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make it—I didn’t make it because of one tournament. I was fortu- nate enough to have a great last tournament, but I made it because I bowled well throughout the year. And I guess like I bowled out 12 QUESTIONS: there on tour, I just kept grinding, and I was fortunate enough to make it. So it has changed my perspective of it. I was so down with bowling that I thought it was over. I had made up my mind that I Richard Wolfe was going to bowl till March, and if I didn’t make it, I most likely wasn’t going to bowl for a career or an attempted career. I’d bowl in leagues and local tournaments and possibly some regionals. As a result of a 12th-place finish—exactly what he needed to accom- There’s a lot more riding on it now, and I like the fact that it is plish—at the PBA World Championship near Detroit last March, Richard somewhat of a do-or-die situation. You can’t just hold on and keep Wolfe today has a status unlike any other NCABA member: He’s a PBA grinding away—you have to perform well now. There’s no way Tour exempt player. Thus, the 37-year-old Vienna left-hander gets the around it. chance to compete with an exclusive field of 63 other bowlers on the 2004-2005 PBA Tour. What did you originally think about the all-exempt tour? There have been many changes made under the new PBA ownership, There’d been rumors of this happening for a number of years. I and Wolfe, who has been a PBA member since 1986, offers his perspec- had mixed emotions about it because obviously I wanted to con- tive on some of these changes, his current situation, and other issues. He tinue to bowl, but after listening to Steve Miller and his opinion on recently spoke outside of his pro shop at AMF Annandale with editor Bob an all-exempt tour and to some of the other players whether I like it Cosgrove. or not, right now it’s their money, their rules—live with it or move on. So I guess somewhat you feel like it was shoved down your throat. How has your life changed since becoming an exempt player? However, if I look at myself and the way I bowled and over my As of right now, there hasn’t been a great deal of change; I think career, I said, Well, why do I have the right to continue to bowl if I’m not I’m still in shock. However, I am looking forward to the changes. necessarily making a living at it? I’m somewhat up in the air, like a lot of the other players. We really They backed me into a corner because of my mediocre bowling don’t know what’s going to go on, how the format’s gonna neces- over the years and basically said, Well, if you’re good enough, every- sarily work. body has the same opportunity starting as of this date, and if you can I have a few more opportunities, I will tell you this, that have prove yourself, you can make more money than you ever thought about in come along with maybe a few ball companies. So in that regard, bowling. This is not necessarily the best for individual players, but the fact that I’m going to have a guaranteed income next year is the as a group, this is what we feel is the best thing to do. biggest change. I felt like the number [of exemptions] was too small. I still ques- You’re guaranteed $2,000 a week by showing up, along with tion that number; however, I questioned it before I was in, and I hopefully the potential that I’ll have some sort of job while I’m on question it now that I was fortunate enough to get in. When I was the road. I’m currently speaking with Columbia about a potential 68th, 69th—whatever—floundering around in those positions, I did job. I’ve spoken to AMF, and there’s a few other options. [At press think that number was small because I felt like there was going to time, Wolfe awaits a contract from Columbia — Editor] be a lot of good bowlers who potentially weren’t going to be able In that regard, I think the players are going to be much more to compete next year. And I felt like I was one of those players. visible this year. The players I’ve spoken to seem to be somewhat I still feel the same way because I think there is a group of guys skeptical; they don’t know what the companies are going to do— that are excellent bowlers that may not get to play. However, I whether they’re going to pull back or be more involved. guess you can look at it as survival of the fittest. I think the reason For me specifically, more than anything, it’s of kind of a rush right for cutting this field down is to potentially make your 64th bowler now to know that it’s going to be my best year no matter what. I’m making a living—some form of a living. going to show up, and I’m going to have a good year. Obviously, things aren’t getting any easier, though: They’re going What has been like as a player under the new PBA regime? to cut to the top 40 [after next season]. You hear a lot of rumors. You hear about players who complain a lot, who call the office about whatever the case may be, whether Do you now truly see yourself as a professional bowler? it’s lane conditions or the format or how to make the PBA better. I doubted that [I was] most of the time that I’ve been bowling. I’ve never been involved that that type of situation because I’ve I doubted it on the way to Detroit. There’s no doubt about it that always realized that I’m a bowler, and I can’t cure all of these prob- in this year coming up, if I’m fortunate enough to make it—and lems because one, I don’t have the money, and I’ve entrusted these that’s the plan—the atmosphere on the tour will change: We will people. That’s their job, so I know they’re going to do a good job. be treated as professionals through this organization. It’s been different because I don’t think the players have as much Obviously, everybody’s skeptical about the format, understand- say so. But I think it’s a very difficult change when somebody comes ably so, but in that regard, we will be professionals. in, and Steve Miller has to be that way because if you start listening I felt like all along I belong on tour. I haven’t necessarily by my to the bowlers, it’s a self-serving situation. It’s human nature: What performance shown that, but this is a great opportunity, so in that can I do to benefit myself here? regard it has changed my thought process and the fact that I did He is very stern. He’s a hard-ass, excuse me, and he is. He tells it like it is, like it or not. Basically, in his conversation, it was, Hey, Which female pro bowlers would most likely have success on the PBA you can either bowl here or you can go bowl on the other tour. It’s your Tour? Visit ncaba.org to see Richard Wolfe’s response to this question choice. and other topics that space did not permit on these pages. We were dying. We were under—dead, gone. PBA wouldn’t exist. 10 BOWL Magazine • Summer 2004 www.ncaba.org They came in, and they gave us life. So I respect them for that. I try 64th was $1,000. It didn’t matter; you were fighting to get those not to get into the political stuff as much; I just try to follow the points, and sometimes it was disheartening the way the structure rules and understand them and don’t necessarily always like all of was set up. I think it just got past them before they realized it. them. But trying to look at the big picture, they’re doing the best I don’t know what the solution to this was, but when you have thing for the tour currently. 500 entries and you’re chasing points and the person in front of you happens to have a bad tournament and finishes 500th and you What’s the best thing the new PBA has done? bowl well and get a check and you finish 142nd and you accumulate It’s such a trivial thing that most people think is so ridiculous, the same amount of points, I think that was some of the players’ but it’s the clerical changes at the main office. The way we used to biggest complaint. enter tournaments was kind of a fiasco. We used to get ridiculous I think it got by—that one slipped by. amounts of mail that I can imagine was very costly to the PBA over time. What’s been your view on ESPN’s coverage of pro bowling? Today, they send out a monthly newsletter that will give you any It’s going to become more of a show.

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