Does anyone feel like bowling?

[Madman]

Used to be a bit fanatical about bowling in my younger years. I was what was known as a "ringer" in leagues. However, I was never good enough to turn pro. Teams that were bent on winning would pay for my evening of bowling and drinks (which usually amounted to unlimited amounts of Coca-Cola and a couple small bags of chips). Most of the time I was on my game - I should have been because I was the one who controlled the oiling machine that oiled the lanes. I would set, or "block" an area on the lane which would give me a good line for the evening (preferably the early league).

The "house" (another name for the bowling alley) got wise (I wasn't the only "ringer") and had the leagues establish rules against ringers. Which was usually the sub could not have an average more than 10 pins over the individual they are subing for. That rule pretty much finished us off. One year we got together and got on a mens league. Our lowest average was a 190 on a five man team. Handicap was 80% of 180. Needless to say we blew the league away. In 33 weeks we lost like 20 games total. I feel kind of bad about it now because our intent of getting on the league was more prideful than competitive. In retrospect, I believe we would have had more fun had we competed against each other instead of being on the same team.

Alas, I got married and pretty much tossed in the crying towel. I did keep up my skill for little while. My last tournament, I was in Las Vegas of all places, I averaged just above a 234 overall. I placed, but didn't win. Got my entry fee back and a few hundred dollars. My wife was pretty proud. She enjoyed the shopping spree that followed. Didn't bowl again until I went to Iceland for a year. By then I was pretty much a "has been." Never broke a 170 average for the one league I joined. I didn't care, I enjoyed the hell out of it. It felt good being "one of the boys" drinking beer and carousing. Even played grab ass with a coctail waitress (nice ass too).

Iceland was like around 23 years ago. Funny thing is... I finally tossed my last bowling ball away early this year. It was an old Columbia Yellow Dot. It had crystalized from age. I still talk about it every now and then. You know what though? I can still tell you if a ball is going to be a strike of not just by watching it go down the lane. Of course, there's always that elusive 10 pin that just doesn't want to fall sometimes.

It's a fun game.