2nd Annual Billy Hardwick Memorial Aslan vs. ZDawg Southern California Inviational

[Mark O]

Very entertaining, especially with Jibber Jabber Randy Pedersen providing commentary, and it looks like you guys had fun! Well except for Mike, but I can sympathize with him because I bowl at a Brunswick Zone too and their approaches are often very tacky and it can be extremely frustrating trying to bowl when you are a slider and you are fighting with the approaches every frame. And that isn't including the sticky spots on the floor and the general party atmosphere surrounding you guys, that's a situation that definitely isn't conducive to high scoring but you guys still managed to put up some pretty nice scores. Mike has a dynamite first ball and you can see the improvement in both Aslan and Zdawg's games from when they filmed last year's tournament. If you guys decide to do it again next year things could get very interesting scratch. Congrats on the back to back wins Aslan!

[vdubtx]

Oh yeah you can bowl in many conditions, but you bowl bad in those conditions, which explains why you average 160's.

I tend to bowl where the game is taken a bit more seriously, and therefore average much higher.

Yet since I've bowled better, some how you deserve help to improve your chances of winning.

With the exception of the time we bowled on lanes so bad they were removing them, you've never bowled better than I did.

In all the weeks at Norco, even with their **** pour cleaning of the approaches, you never beat me for the series.

So I guess it makes sense to search out the extremes for conditions which you are "used" too.

Can we say sore loser?

You agreed to the center and to give handicap. If you don't agree with it, don't bowl. A 200+ average bowler almost getting beat by a 160 bowler scratch? Was only 25 pins between the two of you scratch correct?

Regardless of the conditions, whether it be approaches, oil pattern, kids running up on approach, a good bowler will put those things aside and compete at all levels. You could have gotten close to beating Aslan including Handicap, but you missed several makeable spares. Also bad break with that 8-10.

Not sliding at the end of the approach was an issue, but I didn't see you test slide at the end of approach after you fell. You tested your slide in the middle of the approach. If you have issues at the line, that is where you should test your slide.

You bowled well though, 621 series with the fall/foul certainly put you off for a frame.

Aslan has certainly upped his game and has improved quite a bit since a year ago.

On any given day anyone can be beat.

Way to go Aslan! 596 scratch is a great set. Congrats on your victory. Next time you will beat him scratch if you keep improving like you have been.

[Mike White]

Can we say sore loser?

You agreed to the center and to give handicap. If you don't agree with it, don't bowl. A 200+ average bowler almost getting beat by a 160 bowler scratch? Was only 25 pins between the two of you scratch correct?

Regardless of the conditions, whether it be approaches, oil pattern, kids running up on approach, a good bowler will put those things aside and compete at all levels. You could have gotten close to beating Aslan including Handicap, but you missed several makeable spares. Also bad break with that 8-10.

Not sliding at the end of the approach was an issue, but I didn't see you test slide at the end of approach after you fell. You tested your slide in the middle of the approach. If you have issues at the line, that is where you should test your slide.

If the competition is about pure ability, then yes, anywhere, anytime.

But when handicap is involved, you're based that handicap on specific conditions.

When the competition is on completely different conditions, those handicaps aren't valid.

I'm really not sure why we use handicaps at all. The "Winner" isn't necessarily the one who bowls better.

Just better relative to what they have done in the past.

The worse their past, the better they appear to be now.

Several makable spares?

I left a 3-6-10, and shot it the way I normally would, I just didn't compensate for brunswick lanes (not oil) being lower friction than AMF.
I left a 1-2-4 and again, lower friction lane made it hook a bit less than I anticipated.

The only other "makable" spare would be the washout 1-2-4-10, and I was within a fraction of an inch of making it.


As for the testing the approach, the problem was what was on the bottom of my shoe, not what was on the approach.

If it doesn't stick midway to the foul line, it wasn't going to stick out there.

The people next to us had their food and drinks right up by the approach, and since I start far left on the approach, I get close to them.

I had to stop and clean up about a 2-3" diameter puddle of water just behind where I would start my approach.

Aslan also edited out the 4-5 minute wait for a ball return when I left a 10 pin.

My ball came back with a large patch of black gook, that took a good deal of elbow grease to get rid of.

[NewToBowling]

Yeah I understand Aslan beat you with handicap and those rules were agreed upon. Aslan won the match but did not out bowl you. Total pinfall is what really matters to me IMO

[vdubtx]

Several makable spares?

I left a 3-6-10, and shot it the way I normally would, I just didn't compensate for brunswick lanes (not oil) being lower friction than AMF.
I left a 1-2-4 and again, lower friction lane made it hook a bit less than I anticipated.

The only other "makable" spare would be the washout 1-2-4-10, and I was within a fraction of an inch of making it.

Yep, several. Had it been 2 I would have said it was a couple makeable spares. Close only works with horseshoes and hand grenades.

[Aslan]

Yeah I understand Aslan beat you with handicap and those rules were agreed upon. Aslan won the match but did not out bowl you. Total pinfall is what really matters to me IMO

First (and foremost)...lets just repeat the obvious...that Aslan is the 2-time, back-to-back champion of the BHMAVZSCI. That is undisputed.

Next...yes, Mike is a sore loser. But it's cool. Everyone has their personality "pluses" and everyone has their personality "minuses". I know I'm in the minority...but I think Mike is an interesting cat and I like him. But no...if I purely judged my friends on their sportsmanship...I'd have to cut Mike loose...because I've never seen him shoot a bad game and not blame something or someone for it. And thats, believe it or not, NOT that uncommon in bowling. It's very rare actually to hear bowlers admit they just didn't throw the ball well.

Next...handicap. Newtbowl and MWhite are COMPLETELY missing the point...as did Iceman when we were discussing the Aslan vs. Iceman Challenge. You see...handicap is absolutely VALID and NECESSARY...because Mike and Rob (used in the same sentence just to poke the anthill with a stick) have what? 35? 40? years of experience in league level bowling?? So how do we compensate for guys like me and ZDawg that started bowling in 2013 and a guy like Mike that started bowling in 1979? Do we just "spot" him 34 years of experience?

You see...I agreed to bowl scratch in Vegas in the AVI Challenge ONLY because 'technically' Iceman had only been bowling seriously for maybe 1-2 years longer than me. So while he had an elevated average...it wasn't because of 3 decades of experience. And I felt that on any given day I could bowl my butt off and beat bowlers of the calibre of MWhite, Rob, and Mudpuppy. But...I finished dead last. With handicap...I probably still would have lost because Rob was in FIRE during the stepladder finals.

So yes...Mike is right...I never came close to beating him in an entire series in our sport shot league. And I don't think I'm at the level yet where bowling Mike scratch on standard lane conditions is going to result in a victory. And yes...my average up until now has been set bowling on lane conditions that have been very, very challenging. Where as, Mike's average is from one of the easier house conditions that I've bowled on in the southern California area. Remember, I average 12 points higher at Mike's home center than I do at my own. I would say of all the centers I've bowled at...now that my home center has gone to synthetics vs. wood...his home center is the easiest with Tustin Lanes being a close second. If AMF Carter keeps 'tinkering' with their pattern...they could easily surpass both Arlington and Tustin in terms of easy conditions...but that remains to be seen.

But like VDub said...the handicap was fair and agreed upon beforehand...and ZDawg got way more pins than I did...so it's all good. WITHOUT handicap...the problem would be that Mike really wouldn't need to bowl well to win. He could go out and throw a few 175 games...which he could easily do regardless of conditions and noise and everything else...and he'd put up a 525. ZDawg would have to bowl much better than he usually does...and I'd have to bowl better than I usually do...just to be competitive...but Mike could throw a couple 200 games and then throw a 150 not even trying and beat us. Handicap puts PRESSURE on guys like Mike or Mudpuppy or even VDubtx to bowl at their best ability. Mike, for various reasons, didn't have his "A"-game. I brought my A-game. ZDawg brought his "B"-game. So I won. The evidence is all there in video in cyberspace. It wasn't like I was getting brooklyn strikes left and right. I was pounding the pocket at close to 80%...which is very good for me. And had my spare game not collapsed in Game 1, we wouldn't be having this conversation because Mike would be in some unibomber cabin in the woods sulking about losing to me scratch...AGAIN (Aslan Wood Lanes Challenge 2014).

I mean, where are we going with this?? Does Mike think I "hustled" him? That I've always been capable of putting up near 600 series and 240 games...but I was trying to lure him into some hustle? For what? There's no money on the table. What...I spent 3 seasons bowling in the 160s just so I could establish a 162 average and defeat Mike in the 2nd Annual BHMAVZSCI???

Mudpuppy Cliff Notes: Aslan = WINNER!!