Evening star., 1932-02-03

ME- COlOSSdl SpOlG VI uuChplll
bowling, which, in the COM
/ paratively short space of %
years, has grown from
puny travesty upon tenpins to
FrankenSteinlike proportions in
WaShington'S Winter sport cur
r1culum, is in danger of having its
growth seriously Stunted if bowl
ing alley operators persist in foiSt-
ing unnecessary sweepstakes upon
the pin public
This from an assorted group OF at
least a half a dozen veteran bowling
operators, boWlerS and observers within
the last week. One is AryIlle kG rSUle
president of the Washington City Duck
pin Association. Another is Lonnia
KrauSS, pin sage par eXce'len"c ana
manager of the Columbia. Still ancth-
er is Frank Proctor proprietor OF Sill
yer Springs clicky pin plant.
Nearly everybody has a headache
trying to keep track of all the special
stakes to come off during this month
and March. Some have headache
from trying to figure which stakes they
will enter in the near future for the
simple reason that their checks are in
danger Of becoming rubbery-a malady
developed already this season from en-
tering too many Of the attractions.
FRANK PROCTOR, although an alley
i operator himself. is dead certain
that an overdose of sweepstakes
will mean a relapse of the little ball
game.
League competition, AYERS Frank,
sis the backbone of bowling. Sweep
stakes are only the spice. And too
much spice iS-Well you know what
toe much spice will do.
Bowling is fundamentally an anna
teur sport. BoWlers aren't paid and
spectators don't pay to watch bowling
But continuous stream of sweepstakes
is making the bOWlerS shell out League
competition has been running second
all season. If we don't cut down en-
sweepstakes bowling folk will begin to
think alley operators are trying to
squeeze every nickel they can out of the
bOWlerS."
One of the worst evils, according
to Proctor is the business of staging
weekly sweepstakes. which. in reality
become nothing more than pot" games
among 10 or - bowlerS who meet
weekly and have it out.
%DROPERLY handled sweepstakes
L are absolutely necessary" asserts
the Silver Spring proprietors
"but they should not be pushed to the
extent that alley operators place them
ahead Of league bowling
Il may be barking up the wrong
tree. but the day when it will be ex-
pedient to draw a line and limit the
number OF sweepstakes may not be
far off.
we need the United States. Dixie
and Howard Campbell Sweepstakes for
our star men bOWlers. They are spec
tacles of color and skill. They inter-
est all boWlers, stars and dubs. We
should have our Meyer Davis and Dixie
Sweepstakes for girl stars. And
Suburban Sweepstakes for beyord-the-
Dlstrict-line bowlers, too. We should
nave one standout Dub Sweepstakes
Closed stakes for each league are good
But most beneficial of all to,Srna-
mentS is The Evening Stars. and par
tlcurlarly under the conditions it will
oe held this year The boWlers won't
be called upon to shell out a dime for
this except the straight cost of games.
and handicap system will give all an
equal chance. This event, however. is
not to be classified with sweepstakes.
But l can call off nearly a dozen
tournaments that don't help the game
bit"
0F chief interest tonight probably
~ will be the half dozen matches
scheduled in the Women's District
League. With Rendezvous. league
leader, tackling the weak Meyer Davis
team on the latter'S floor. the most at
tractive Of the battles probably will be
the Bill WoodKing Pin clash at the
Lucky Strike and the Deal Service
John Blick set-to at the Columbia
In other matches Georgetown Re-
creation will invade Takoma Park,
Lucky Strike will entertain Convention
Hall and Columbia will play host to
Recreation.