Sunday, March 23, 2008

Uh Oh.....an "O"-fer

The whole team was back for the 1st time in weeks and my buddy Brian looked like a new man. Our speculation that he was at an intensive bowling camp for the last few weeks was quickly dispelled as we saw him throw misguided ball after misguided ball. Is he going for the elusive sub 90 game, I asked myself? As it turns out he did achieve the team low of 86 (previous team low held by Mark and Pat with an 89). Of course the brothers aren't nearly men enough to have this score announced themselves so they talked Rick into doing it (it was funny, though). Dan (the unfeeling bastard) pointed out that Brian needed to bowl a 214 in this last game while kingpin Dan didn't even need to play a 3rd game for them to tie for the series.


Although I thought everyone knew I was an ass man, I was somewhat dismayed at Pat's shocked reaction when I proudly declared: "I'm an ASS man!". Maybe it was the timing of the comment since he had just referred to our teammate Rick as "Assman". Speaking of Rick, I find myself with a goofy smile on my face every time I think of his "She's Mrs. Candyland" comment regarding the 7 of clubs. Between that and the weekly USS (urine stained socks) comments, I am really glad I can affectionately call him my teammate.


I feel it is only right that I give Dan some credit. He bowled an impressive 614 series (230, 187, 197). At least he didn't gag like the last time he bowled over 230 and then followed it up with 125!!!! Hey, Dan....it's easier to bowl without you left hand clasping your throat!!!. Brian rallied in the last game to avoid his all time low 312 series, Rick was a little below average while Pat and I had 490 - something series. Right at our averages but bowling your average is kind of like kissing your sister....or in this case kissing your neighbor!! One more week of this humiliation and then I am off for a week of Deliverance-like adventures down in the backwoods. Pat sure has a pretty mouth!

Author's note: All accounts above are pure fiction and written by the same author as always. Any similarities to real people on a weekly bowling team in Wheaton is pure coincidence. Any change in style from an impartial 3rd party to a 1st party team member perspective is done strictly in the interest of providing a different point of reference.

Wednesday, March 12, 2008

That Damn 10 Pin

It has been suggested that Los Diablos may not be an appropriate title since our recent efforts do not seem to justify what should be an intimidating name. Or, could it be that our play has gone to hell and that our name is totally befitting of our collective performance? Time will only tell and there is one fact that remains...we ARE in the playoffs and anything can happen once the big bucks are on the line!


Despite the fact that the scoreboard showed we were down over 100 pins very early on in the 1st game, Rick shook the dew off the lily and bowled five quick frames to get caught up after his late arrival. This seemed to spark the team on and going into the 10th we were in the thick of things...until we finished the 10th that is and managed to lose the game by 4 pins. Was it Jim's split inspired open frames in the 8th and 9th frames? Was it Pat's solid 6 spot in the 10th or Dan bowling 5 pins below his average? Perhaps Rick failing to mark in the 10th...we all could have picked up 4 pins somewhere along the way. The disappointing finish to game one led to a good 'ole fashion ass-kicking in the 2nd game. We did however salvage the 3rd game to maintain our stranglehold on last place.


Both Pat and Dan Prybel'd, pulling off the unconventional 1st ball gutter, 2nd ball spare routine. Rarely has this feat been achieved since the departure of "Walk-away Mark" and to see it twice in one evening is baffling. What could cause two 160 + bowlers to do this? I am not sure but it may have been indirectly related to Jim's disturbing comment (request?) to Scott about throwing him a big bone. I don't even want to know whose big bone was being referenced and where it was going to be thrown but my anal sphincter is puckering up as I type this!!



The glory of 1st is in our past, unfortunately now we are solidly LAST!!!

Sunday, March 2, 2008

The computer is back...an update

A few weeks without the services of the home computer and the blogging world is clamoring for a Los Diablos Bowling team update. In the past few weeks we have seen our 1st 600 series, turned in by Rick with an impressive 618. If Rick could actually get a mark in the 10th I could see a 700 series in his future. Nice job. Speaking of marks in the 10th.....the whole team (all five of us) went without a mark in the 10th frame of the 1st and the 3rd game...and Brian wasn't even here!!! Needless the say, we let a 7-0 evening turn into a 2-5 evening. Dan turned in the season's high game for the team with a 231 (previous team high by Dan at 226) and immediately found the 1st ball gutter ball that had previously eluded him and managed to score 105 pins lower in the next game. As a team we also shattered our previous high of 902 with a nice 927 effort. Pat's recent tear has put him in the low 160's, steadily improving his average.

Clearly some highs and lows over the last few weeks. Now let's do a little reflection on the season. Remember how we started out? 14-0 after 2 weeks and 19-2 after 3 weeks. We all knew that torrid of a pace would not continue but as of 11/13/07 we had a very respectable 50-27 and were solidly in 1st place. We started the downward slide about this time and limped into a 1st half of the season playoff spot with a record of 60-52 (10 and 25 the last 5 weeks of the 1st half). It doesn't get any prettier...since our 50-27 in November, we have gone 25 and 66. OUCH.

We are running out of time boys, winning breeds winning and losing breeds losing. We need to get back in the habit of winning in order to make some noise in the playoffs. We started the season solidly in first, it now appears we are aiming for worst.