For a record ...To Bowl Or not to Bowl

[Hot_pocket]

This was taken from a friend who posted this on FB.

"Had a debate with a fellow bowler & I'd like to share the topic. Here's a question:

Jeff Carter holds the USBC record for the highest single season avg(261.74). You go into week #36 with a 261.75 avg and your team is in 2nd place with a chance to win 1st.

Question is do you bowl that 36th week to try & help your team capture 1st and risk your avg dropping below the record OR tell your team to take your 251 a game blind score(753 series) and become the new record holder. This dude said he wants the record because that opportunity may never happen again & there are plenty of years ahead to win a league."

What would you guys do in this situation whats most important?

[J Anderson]

This was taken from a friend who posted this on FB.

"Had a debate with a fellow bowler & I'd like to share the topic. Here's a question:

Jeff Carter holds the USBC record for the highest single season avg(261.74). You go into week #36 with a 261.75 avg and your team is in 2nd place with a chance to win 1st.

Question is do you bowl that 36th week to try & help your team capture 1st and risk your avg dropping below the record OR tell your team to take your 251 a game blind score(753 series) and become the new record holder. This dude said he wants the record because that opportunity may never happen again & there are plenty of years ahead to win a league."

What would you guys do in this situation whats most important?

One: Records are made to be broken, and once they are nobody remembers the previous record holder. The only exceptions are people who break milestones, like Roger Bannister breaking the four minute mile, or Chuck Yeager breaking the sound barrier.

Two: How does your friend know that somebody in another league doesn't have an average of 261.76?

Three: I may say that I'm not competitive ( long running joke with my wife over every game from cards to Trivial Pursuit ), and I do have a good time bowling win or lose, but I'm there to try to win!

Four: I consider this completely different from what Billf is planning to do with the 24 hour thing, which is as much about testing his limits and raising money for a good cause, as it is getting his name in the record book.

[GeorgiaStroker]

When you make the commitment to bowl on a team then I think the team comes first. You should make every effort to show up every week and bowl your best. By sitting out you are saying to your team "Screw you guys, my individual achievements are more important than any of yours." If the guy decided to sit out he would have to find another team to win the league with next year. Just my opinion.

[Fatal]

The blind score of 251 isn't bad at all. I'm not sure what I would do. Most likely bowl, because thats what I do..

[RoccoRock]

All I know is if he's on my team, and doesn't bowl, and we lose by a few pins, then we have a problem. So I guess ask this question, is it worth losing friends, or your team over. If you bowl, and you miss it, at least you showed some balls, and loyalty to your team.

[striker12]

me i would show up to bowling with that high of a avg and focus on trying to get it higher everyweek yes it might go down but you are able to get it back up main thing if he just bowls his avg all the way till the last like 10weeks he can throw like 30 pins below his avg in each game and not lose avg but me i would bowl to see if im truely good enoph to keep that avg.

[chrono00]

if you sit to get the record, that's kind of the cowards way out of getting it in my opinion

[billf]

Screw the record, get the win. Better yet, get both and do so with integrity!

[Hot_pocket]

The blind score of 251 isn't bad at all. I'm not sure what I would do. Most likely bowl, because thats what I do..

alot of people brought up that point a 750 series isnt guaranteed but in his case it is ...his blind is a 750 series which is sick but i would bowl to because if i did it the whole season i dont think it would change

[Hot_pocket]

All I know is if he's on my team, and doesn't bowl, and we lose by a few pins, then we have a problem. So I guess ask this question, is it worth losing friends, or your team over. If you bowl, and you miss it, at least you showed some balls, and loyalty to your team.

so my question is if you lose by a few pins do you blame him? because he sat out and gave you a guaranteed 750 series with a blind of 251 a game. I understand the bowling for the team though.

[RoccoRock]

I usually blame myself when my team loses, even if I bowled great. If my teammates sucked, and I didn't help them figure it out, I still feel it's in part my fault. In this case, someone who abandons their team does deserve some blame. Obviously you can't pin all the blame on one person, and I wouldn't get in his face and yell, or take him out back and throw down with him either. I would be proud of my teammate for setting a record, but I would be dissapointed. If it were me, yes I would love the record, but I'm putting my shoes on and trying to get my team the wins. If I lose the record, at least I have a story. I put my team first, I know in todays Sportcenter, end zone dancing, look at me sports era that may seem crazy, but that's how it should be. If I'm Jeff Carter, I'm a little tweaked too.

[coachkapps]

If you can't bowl that final week and get the record, you didn't deserve the record. You have to bowl under pressure to achieve and deserve it.

You bowl.

[billf]

If I was averaging that high for the season, why would I think that night would be any worse? I would expect to bowl 20 pins over average, like any other league night. I joined the league to bowl, not set records. There's a time and place for everything and if it was meant to be to set that record then I will bowl at least my average that night.
Here's another thing about records and why I hope someone breaks my record after I set it and raise the money for Children's hospital; to most people to current record holder is just a name on a piece of paper or on the computer screen. They don't know you. So they look and say, "wow that's pretty cool." And? Did that impact your life or theirs? Did it ever dawn on them the hours of preparation, the blood, sweat and tears that went into being in the position to even make the attempt? How about the luck? Let's face it, both good and bad, luck does play a part in every record. Let's use bowling strikes as an example. We have all seen pros (Sean Rash comes to mind right away) that get all excited when the head pin comes off the left wall, crosses the lane and takes out the ten pin. The skill was getting mind, body and ball into the proper position to make that attempt. Luck comes into play in where and how that head pin deflects. So when that shot happens, I feel the pros are cheering the luck and not their own skill.
Another example. The Olympics this past year, women's gymnastics, individual, vault. Mckayla Maroney was the odds on favorite. Considered by far the best at this event in the entire world. Even the other gymnasts admitted they were competing for second place. They all work their butts off so we will call that even. Mckayla didn't stick her landing on her second vault. An act she has done literally thousands of times correctly the past four years. The fall on the landing garnered her a silver medal. Was the gold medal winner truly a better gymnast? That day yes. But why? Luck. In this case it was bad luck for Mckayla and good luck for the gold medal winner.
When I set my world record, it won't be to get my name in the book. It's to raise money for a helipad at Dayton's Children's Hospital. I don't have it to donate to them so I don't have another choice. When the record is broken, I will thank God and realize that it was good luck that allowed it to happen. Late trips on 4s, etc. All my hard work will only allow me the opportunity to attempt it, not complete it.

[chrono00]

alot of people brought up that point a 750 series isnt guaranteed but in his case it is ...his blind is a 750 series which is sick but i would bowl to because if i did it the whole season i dont think it would change

that's the other thing I hate about blind scores, every league does this retarded (mostly because they are run by the sandbagging/unfair high average douche house bowlers). it's -10 or -15 for blind scores.

it SHOULD BE -10% or 15 or whatever the agreed upon number is. keyword...PERCENT of average. a 100 average bowler at -10 loses 10 percent of his average on blind score. a 200 average at -10 only loses 5%. would someone explain how thats supposed to be fair?

[billf]

After 21 games we don't lose anything on a blind score.

[J Anderson]

that's the other thing I hate about blind scores, every league does this retarded (mostly because they are run by the sandbagging/unfair high average douche house bowlers). it's -10 or -15 for blind scores.

it SHOULD BE -10% or 15 or whatever the agreed upon number is. keyword...PERCENT of average. a 100 average bowler at -10 loses 10 percent of his average on blind score. a 200 average at -10 only loses 5%. would someone explain how thats supposed to be fair?

My Wednesday night league had the -10% blind score from at least the 1970s until a few years ago when we voted to make it -10 pins to be in agreement with the USBC rules. Between pre-bowling, post-bowling and the occasional sub, we don't really have a problem with high average bowlers being AWOL.

Personally, I agree that the 10% rule is more fair.

[J Anderson]

After 21 games we don't lose anything on a blind score.

Are you saying that after 21 games, if a bowler is absent, his or her blind score would be his or her full average?

[billf]

That's correct John. Minus ten pins when absent until they have 21 games bowled, then their average when absent.

[chrono00]

why do they still get their average when absent. can't say i'd be a big fan of that rule

[billf]

I'm not a fan of being absent without a damn good reason but that's me.

[chrono00]

that's true. but you should be penalized of some sort if you don't show up, and can't pre bowl

the tuesday night mixed league I did last year, me and my 3 teamates were 4 out of 7 people that showed up for every single week of the session

[75lockwood]

In my opinion, not bowling is not an option; far to often in sports today do people play it safe, pitchers walking heavy hitters, hockey players diving on the puck to run down the clock, in my opinion if you need to "play it safe" to become the best your not the best. if you can't break the record by bowling all 36 weeks, do you really deserve it?

[Hot_pocket]

In my opinion, not bowling is not an option; far to often in sports today do people play it safe, pitchers walking heavy hitters, hockey players diving on the puck to run down the clock, in my opinion if you need to "play it safe" to become the best your not the best. if you can't break the record by bowling all 36 weeks, do you really deserve it?

agreed ...very well said