That 1999 article said the internet would kill bowling alleys. We just hosted a league final at ours.

I found this old tech magazine from 1999 in a box my dad left me, and this one writer was dead serious that broadband would make everyone stay home, so bowling alleys, movie theaters, even malls would be gone by 2010. Last Saturday, my local alley in Dayton had a waiting list of 40 people for the 8pm lane slot, and the league final had 12 teams fighting for the trophy. The WiFi in there is awful too, so it's not like we're all streaming while we roll. Has anyone else got a stack of old predictions that just make you laugh every time you see a crowded parking lot?

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oscarwright16d ago

The part about malls being gone by 2010 kills me. My buddy runs a lane at a bowling spot near Cincinnati and he told me last month they actually had to turn people away on a Tuesday. Some dad showed up with three kids for open bowling and they were booked solid till 10pm. The kicker is the place has this ancient CRT screen by the shoe rental that still shows the weather from 2017. Funny how a guy in 1999 thought we'd all be too busy with our computers to hang out in a sticky building with bad nachos.