SIMON SEZ: We Play The Hits - 6,000 and counting....

Two months ago, I thought we'd get 1,000 visits after a month and maybe 2,500 after two. Instead, BOWLING HOOD got 6,000 visits.

So this week's big thank you goes out to YOU, the reader.

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So now you're seeing the site and the changes. The reason I didn't do a Simon Sez last weekend was 1) I needed a writer's vacation, and 2) I need to step back and look at the site.

One - the experimental site at www.bowlinghood.com/forum site is going down. It looks great, but the platform isn't user - meaning me - friendly. It doesn't offer as many features as I can on the original site.

So set your bookmark to http://bowlinghood.blogspot.com. And while your there, please register so you can enjoy more features from the site.

Hope you like the Yogi Berra feature in the left column. My favorite Berra-ism involved the late Jack Buck:

How long have you known me, Jack?

And you still don't know how to spell my name.

(Upon receiving a check from Jack Buck made out to "Bearer".)

And check out a couple of new items too on the left - Amazon Deal of the Day, and St. Louis News.

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I enjoyed my luncheon address on Sept. 22 at the monthly Greater St. Louis Bowling Centers Association meeting at Hazelwood Bowl. The food Carolyn and Tom had for us was better than most 3-star restaurants.

Those who attended are the real troopers of bowling, making it possible for you to bowl and doing it often with hard sweat and finger-in-the-dike response to what you want.

And they are genuinely concerned about the Proposition N referendum on St. Louis County's ballot Nov. 3.

Why are they concerned? For those of you not in the bowling management business, here's what's at stake after doing some research with top analysts the past ten days.

In states that have had smoking bans forced on bowling centers, the average loss of business was about 8 percent. For a 32-lane bowling center, that translates to an average of $90,000 in lost business per center. For a 24-lane center, the loss averaged $68,000 per center.

You might think, so what, they make money. The fact is that about.1/3rd of the centers affected went from a profit to a loss in the first year. Half of those centers did return to profitability the 2nd year of the ban, but the fallout for the other half resulted in a lot of centers closing their doors. I know Spillway Lanes in Springfield, Il. was a casualty a couple of years ago after the city there banned smoking before Illinois mandated it last year.

So my address to them focused on the dynamics of voter emotion about referendums and motivating them to vote. I think several of them left more confident it could be defeated.

And BOWLING HOOD has learned that longtime referendum opponent Tom Sullivan is on board to oppose Prop N. Bill Hannegan of Keep St. Louis Free continues to work tirelessly on this issue and we've also learned that Sullivan's campaign committee, Citizens Against Proposition N has secured bowler Kurt Schimmer to be their treasurer.

To those proprietors and managers who didn't attend, I don't get it. You knew what the topic would be for the proprietor's meeting. This proposal if passed will cost you a lot of money and you'll have to make business decisions that are a lot tougher than what you're facing right now.

Your apathy in regards to the political process is ridiculous considering the emotional climate in this country. Seen the Tea Party protests on TV? You think it's a fad? Then you St. Louis nay-saying proprietors ought to get out to the TP rally from 4-7 p.m. today at Frontier Park in St. Charles. The weather will be good, the speakers even better, and the message the most important asset of all.

One proprietor who will remain nameless complained about his County Councilperson's vote on Prop N. Did he show up at the proprietors meeting about the issue? Nope. Guys like him are hot air and all blow when they don't show then wonder why government laws whacked their pocketbook.

And bowlers, how are affected? Centers will pass along the loss of business onto you with increased prices. Bowling is still the best value for recreational sport and game activity. But proprietors aren't in the business for fun and games. They like it but they're there to earn a living, one that isn't lavish.

Think of them the next time you bowl league or take your kids out for fun.

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One of the nicest things I'll always remember from the proprietors meeting is being able to sit next to the Hallf of Famer Ray Bluth.

So I thought this week's video segment should feature Ray. But instead of seeing him bowl, look at Ray in a bowling commercial. Yes kids, bowling companies used to advertise on television!



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Tino DeFranco also was in attendance, still doing his sit-down comedy as he let hear for years on KMOX. I'm nudging Ron Jacober to bring back a small bowling segment on Sports Open Line for a Sunday Morning. I heard Ron was a helluva bowler some years ago. Ron - we've got an opening in the Press Radio TV league on Mondays!


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REALLY SMART GUYS REPORT: I've bowled with two doctors in my lifetime. Dr. Robert Glass and Dr. Steve Moehrle. Bob, as you might remember, won the PBA Senior Bowler title in three straight years. Steve bowls the Press Radio TV league at Olivette. After not bowling this summer, he shoots 762 in his second set back on the lanes. Like riding a bike, you don't forget!

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Congrats to Ken Bourisaw, 845 at Show Me Lanes. Don't know what his games were. Who cares? They were all high! Makes up for his near 300 miss from week one of the Thursday Businessman's League.

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HI BOB! Super kudos to Bob Quinn at West County Lanes who gets the Bill Gates Bowling IT award of the week award. He's designed the new St. Louis Bowling Proprietors website - and ti's also the official website for the Mid America High School Bowling League which got underway last Sunday. It brings back fond memories of my days in the old Catholic conference league in the early 70's at the now-defunct St. Mary Magdalen Lanes while bowling for DeSmet.

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BOWLING ON TV: Don't forget, bowling is back on Sunday TV. The U.S. Women's Open the next three Sunday's, then the start of the PBA tour on October 25. Check out www.pba.com, www.bowl.com and www.go.espn.com for air times in your area.

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TOURNAMENTS AROUND HERE THIS WEEKEND: Tomorrow (Saturday), Scratch Doubles at Hazelwood Bowl, 10am.

The Metro East Men's 700 Club bowls at DuBowl Sunday, 9:15 start time. Dear DuBowl: It's ok to have an email link on your site. It's allowed. Government hasn't banned or taxed it...yet. Roll for the Dough bowls at Riverboat Lanes in Godfrey.

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That's all for now. Enjoy the new design and features of BOWLING HOOD. And don't forget, we're on Facebook too.

Hey, we even broke down and now we tweet too, at Twitter, screen name is BowlingHood.