What are they called now?

[fordman1]

If they have 5 twelve game tournaments in a week are they still called TOUR TITLES?

[LyalC52]

if you are referring to the PBA, yes each is a tour title win, its part of a "swing"
its part of an effort to cut expenses for the bowlers and film crews

[fordman1]

I understand that I just wondered why it is still called a TOUR title the swing now not tour. Just call it a PBA title or short PBA title Not a PBA tour title. Not for 12 games.

[fordman1]

Last weekends finals in Detroit couldn't even fill the house giving away tickets. On Friday at league they were passing out tickets for the asking. That was after trying to sell them at half price.
Why is the PBA going down like the Titanic?

[panbanger]

Why is the PBA going down like the Titanic?

It's much more complicated than this, but didn't the fall of the PBA coincide with the rise of reactive resin balls? Personally I rarely watch PBA on television. I'll watch the women's PBA because to me their style and deliveries are more relatable.

[billf]

Last weekends finals in Detroit couldn't even fill the house giving away tickets. On Friday at league they were passing out tickets for the asking. That was after trying to sell them at half price.
Why is the PBA going down like the Titanic?

Kind of makes sense. Hold an event in an area with one of the highest jobless rates in the country and people didn't want to BUY tickets. Who would have thought...

[fordman1]

That is total BS. It isn't Detroit it is the PBA.

[fortheloveofbowling]

The parties in charge of the pba have done what they had to do to keep it alive. The parties in charge of detroit in all aspects have done what they could do to destroy it.

[billf]

That is total BS. It isn't Detroit it is the PBA.

So Detroit doesn't have the highest jobless rate of any major American city? The PBA doesn't have these issues elsewhere so it can't be Detroit. No, I'm sure people with no money would rather buy tickets to a PBA event than food.
Now the PBA could and should do a much better job of marketing the athletes. They really blew it with the Belmo-Rash conflict a few years ago.

[Amyers]

I attended a PWBA event in Lexington this summer with my wife and daughter supposed tickets were $10 when I got there no one was selling or asking for tickets. So there wasn't any charge. I've never been to a professional bowling event before so I don't know if it was good attendance or not. Their were two sets of bleachers up and they were mostly full and all of the tables around the action were taken there were also quite a few standing maybe 50-75 people all together. I think about 20% were from the Huntiginton/Charleston WV area which is actually about 2 hours away. We attended the match play portion of the qualifiers as the finals were recorded at another event.

I think a few things to keep in mind are that most bowling alleys aren't really set up for a crowd watching an event and it looks much better on TV than it does trying to see something from a bleacher 40 ft. off the lanes and 3 lanes to the right. Even in bowling's hay day on TV the crowds really weren't that big that I remember seeing and a lot of what I seen on TV were family members and sponsors. I'm sure there were some fans there for those events but selling tickets to bowling tournaments has never been a big part of professional bowling that I've seen.

I was really impressed with the openness of the bowlers their affinity for interacting with the fans and a good atmosphere. I was glad we attended and if they have another within driving distance I will go again. I do think this is something that is hurting the PBA right now is these swings where all of the tournaments are in 2 or 3 locations and they never actually get within 3 or 4 hours of my area. I know I'm not the only one that feels this way or that faces the same logistical problems with where the events are held. I understand the why of it but I think it hurts their fans. I love bowling but I'm not booking plane tickets for 4 to go watch a bowling tournament.