Should bowling be in the Olympics?

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Re: Should bowling be in the Olympics?

Post by JJakobsen »

I have NEVER heard of a war fought with discus.

You can do a lot at home too, if you can be arsed. Steps, timing, even release with some pillows. The only thing you can't do is release the ball at 25km/h without some setup you make.

But the argument that you have to use bowling lanes is still stupid. Why? Try practicing bob or skeleton outside a venue.

EDIT: Oh yeah, when you get to a certain level, there is NO way to practice ski jumping either, nor biathlon, due to gun rules and the fact you'd need groomed courses if you want your skiing technique to be anything close to good.
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Re: Should bowling be in the Olympics?

Post by TomaHawk »

JJakobsen wrote:I have NEVER heard of a war fought with discus.
You're kidding right? You are saying, in a primitive war, it wouldn't be an advantage to have someone who is capable of physically launching a relatively heavy object, over everybody's head, over a wall, and from a distance?

And, you are saying, it would not be an advantage to have a person who has the capability of skiing down the slopes of the Swiss Alps?

Could someone just show be how bowling, as we know it, could be utilized in a war?

Be certain, I'm absolutely all about bowling. Not being an Olympic did not keep me from getting 100% involved. Being an Olympic sport wouldn't have mattered either. Personally, I have spent a tremendous amount of time, effort, and money promoting the game. I wouldn't change that either.
Last edited by TomaHawk on May 3rd, 2018, 9:52 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Should bowling be in the Olympics?

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MegaMav wrote:
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:lol: :lol: :lol: Eric, my friend you made my day!!! Come to Puerto Rico beers are on me! Haven’t laughed so much in a while!!!
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Re: Should bowling be in the Olympics?

Post by TonyPR »

Big wave surfing should be an Olympic event, easy bring pair of cojones or ovaries (I’m all for equality), 10’-12’ surfboard, tallest wave wins... easy... gotta get back in shape, used to do this, anyone who has the will and sack would win jejeje, guess I’m just a bit crazy heh! Hey, anyone who wants it could participate... 25’ plus faces please, just wave, board anf skill... no handicap ever...
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Re: Should bowling be in the Olympics?

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TonyPR wrote:
:lol: :lol: :lol: Eric, my friend you made my day!!! Come to Puerto Rico beers are on me! Haven’t laughed so much in a while!!!


Yes, that was pretty hilarious!
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Re: Should bowling be in the Olympics?

Post by Nord »

I apologize if I offended by using events like snow boarding to point out that, if a random thing like snow boarding can become an Olympic sport, then why not a major activity like bowling?

Yes, obviously snow boarding is super hard and requires incredible skill, but to me it is still just kids skateboarding on snow and it only gained the status that it does today because the sponsors blew it into something major. This is just my lowly opinion. Just like if they had BMX dirt bike riding become an Olympic sport.
Again just my opinion.

But bowling was the most popular sport in the world at one time and the highest paid.
The bowlers of that time were giants, known and respected by even the common man.
If ever there was a sport that deserved Olympic recognition it was bowling.

So if all these other events, that I consider random things, can be recognized as Olympic sports, then why not something with a 100 year history like bowling?
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Re: Should bowling be in the Olympics?

Post by soupy1957 »

“No” to the original question.

To “me,” the idea of competition for the sake of the challenge, was not the point of the original “Olympic Games.”

MY view, is that the original “Games” were all about proving superior strength; an opportunity to see the Gladiators of the day demonstrate their prowess to the citizenry that didn’t normally see the hero in action.

Today’s “Games” have become more of a “talent show.”
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Re: Should bowling be in the Olympics?

Post by deanchamp »

Nord wrote:It still disturbs me that activities like women's softball and snow boarding are Olympic
sports, but bowling isn't?
Really?
I mean really?
Snow boarding? Olympic Sport?
You also left out BMX racing.

First off, I love bowling, but can you name one Olympic sport or event where a mistake is rewarded with a maximum score? Ok, in speed skating people win because the others all fall over, but that is rare.

I miss my target in archery, shooting etc. I don't hit the bulls-eye. I miss my target by 3 boards inside when bowling and I can still get a Brooklyn strike, or a through the nose crumbler or even a backdoor strike missing the head pin altogether. I don't have perfect technique or form in a running or jumping or throwing or performance event, I'm not going to beat many others. Yet I can still get a strike not throwing my absolute best shot each time (and I do that often!).

Short of having to nominate what sort of strike you are going to bowl, or changing the scoring system where a non-pocket strike doesn't add the next 2 shots on - will never happen - unfortunately, I can't ever see bowling being accepted as an Olympic sport.
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Re: Should bowling be in the Olympics?

Post by bowl1820 »

If your were going to say why is sport X in the Olympics and not bowling, then you guys should have used Rythmic Gymnastics as your example.

Rythmic Gymnastics is just dancing combined with ribbon, rope or hula hoop twirling.

As for the discus being using as a weapon, they've never really found any evidence it was used as one.

The closest thing would be the "Chakram" , which is a ring shaped weapon (It's the weapon Xena used in the tv show.)

Bowling was on the short list for the upcomng Olympics, it was dropped because it was considered not popular with the young and also because they would save money not having to build a new venue ( bowling alley).
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Re: Should bowling be in the Olympics?

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bowl1820 wrote:If your were going to say why is sport X in the Olympics and not bowling, then you guys should have used Rythmic Gymnastics as your example.

Rythmic Gymnastics is just dancing combined with ribbon, rope or hula hoop twirling.

As for the discus being using as a weapon, they've never really found any evidence it was used as one.

The closest thing would be the "Chakram" , which is a ring shaped weapon (It's the weapon Xena used in the tv show.)

Bowling was on the short list for the upcomng Olympics, it was dropped because it was considered not popular with the young and also because they would save money not having to build a new venue ( bowling alley).


Agreed, there is no evidence that a discus would have been used. In a very primitive war, it would have been a flat rock. Rings would not have existed.

There are current events which stretch the original concept of the Olympics. Rhythmic Dancing, the example mentioned, is one of them. But, the motion of the dance could closely resemble a martial art movement. Not saying it does, but could.

As far as bowling not being viewed as a viable, potentially profitable Olympic venue? That is a realistic assessment. Beyond that, bowling was deemed boring by at least one member of the committee. That would have a been a very insensitive statement.

But here, in lovely Allen Park, Michigan, Thunderbowl Lanes is hosting a PBA event. It is sold out. Apparently, someone enjoys the game.

Who needs the Olympics!
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Re: Should bowling be in the Olympics?

Post by JJakobsen »

The olympics are changing after Pyeongchang for sure! There will be a lot more countries applying for the Olympics that will re-use old stadiums. Norway is one of them re-using Lillehammer and Hamar stadiums and ski centers, amongst other things, to cut down on the costs, because there is NO good reason to build a brand new stadium for 2 weeks.

Same goes for bowling, if the US hosts the Olympics, why not have it in Reno? Or Tali in Helsinki, Vienna has huge center too, loads of them all over the world in fact, many of them built to have a stand behind the lanes.

In archery, you can misinterpret the wind indicators, but then miss your shot and actually hit the target, bullseye. This happens in loads of sports, that is, luck. Luck is always a factor, if that is someone falling in the ski trail letting you pass and take the lead, or someone going to hard out in the start.

The fact that there is luck involved in bowling is not an argument for it not being in the Olympics, that fact would eliminate many sports from the Olympics.
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Re: Should bowling be in the Olympics?

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TomaHawk wrote:Who needs the Olympics!
Bowling does NOT "need" the Olympics. What bowling "needs" is non self serving LEADERSHIP. Do not look to Arlington for fulfilling that need.
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Re: Should bowling be in the Olympics?

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soupy1957 wrote:“No” to the original question.

To “me,” the idea of competition for the sake of the challenge, was not the point of the original “Olympic Games.”

MY view, is that the original “Games” were all about proving superior strength; an opportunity to see the Gladiators of the day demonstrate their prowess to the citizenry that didn’t normally see the hero in action.

Today’s “Games” have become more of a “talent show.”
Actually I totally agree with this and think most of the events should be done away with so we go back to a Classic Olympics.
But...if they will allow events that have no relation to the history and intent of the Olympics, then why not bowing?
I guess that was my point all along.
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Re: Should bowling be in the Olympics?

Post by JJakobsen »

Nord wrote: Actually I totally agree with this and think most of the events should be done away with so we go back to a Classic Olympics.
But...if they will allow events that have no relation to the history and intent of the Olympics, then why not bowing?
I guess that was my point all along.
First of all technology has let us have more sports than before, and they are easier to make a competition out of that people actually wanna watch.

If we are gonna take only classic olympics, if you guys are so nostalgic, get out the bug sprayer and the rubber balls too!

The world goes on, things change, the Olympics, bowling, whatever you mention, it has changed in some way since the first modern Olympics in 1896, and atleast since the original Olympics thousands of years ago!
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Re: Should bowling be in the Olympics?

Post by Bahshay »

deanchamp wrote: You also left out BMX racing.

First off, I love bowling, but can you name one Olympic sport or event where a mistake is rewarded with a maximum score?
Well, sure.

In basketball, a 3 pointer counts as 3 whether it’s a swish, off the backboard, or takes 8 bounces off the rim.

In hockey, goals can be scored by bouncing off a guy who was lucky (or unlucky) enough to be standing at the right place at the right time.

There’s the racket sports, like tennis, table tennis, and badmitton, where you can miss what you’re aiming for but still score the point if the opponent is in the wrong spot. Or, the ball can hit the net but roll over. Volleyball fits in here too.

There’s combative sports like boxing and judo...

There are many sports where you’re judged on speed or execution, and a mistake will cost you. But that isn’t the case in pretty much any sport where points are scored, and there’s a lot of them.
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Re: USBC New Ball Specs

Post by Bahshay »

TomaHawk wrote:Most of the events in the Winter Olympics say hi. How are those little countries expected to compete there? Not really a valid argument.

In terms of changing environments, many outdoor events are affected by the weather - especially the wind. Any event that has athletes competing to post times and such during different conditions should be deemed unfair. Yet it is allowed. The playing "surface" is not equal to all. Just look at downhill skiing. You can't tell me that they are all playing on a level field. The slope is constantly changing and different for each skier.

You want a sport that relies on friction? Curling. Most of the friction is achieved by the sweepers. Not exactly a level playing field.

I'm tired of hearing the "fair" argument. Just face it. Pretty much every sport has athletes who are better than the majority, and pretty much every sport has athletes who excel during certain conditions. This is not unique to bowling. And there are many sports that the athletes are not using the same equipment. Not sure why bowlers think this is specific to bowling.


I used to have the same mindset.

Watching the Olympic downhill or any of the skiing events, it became obvious that elements could play an important factor in one's performance. It seemed like conditions were changing by the minute. From that perspective, it did not seem fair. But, there were little surprises in the outcome. So yes, the best continue to rise to the top.

In bowling, it is not the performance of the individual that is in question, it is the end result. The are ten inanimate objects which determine the fate of the score. Watch any sport, when they execute flawlessly, the expected result is complete success, even in a not so ideal environment.

Ever leave a solid 9......

I'll reiterate, any Olympic sport can be played somewhere, without the need for specialized machinery. Curling was mentioned. More friction, less friction, whatever, is created by a team of humans. All one has to do is find a frozen pond to play on. I'm in Michigan, lots of frozen ponds. And it's free. It is impossible to practice bowling anywhere except on the lanes. Not free, in fact, far from it.

You mentioned that you are tired of the "fair" argument. At the top level of bowling, everyone is well aware of their strengths as well as that of their opponent. Everyone knows who has the advantage or not. Anyone remember when Marshall Holman wanted to walk off the lane because after a few shots, he knew, he didn't have a chance.

Why people can't understand that is beyond me.

The no x hole rule will not change what bowling is.
The “not everyone can train for bowling” argument is lame. There is nowhere anywhere near me where i can pick up Bobsledding tomorrow. It’s an issue for nearly every sport.

I do agree that “fairness” is an issue, since the “arena” is never standard. That said, I don’t particularly care. The lack of standardization, to me, is what makes bowling a great sport. Over the course of a season, the cream rises to the top. That’s evident whether you look at any league’s high average sheet or a PBA money list. However, on any given day, anyone (with a reasonably comparable level of talent and experience) can beat anyone else. Sometimes the lanes just play perfectly for somebody or terribly
for a favorite.

The olympics probably doesn’t like that about bowling. Personally, I LOVE it. It’s one of the few truly unpredictable sports.

The only downside is that it makes for bad TV product - it’s hard to make a brand out of these players when they change so much from show to show.
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Re: USBC New Ball Specs

Post by JJakobsen »

Bahshay wrote:
The “not everyone can train for bowling” argument is lame. There is nowhere anywhere near me where i can pick up Bobsledding tomorrow. It’s an issue for nearly every sport.

I do agree that “fairness” is an issue, since the “arena” is never standard. That said, I don’t particularly care. The lack of standardization, to me, is what makes bowling a great sport. Over the course of a season, the cream rises to the top. That’s evident whether you look at any league’s high average sheet or a PBA money list. However, on any given day, anyone (with a reasonably comparable level of talent and experience) can beat anyone else. Sometimes the lanes just play perfectly for somebody or terribly
for a favorite.

The olympics probably doesn’t like that about bowling. Personally, I LOVE it. It’s one of the few truly unpredictable sports.

The only downside is that it makes for bad TV product - it’s hard to make a brand out of these players when they change so much from show to show.
I will take it so far as to say that the lack of standardization and the variety of conditions we can play on makes bowling great for the Olympics. You can have multiple patterns so you cover more of the time the Olympics go over. Long, medium, short, then an all-event in the end, with a separate pattern.

The fact that QAMF lanes hook a lot more than Brunswick lanes, and soforth, is irrelevant to the game itself, people know this, people adjust accordingly. The only demand I would put on a center hosting an Olympic bowling tournament, is that they have the newest lane machine possible, preferably, the Olympic Commitee has their own machine. That is one 50k investment, and with the low usage the machine will see, you got 4 years of maintenance for 14 days of use. You could even sell the machine after each Olympic Games to ensure you have the newest machine possible. Heck, if I could buy a Flex Walker with the Olympic rings on for 1000 extra, and have a one off machine, I would.

EDIT: And of course, the lanes should be pretty new and in good shape, as any tournament. WIth pretty new, I mean synthetic, to keep the playing field within those specs atleast. Which isn't hard in 2018, few centers got wood lanes these days.
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Re: Should bowling be in the Olympics?

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Nord wrote: Actually I totally agree with this and think most of the events should be done away with so we go back to a Classic Olympics.
But...if they will allow events that have no relation to the history and intent of the Olympics, then why not bowing?
I guess that was my point all along.
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Re: USBC New Ball Specs

Post by MeNoRevs »

Bahshay wrote:
The “not everyone can train for bowling” argument is lame. There is nowhere anywhere near me where i can pick up Bobsledding tomorrow. It’s an issue for nearly every sport.

I do agree that “fairness” is an issue, since the “arena” is never standard. That said, I don’t particularly care. The lack of standardization, to me, is what makes bowling a great sport. Over the course of a season, the cream rises to the top. That’s evident whether you look at any league’s high average sheet or a PBA money list. However, on any given day, anyone (with a reasonably comparable level of talent and experience) can beat anyone else. Sometimes the lanes just play perfectly for somebody or terribly
for a favorite.

The olympics probably doesn’t like that about bowling. Personally, I LOVE it. It’s one of the few truly unpredictable sports.

The only downside is that it makes for bad TV product - it’s hard to make a brand out of these players when they change so much from show to show.
Just a question, because I really dont know.... Is there any other Olympic sport that success is so heavily weighed on the equipment as bowling is? We all heard it before "you cant out bowl bad ball reaction".
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Re: Should bowling be in the Olympics?

Post by MeNoRevs »

Nord wrote: But bowling was the most popular sport in the world at one time and the highest paid.
The bowlers of that time were giants, known and respected by even the common man.
If ever there was a sport that deserved Olympic recognition it was bowling.

So if all these other events, that I consider random things, can be recognized as Olympic sports, then why not something with a 100 year history like bowling?
Bowling at one time was the most popular recreational activity in the world, but to say bowling was the most popular "Sport" in the world. na. I think Soccer has had a stronghold on that for a long long long time.
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