TotalBowling and AMF part ways...

[AdrianS]

Or we could work to fill independant centres instead, come down to Logan City, its worth the trip!!

 

[scott]

Firstly I have to say that this is a great site for promoting the sport, there is no doubt about that. It allows bowlers at all levels to know what's going on and keep everyone in touch. I don't know how much AMF were paying to advertise on this site, but I am guessing that in the grand scheme of things it wasn't much.

HOWEVER.

You have to look at it from AMF's side as well. You're always going to get people on here raving about how AMF should keep promoting tournaments no matter what and all the rest of it - which is great because it shows there is still passion for the sport. But tournaments don't make AMF money and social bowlers (and the vast majority of league bowlers as well) don't visit this site. Why would you keep throwing money into something which isn't viable, especially in today's business environment. "Elite" bowlers represent maybe 1% of the entire bowling population at best and whilever AMF sponsored/run tournaments fail to pull numbers, this sort of thing will be the result.

Bowling is not a charity and you cannot expect the hand outs to continue in tournaments forever. Companies like AMF sponsor events to get something out of it - revenue or exposure. In this environment it is not for goodwill or because the sport is a charity case.

If bowling is going to turn around, the focus needs to change from "what can they do for us", to "what can we bring to the table for them to make tournaments and leagues attractive". If you continue down the old usual path you will get the same old usual results - and they aren't good.

Your an idiot Tim honestly are you reading and thinking while you type or cant you do 2 things at once if it wasnt for league and tournament bowlers AMF wouldnt excist we come back week in week out month in month out and pay our money so it is basically a Guaranteed income every week social bowlers dont return every week to bowl you can go into any centre on a week night and look at the bowlers if it wasnt for league it would be empty

Wake up to yourself and think before you type

And glenno what you have said is correct if they want the bowlers to turn up reconsider the decision because if bowlers dont show up to tournaments they will have to think about it I dont like saying this but a mass no show might open thier eyes

AMF shoud have a good long hard look at themselfs and use the squishy pink thing inside thier heads and look at what the have done

 

[Shaun24]

I guess if you look at the trends in business acronyms AMF where always doomed to fail

NASA = Need Another Seven Astronauts
FORD = F**ked On Race Day
AMF = A Major Failure

 

[jhk67]

I guess if you look at the trends in business acronyms AMF where always doomed to fail

NASA = Need Another Seven Astronauts
FORD = F**ked On Race Day
AMF = A Major Failure

I though AMF stood for Another Major F***up

Anyways, this is just another example of AMF making another bad decision. I knew as soon as Macquarie took over the AMF centres, then Bowl Australia, then the Kingpin lounges, that Tenpin Bowling in this country was gonna suffer. Quite simply big companies care about money and nothing more. League bowlers go to bowl more often but on a per visit basis, social bowlers are more valuable. We are the enemy to AMF and they the decision to take tournament entries and details away from totalbowling is just another nail in the coffin. We could very easily boycott the major tournaments or force the TBA to move them to independent operators, not controlled by Macquarie. The TBA wont do the latter though, cause something tells me they only care about the bottom line as well.

My 2 cents.

 

[Shaun24]

"We could very easily boycott the major tournaments or force the TBA to move them to independent operators"

I thought about that as an option.. only problem is, isn't this what AMF want? If they never run a Tournament again is that really going to worry them?

 

[Werribee]

You attract more bees with honey than with vinegar.

Try being more positive in your responses here and perhaps sending positive emails (rather than negative) with a polite request some one may listen. Ask Nicely. It's the Law of Attraction.

Just a simple suggestion.

 

[AdrianS]

yeah, maybe we could fill AMF centres with high average bowlers practicing all the time, and scare the glow bowlers away

 

[jhk67]

Show up during school holidays and book the centre out and practice all day and not eat any of the centre food! That would annoy them

 

[$$Pricey$$]

Show up during school holidays and book the centre out and practice all day and not eat any of the centre food! That would annoy them

or book a huge birthday party and dont show up

 

[scott]

Guys I really think you are way off the topic here Weeribee is right mabe a little does go a long way so constructive critascisim would be a much better way of getting a point across than worrying about booking centres out in school hollidays

just have a think people we want them to reverse the decision not get upset at us and have no chance at all remember negative comments = negative feed back

 

[AdrianS]

There are good bowling people in the AMF organisation that could help them make money and promote the sport too, how do we get these people 'up front' as far as decision making goes?

 

[JWhitty]

We could very easily boycott the major tournaments or force the TBA to move them to independent operators, not controlled by Macquarie. The TBA wont do the latter though, cause something tells me they only care about the bottom line as well.

What? That makes no sense...

Tournaments are run by *someone* and accredited by TBA. The only event TBA runs is nationals, and their affiliated states run a state champs. TBA has been responsible for making sure the events that are run fit the structure, rules, and development of the sport, not actually running tournaments.

If someone wanted to hold an Australian Open in another venue, there's not actually anything to stop them unless AMF own the naming rights...

 

[taker]

well still is not good from any buisness piont of view
we are just going to have to move on i guess they will eventually realise what a huge mistake they are making and then they will have to come crawling back to ppl its some stuff like this that has to be causing this sport to die off when you eliminate the promotions through various sites is just sicking to me i love this sport and will do it till my body says otherwise and i don't think i want a huge company like AMF to bring this sport down i mean look how huge over in the states bowling si
well thats my opinion

 

[scott]

There is another point that we all seem to be missing

Think about the centres that advertised leagues and little tournaments on here like skins and things they cant do that anymore so you will now start to see a drop off in league numbers aswell so its not just the tournaments its leagues aswell

 

[Deadman Inc]

Question: Knowing AMF, is anybody actually suprised by this??

 

[CT]

Certainly not suprised! The time is right for a Tournament Players Association to take shape and start organising and running the events.

 

[Easy Tiger]

well still is not good from any buisness piont of view
we are just going to have to move on i guess they will eventually realise what a huge mistake they are making and then they will have to come crawling back to ppl its some stuff like this that has to be causing this sport to die off when you eliminate the promotions through various sites is just sicking to me i love this sport and will do it till my body says otherwise and i don't think i want a huge company like AMF to bring this sport down i mean look how huge over in the states bowling si
well thats my opinion

Hate to say it mate but as per my previous post today, I doubt they will be crawling back. We need to get away from this mindset of "what can they do for us" and move towards "how can we make tournaments and league attractive".

AMF have been propping up Super 6 tournaments for years with falling entries. From a business point of view, they owe us as bowlers nothing. At least at this point they are still "donating" serious money to these events (I certainly would class it as far more than sponsorship).

 

[jhk67]

Hold on a sec, if AMF is the one responsible for tournament entries, and the TBA are the ones accrediting the tournaments and running them to some extent, who is actually in charge, one, the other or both?

 

[Jasonguru]

I like your suggestion Chris, a tournament players association would go a long way to ensuring a professional approach and as my open email says, "by promoting tournament bowling in the country and getting it out there will attract more league bowlers and boost the sport". a TPA would not only be resonsible for running and organising events, but also follow up with results and publicity to publications and various media outlets and ensure better organisation and exposure.


just my 2 cents.

PS i don't think my email was at all negative. purely obvious and stating the facts.

 

[JWhitty]

In charge of what?

AMF (or people) choose to run tournaments. If they want to be recognised, and have the incentive to the bowlers of ranking points or otherwise accredited competition, then they apply to TBA for accreditation.

TBA owns the rules, and the national teams. Tournament Directors own their own tournaments, or their organisation does...