New PBA "outlaws" Perfecta Grip Inserts...? (...our reaction)

2007-08-06T16:04:00.001-07:00

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The "old" PBA was riddled with controversy which ultimately led to their
untimely downfall. Is the "new" PBA regime any better? Many think not.
I am sorry to say that we at Perfecta Grip Industries are among those.

What is wrong with bowling?
In our humble opinion, that can be answered in a single word...
..."INTEGRITY". (or lack of it!)

Thankfully, here in America we still have certain "rights" which not
even the shrewdest of companies (nor their brilliant "legalists") can
remove. We still have the right to freely express our own opinions.
We may also not be denied our right to "Life, Liberty, & our Pursuit
of Happiness" - at least not YET anyway!

In the humble opinion, of a financially challenged but none the less honest
innovator - our Sport is in very deep trouble when many of the following are
permitted to occur...

When...the core of the industrial "apple" becomes increasingly rotten from
within - to the point that virtually every industry member will "look the other
way" when they witness grossly unethical behavior before their very eyes,
yet they do not speak up, or otherwise intervene in any positive way at all.
It is even worse, when otherwise well-meaning companies band together &
develop a mob-mentality which enables them to turn a blind eye when "the
powers that be" pass unethical legislative rulings, that independently, none
would have the nerve to ever propose themselves. (Naziism grew that way!)

When... money and perpetual greed, are the driving forces within that industry.

When... consistently doing the WRONG thing, becomes the "accepted norm".

When... the primary focus, becomes "gorilla marketing - of the quick & dirty",
rather than... devoted customer service, and superior quality.

When... the industry actually believes that MONEY is power - not KNOWLEDGE

When... One truly believes that "Might makes Right" - not..."Right makes Might".

When... the phrase "My Word is my Bond", ceases to have any significance.
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In a perfect world...

Gluttonous companies would not have business meetings with unwary inventors,
in order to pirate their lifelong efforts, knowing full well - that (due to the extinction
of the honest attorney) - no one will come to their defense, or listen to their pleas.

Whenever gross acts of Wrongdoing, Slander, Collusion, and even Fraud are openly
committed against a weaker, albeit dedicated member of the industrial community...
the others within that industrial family, should (...as family members do) - speak up,
in support of those rights as if they were their own. What have we, minus integrity?

Fair Competition Laws and other forms of IP Rights, would then have practical value.
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We are expressing these views, in harsh response to a most recent decision by the
new PBA with regard to its new "Product Registration" policy - whereby, the PBA has
granted themselves exclusive right [to expand its original intention] to include legality.
"Product Registration" was initially intended to garner unharvested advertising dollars
from already wealthy companies who were at that time then benefiting from regular
TV exposure of their products.
It was reasonable to assume they should then pay for such advertising privileges.
At the time, ball companies (who were all making money off of them), were given a
choice. They could pay a yearly "registration fee", or they could cover up their logo,
and product name so it could not be identified on TV. That too, was only fair.
Things began to change, when larger ball companies decided that higher "fees" could
then be imposed (which only they could realistically afford) and working in tandem
with the PBA, the smaller companies were essentially "frozen out" of TV exposure.
Further pressure later on, led to an eventual "ban" of young, upstart ball companies.
We must point out here, that it was mainly new ball companies being targeted. The older
pre-existing ball manufacturers felt that it was they who in fact created the PBA, so
they should be the ones to reap the TV exposure... not new upstarts who'd paid no
dues. Even that logic, would tend to get no argument from us.

Our problem begins... when individual customers - the PBA dues-paying members
themselves, started being penalized for using perfectly "legal" products which they
bought in good faith with their hard earned money! (Some were even disqualified !)
Still worse, the downward spiral in bowling (arguably caused by these very issues)
brought about a change in ownership of the PBA. More serious changes were on the
horizon. The PBA painted a beautiful picture of the future for its many members.
Although a select few have indeed benefited, the true effects of these new changes
can be seen on the faces of the other entrants on display at any PBA staged event.
All in all, its not a happy sight. A new joke presently making the rounds, says it all:

" The PBA....
the only circus in town, that doesn't feed the animals
- and, all of the clowns have to pay to get in !!! "

We at this company are tolerant of bad business - it happens all around us.
What we will not stand for, are unethical, unlawful, and extremely damaging corporate
"tactical" behaviors - which may be collusive in nature and have our demise in mind.
We are not a rogue ball manufacturer simply trying to cut in on an established market.
We created our own brand new field of discovery in 1987, patented same in 1992,
and a year later introduced our state-of-the-art technology of "Ball Dynamics Control"
to both, the ABC/WIBC, and the (old) PBA...and, was actually asked to write the new
rule that would subsequently allow the legalized use of our technology in the future -
which we then did. Perfecta-Grips became the first "interchangeable inserts" for all
practical "on-lane" applications for a bowling ball & have been LEGALLY APPROVED
for use within ALL bowling organizations and associations (including the ABC/WIBC &
PBA) since our submitted amendments were formally passed in 1993-94.

All of a sudden, the new hierarchy within the "new" PBA has formed new business
relationships with other industry players (whom we believe have infringed our rights)
and with a blink of an eye, a wink & a nod...after 12 years of [advertised] "legality"
we are deemed illegal, by Mr. Fred Schreyer - CEO of the PBA! Oh really!!!

And just what are WE to tell those thousands of customers - who have spent
thousands of dollars to convert all their equipment to PGI...and may have donated to
the PBA's cause, for a decade or more? Have you (PBA), absolutely no regard for their
own freedom of choice - by forsaking their well-documented user rights, that were dutifully
established by the PBA long ago? Did it ever dawn on the PBA, that there is NO real
substitute for our product, and, what you now intend may constitute nothing less than
Stonewalling and/or Restraint of Trade?

We may be small, but we are mighty.

Should the PBA [and others] choose to continue this path of perceived wrongdoing,
in addition to continuing our (ongoing) quest to find the mythical - "honest attorney"
we will be forced to take it upon ourselves to immediately demonstrate to the entire
bowling industry precisely why KNOWLEDGE is POWER (....not MONEY!) - by
educating the entire bowling public [how and why] they have been fleeced for years.

If this industry can not,
or will not, work together for the greater good of us all...
...it will be dismantled!

Until the effectual banning of "user rights" is lifted on honest companies like ours,
we are calling for the immediate boycott of not only the PBA...but of all of its affiliate
sponsors as well. If your recent "action" is not reversed within the next seven days,
and accompanied by a suitable apology, we will take matters to the next level -
which would be to contact all those boycotted, to share with them our reasoning
before publicly naming them.

We trust - for everyones' sake, you will immediately do the right thing.

We the People, of PGI.
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!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
OPEN MESSAGE...TO ALL THOSE WHO ARE OPENLY SUPPORTING THE "NEW" PBA
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

To those it may hopefully concern...

My name is Arnie Goldman (Inventor & founder of PGI, Perfecta Grip Industries, in Michigan)
and you are receiving this INet eNotice today because you are listed as "Official Sponsors"
who are partnering with and in support of The Professional Bowlers Association (of America)
LLC. [SEE: www.pba.com ]

The reason I'm contacting you is simply a matter of self-preservation, of established rights.
I am a primary independent innovator who had a vision... "to triple the sport of Bowling" - as
early as 1987,(through a dramatically pioneering technology I'd patented, shortly thereafter).

I, not only introduced this unique philosophy to "the powers that be" in the Bowling World,
but also helped them re-write their respective rulebooks to permit the sanctioned usage of
my "Interchangeable Finger & Thumb Inserts" in regular league & tournament competition.
We later developed and introduced the first "House Ball" Program, an application that allows
the occasional bowler (or beginner) to be able to use a bowling ball custom-fitted for them,
right there on the spot, before they ever throw a ball - to make their first experience great!

New paradigms (like ours) are often met with initial resistance and skepticism.
The Bowling Industry, I'm sorry to have to report...was no exception to the rule.
For that reason, our progress came slowly, but despite the usual stonewalling - we're here.
[SEE: www.perfectagrip.com ]

We believe in "old school" values.
We are of the notion that IP protection should be respected and acknowledged.
Judging by many of your "mission statements" we are not alone in this belief.

It has become common knowledge, that the "Rights" of the small inventor have evaporated.
We are desperately trying to preserve those rights, in full view of the stated belief below;

"ALL IT TAKES FOR EVIL TO PREVAIL,
IS FOR GOOD PEOPLE...
TO CONTINUE TO DO NOTHING"

Retribution not being an option, we merely ask that each of you explore our website

claims and the outcries of other small companies, then decide for yourselves, if your own

corporate "mission statements" were not fashioned with these very "practices" in mind.

[SEE: Release response - The Fans Speak Out - Letter to the Editor by Joe Moro]

In our humble opinion, the PBA and others are willfully violating the well-established rights

of others, and/or quite possibly... "The Sherman Act" of 1890. Please do the right thing.

On behalf of PGI, and honest Innovators everywhere,

I remain hopefully & optimistically yours

- Arnie Goldman.

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Last year, I got a request one night from Mr. David Ozio who was having dinner with

my good buddy, Eric Forkel...That night, he'd decided to give my Perfecta Grip a try.
He's been using the 15 Thumbs (I'd personally made for him), for about a year now.

However,
( for reasons, beyond my limited understanding & possibly political in nature...)

the GBT's initial "Player of the Year" hasn't found the correct formula for gratitude...

as he has seemingly thanked everyone in the world, but PGI !!!
(That's OK David... because what I did, I did for your wife! - and I'm sincerely thankful

that her cancer is now in remission.)

I'd like to express my thanks to Mr. Steve Saunders, not only for allowing you (David)

to use our PGI products for the entire inaugural GBT season, but for expressing so well

(in his caption below), the miracle-like suddenness of your new-found domination.
But... remember what I'd told you in Bay City [Re) win/loss %, and why].
(Your title match win/L record is strangely close to my prediction.)
If you knew now, what I knew then - you'd have won twice as much.

Should the PBA & GBT's plan to freeze us out, succeed...
I wish you luck when you decide to discontinue using PGI products...
Perfecta-Grip Inserts were originally, also submitted to the ABC/WIBC

to be used as a "fixed" Insert, as well as removably...by using an "ABC"

"Adhesive Bonding Cover" (which prevents access to the Locking Bolt).

PGI must be used in accordance w/ current rules (which can change!!).

PGI was "ABC Approved" to be used either way - in 1993-94, but must

not be used in conjunction with any other approved device.(infringers ?)

(In the interim... please DON'T use them anywhere... without a BOLT !)

Recent Quote from GBT's Steve Saunders.

"The most impressive performance on tour, turned out to be the emergence of David Ozio

as the star of senior pro bowling. Ozio dominated the circuit, winning his 50-59 division nine

times in 16 events, with three titles (including a major on television in Toledo) and $86,300.

in prize money, the most ever by a senior player.

Ozio also set a new single season average record of 231.5 for 486 games, and he did it

under very trying personal circumstances. While he was traveling with the tour, his wife Lisa

was at home in Texas battling breast cancer. In the end, David having the greatest season

ever for a senior bowler was dwarfed by the news that Lisa’s cancer is in remission.

“As a competitor, I was a little disappointed winning only three times in nine chances, but it

was a great tour,” said Ozio. “The GBT has stood for progress and delivered the opportunity

for senior players to compete at the highest level under a well run organization that has a

passion for the sport. I urge all of them to refocus their dedication to the sport and support

this tour in the future.”"

Topic #1 (Where have all the bowlers gone?)
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Notice how our the membership of our Sport has declined by almost
two-thirds since the mid-eighties? TWO-THIRDS ???

That can't be right... but sadly enough, it is.

Can you imagine, say, Ford Motor Company losing two-thirds of it's customer base?
How about, Mobil Oil Co., or perhaps Microsoft? What would happen - if it ever did?
Would they simply triple the cost of their (already expensive) products? ...I doubt it.
Now I claim to be no expert in this area, but it takes neither a rocket scientist nor a
super-computer to arrive at the assumption that someone up top ain't gettin it done!

There's an old saying...
"If you keep doin' what you're doin' - you'll keep gettin' what you get."

Why - is everyone in our industry COPYING off of everyone else...
when virtually no one is doing anything right to begin with?

Would you like an example?
"Plastic" - is plastic.

What does that mean? It means that 25 years ago (when life was simple) - a ball
made from polyester (or poly-urethane) typically had cost between $35.- $45.- each.
Both of those materials (for those of you unfamiliar with the plastic paradigm) were
each a form of plastic material, which incidentally when compared to other items of
the day - was somewhat MORE expensive then, than (comparatively speaking) it is
today. In other words, the ratio of material costs to actual profit - was much higher.
Has the world of "plastic" changed all that much since? Not where we're concerned.
After all, we're not looking to send anything to Mars here, it's just - a bowling ball!!!
Has your paycheck increased by eight-fold over the past 15 years? Tripled, is more
likely, if you're lucky. So rightfully, the average expected cost for a bowling ball now
should be in the $100-$135 range.
So why isn't it?
Simply because some brainiac, self-anointed "marketing expert" Guru, ( that worked
for one of the wealthiest ball manufacturers already) woke up one day with... serious
greed on his mind - and somehow managed to convince his higher-ups to then adopt
his hair-brained scheme which went something like this...

"If we take what we have leftover from last month & turn it on its side...
and we thicken the (cheaper) core & thin the (more expensive) cover...
add more resin (to make it sweat) & even throw in some "fragrance"...
If we tweak the angle & change the dangle, and vary the colors to suit...
With every batch (now here's the catch) for all of our time and trouble...
(Since we'll change the condition, to keep them all fishin'...)
They'll not notice - our prices will double!!"

And just like that, we became conditioned to buy over-priced bowling balls!
This single act of "greed" - represents a quantum leap backward in bowling.

Are the balls of today of better quality? ...YOU TELL ME!!
20-30 years ago did you ever hear of a ball cracking in half ? Hell no.
And, in the unlikely event it did - you'd get a new one for free! Not now.
Why not? Because... it happens all the time with today's technology.
Why? Because the replacement "warranties" have been quietly "phased
out"and our new bowlers of today have been re-conditioned to believe that
if a bowling ball ever cracks in half, it's THEIR FAULT - not the fault of the
manufacturer, and its time for THEM to BUY another one! (And they do!!!)

Why do balls crack now - when they didn't then..? (It was cold back then too.)
Because they (those expert ball makers), aren't really "experts" at all.
If they were, they would have understood some fairly basic physical properties
of plastics and other related matters born out of common sense...for example;

Materials of different densities, expand and contract - at different rates.

For every "action" - there's an (equal & opposite) "reaction" ...and,
For every "advantage" - there's an (equal & opposite) "disadvantage".

Kind of makes sense doesn't it?
(...especially when you're in the Bowling Ball-making business! )

But I'll bet you, today's ball making - "brainiacs"...
aren't aware of these immutable laws of physics & common sense.
It's either that, or - they just want you to believe that all of this is way,
way to complicated, for just a mere bowler...to be able to comprehend!

Materials will come and go, but its how we use them that counts.
When its all said, done, & factored in... Plastic, is still - PLASTIC.
Do you really need another new ball..? (Find out the truth in Topic #2)

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Topic #2

Do we really need another NEW Bowling Ball?
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I've bowled for a living now for over 35 years,
and I've seen and used all types of bowling balls.
Additionally, for the past 25 years
I've personally drilled them for not merely myself,
but also for many of the game's top stars.
I'm also regarded (by many of the best in the game)
as an Expert's Expert when it comes to Gripology
or, "The Art and Science - of Ball Dynamics Control".
Therefore, when I urge you to open your mind,
and close your checkbook because you won't be needing it...
understand that this unqualified opinion is coming from
someone who really has your best interest at heart, (& with
very little to gain but a clear conscience) in informing you.

That said… here's - "Goldman's Rule" - #1
THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN OLD AND NEW…
…IS CHANGE.
Simply stated, what this means is;
When you take anything in existence (be it old or new)
and either add or subtract something to or from it,
it becomes an entirely NEW entity!
That should be very exciting news for you, because
what that means is, to acquire a NEW ball you need not
spend $200. ever again. Why not..?
Here's an example;
10 years ago you had a ball given to you by a teammate
(who'd just spent $150.00 for it & didn't like it at all!)
You used it successfully for the next 7 years... until one day,
a pro-shop operator saw it & said the following;
"WELL IT LOOKS LIKE YOU'RE ABOUT READY FOR A
NEW SET OF GRIPS, BOY THOSE THINGS ARE SHOT!”
- And, Presto-Change-o just like that, you had yourself a pair of
brand new finger grips ...and, a totally foreign BALL REACTION !
(at no extra charge)
What you didn't realize was that you previously had owned an
ugly ball that did what YOU wanted, but then traded it in for a
better-looking ball that now has a mindset of its own.
Moral:
IF IT AIN'T BROKE - DON'T FIX IT!
When you CHANGE anything,
it either gets BETTER or WORSE,
but it can never stay the same,
[because] it is - DIFFERENT.
Put the old grips back in...
EXACTLY THE SAME WAY,
& that "old" ball will spring back to life!

"NEW" doesn't necessarily mean "better"...
it only means "Different".
Chances are, when a customer is bowling poorly
& ANY change is suggested, (odds are in the salesman's favor)
that the change will be in a positive direction.
(They're merely playing the odds ...and you!)
That "new" ball you were given, was (after all) "old", when you got it.
So, what was the difference as to why you loved a ball - they hated?
More likely than not, it was the ball’s unique "fit".
Had the old owner changed the fit before discarding it as junk,
you probably would have never inherited it.
Their incorrect "fit", proved to be your solution.
The Secret... that neither ball companies nor ball drillers
ever want you to learn ...is that YOU can gain total control of any ball
- be it old or new - by a better understanding of how the geometric 3-D
triangle (that comprises your grip) pre-determines (& can actually be used
to control) all actions and subsequent reactions of any bowling ball.
They're worried that if that truth ever gets out, you (the consumer) will buy
less & less bowling balls from them. But, what they fail to recognize is
that if all bowlers knew this (from the beginning,) they would be much less
frustrated - and, as a result of this new-found control - there would be a
whole lot more of them. More bowlers translate into more sales.
Removing our control, has never been the way and means to attract new bowlers.
"Knowledge" has always been the key - NOT, the SUPPRESSION of it.
For at least the 35 years I've been closely involved, that so-called "revolutionary"
new ball just released, was nothing more than a chunk of plasticized composite,
ground round, with slight variations in weight block design and angle, as well as
surface porosity & hardness variations.
Are all those changes,
necessarily any BETTER or worse, than the ones that preceded them? ...Not really.
Merely - "DIFFERENT".
The fact that they are different from each other - [and offer an immediate difference
from your already poor bowling] - is truly, their only "common denominator".
To the newly opened mind, the original question should be easier to answer...
Do YOU really need to spend big money on new bowling balls, to incorporate
these simple changes?

I believe the answer is clear.

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A Rude Awakening

New PBA "outlaws" Perfecta Grip Inserts...? (...our reaction)