Gotta Love a Game With Big Balls

TOP TWO SHOTS: #1 vs #2 team anchors go head-to-head in a shoot out. Note Tom with his pretty orange ball...always the fashion plate.

BOTTOM: Will with yet another blazing 3 pin open. He's considering turning pro next season if the roofing thing doesn't work out

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I got a call yesterday to sub for my friend's bowling team. I sub'd a couple of time last year, and not that I totally suck, but I'm certainly no Don Weber or Johnny Petraglia (HAH! What are the chances that YOU could name two professional bowlers? )

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They're deeply in last place, and nothing I'm going to do it going to make a difference there. But, I do buy a good pitcher of beer, so I'm their favorite sub. Plus, they don't have to buy age credits when I'm there.

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So, we're bowling along our merry last place way, and on the lanes next to us are the #1 and #2 teams. They are T-ing off in a steel cage match for first place, one point separating the two teams. Now, I've been a sporadic bowler since I was a little kid, but I'd never seen the likes of a game like this. They went toe-to-toe, and across all 10 bowlers I don't think that they had more than 4 opens the whole game. The two anchor bowlers (who I felt deserved a pix above) both rolled 9 strikes in a row. In the 10th, after #1 (who resembeld a full-size Ewok) had rolled his 10th strike, the lane broke. It took the inept lane people some 15 minutes to fix it. By then, the entire population of the establishment was crowded around the alley. Finally, #1 anchor threw his 11th ball...to a resounding 7! Oh, the pain, and was he ever pissed off. He spared out for a fine 280 something, and then came the #2 anchor ( a short, squat guy with shorts, black socks, and a flattop haircut). He threw strikes #10, 11, and 12, for a perfect 300 game. And on top of that, the two teams tied in total score. Truly an incredible display, even if you're not a bowling fan.

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Although I'm pretty inept at it, I always thought bowling was an interesting sport. It's the only sport that I can note where a rank amateur can actually attain perfection (try golfing an 18 someday), and in any given game can compete with the greatest hall of famer. Plus, you have beer, cards, chicken wings, and man-gossip. What better way to spend an evening!

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"Gutter Ball" Lumpy out