Perhaps one of the best RUclips videos I've seen showing insight into a sport I love. September of this year will be the 50th anniversary of my first adult league and I'm still bowling pretty good. Had the opportunity to cross with Josh in the many proams I do at Thunderbowl and he's a true gentleman.
For me, I will remember Josh Blanchard for "The Slip" a bunch of years back. He has stayed relevant in this sport for many years, ball rep, coach, tour director, author...etc. He is probably one of the smarter minds in this industry. Bowling is fortunate to have him.
Thanks for all you have done for us 'Older' PBA players still looking for that Glory and ability to compete at the higher level. Your insight, knowledge, and general great attitude has helped us all. Again, thank you. Wish you all the best in your new journey! Shawn Hohnstein SFC, US Army Retired
What an absolutely OUTSTANDING interview. THANK YOU, Craig, for the great questions and Josh for your many insightful answers. This interview was a gem!
What an incredible interview. Josh was dead on with every point and every question. I hated to see him go as our Regional Director but glad he has stayed in the bowling industry and can still be around in family. Great bowler, great family man, great guy!
Craig , first of all , your calling is exactly what your doing, asking question, digging for meaningful insight , looks like you have a knack for asking great questions! Well , anyways , I just want to mention the bowling alley by my house and the wonderful family that owns them , it’s a very special place that when I started to bowl there never expected to find such a special place , it’s called SUBURBANITE , it’s on Ogden ave right at the boarder of Downers Grove and Westmont ,a great place to learn how to or a great a place to get good at ! It’s all about bowling, they have pool tables and a bar but no video games , close at 11pm , never ever trouble ,believe it’s a big enough place to have a boatload of trouble, they don’t promote alcohol , they would rather promote having your childs birthday party there . That’s why I say , a very special family owns and runs ,in my opinion , the GOAT of bowling centers !!!!
They put string pins In at a local center here. Thursday night league lost 11 of the 17 teams and we here a lawsuit has been filed due to poor workmanship on the changeover. Don't see how living In the past helps bowling. PBA going to string pins ? String pins were Invented In 1963 btw...
@@VirtueBowlingSupply I agree. The modern game requires way more equipment when you show up for a tournament. The houses built in the 60s that are trying to cater to today's casual bowler are really tough to move around in. I understand that but...
Absolutely, at least a place to fill out the recap sheet. Maybe Bowlero should a hire a couple of "60+" year olds to see how hard it is to bend over and write on that goofy little surf board table. In addition, if one more person plants their ass on my rosin bag and shammy I'm going blow a gasket!!! @@VirtueBowlingSupply
It's tough to afford the air time on Fox so the most entertaining big time tourneys end up there but hopefully over time the PBA can grow revenues and increase prime time and prime viewership options
At the time it was sort of embarrassing. But today Mr. Blanchard is responsible for the most memorable clip in bowling history. There are many victory celebrations, like the PDW chop, but bowling has only one ABC Wide World of Sports "agony of defeat." That makes it historically replayable like the Mark Roth 7-10.
3 things. 1st Bring down the cost of bowling. 6,7,8,10 bucks a game is ridiculous. It should not cost a family of 4 a hundred bucks to bowl for a couple hours, and shouldn't cost the same to a league bowler trying to get better. 2nd stop having a circus show for every bowling event. Let them bowl. 3rd do a better job of marketing the tour. I'd bet 99 percent of the people in the world wouldn't know when or where to watch a even a national event, let alone a regional.
Unfortunately the costs of running a bowling center are high. That's a lot of square feet and a big area to heat and cool. In the 80s when you had double shift leagues ever night it was a different story. We feel you on the personal costs however. it's hard for any of us who have bowled for 30 years and remember $99 cent games to justify $6 in some markets. However on the league side you can still get 3 hours of entertainment with great friends for $18-25 in most areas.
@@VirtueBowlingSupply fair point, but I can give you another reason that I ran into just yesterday, as far as cost. Entered a Kegel tournament, locally, and found out a few games in that it was a waste of money. Basically you either needed a bag full of urethane balls or be a two hander to compete. I held My own for the first four but eventually the lanes became unplayable on the 5th through 7th unless you had a urethane ball. Jumping lanes all day and following on average of 6 urethane balls on each lane and 3 out of 6 on average 2 handers. On a 45 foot pattern, I was dropping the ball at the 27 board swinging to 5 in game one, by game 4 I was going basically straight down 3, and by game 5 didn't even have that with a with a widow 3.0 with about 20 games on it. In short, i would have to get another 1000 bucks worth of urethane or learn to bowl 2 handed to compete, and it was just a KBL tourney not even a regional. BTW was minus 23 for the first four, just inside cash and minus 144 for the last 3
Josh, just to be clear, are you suggesting that one of the problems with the PGA is that they require their golfers to wear pants? That is literally what you said. 😄 I would note that 139 of their pants-wearing golfers earned $1 million or more during the '22/'23 season. Even with LIV Golf competing against them, the PGA appears to be doing just fine. Meanwhile, the PBA has to figure out how to remain viable. If no one wants to watch 5-man stepladder finals, might as well roll up the tent. You have nothing to build on.
I think it's a mix. His point is being open to experimenting. For declining decades the PBA continued to pump out straight up 5 man stepladders that everyone watched in the 80s and the viewership steadily dipped while sponsors dropped off. When the PBA has events mixed in like PBA league, celebrity events etc we see an uptick in viewership. He isn't saying scrap stepladder finals but just pointing out that we need to think about new ways to appeal to a new generation of viewers.
His point is that the PGAs inability to be adaptive has invited in competition and the metrics of the PGA are trending in a negative direction. If the NFL made decisions and revenue cut in half year over year, they’d still be doing nearly double what the NHL does. Does that mean the NFL is still doing a good job? No, their revenue is in a massive decline. To your point, performance is always relative. Bowling is not a mainstream sport. The PBAs performance trended down for many years, but Josh is saying it’s trending positively again because of them trying new things, and the PGA is trending negatively because they aren’t adapting.
🥺 The guys who make no money need to either hang up their shoes or join the 2 handed world that's dominating.....🧐which I said years ago was going to happen.
If you go watch competitive youth events and high dollar amateur tournaments you will see even more 2 handers on the rise. it's definitely here to stay
I’m sorry but the one consistent factor that has held the pba down for almost 20 years now is Tom Clark. I don’t understand the worship or maybe he has an iron grasp what players and personnel can say about him. Give Voss a chance.
So what I got from this basically is, teach your kids two-handed bowling so they have a shot at the PBA. PBA 50 is going to be the new regular one-handed PBA bowling..lol
True hardcore bowlers like me bowling 36 weeks league.the beanie weenie bowlers they bowl a little 12 weeks league because they can't commit to tiny there shoes long enough to walk out their house.. that's why they can't watch baseball because its a game of chess not checkers
It is sad but bowling is a dying sport i say this when comparing 1979-1980 numbers to present day numbers we have lost roughly 90%of our bowlers in 44 years
2 handed bowling has ruined the tour. You’re either right handed or left handed. Not both handed. Revs and energy should be created with one arm and style of bowling. Like it was forever
it happens in every sport and there are some who find success late in life but I think Josh has a healthy outlook on it. Realizing that he can stay involved with the sport, provide for his family, and be free to enjoy more of the memories with them.
Perhaps one of the best RUclips videos I've seen showing insight into a sport I love. September of this year will be the 50th anniversary of my first adult league and I'm still bowling pretty good. Had the opportunity to cross with Josh in the many proams I do at Thunderbowl and he's a true gentleman.
Thank you. He truly is a great guy. Loves the sport , loves bowlers, and he has a unique and honest outlook on where the sport can go.
For me, I will remember Josh Blanchard for "The Slip" a bunch of years back. He has stayed relevant in this sport for many years, ball rep, coach, tour director, author...etc. He is probably one of the smarter minds in this industry. Bowling is fortunate to have him.
I'm sure he'd like to forget that one lol but it's part of the history. We are fortunate he's staying in the industry
Great interview, great insight. Thank you Josh for sharing. I can’t wait to see what you do next. Good luck to you!!! See you around my friend.
We know he's going to succeed and glad that he's staying in the industry where his talents can help the sport long term.
Thanks for all you have done for us 'Older' PBA players still looking for that Glory and ability to compete at the higher level. Your insight, knowledge, and general great attitude has helped us all.
Again, thank you. Wish you all the best in your new journey!
Shawn Hohnstein
SFC, US Army Retired
What an absolutely OUTSTANDING interview. THANK YOU, Craig, for the great questions and Josh for your many insightful answers. This interview was a gem!
What an incredible interview. Josh was dead on with every point and every question. I hated to see him go as our Regional Director but glad he has stayed in the bowling industry and can still be around in family. Great bowler, great family man, great guy!
"Other industry paths" . . . careers in bowling not throwing a bowling ball. This is a critical message for today's young players. Thank you Josh!
Craig , first of all , your calling is exactly what your doing, asking question, digging for meaningful insight , looks like you have a knack for asking great questions! Well , anyways , I just want to mention the bowling alley by my house and the wonderful family that owns them , it’s a very special place that when I started to bowl there never expected to find such a special place , it’s called SUBURBANITE , it’s on Ogden ave right at the boarder of Downers Grove and Westmont ,a great place to learn how to or a great a place to get good at ! It’s all about bowling, they have pool tables and a bar but no video games , close at 11pm , never ever trouble ,believe it’s a big enough place to have a boatload of trouble, they don’t promote alcohol , they would rather promote having your childs birthday party there . That’s why I say , a very special family owns and runs ,in my opinion , the GOAT of bowling centers !!!!
This is great stuff. Thanks to both of you for doing it.
Excellent video Craig & Josh. Great insight here and discussion!
They put string pins In at a local center here. Thursday night league lost 11 of the 17 teams and we here a lawsuit has been filed due to poor workmanship on the changeover. Don't see how living In the past helps bowling. PBA going to string pins ? String pins were Invented In 1963 btw...
What, lawsuit? LOL, you *here incorrectly!
How is the year string pins were invented relevant to whether they suck? And they do!
"Detanglement on lane 9" 🥴😵💫
String pins are an abomination. It's not about "Adapting." It's an entirely different sport. It's degressing.
@@TonysMusic1974 regressing
Great interview Craig and Josh!
Josh, please please please ask bowlero to change the furniture back to "league" friendly seating...Great insight...thank you!
Feels like there has to be a middle ground on seating right?
@@VirtueBowlingSupply I agree. The modern game requires way more equipment when you show up for a tournament. The houses built in the 60s that are trying to cater to today's casual bowler are really tough to move around in.
I understand that but...
Absolutely, at least a place to fill out the recap sheet. Maybe Bowlero should a hire a couple of "60+" year olds to see how hard it is to bend over and write on that goofy little surf board table. In addition, if one more person plants their ass on my rosin bag and shammy I'm going blow a gasket!!! @@VirtueBowlingSupply
AWSOME 😍
Josh - Great move. Wish I had that thought process way back - and I'm old enough to be your dad! Good move. Hold the kids close while you can!
Great interview
Not everyone has FS1. So they can not watch the finals. Now that football is over. Keep it on Fox.
It's tough to afford the air time on Fox so the most entertaining big time tourneys end up there but hopefully over time the PBA can grow revenues and increase prime time and prime viewership options
First rate interview. Thanks.
Why do you have your own captions on here when RUclips has an option for them? I find them distracting.
They're great for the deaf or hard of hearing. I'm not distracted at all by the captions.
At the time it was sort of embarrassing. But today Mr. Blanchard is responsible for the most memorable clip in bowling history. There are many victory celebrations, like the PDW chop, but bowling has only one ABC Wide World of Sports "agony of defeat." That makes it historically replayable like the Mark Roth 7-10.
3 things. 1st Bring down the cost of bowling. 6,7,8,10 bucks a game is ridiculous. It should not cost a family of 4 a hundred bucks to bowl for a couple hours, and shouldn't cost the same to a league bowler trying to get better. 2nd stop having a circus show for every bowling event. Let them bowl. 3rd do a better job of marketing the tour. I'd bet 99 percent of the people in the world wouldn't know when or where to watch a even a national event, let alone a regional.
Unfortunately the costs of running a bowling center are high. That's a lot of square feet and a big area to heat and cool. In the 80s when you had double shift leagues ever night it was a different story. We feel you on the personal costs however. it's hard for any of us who have bowled for 30 years and remember $99 cent games to justify $6 in some markets. However on the league side you can still get 3 hours of entertainment with great friends for $18-25 in most areas.
@@VirtueBowlingSupply fair point, but I can give you another reason that I ran into just yesterday, as far as cost. Entered a Kegel tournament, locally, and found out a few games in that it was a waste of money. Basically you either needed a bag full of urethane balls or be a two hander to compete. I held My own for the first four but eventually the lanes became unplayable on the 5th through 7th unless you had a urethane ball. Jumping lanes all day and following on average of 6 urethane balls on each lane and 3 out of 6 on average 2 handers. On a 45 foot pattern, I was dropping the ball at the 27 board swinging to 5 in game one, by game 4 I was going basically straight down 3, and by game 5 didn't even have that with a with a widow 3.0 with about 20 games on it. In short, i would have to get another 1000 bucks worth of urethane or learn to bowl 2 handed to compete, and it was just a KBL tourney not even a regional. BTW was minus 23 for the first four, just inside cash and minus 144 for the last 3
The PBA has had no choice but to take chances, having an openness for new and different things. It still struggles for relevance and respect.
Josh, just to be clear, are you suggesting that one of the problems with the PGA is that they require their golfers to wear pants? That is literally what you said. 😄 I would note that 139 of their pants-wearing golfers earned $1 million or more during the '22/'23 season. Even with LIV Golf competing against them, the PGA appears to be doing just fine. Meanwhile, the PBA has to figure out how to remain viable. If no one wants to watch 5-man stepladder finals, might as well roll up the tent. You have nothing to build on.
Old men rules for dying farts
I think it's a mix. His point is being open to experimenting. For declining decades the PBA continued to pump out straight up 5 man stepladders that everyone watched in the 80s and the viewership steadily dipped while sponsors dropped off. When the PBA has events mixed in like PBA league, celebrity events etc we see an uptick in viewership. He isn't saying scrap stepladder finals but just pointing out that we need to think about new ways to appeal to a new generation of viewers.
His point is that the PGAs inability to be adaptive has invited in competition and the metrics of the PGA are trending in a negative direction.
If the NFL made decisions and revenue cut in half year over year, they’d still be doing nearly double what the NHL does. Does that mean the NFL is still doing a good job? No, their revenue is in a massive decline.
To your point, performance is always relative. Bowling is not a mainstream sport. The PBAs performance trended down for many years, but Josh is saying it’s trending positively again because of them trying new things, and the PGA is trending negatively because they aren’t adapting.
🥺 The guys who make no money need to either hang up their shoes or join the 2 handed world that's dominating.....🧐which I said years ago was going to happen.
If you go watch competitive youth events and high dollar amateur tournaments you will see even more 2 handers on the rise. it's definitely here to stay
I’m sorry but the one consistent factor that has held the pba down for almost 20 years now is Tom Clark. I don’t understand the worship or maybe he has an iron grasp what players and personnel can say about him. Give Voss a chance.
It’s unfortunate that some of the negative things that happened live in infamy (Oh my goodness gracious).
had to seek a more lucrative career in order to fund his monthly order of 16 pallets of hair gel.
hahahaha.
So what I got from this basically is, teach your kids two-handed bowling so they have a shot at the PBA.
PBA 50 is going to be the new regular one-handed PBA bowling..lol
Boomers do not relate to 2 handed bowling and never will. When we are gone, so will the telecasts. No hate, just truth.
True hardcore bowlers like me bowling 36 weeks league.the beanie weenie bowlers they bowl a little 12 weeks league because they can't commit to tiny there shoes long enough to walk out their house.. that's why they can't watch baseball because its a game of chess not checkers
It is sad but bowling is a dying sport i say this when comparing 1979-1980 numbers to present day numbers we have lost roughly 90%of our bowlers in 44 years
2 handed bowling has ruined the tour. You’re either right handed or left handed. Not both handed. Revs and energy should be created with one arm and style of bowling. Like it was forever
or waste 20 years chasing the dream.
it happens in every sport and there are some who find success late in life but I think Josh has a healthy outlook on it. Realizing that he can stay involved with the sport, provide for his family, and be free to enjoy more of the memories with them.
If that happens, I'll stop bowling