Killer 'B' Buzz

USBC membership had dropped below 2 million. Ball sales are in free fall. Is there hope for the future?

More from author Seth Godin:

“Along the way, twenty seven years into this thing they call my career, I’ve figured out that there are three kinds of people:

*Linchpins
*Supporters
*Leeches, Advocates for the Devil, and Bystanders (aka people in a pre-linchpin state)

I lump the last three together as one kind, because I don’t think they deserve categories of their own. Even though they’re the majority in terms of numbers, they don’t matter so much in terms of getting things done.

The first group, the Linchpins, are the people who make a difference, the ones that ship, the rare ones that truly have an impact. This group of people, in that moment of time, change everything.

The second group, the Supporters, are eager and willing to help. They respect and admire the work the linchpin is doing, and they’re ready to supply leverage or money or just a smile to help get the job done. Even better, they challenge the linchpin to do more, dig deeper and make an even bigger difference.

The third group, as you’ve probably guessed, are the pessimists, the obstructionists and the protectors of the status quo. Driven largely by fear, they set out to slow you down, whittle you down and average you down.

Mostly, it’s not their fault, though, because they’ve been brainwashed and don’t yet realized how powerful and productive it is to take a different route.

It’s tempting to call these people out by name and to demonstrate how their fear is robbing so many people of a chance to make a difference. I won’t, though, because it’s not productive.

People don’t end up in this third group because they choose to be there… they end up here because the lizard brain is so freaked out and the resistance is so loud that they really don’t have any choice.

What I do is mentally affix a red “L” (for leech) to their forehead and then, for as long as I can, avoid them. Like a pothole in an otherwise smooth road, it’s just easier to drive around them.

At the same time, I feel sorry for them. They are in this group because of fear, not by choice. They wrestle every day with overwhelming feelings of impending doom.

Fortunately, it’s not a permanent condition.”

Which kind of person are you?

From one of my favorite authors, Seth Godin at www.sethgodin.typepad.com:

Do you need a permit?

Where, precisely, do you go in order to get permission to make a dent in the universe?

The accepted state is to be a cog. The preferred career is to follow the well-worn path, to read the instructions, to do what we’re told. It’s safer that way. Less responsibility. More people to blame.

When someone comes along and says, “not me, I’m going down a different path,” we flinch. We’re not organized to encourage and celebrate the unproven striver. It’s safer to tear them down (with their best interests at heart, of course). Better, we think, to let them down easy, to encourage them to take a safer path, to be realistic, to hear it from us rather than the marketplace.

Perhaps, years ago, this was good advice. Today, it’s clearly not. In fact, it’s disrespectful, ill-advised and short sighted. How dare we cheer when a bold changemaker stumbles? Our obligation today isn’t to spare the feelings of our peers from future disappointment. It’s to establish an expectation that of course they’re going to do something that matters.

If you think there’s a chance you can make a dent, GO.

Now.

Hurry.

You have my permission. Not that you needed it.

“Winning isn’t everything. It’s the only thing.” is probably the most famous Vince Lombardi quote. The problem is, Mr. Lombardi was wrong.

As evidence, please witness the 2010 Teen Masters Championships at the National Bowling Stadium in Reno, Nev. Since its beginning, the Teen Masters has tested America’s top youth bowlers with challenging lane conditions, and 2010 was no exception. During match play at the National Bowling Stadium in Reno, each pair of lanes had the left lane oiled Long (42′) while the right lane was oiled Short (35′).

Not only was the scoring environment grueling, several matches were contested in the Teen Masters’ version of “Center Court” – two pairs of lanes bordered by event signage and special lighting and streamed live on the Internet via the Professional Bowlers Association’s Xtra-Frame. Add in the fans in the grandstand overlooking the matches, the setting created pressure few bowlers ever experience.

It was the final game of a best-of-five match in the Girls Under 14 semi-finals, and little Sierra Kanemoto of Dayton, Ohio seemed hopelessly lost on the lanes. Struggling to hit the pocket, she was losing by nearly 20 pins in the 6th frame. Making matters worse, another bad shot in the 7th frame found her staring at the very difficult 3-6-7-10 split. Failure to convert would likely seal her fate.

Exhibiting a calmness uncharacteristic for those her age, Sierra stepped up onto the approach and delivered a perfect shot, knocking the 3, 6 and 10 down with the ball while sliding the 3 pin across the deck to take out the 7. Still behind and facing eminent elimination, Sierra dug deep and put together a string of perfect strikes, sending 10 pins to the pit on successive shots in the 8th, 9th and 10th frames. In spite of her remarkable comeback under intense pressure, Sierra lost as her opponent, Ashley Dunn of Palmdale, Calif., matched her shot for shot.

Though she lost the match, I believe Sierra came away with something even more valuable than a victory in a bowling tournament. Sierra now knows that no matter how tough things get or how desperate they may seem, she possesses the internal fortitude and strength to perform in even the most stressful situations. That knowledge will serve her, not only in future bowling events, but in whatever life may throw at her.

It will likely cause him to roll over in his grave rather than please him, but the 21st Century has given birth to one of Bill Taylor’s dreams – the oil-less lane.

There have not been any press releases from Brunswick, Qubica/AMF or other bowling manufacturers trumpeting a new line of lane surfaces because the oil-less lane wasn’t created in a research lab. Instead, it has arrived on the scene as a by-product of bowling’s evolution (mutation?) toward recreation/entertainment and away from being a sport.

I stumbled upon the oil-less lane during the closing party of a corporate conference I participated in last week with 900 others from around the US. Hosted by a former Lucky Strike facility, the party featured a live band, food, drinks, and bowling. Recognized as the lone “bowling guy” at the conference, I had been challenged to a match by the conference owner. My excuses of “haven’t bowled in years” and “I didn’t bring my equipment with me” summarily rejected, I soon found myself standing on the approach, staring down Lane 4 with a green house ball in my hands. It was then the glare from the giant television/masking units revealed my discovery which I confirmed with a swipe of my index finger across the lane surface: There wasn’t a drop of oil on the lane.

I watched others bowl for more than an hour and came to the understanding that for the purposes of those participating, lane oil really didn’t seem necessary. Heck, bowling shoes weren’t even necessary. Most were barefoot or in socks, and many wore street shoes or sandals. Some even wore cowboy boots. Everyone was rolling a house ball, and most everyone rolled it straight. There were shrugged shoulders for gutter balls and misses – high fives and fist bumps for strikes and spares. Score seemed of no consequence to anyone, yet most everyone seemed to be having fun.

If this is what bowling will become, we’ll have little need for lane oil, performance bowling balls, and performance bowling shoes. Will we need rules?

Dozens of witnesses will confirm that I made one delivery that night. My green sphere rolled over the 2nd arrow and then gently hooked into the pocket. Ten pins simultaneously disappeared into the pit and the crowd that had gathered behind us let out a loud cheer. I turned, fists in the air, and shouted, “I can do that any time I want!” and escaped while bowling perfection was still etched in their minds.