It will soon be decided.
And the decision made will have a significant impact on the future of our beloved sport. Tomorrow in Reno, hundreds of delegates at the Women's International Bowling Congress Convention will decide if they want to move the game forward or keep it as it is. Will they act to maintain the status quo, which is a game dying a slow death, or will they offer benevolent CPR to a deserving sport desperately gasping for fresh air?
Sounds too dramatic? If you think so, think about over six million members of WIBC and ABC who have walked away from the game in the past 25 years. Think also about bowling centers that have pretty much given up on the sport and sanctioned league bowling and tournaments, content to be "family entertainment centers" where it costs $4 a game or $20+ per hour to bowl.
While you're thinking, imagine bowling as an Olympic sport, where Team USA members could compete against other top bowlers from around the world. Think of the pride those athletes could have standing on the medal stand with the American flag rising and the anthem playing. Think how you might feel watching the unique joy of Olympic victory. If the WIBC delegates make the same mistake the American Bowling Congress delegates made in March, you can kiss that Olympic Dream goodbye. Why? Because one of the primary reasons for creating the United States Bowling Congress (USBC) is to fulfill the United States Olympic Committee (USOC) requirement to provide one governing body for the sport.
What worries me is that not enough of the delegates care as much as they should about the sport, or the Olympics, or about having an efficient, progressive governing body that can help bring bowling back to become a respected game in the world of sports.
You do know that bowling doesn't get much respect, don't you? Assuming you agree with that statement, you must ask why, because there was a time when it was a respected sport and profession, and it is possible to earn that respect from the people and the media again—but not if we refuse to change.
Change is often very uncomfortable for everyone, and it seems to scare the hell out of "old bowlers," and many of these old bowlers (and some young old bowlers) are delegates to the ABC & WIBC conventions by virtue of their generous voluntary service to their local bowling associations. They enjoy, and rightly so, parading around in their little red jackets with their lapel pins shining and feeling like they are an important part of the game.
Guess what? They are an important part of this game. Almost every one of them has a passionate love of bowling, enough to give up a significant amount of their time volunteering to serve it. Unfortunately, too many of these well-meaning delegates fail to keep up with the worldwide industry enough to make decisions that can move it forward. They are a good example of the thinking that "all politics is local." They know everything about their local association and very little, or not enough, about the national or international scene.
Too often, ABC and WIBC delegates go to their convention and "rubber stamp" whatever proposals are put before them by their leaders, only to discover after the fact that those decisions were sometimes unwise. Such things as short oil, the System of Bowling, tiered membership, Strike Ten Entertainment, and a proposed move of Bowling Headquarters to Florida come to mind.
With that kind of track record, why should the delegates trust their leaders when they are told the USBC is the right decision? Obviously, the ABC delegates didn't. Unfortunately, the ABC leaders who cried "Wolf" so often were put down by delegates who must have thought they were being fooled once again. Guess what? They were telling the truth this time, and if WIBC's delegates follow their lead, The Wolf will eat what's left of a wounded sport.
Never before have the WIBC delegates had such an important decision to make, nor have they been given such an opportunity to prove their ability to lead this sport. The ABC delegates have inadvertently handed the WIBC a golden opportunity on a silver platter, and I'm betting they are smart enough to accept it. If they don't, call the undertaker and start carving "RIP" in bowling's headstone.
What happens if WIBC rejects the merger proposed as ABC did? Bowling will continue to flounder, and there is a very real possibility the bowling proprietors will step up to lead the way, possibly even starting their own sanctioning organization to compete against or replace ABC and WIBC. If that were to happen, and they are the ones who sell sanction cards, which group do you think would prevail?
Here's what I hope will happen: WIBC delegates will vote in the affirmative and the USBC will become a reality under its capable leadership. If that happens, it will open the door for Olympic status with USOC. Bowling proprietors will sell USBC membership cards to their league bowlers which will include men, women, and youth bowlers.
If WIBC votes "yes" and USBC begins, what happens to ABC? If its leaders decide to do nothing, the organization will compete against USBC for members, and with the bowling proprietors and USOC in USBC's camp, it will lose most of its members. It would not be a surprise if a few of ABC's top leaders resign to seek positions with USBC.
ABC leaders announced that they had contingency plans following their vote in Knoxville March 14. I'm guessing that one of those plans, if WIBC votes yes, is to call an emergency meeting of their delegations to vote again on the USBC. My understanding is that not all 1,200+ delegates will be needed, only enough representatives of the associations to constitute a quorum.
Under that scenario, the vote will take on a survival mode, similar to the vote recently taken by American Airlines union members. Those people were faced with a clear choice: either make concessions to the company that would allow the airline to avoid bankruptcy or vote "no" and probably lose their jobs. ABC delegates may be faced with the same choice. I don't think they understood that on March 14 in Knoxville, but if WIBC votes yes, it will become crystal clear in a heartbeat.
Change is inevitable, even for a tradition-rich game like bowling. If it doesn't happen this year with the formation of USBC, it will happen, but if not now, When?