Mudpuppy
12-11-2013, 11:30 AM
Last night was epic. Final position night of the 1st half. We were securely in first place by 6 points and just had to win 1 game to take 1st place for 1st half and secure our place in immortality otherwise known as a guarantee to roll off for 1st place overall. The team we were bowling against were some very serious bowlers so our job of winning just 1 game wasn't going to be easy. The boys had a few extra energy drinks (insert: beers) before we started bowling but that really didn't take the edge off any.
Game # 1
I couldn't do anything - ended up with a 179. Our 2nd bowler was bowling out of his mind ended up with a 259 (177 average). 3rd, 4th and 5th bowler struggled. We lost by 24 pins. Our 2nd bowler looked like his dog just died. He was like what do I gotta do? I knew it but he was quiet about it. Our 4th bowler used a new ball?!?!??! Although I seriously questioned it I didn't say anything and neither did anyone else. 205 average and he racks off a 155. I felt losing by 24 pins this was our best chance - their anchor, probably best bowler on the league, struggled a bit first game and with a 227 average came in with a 197 game.
Game # 2
I struggled a bit to start but figured out I was trying to muscle the ball and it was just sliding instead of getting any action. Corrected this, racked off a few strikes (4 in a row at one point) and ended up with a 200. Better but not good enough. Our 2nd bowler, dejected, ended up bowling 194 - not bad for a 177 average but our 3rd, 4th and 5th bowlers all struggled again. 9th frame of the game I pulled the 4th bowler aside and I said listen man enough with the new ball put it away. He said he already decided to throw the 9th and 10th frame as well as 3rd game with his old ball. We lost 2nd game by 150 pins but really totals didn't matter anyways.
Game # 3
After a shot of Johnny Vegas we regrouped and now the reality of the situation set in - we hadn't lost 7 all year and this was not a good time to do so. I shot the first 5, our 4th bowler (with his old ball) shot the first 5 and our 5th bowler shot the first 5. Hello. We aren't going out without a fist fight. We might be considered the clowns of the league and we were counted out before the season started but we were on a mission last night. Like spaceballs - never give up never surrender. Our 2nd and 3rd bowlers struggled a bit. The game was tight. Despite our constant barrage of strikes they kept up and were chipping rapidly away at our 72 pin handicap. Their 1st bowler struggled a bit but then started stringing together strikes. Their 4th and 5th bowlers were burying 1 ball after another. So fast forward 10th frame. I spared 6th, 7th and 8th frame but had a strike in the 9th. Threw the ball high and ended up with an 8 / X. 225 game. Better but I was furious I missed the first strike (nail in their coffin) in the 10th. Our 2nd bowler misses a 7 pin spare - right hander. DOH! Not good there is a nail in our coffin. Oh wait there 2nd bowler throws and gets the 6-7-10 split. A little help from the bowling gods - NOT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! He picked it up and that just further fueled their fury. Now they were already ordering their 1st half 1st place shirts and planning their celebration victory. Things looked grim. We had our 4th bowler now on 9 strikes and our 5th bowler on a spare in the 9th. They had 4th and 5th bowlers sitting on 3 baggers going into the 10th. Our anchor was already planning his defeat speech. It was all but over. A little incident between our 4th bowlers - their 4th bowler, in an obvious classless act in an attempt to win, made some comments to our 4th bowler who was on 9 strikes - trying to throw him off his game. He didn't falter and threw the 10th strike but then got tapped on the next ball. So their 4th bowler throws and ends up with 6-7-10 split - karma, how does that taste? Looking at the score we are still in this thing. Our 4th bowler (with his old ball) throws a 289. 5th bowlers are now up in a .000000000001mm tight game. Both throw the first 2 strikes. Our 5th bowler throws the 3rd ball and gets tapped - 10 pin. Now we are up by 10 pins and we need the league's best bowler to not throw a strike or we lose (due to tie game, losing totals they would have won the 1st half 68-67). Their 5th bowler gets up there and throws one of the smoothest balls I have ever seen - my heart sank. It slams the pocket and...............................tapped!!!!!! The crowd goes wild (literally our entire league was watching at this point - glad I am the lead off bowler). We win by 1 pin. 1 stinking pin. lol. We are getting our anchor 1 pin for christmas.
Victory was ours (68-67) in the greatest bowling night (maybe not score wise) of my life. It does not get any better than that. I have a phone conference with Oliver Stone later to start working on the movie. It was classic of how we bowled ugly all year and somehow won. Looking forward to the 2nd half. Having way too much fun and happy to be back bowling.
Game # 1
I couldn't do anything - ended up with a 179. Our 2nd bowler was bowling out of his mind ended up with a 259 (177 average). 3rd, 4th and 5th bowler struggled. We lost by 24 pins. Our 2nd bowler looked like his dog just died. He was like what do I gotta do? I knew it but he was quiet about it. Our 4th bowler used a new ball?!?!??! Although I seriously questioned it I didn't say anything and neither did anyone else. 205 average and he racks off a 155. I felt losing by 24 pins this was our best chance - their anchor, probably best bowler on the league, struggled a bit first game and with a 227 average came in with a 197 game.
Game # 2
I struggled a bit to start but figured out I was trying to muscle the ball and it was just sliding instead of getting any action. Corrected this, racked off a few strikes (4 in a row at one point) and ended up with a 200. Better but not good enough. Our 2nd bowler, dejected, ended up bowling 194 - not bad for a 177 average but our 3rd, 4th and 5th bowlers all struggled again. 9th frame of the game I pulled the 4th bowler aside and I said listen man enough with the new ball put it away. He said he already decided to throw the 9th and 10th frame as well as 3rd game with his old ball. We lost 2nd game by 150 pins but really totals didn't matter anyways.
Game # 3
After a shot of Johnny Vegas we regrouped and now the reality of the situation set in - we hadn't lost 7 all year and this was not a good time to do so. I shot the first 5, our 4th bowler (with his old ball) shot the first 5 and our 5th bowler shot the first 5. Hello. We aren't going out without a fist fight. We might be considered the clowns of the league and we were counted out before the season started but we were on a mission last night. Like spaceballs - never give up never surrender. Our 2nd and 3rd bowlers struggled a bit. The game was tight. Despite our constant barrage of strikes they kept up and were chipping rapidly away at our 72 pin handicap. Their 1st bowler struggled a bit but then started stringing together strikes. Their 4th and 5th bowlers were burying 1 ball after another. So fast forward 10th frame. I spared 6th, 7th and 8th frame but had a strike in the 9th. Threw the ball high and ended up with an 8 / X. 225 game. Better but I was furious I missed the first strike (nail in their coffin) in the 10th. Our 2nd bowler misses a 7 pin spare - right hander. DOH! Not good there is a nail in our coffin. Oh wait there 2nd bowler throws and gets the 6-7-10 split. A little help from the bowling gods - NOT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! He picked it up and that just further fueled their fury. Now they were already ordering their 1st half 1st place shirts and planning their celebration victory. Things looked grim. We had our 4th bowler now on 9 strikes and our 5th bowler on a spare in the 9th. They had 4th and 5th bowlers sitting on 3 baggers going into the 10th. Our anchor was already planning his defeat speech. It was all but over. A little incident between our 4th bowlers - their 4th bowler, in an obvious classless act in an attempt to win, made some comments to our 4th bowler who was on 9 strikes - trying to throw him off his game. He didn't falter and threw the 10th strike but then got tapped on the next ball. So their 4th bowler throws and ends up with 6-7-10 split - karma, how does that taste? Looking at the score we are still in this thing. Our 4th bowler (with his old ball) throws a 289. 5th bowlers are now up in a .000000000001mm tight game. Both throw the first 2 strikes. Our 5th bowler throws the 3rd ball and gets tapped - 10 pin. Now we are up by 10 pins and we need the league's best bowler to not throw a strike or we lose (due to tie game, losing totals they would have won the 1st half 68-67). Their 5th bowler gets up there and throws one of the smoothest balls I have ever seen - my heart sank. It slams the pocket and...............................tapped!!!!!! The crowd goes wild (literally our entire league was watching at this point - glad I am the lead off bowler). We win by 1 pin. 1 stinking pin. lol. We are getting our anchor 1 pin for christmas.
Victory was ours (68-67) in the greatest bowling night (maybe not score wise) of my life. It does not get any better than that. I have a phone conference with Oliver Stone later to start working on the movie. It was classic of how we bowled ugly all year and somehow won. Looking forward to the 2nd half. Having way too much fun and happy to be back bowling.