During the past five years, reports of the bowling industry have been anything but favorable. They have all but buried the sport. Daytime league participation has tapered down, and late leagues in many areas have become extinct. In various regions of the country, three- and four-man teams have become a necessity, and, most disturbing, the decline in ABC/WIBC membership has reached an alarming stage.
The cancellation of the PBA Tour on ABC-TV virtually eliminated our only opportunity for national exposure. Fortunately, PBA officials negotiated a pact with CBS, and although this contract has a limited run, it affords bowling continued national exposure.
Adding to bowling’s discouraging state of affairs, several notable sponsors withdrew their sponsorship from both professional and amateur ranks, including one of the game’s longest and finest supporters, the Miller Brewing Company.
But lo and behold, behind dark clouds that have hovered over the bowling game, I see a silver lining—perhaps in the very near future. I am overwhelmed by two media reports related to the game.
To begin with, I was heartened and inspired by the recent article in Bowlers Journal International by Wally Hall, the former top executive of Fair Lanes, one of the nation’s major bowling chains. He continues to remain active, currently operating Annapolis Bowl.
A gentleman of many talents, he is a featured writer for the internationally famed bowling publication. In his recent "Hall Marks" column, he disclosed one of the most enlightening and stimulating revelations that bowling has been favored with in the past 10 years.
Hall cited Lester Thurow, professor of management at MIT, who stated on public television that the U.S. is in the midst of the biggest shift of purchasing power the country has ever witnessed. It is a shift from young to old, declaring that during the period from 1970 to 1995, the share of national income going to people 18 to 35 years old has halved, and the share of national income to people over the age of 65 has doubled.
Further statistics indicate older people have more than 20 percent more cash to spend than those of average 30-year-olds.
Thurow believes that businesses are going to change the focus of attention from the young to the elderly and that nothing will be more dramatic than changes in television programs.
Ah, poetic justice! TV and ad agency moguls responsible for trashing the PBA on the ABC network after 35 years resolved that demographics for bowling attracted an older audience and had no appeal for the younger group. As a matter of fact, the network persisted on new formats that would draw younger viewers.
Thurow also revealed that baby boomers were moving into their 50s. This group spends more than $900 billion each year and controls over 77 percent of America’s wealth. Moreover, this age group will increase by 73 percent in the next quarter-century while those under 50 will grow by three percent.
These are incredibly encouraging signs. Demographics should have a great bearing on future TV negotiations. The figures will also have a profound effect on seniors who have the time and money to spend on bowling and, as Mr. Hall states, it affords the older groups exercise, competition, and camaraderie.
Although these statistics are official and perhaps startling, I am puzzled by the "new revelations." For the past five years, I have written and doggedly questioned statistics that favor the spending power of the younger group in our country. I seriously doubted the 18-35 age crowd were financially superior to 40-and-older citizens who have homes, cars, stocks, and money in the bank. Many are debt-free. They spend their share at food markets, buy cars, tires, appliances, toiletries, insurance, garden supplies, tools, and clothing, plus many other items the younger group cannot afford.
Inasmuch as I questioned and disagreed with the buying power of both age groups, I am gratified by the new demographics disclosed by Wally Hall.
The other media statistic that aroused my interest was issued on the "Rush Limbaugh Show"—yes, the ultra-conservative program whose host boasts of facts and truth.
On September 15, Limbaugh proclaimed that more people bowl in one week than attend NFL games in a whole season. When questioned by a caller, Limbaugh repeated the statement.
I was flabbergasted by this astounding statistic and decided to use basic calculations for determining the validity of Mr. Limbaugh’s report.
There are 30 teams in the NFL, translating into 13 games a week. Assuming the average attendance is 60,000, the weekly total for NFL games would be 900,000. With 16 weeks in the schedule, the total regular season attendance for the NFL would amount to 14,400,000!
Do this many people bowl every week? Again calculations are in order. To simplify matters by using round figures, ABC/WIBC membership is around four million. It wouldn’t be presumptuous that every ABC/WIBC member bowled once a week. Many of these members bowl twice a week, some three times. In addition to this, how many non-members bowl a league at least once?
If we compute open bowling around the country, the myriad of tournaments conducted daily, and the hundreds of weekend amateur tournaments like NABI and ABT that are held throughout the nation, the 14,400,000 figure is not only within reach, it is more a reality.
At any rate, in the event Mr. Limbaugh’s account is not totally accurate, it is logically sound and merits attention.
Coupled with Professor Thurow’s predictions, there is a light at the end of the tunnel for bowling’s future. And now, at long last, we have something to look forward to—provided we take advantage of the opportunity and apply it properly!