the rules of the league are consistent with sanctioned leagues.

Or just make every league at a sanctioned center conform to USBC rules rather than let centers have imaginary, silly leagues that don't count for anything. Either way.

[swingset]

Brunswick chain of centers had been doing 8 for 8, with a T-Zone long before AMF and Bowlmor came into the picture.

When you consider the cost of manufacturing the T-Zone, and it was made by a sibling to the Bowling Center, they can easily afford to give away the ball.

I ain't bitching about the free T-zone. I use one now for spares, it's a welcome back-up. He said they have a Slingshot league that's $11, on Saturdays.

Honestly, I think that's a great deal for a league.