Starting with the upcoming season, the United States Bowling Congress will no longer hand out award patches. Instead, they’ll give out magnets. They’ll also be making a few changes to the awards themselves, but that’s not important here. What’s important is they’re taking away our patches.
If you’re not familiar with the award patch, it’s simple: a bowler who reaches a certain milestone (example, his first 200 game) receives a patch from the USBC, commemorating his accomplishment. There is a campy joy in receiving one of these things.
This campy joy brought about a common phrase in my Trios league: “There goes my patch!” A person who shouts this means something’s gone wrong, putting a USBC award patch out of reach. Pursuing various patches is a highlight of this particular league.
All my patches, and my USBC wallet, are in my bowling bag. But therein lies the problem in the eyes of the USBC—they’re not on my bowling bag.
Nobody Flaunts the Patch
The idea of the patch—and the reason the USBC is switching to magnets—is for bowlers to sew the awards onto their bowling gear and clothes, showing off their accomplishments. The USBC says people haven’t been doing that. That’s true.
In my many years of bowling, I’ve only seen one guy flaunt his patches. He had three patches sewn onto his small, one-ball bag. Some might call it cute. Maybe embarrassing. In any case, he’s the exception. The USBC is right. For the most part, people aren’t displaying the patches, and the new magnets are an attempt to combat that.
Bugsy Kelly of the USBC’s membership-development group told U.S. Bowler Magazine, “Our goal is for members to proudly display their achievements on their refrigerators at home or cubicles at work.”
Are Magnets the Answer?
No USBC magnet will make it to my refrigerator, filing cabinet, automobile, nor anything else made of metal. My magnets will sit in my bowling bag next to my patches. I, and I’m guessing most bowlers, have no desire to show these things off, even if we do spend so much effort trying to earn them.
But for some, maybe the USBC will achieve its goal. It takes much less effort to put a magnet on a fridge than to sew a patch on a shirt. For this reason, it probably is a good switch.
Not for me, though. If this works for the USBC, I support it, but I will not partake. They’ll always be patches to me. And they’ll always rest, out of sight, in my bowling bag. Where will you put yours?
Photo © 2009 Jef Goodger
Comments
I AM VERY SAD THE PATCHES ARE TAKEN AWAY. I HAVE PATCHES DISPLAYED ON MY BOWLING SHIRT. WE ALSO HAVE ANOTHER MEMBER WITH HIS PATCHES ON HIS BOWLING SHIRT. THE OTHER ISSUE, IT IS VERY HARD TO REACH A GOAL FOR A MAGNET STARTING THIS SEASON. A MAGNET IS OUT OF REACH AND SOMETIMES BECAUSE YOUR AVERAGE IS ONLY 1 PIN TO HIGH. IT HAS REALLY TOUGHENED UP THE GOAL.
Personally I think the USBC sucks for doing away with the patches!
I started bowling again after 20 years and hit my first 200+ game in my life after many hours of practice and coaching.
To me, doing away with the patches is the UBSC’s way of cutting costs and nothing more!
I would have proudly displayed my patch on my bag or jacket. After all, I put many of hours and hard work, and money into earning it!!
Does anyone really think I care about earning a 25 cent magnet for my effort??
I think the usbc is wrong for taking away the patches. I threw my magnets out but still have every patch I have ever earned. I just bowled my first 700 series this season – a goal I am extremely proud of. Now I am getting a dime store magnet for it. So I am off to ebay to buy an abc patch becuase the usbc wont give me one. I intend to wear it on my shirt very proudly. why not, i earned the right. Maybe the usbc should stop something else like printing their quarterly rag that no one reads and give us back our patches.
I for one and all I bowl with think magnets are a waste & much prefer patches. I have a shirt covered with them which I wear bowoling always. Guess I am just old style, but so are my friends. We want the patches back or at least the ability to order & pay for them thru usbc so that they can get a cut of profits. USBC NEEDS TO LET PEOPLE ORDER PATCHES THRU THEM FOR AWARDS WITH USBC LOGO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I’m extremely disappointed in the USBC going to Magnets. I’m a Disabled Veteran and second year league bowler. When I finally could join a bowling league I was looking forward so much to getting cloth patches for my achievements. But when I got a good score or average all I got was a Magnet. I just about cried. I for one love to show of Awards that I earned to People and a magnet just doesn’t cut it. the one cloth award I got I have sewn to my bag. I was hoping for more to show off. But to no avail. At least let us be able to purchase the cloth ones! You don’t have to give them out for free all though that would be great too. I’m not a picky man until it comes to awards for good bowling! PLEASE DO SOMETHING to allow us to get the cloth awards!!!! I Want them back or available!!!!!
I am 27 and I finally decided to start league bowling. This was my first year bowling in league since I was like 12. My first 225 patch is a magnet, wtf?!? Then my 250 and 275 are magnets, darn it. Finally just got my 700 series patch, I mean magnet… What is this, you are suppose to get patches so you can put them on your team shirt so you can show them off while you are bowling. I don’t think my fridge will fit in my bowling bag. Thanks a lot USBC.
Those magnets are the worst idea you have ever had. I,ve been Bowling in leagues since 1967, and i enjoyed getting a patch if we won the league. But these magnets are stuped. With the money we pay for our membership, we deserve a patch not a stuped magnet. please bring back the (PATCHES).
USBC blew it! Our bowling bought team jackets 2 years ago and had our patches sewn on them. Now, this year, we get magnets!! Where are we suppose to put these so they can be seen…on our car! Maybe some one there will own up to their mistake and give back our patches……..PLEASE!!
If you want great patches go to http://www.bowlerawardpatches.com.
They have game. series and special patches like the 7-10, All Spare and Triplicate. Take a look!
I got one this year fro my Dutch 200.
Bill
I for one have a shirt full of patches and I wear it when I bowl.
I am proud of my several three hundred games, my 275, 20, 140 pins over average 299, and some others I have got in my 40 years of bowling. I wear them. I want other bowlers to know I am a high average bowler, 218, If more people would display there achievements maybe the USBC will bring back the patches.
Well I always saved my patches since day one of bowling. I didn’t see them to anything so I could one day hand them down like I currently have handed some of my bowling rings out to my mom, dad, and sister all have 1 of my bowling rings each. I also have rings for my kids as well and I was saving the patches that I had collected down to my kids and grand kids if they wanted them.
Now with the magnits lol o just toss them in the garbage as I don’t like to display all of these magnits me and my wife get each year our fridge and everything would be covered with magnits so yea USBC change back to the patches the magnits are crap and most bowlers hate them very badly. I’ve never seen a bowler throw a patch in the trash but I’ve seen a lot of bowling throwing the magnits in the trash they just don’t seem to be the same meaning.
Please bring back the patches. I rejoined bowling this year, practiced, improved, and achieved my first 200 game and 500 series. My reward, a magnet, bummer.
Don’t give a rat’s behind about a magnet, just started bowling this past March after 20 or so years, bowled my first ever 200 game last week, I want a patch for my team shirt. C’mon USBC go back to the patches!
i like my patch and they are on my shirt
I do miss the patches. I’ve bowled for over 40 years and can’t stand the magnets. Put enough of them on the refrigerator and it will stop running. Now it seems we are no longer getting magnets but key rings. I don’t have that many keys for all these stupid key rings. They end up in the trash. What a waste of our monies paid to the USBC.