After going 2-7 the first week (I know, it's strange playing one team and going 2-7, but you play three games -- each victory is worth 2 points and if you win the best-of-7 you get three bonus points), we needed a strong showing this week ... and I think we got it.
The team we played wasn't there (something about a Pearl Jam concert), so they used their averages with a 10-pin penalty for each person. So all we had to do was beat 835. Assuming my handicap is around 100, it looks like we might have swept.
Since I wasn't there Week 1 (something about my 4th wedding anniversary and spending it with my wife, I know, lame excuse), I had to bowl this week for my handicap. Game 1 was like 835-770; Game 2 was 835-789 and Game 3 was 835-807, so if you add my handicap we crushed them and we all had our best games.
Greg Bromberg, Production Manager had a 133; Roland Liwag, formers SPiN producer and current photo editor, had a 177 one game and Ron Davis, NFL Producer had another strong showing by bowling at least 150 for three straight games. As for me, I had a 135 one game, my best of the night.
So I think we went 9-0, 7-2 at worst. That will put us right in the middle of the pack after two weeks.
More bowling observations...
-- I need to cut down the celebrating after strikes and spares. I have to be the only person in the alley that had to go home and ice his knee after bowling. And it wasn't because of my form or anything, it was my excessive celebration after nailing a strike.
Is it a good sign when your doctor tells you your meniscus in your knee is like a pair of old blue jeans? I've put so much wear and tear on it, that it could rip. Do they sell patches for your knee I could just iron on? Can you go on the 15-Day DL in bowling? So many questions.
-- I saw more 16 year old girls dressing like they worked at a strip club and a few 50+ women looking like they used to work at a strip club. Very distracting.
-- Speaking of kids. I didn't know hanging out at the bowling alley and shooting pool was still a popular hangout for high school kids. Especially on a Wednesday night. Here it is 10 p.m. and I'm heading home to go to sleep and these kids are just now piling into the alley.
-- A female next to us wasn't really bowling, she was more like throwing the ball down the lane like a shot put. She'd walk up to the line and push the ball from her chest down the lane. It had ZERO spin and it made such a loud noise when it hit the lane, you could hear it outside in the parking lot. She must be doing something right because she bowled a 100 every time.
-- This week's bowling alley food was hamburger and french fries. Not bad, but the real test comes an hour after you eat it. And that's where the problems came. It was another Pepto-Bismol night. To recap....
Practice week -- Pizza.
Grade: B- Result: Two Tums
Practice week -- Chicken Wings.
Grade: D Result: Two Pepto; Immodium AD in the middle of the night.
Week 2 -- Hamburger/Fries.
Grade: C+ Result: Two Pepto
(Note: The grade is while you are eating it, if we graded on result they would all be Fs)
I'm eyeing those popcorn chicken next week. My goal is to try every food in the place or land in the hospital with food poisoning, whichever comes first. The wife suggested going a little safer next week with nachos, but got to push the limits. God only knows how much longer I can keep this study up.
-- There are 10 teams in the league, everybody shows up with bowling balls, shoes, bags, towels, etc. Us: Nothing. As I'm ready to bowl my first game I look at all the other teams and our lane is the only one with bowling alley balls. That can't be a good sign.
-- Special thanks to the guy next to us Barry, answering all our bowling questions. He was strong, bowled a 211 one game and the last game started out with five consecutive strikes. Very nice guy.
See ya next week!