tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-91210988401212648812024-03-04T22:03:05.726-06:00Los Diablos Bowling TeamWe're not the best and we're not the worst, but we STILL HAVE TIME to finish first!!!!!!Kayak Man Danhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16335537391414889980noreply@blogger.comBlogger72125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9121098840121264881.post-80551050320710718132011-08-31T18:21:00.004-06:002011-08-31T19:03:11.778-06:00We are off......another season underwayThe day after any bowling night is always interesting. Will there be a blog entry, will there be a string of e-mails or text messages? Or will we all just secretly not speak the unspeakable based on some of the team's recent "successes"? Do we hope that the actions of the previous night might somehow have actually been a dream (nightmare?) and not a reality?
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<br />All valid questions that I will now answer. First thing Wednesday morning sure enough, out comes the "how'd we do?" e-mail from JD. Not missing a beat, Jim M. tosses in some wit at the team's expense, followed shortly by an always encouraging word from Jim H. (thanks for your eternal optimism JH). Nothing seems too strange here, right? Unless you know who bowled, that is. Notably absent from the commentary was Dan, Brian, Mark and Pat...the guys that actually mustered up the courage to take an 0-7 ass-whippin at the expense of the MAN, the Myth, the Legend....Neil Falsedick.
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<br />With the one exception of Mark who won $13 for his 164 and had a 514 series, the Diablos (I'll say it again....dumb name) were not up for the challenge of participating in a Men's bowling league. Mr. Asterisk had a 438, El Capatain a 419 and Rocky "I'm not the anchor" Redbridge needed a mark in the 3rd game's 10th frame to eek out a 405. Possibly more impressive was the Prybel-esque manner in which he did it (yes, the dreaded gutter / spare combo) If someone can quietly bowl a 125 pins below average it was achieved by Pat, inspiring a "I had know idea you were bowling so shitty" comment at the end of the evening.
<br />Kayak Man Danhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16335537391414889980noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9121098840121264881.post-84852303593682986542010-10-24T07:39:00.005-06:002010-10-24T16:44:18.454-06:00Quaterly report: 2010 - 2011 seasonAs I read the last entry (a guest author submission by bowler #4 back in March), it prompted me to read some previous entries. Not only did I enjoy the way the words just flew off the screen effortlessly, it brought me back to a glorious time in the history of Los Diablos. There was talk of the team 5 x 500 (this "land on Pluto" type dream has not been mentioned once this year) and weekly 7-0 records. We sat clearly on top of our division. Was last season a preview of our future league domination or was it a fluke, an aberration, as it were? I will let you decide.<br /><br /><br />Having had the distinction of being the only other published author on this blog, JD knew he had to do something to get the updates started again. After all, wasn't it his argument (albeit a flawed one) that the long standing tradition (less than 1 year) of the tequila frame must be reinstated to get the bowling world back on its axis? He was sure that his 11 in the first frame would prod this stubborn author into action but he was wrong. What could he do? He figured the only way to become legendary was to do something previously thought unachievable in a men's bowling league....he scored a 1 in the 1st frame. Knocking down only the 7 pin like a pro in a practice session, all he needed to do now was throw a gutter and the 1 would be his. Not JD, though!!! That would be too easy and not very noteworthy. As JD approached on his 2nd throw, he knew the only way to make this special was to throw the exact same ball again. He released the ball, it curved across the lane and to his delight, slid out of sight in the same spot vacated by the 7 pin, all 9 others in place. The smirk on his face seemed to say "write about <em>THAT, </em> blog master!"<br /><br />While I must admit that it is blog worthy, would we not all agree that Pat throwing a ball while the pin sweeper was still down was a little more "interesting"? As he watched the ball slowly roll back towards him after loudly crashing into the sweeper, a goofy "WTF? / "how'd that happen?" expression crossed his face. The bowlers on the surrounding lanes shook their heads in disgust and wondered how this group had ever managed to get into this league. Quite blog worthy I am sure you would agree....but the story does not end there. Seeking the attention that Pat got (negative as it were), Mark too let his ball fly while the ball sweeper was still down. Now the remaining teammates had the collective "WTF?" expressions on their faces. "We are going to get kicked out of this league" was their sentiment. Once was bad enough, but twice?<br /><br />Some facts to digest: Last year's team average: 824. This year's 769. Muck last year: 186, now 172. Dan last year: 167, now 156. Pat last year: 164, now 158. Brian last year: 155, now 140. JD last year: 158, now 134. That is 4 out of 5 with the sub 10 pin average asterisk next to their name. Pat is about a 440 series from making it 5 for 5. On a positive note, we did have the first beer frame of the year. Later on in that same game we again all had strikes during a team 7 consecutive strike run started in the 7th by JD. We are not the best, we are not the worst...something better change quick or we will never finish first.Kayak Man Danhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16335537391414889980noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9121098840121264881.post-40701476773286255162010-03-10T21:46:00.009-06:002010-03-10T22:30:07.265-06:00Guest author summarizes dismal 2-5 evening<span style="font-size:0;"><strong></strong></span><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;"><strong>Editor's note: Please enjoy a fresh perspective from guest author, bowler number 4, for the nice (unedited) summary of this past week's efforts. The references at the end have been added for clarification. As always, enjoy.<br /></strong><br /></span><em>"Fellow stray <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_0" class="blsp-spelling-error">diablos</span>,The <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_1" class="blsp-spelling-error">diablos</span> melt down to a 2-5 night, if it wasn't for Muck's 9 <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_2" class="blsp-spelling-error">strikes to</span> close out his 256 (?) game we would lost all 7! the subs held <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_3" class="blsp-spelling-error">there own</span> especially Mark with another strong 500 series. It was a very <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_4" class="blsp-spelling-error">quiet night</span> without a word about tequila, a <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_5" class="blsp-spelling-error">Diablo</span> tradition(*). I don't <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_6" class="blsp-spelling-error">feel number</span> 3(**) is an option, we need to some how bring back the team <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_7" class="blsp-spelling-error">tequila frame</span> in some format.On the ride back to <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_8" class="blsp-spelling-error">Naperville</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_9" class="blsp-spelling-error">Higgs</span> and <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_10" class="blsp-spelling-error">Prybel</span> wondered what happen <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_11" class="blsp-spelling-error">to tequila</span>? I believe in the 2<span id="SPELLING_ERROR_12" class="blsp-spelling-error">nd</span> game, 6<span id="SPELLING_ERROR_13" class="blsp-spelling-error">th</span> frame a tequila frame occurred.The super subs were at a loss with no tequila, a <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_14" class="blsp-spelling-error">Diablo</span> tradition(*). Hopefully we can work something out!"<br />milk toast</em><br /><br /><strong>(*)tra·di·tion trəˈdɪʃən/ </strong><a href="http://dictionary.reference.com/help/luna/IPA_pron_key.html" target="_blank"></a><strong>[truh-dish-uhn] </strong><a href="http://dictionary.reference.com/help/luna/Spell_pron_key.html" target="_blank"></a><strong>–noun</strong><br />1. the handing down of statements, beliefs, legends, customs, information, etc., from generation to generation, esp. by word of mouth or by practice: a story that has come down to us by popular tradition.<br />2. a long-established or inherited way of thinking or acting: The rebellious students wanted to break with tradition.<br /><strong>Editor's note: Los Diablos was formed on 1/3/2007. The long standing "tradition" started this season (although first introduced in concept during the last two weeks of the 2009 season). </strong><br /><br /><strong>(**) </strong>throwing additonal money in the poker pot in lieu of a tequilla round (ironically, the only option presented that did not keep the tequilla frame alive)Kayak Man Danhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16335537391414889980noreply@blogger.com23tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9121098840121264881.post-7920288920499008422010-02-27T09:18:00.002-06:002010-02-27T09:56:25.746-06:00We demand a recount!!!Going into the evening we all felt we were a sweep or 2 away from wrapping up the 2nd half division title based on what we thought was a commanding lead. A quick glance at the standings, accompanied by some BS "explanation", revealed that our lead was not quite what we thought it was. The explanation was there was a minor error and only about 15 points were re-assigned....no big deal. No big deal unless of course you are the team that saw your 21 point win column lead shrink to 12. Oh well, I guess it is what it is. How would the team respond?<br /><br />Bowling our most consistent game of the year (172 low to 193 high) the 895 total was good for a 31 point win. While the 2nd game was not as good (835) it was almost as consistent with scores ranging from 151 to 184 and a 37 point win. Game 3 saw a further dip to 819 (but still above average) and a 153 point victory for a 7-0 sweep. We will just have to build up our big lead again.<br /><br />Brian remained on a tear blowing away the perceived unachievable 500 for the 2nd week in a row with a 553 (177,184,172). For his efforts he got to buy the team a tequila round. Jim bowled 541 with a 193, 170, 178. Dan's 517 was nothing special with a 173, 164, 181. Pat managed to get a 470 despite not hitting the head pin one time all evening. This marks only his 2nd sub 500 series since his 629 series 10 week ago. That brings us to JD.<br /><br /> Perhaps it was the preseason hope that JD would be challenging Jim for the anchor spot or his own recent success that prompted Brian to once again show he was indeed the team captain. Making a bold lineup change he switched Pat and JD. How would he react? How does a 181 followed by a 166 sound? With a 2 game total of 347 a 500 series was almost ensured. The team's consistent first 2 games had set us up for our best chance for the 5 x 5. There was no need for someone to bowl a 200+ to reach 500. Pat needed a 177 (he bowled a 147) and JD needed a 153 (he bowled a 121). Oh well, no 5x5 but a 7-0 evening nonetheless.Kayak Man Danhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16335537391414889980noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9121098840121264881.post-39139574469695548572010-02-21T07:52:00.006-06:002010-02-21T09:14:58.842-06:002 pins away from a 7-0Although they are a team in disarray, anytime we meet head to head with the Misfits it is a special night. The bad blood between the teams may have stemmed from the infamous no hand shake game last year when we kicked their asses and had no shame in letting them know it all evening. Or is it the Mini Me's and the blue tooth? I have written many times about our battles with the Misfits and to see the team crumble before your eyes almost make you cry. Almost, that is, until you hear Neal mumble something about "wrong side", or watch his contorted delivery style (oh, yeah, forgot, only Pat and I admit to watching other bowlers). Yet I think what gets us the most (as well as other league members) is the yell as his ball approaches the pins. Jim, from the next lane over, described the yell as the sound one would make as a boiled potato was being inserted in one's rectum (rectum...damn near killed him!!). I can only hope to never experience this procedure to validate that theory.<br /><br />After last week's light bulb moment regarding the likelihood of reaching a 500 series(not), I am glad to report that Brian decided to man-up and actually prove to the team, and to himself, that he could break a 500. His first 2 games of 179 and 182 put him in excellent position (wait, I have heard this tune before). Would the desire to remain a 148 bowler overshadow this great start? No!!! Bringing it home with a 211 he bowled a career high 572 series. Of course we all enjoyed our captain's success and continually reacted well as he was having his success but nothing could have matched our reaction after one particular strike. Knowing it was a "cheap" strike, a grinning Brian stuck out his hand for a high five from Neal. Looking shocked and disgusted all at once, Neal disdainfully turned his head and left Brian's hand hanging in the breeze.<br /><br />Other bowlers also had success on this evening. A couple lanes down Dave was clearly irritated when his 300 game slipped away, prompting Jim to state: "Ole long arm doesn't like 280 games". Speaking of Jim, he rolled a solid 565 (182, 180, 203), Pat's 569 (165, 205, 199) was 2nd to Brian and Dan had a quiet 540 (174, 199, 167). Four down and one to go for the 5 x 5(despite Brian's "not a chance in hell that is ever going to happen with me on the team" declaration last week). JD has flirted with and achieved the 500 in recent weeks so it seemed a distinct possibility. Although a 137, 157 and 136 would be admirable scores if you took 3 separate IQ tests, this is a men's bowling league and a 430 series is not all that impressive. Better get those 133 average evenings out of the way before the neighborhood kids finish their five lessons!!<br /><br />With all games above average (837, 923, 916) we finished the evening 5-2. This despite losing the 1st game by 2 pins (when we thought we had it in the bag). Tequila shots (as well as Fat Tuesday chips and salsa) were supplied by Dan, who cried: "JD has gotten about 3 strikes all night and one of them has to be when I have to buy shots?" Although Dan's recent 10th frame difficulties seemed to be eliminated, there was one particular 1oth when Dan did not have a strike and 2nd man Brian managed to get his first 2 strikes in the 10th. Pat then proceeded to throw a non strike on his first throw which prompted Jim to say: "That may be the first ever one ball, double tequila bailout".Kayak Man Danhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16335537391414889980noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9121098840121264881.post-81287484264923757742010-02-15T07:39:00.004-06:002010-02-15T08:31:20.619-06:00An average eveningSporting a team average of 809 our scores for the evening were 830, 800 and 803. Based on the "all we have to do is bowl our average" theory you would think that we won the first game and lost the second two....as well as series. If that is how you thought, you would be right. Could it have been the shots of Oberweis chocolate milk that powered us to the first game victory or the lack of tequila shots that contributed to the below average 2nd and 3rd games? You never really can tell but with no beer frames or tequila frames you may get the impression that the team was not clicking on all cylinders.<br /><br />To his credit, JD came out smokin' with a 170 and 210. Knowing that a 500 series was in the bag it appeared he may have let his guard down in game three. I am not sure if the 88 was in the 7th or the 8th but I threatened to wring his neck if he let the 500 series slip away after his great start. He puffed out his chest and declared: "If I don't get a 500 I will not bowl the rest of the year". I am glad to report he rallied to reach the girly 120's (127) and finish with a 507. Jim's lackluster evening was somewhat salvaged as he need a 204 in the 3rd game to match JD's 507. Pat's 508 was the high series of the night while Dan's 492 wa slightly below average. Brian's 1st game 153 had us all anticipating a normal week's performance of three games of 150 plus or minus 6 pins (we wish). Brian scorched past the girly 120's with a 132 and 134.<br /><br />There was one "light bulb" moment on this non descript evening. Brian, with his 148 average, came to the realization that it is much more difficult (and unlikely) for him to get a 500 series than it is for Jim (185 average) to get a 500 series. I am pretty sure as Brian was stating this somewhat obvious fact that in his mind he was thinking ".....so get OFF MY BACK!!" I just don't think "Four by 5 and a score less 500" has the same ring as "5 by 5". Who knows? Let's try it out this week.Kayak Man Danhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16335537391414889980noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9121098840121264881.post-91727813604484210562010-02-07T07:03:00.006-06:002010-02-08T20:09:05.508-06:00Ass-pan returns..or does he?With a last minute sub (Mark) in for the previous last minute sub (Jim H.),no one was sure how the team would react due to the line up changes or the absence of the team captain. Does a record breaking 960 game answer the question? With scores ranging from 166 to 234, it was clear that everyone was on their game and in the first game we needed to be. We blew away our previous high game by 24 pins and managed to win the game by only 17 !! You feel a little bad when a division "C" team out bowls their average by 131 pins and still loses to a division "A" team....NOT! As the Beatles say: "......isn't it good, Morning wood." At least they got that going for themselves.<br /><br />You may recall we came out smoking last week and then had a huge 2nd game let down (130 pins) but that would not be the case tonight. With scores ranging from 165 to 204 we recorded a 907 and were up 4-0. Unfortunately, although above average, our 3rd game (822) was quite a bit lower with scores ranging from 125 to 200. Wait, I see a trend. A girly 120's, or lower (never mind, Brian wasn't here) and our team score suffers. I have seen the light. The reduced score resulted in a 4-3 evening, not bad considering how well a division "C" team bowled.<br /><br />You may be wondering if the excellent scores had any further perks and they did indeed! A first of the season beer frame and 2 tequila frames. Feeling so good about ourselves we even went with the pizza / fries combo pack. Could all 3 games over our average equal the elusive 5 x 5? Dan's 616 was a career high series coupled with a career high game (234), this despite his Asspan-like 10th frame collapse in all 3 games . Jim had a very nice 575 (209, 172, 194) and Pat continued his 500+ tear with a 510 (180, 184, 146). Three down and 2 to go. Mark's 1st 2 games of 166 and 204 had the team talking of how it seemed like Mark was playing for a roster spot and that a 500 was in the bag. Oops...4 splits in the first 8 frames had Mark talking to himself. Thank goodness for the 10th frame turkey which allowed him to climb his way into the girly 120's with a 125. This left him at a 495. JD's 171, 165 also left him sniffing at a 500 but a 3rd game 157 left him 7 pins short with a 493.Kayak Man Danhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16335537391414889980noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9121098840121264881.post-69222800348978416562010-01-28T20:14:00.009-06:002010-01-30T13:18:13.209-06:00Los Diablos continues to roll despite slight letdownYou would think that sitting on top of our division and having the winless "B" team as our next opponent might make us a little overconfident. Couple that with the total catastrophic meltdown that the Misfits are suffering through it set up as a perfect opportunity to put our collective foot on the throat of the division and end this race early. We have, however, choked in the past in this type of scenario. How would we react on this particular night?<br /><br />The team came out on fire led by the leadoff man's 213 (in light of the brewing bad blood regarding the self ingratiating positive press afforded this individual I will forgo mentioning him by name), Pat and Jim hit the 190's and Brian was a pin shy with a 189. If not for the milktoast effort of 150 by the 4th bowler we would have shattered the Los Diablos' all time high game.<br />Bottomline, a 143 pin shellacking. Talk of a 5 X 500 and a 7 - 0 sweep now was quite prominent.<br /><br />How did we react? 159 pins less than our first game, a mark less first frame and a 124 and a 117 game (insert names as you see fit). For as bad as we bowled, we only lost by a mere 15 pins, therefore giving the other team their first 2nd half points after starting out 0-23. I'll be the first to admit I am not sure how the team scoring goes and Brian always seems to know what we need to do in the 10th to win, but I am pretty sure that a gutter after a spare in the 10th doesn't help, right?<br /><br />In the third game we bowled below our average (792) yet still managed to win. taking the evening 5-2. Not a bad effort considering the disturbing and distracting 4 inches of hairy butt crack we were subjected to each time Rich bowled. Oh yeah, only Pat and I noticed it since no one else on the team watches anyone else bowl, they only watch the pins (so they homophobically claim). Not sure who those people were with which I had weekly conversations regarding the different bowling styles such as boner leg Rosary Florist man, Corkscrew Hank, Double bird Corn, gyration Jim K. and long arm Dave Weil. Oh well, glad Pat and I share more than a name and are secure enough in our mandhoods to observe everything in our surroundings and not be so paranoid to comment on it (i.e. sweaty crack fat man in the other league). So for the others on the team who did not notice.....<strong><em>there was more crack on our lane than Harlem!! </em></strong><br /><strong><em></em></strong><br />Jim 596 (194, 215, 187), No Name 544 (213, 160, 171), Pat 498 (190, 161, 147), Brian 444 (189, 117, 138)...nice way to offset the 189 effort with a 117 to get to your 150 average!!. Finally, Milktoast 423 (150, 124, 149). This fine 141 aveage earned him the right to buy shots. We are still beer frame free.Kayak Man Danhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16335537391414889980noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9121098840121264881.post-37021380582306752202010-01-23T16:32:00.011-06:002010-01-24T09:36:34.697-06:00Readers outraged......alleged biased reporting!!Scouring through reams of old copy and compiling some "statistics" of his own, the captain felt it was time to back his anchorman's claims and finally end the controversy over the alleged lack of fair and unbiased reporting. The "take that, you prejudiced @#%hole" sentiment was clearly felt as Brian exposed the truth regarding the frivolous nonsense that the readers of this blog have been subjected to over the last few years. Clearly offended by the author's lame attempt earlier in the week to "prove" how fair the reporting has been, Brian laid out a laundry list of facts that showed that indeed this blog was a self serving forum in which the author spoke poorly of his teammates and protected the sanctity of the family. All I can say is I merely call it as I see it (and then embellish it so that it makes me smile).<br /><br />Now, on to the recap of this week's contest. Everyone was on top of their game right off the bat, all bowling above average. Everyone except Jim, that is. As this year's new anchor he has been carrying the team, continually exceeding his outstanding performance from the week before. As a team we all secretly fear there will be an off season Wilbur Marshall-like bidding war for his services from the likes of the Rat Bastards or Spare Dogs. Unthinkable you say? No one ever thought small town Mississippi boy Bret <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_0" class="blsp-spelling-error">Favre</span> would leave the Packers and go to big city New York but he did. Could Jim's slow start have been caused by the pressure of being the only one on the team not carrying an embarrassing average or could it have been another case of an angry bowel like he experienced last year? Whatever it was, it clearly was frustrating Jim that he could not hit his mark on the way to a 134. At one point Pat hunched over the table, looked cautiously from side to side and with a very concerned, hushed tone stated: "He's gonna blow before Rocco!" We were all glad to see he kept his cool despite only beating the <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_1" class="blsp-spelling-error">girly</span> 120's by a mere 5 pins.<br /><br /><br /><p>Another week passed and still no beer frame, however, we did get another tequila frame courtesy of Dan. Beer and or tequila frames usually have a certain level of anticipation and excitement in them as each bowler steps to the line. Are they up to the challenge or are they the ones to do the bailout? Worse yet, will they have to hit the hip and buy (therefore killing the beer frame and drinks on the house)? Do you root for the teammate's good fortune of another strike or do you secretly hope for a miss so that you do not have to buy? It's a delicate line that we all know has no impact on the outcome. However, on this particular night, Dan did not get to experience any of this as he was bowling in the next frame and was not aware that his non strike first ball in the previous frame had set up a tequila frame. While he walked back to his teammates without a care in the world his heart sank when he heard the fateful words "you might as well keep walking". The team gleefully pointed out that on this night and in this frame the tequila would be on Dan. Having missed out on any of the normal thrill that one usually experiences as a tequila (beer) frame unfolds, I can now relate to what the Sargent was referring to in Full Metal Jacket.....I didn't even get the courtesy of a "reach around" as I was getting #%&%'d up the &$$!!!</p><p>Well, I see I am on paragraph 4, and as Brian so painstakingly pointed out, my average entry is only 2 paragraphs (now that's a fact I would like to validate). Jim rallied in games 2 and 3 with a very nice 217, 223 combo and ended with highest series of the evening: 574. As these outstanding games were unfolding, the team discussed how it was good to have Jim "back". We all nodded our heads in agreement when Pat stated: "Thank God he's back...he was on the verge of tears". Speaking of 2 quote Pat, he had the next highest series of 573 (202, 189, 182). Dan followed with a 516 (177, 155, 184) and <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_2" class="blsp-spelling-error">JD's</span> 168, 179, 164 totaled for a 501. Sorry, JD, no big news flashes for a 501 like Mark got for his 500. Brian, possibly distracted by his impending investigative reporting, turned in a lukewarm (if not consistent) performance of 156, 144, 149 for a 449. That is 4 /5 of a five for five evening which lead to a 7-0 sweep.<br /><br /><br /></p>Kayak Man Danhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16335537391414889980noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9121098840121264881.post-36168213267318585942010-01-13T07:27:00.009-06:002010-01-13T09:02:00.607-06:00Ass whoopin...no, wait...a successful eveningInspired by Jake and Elwood Blues' mission from God to get the band back together, the captain felt it was time to reunite the starting lineup for Los Diablos. JD looked refreshed and ready to go and Jim M's enthusiasm was hard to ignore as he came in skipping, wildly waiving a piece of paper. This image brought back fond memories of the time my own son came home from preschool after he had received his first smiley face sticker for a job well done. Once Jim caught his breath, he was able to recall the glory from 2 days prior. Taking a perfect game into the 10th, Jim ended with a 279. Nicccceeee!!!<br /><br />With the starting lineup back together and the momentum from the 7-0 performance last week, the stars seemed to be aligned for another solid week. That is until we started bowling. A 232 pin loss.....wow!!! This was one to forget and does not need to be mentioned again...ever. The team score of 763 (our average is 797) was paced by Brian's 113. Not much to say here but it does make one ponder.......if a score in the 120's is "girly", what on earth can be used to described a score in the teens?<br /><br />The second and third games saw steady team improvement as the scores increased to 811 and 932. The 932 included 3 bowlers (Dan 222, Jim 213 and Pat 200) reaching the 200 plateau, potentially a 1st ever (although JD thinks we had 4 once). This improvement led to two victories and a 4-3 evening record. There really was no realistic hope for a 5 point effort after the huge hole we had dug ourselves into in the first game.<br /><br />No mention of beer frames or tequila frames, you ask? Oh, yes, we had our opportunities. As usual, when Jim steps up to the line with the chance to put the lime in the shot, the side bets started to fly. "He's clutch, start grabbin' your wallet" and "Yea, but he has been Mr. Bailout this year" are just a couple of the many comments that come out. You can almost guess what happened based on the fact that we have had 0 beer frames and only 2 tequila frames all year. Yep....another Muck bailout. The bowling gods only give out a certain amount of strikes to each bowler and Jim had apparently used up his quota on Sunday. While there were no shots to be consumed after this first opportunity, Jim did come through on the next 2 tries. Yes!! A 1st ever 2 tequila night!!<br /><br />Speaking of 1st's....Pat and Dan (with strikes in the 8th and 9th) had the rare opportunity to end a game (and the evening) with the turkey, ham bone, cinco equis combo platter. Although they both turkeyed they were unable to hit number 4 and 5 in a row. Nice ending tonight after a rough beginning. Scores for the evening: Jim 575 (169.193, 213), Dan 561 (171, 168, 222) Pat 518 (158, 160, 200), JD 467 (152, 152, 163) and Brian 385 (<strong><em>113,</em></strong> 138, 134<strong><em>).</em></strong> Hey, at least you beat Jim's 1st and 3rd game total of 382!!!Kayak Man Danhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16335537391414889980noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9121098840121264881.post-40700522510368198572010-01-09T08:02:00.003-06:002010-01-09T09:03:11.045-06:00Prybel sparks the team to a 7-0 evening<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhClpjhZ2wFeF0QX43szeOVV-LkmGsJKANYldGItXuKfQpl4oqaZiMGNihIH6hU2RTik19jU66x3mrh-4DdNdrSv89wmDjYtiqffIrESxyiWC9Ws4Cw2n1sMwyx2vay-4-YJNBzBWAvNxYo/s1600-h/Bags+2007-11+Mark.jpg"><img style="WIDTH: 320px; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5424755691250358514" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhClpjhZ2wFeF0QX43szeOVV-LkmGsJKANYldGItXuKfQpl4oqaZiMGNihIH6hU2RTik19jU66x3mrh-4DdNdrSv89wmDjYtiqffIrESxyiWC9Ws4Cw2n1sMwyx2vay-4-YJNBzBWAvNxYo/s320/Bags+2007-11+Mark.jpg" /></a><br /><div>After having held the top spot in the standings the majority of the 1st half of the season and then seeing an 0-14 stretch sink them into 2nd, Los Diablos was determined to come out strong in the 2nd half of the season. Sensing a little burnout, the team captain benched Jim M. and JD in favor of Jim H and Mark P. (not to be confused with Mark L). For any regular readers of this blog who may be wondering who is Mark L., you may better know him as FNG. While we have had a new 5th team regular each year, he was the only one to have been bestowed the nickname "FNG". Refer to any of a number of previous blog entries to remind yourself why (plus the author just likes the term FNG and this allowed him to use it once again!).<br /><br />With 2 new bowlers to integrate, the team captain created a lineup that could be best described as a "Doyle sandwich". Dan on top and Pat on the bottom with Mark, Jim H and Brian serving as the bacon, lettuce and tomato in the middle. The saying "it is better on top" held true on this night as Dan had a career evening with a 592 (193, 190 and 209). While this appeared to be quite impressive in the mind of Dan, apparently it was not in the minds of the 2 benched regulars. In 2 separate e-mail exchanges with said benched bowlers, they both congratulated Dan on the 7-0 evening and both stated: "heard Mark had a 500". When questioned if he had heard of the 592 series, JD replied; "you tend to hear about 500 or 600 series, you usually don't hear anyone talk about a 592 series". I guess I can't argue with that.<br /><br />Speaking of Mark's 500 series, it consisted of a 170, 152 and a 178. Mark stated that the 178 was his highest in competition but the team historian (how many roles on this team do I have?)must take exception to that. Please refer to Mark's 181 as listed in the newly updated "Career Highs"section of this blog (the averages are updated for the last 3 years also). Pat turned in a 3rd consecutive nice series (527.), while Brian had a solid 468 and Jim H.'s 147, 146, 148 showed an amazing level of consistency. Who would have thought 2 subs would help produce games of 827, 851 and 850? As in the NFL , the team is only as strong as its 53rd member.<br /><br />All in all a very good night despite some controversy over what constitutes a "tequila bailout". One scenario did occur and there was no controversy on this one. Dan opened a frame without a strike and then Mark, Jim and Brian all got strikes. Dan was all but ordering the shots knowing that BagsPat was now merging with BolwerPat and a 4th consecutive team strike was almost a foregone conclusion. Pat confidently stepped up and proceeded to throw what has been termed a "Doyle bailout". There would be no beer or tequila frames on this otherwise successful evening.</div>Kayak Man Danhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16335537391414889980noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9121098840121264881.post-75463817077264903952010-01-04T19:38:00.004-06:002010-01-04T20:09:19.909-06:00Mid term report - half the season is overAfter leading the standings much of the year, sometime in November we fell behind the dreaded Neal and the baldheaded mini me's. Two consecutive 0-7 weeks will do that to you. With first place now out of reach the goal was to hang on to 2nd as we hit the mid season break. Fortunately, we picked an opportune time to have a career day as a team. One week before position week and paced by Pat's insane 629 series (206,207, 216) the team was over 900 in all 3 games, had a scratch total of 2751 and a handicap series of 3702. Jim tried to keep pace with Pat as he checked in with a 613 (224, 197, 192). JD (521), Dan (520) and Brian (468) all contributed solid efforts also.<br /><br /><br />The 7-0 effort was not enough to catch the Misfits as they had us by 9 going into the head to head completion of position week. The magic from the week before was not there as we were not up for the challenge and lost the evening 2-5. Al tough Pat cooled off from the previous week, I think we all agree that some of BagsPat is starting to creep into BowlerPat and that is a good thing. Four of his last 6 games are over 200.<br /><br />Let's make the 2nd half of the season belong to Los Diablos and finish strong.Kayak Man Danhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16335537391414889980noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9121098840121264881.post-48234223529727630682009-12-07T19:49:00.004-06:002009-12-07T21:01:25.901-06:00Conspiracy theories abound at December to Remember Bagfest<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH6E_x4P8EY-WPpeHf5KR_3voELfnpVMws4RBgxs4hM1gF-D0aUINRgw3UoCpaFW-Olae24wnNdfbom6_sLaAKLmAoYAaBsUN26GAezVtafpvas5XEPK1fTK4QtKg4viGLPLdS70jdV9Sq/s1600-h/2009+DECMEBER+TO+REMEBER+BAGFEST-14.jpg"><img style="WIDTH: 263px; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5412694615864565730" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH6E_x4P8EY-WPpeHf5KR_3voELfnpVMws4RBgxs4hM1gF-D0aUINRgw3UoCpaFW-Olae24wnNdfbom6_sLaAKLmAoYAaBsUN26GAezVtafpvas5XEPK1fTK4QtKg4viGLPLdS70jdV9Sq/s320/2009+DECMEBER+TO+REMEBER+BAGFEST-14.jpg" /></a><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiw-Op7nVKlJKOfSDfoSyamijCQKv3bjbRRxIdQOkbsHBudSzCxfHI8KQLH-qTDz39RLG3ywUqaYU5wOsMDBs_CfnjAWWZTJ-XR5pVfmyvzNbPzTfGasJha0s8Qq9wXcwcEnQHryymDgUC2/s1600-h/2009+DECMEBER+TO+REMEBER+BAGFEST-26.jpg"><img style="WIDTH: 320px; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5412694609326059538" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiw-Op7nVKlJKOfSDfoSyamijCQKv3bjbRRxIdQOkbsHBudSzCxfHI8KQLH-qTDz39RLG3ywUqaYU5wOsMDBs_CfnjAWWZTJ-XR5pVfmyvzNbPzTfGasJha0s8Qq9wXcwcEnQHryymDgUC2/s320/2009+DECMEBER+TO+REMEBER+BAGFEST-26.jpg" /></a><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIlor1TakdZyd5a4LR1Ia6P6n_95WLLrff5gjwAzQ6QSav3L3nXQ8icm6VX_OBywuWSZphVW3wzDxe4ggIuymHQbsoMYuvA-jLZ0g238EqqmUs1RUl9JMiLMMDEW3goSIE54qcKUXbuMRg/s1600-h/2009+DECMEBER+TO+REMEBER+BAGFEST-22.jpg"><img style="WIDTH: 320px; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5412694602764392594" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIlor1TakdZyd5a4LR1Ia6P6n_95WLLrff5gjwAzQ6QSav3L3nXQ8icm6VX_OBywuWSZphVW3wzDxe4ggIuymHQbsoMYuvA-jLZ0g238EqqmUs1RUl9JMiLMMDEW3goSIE54qcKUXbuMRg/s320/2009+DECMEBER+TO+REMEBER+BAGFEST-22.jpg" /></a><br /><div>It was supposed to be a day filled with male bounding. You know the type of day we all dream about......eating chili, <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_0" class="blsp-spelling-error">sippin</span>' beer, <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_1" class="blsp-spelling-error">playin</span>' some bags. A testosterone tainted get together to have some fun and to celebrate the simple joy of being men. No big elaborate plans, no dramas regarding what was to be served or how it was to be served. Hey, its December, its cold, lets throw some bags!!!</div><div></div><br /><div>On the surface all things listed above seemed to be accomplished. Fourteen guys getting together to play a random draw doubles tournament followed by a random seeded singles tournament. Conspiracy theory number 1: Was defending <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_2" class="blsp-spelling-error">Bagtoberfest</span> double winner Pat <strong><em>randomly</em></strong> matched (handicapped) with rookie bag thrower Mike? Could the (what seemed to be) powerhouse team of JD and Jim H. being matched up and landing in the opposite side of the bracket truly be random? Does seem a little suspicious. However, JD / Jim H. only made it the 2<span id="SPELLING_ERROR_3" class="blsp-spelling-error">nd</span> round via a first round bye and then they ran into the buzz saw known as team Dan /Bill H. May have been a case of the "looking ahead to the next match" syndrome. There would be no victory for JD / Jim H on this December day.</div><div></div><br /><div>All team Pat / Mike did was plow through teams of Mark/Andy and Bill R./Jim M. (another <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_4" class="blsp-spelling-error">pre</span>-tournament favorite) on their way to dominating Dan /Bill H. in the finals. Pat was now 3 for 3 in Double D's <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_5" class="blsp-spelling-error">bagfest</span> competitions.</div><div></div><br /><div>Conspiracy theory number 2: tournament host Dan (and brother to Pat) landing in the opposite side of the bracket from Pat.....possibly ensuring himself of at least a 2<span id="SPELLING_ERROR_6" class="blsp-spelling-error">nd</span> place payout......<span id="SPELLING_ERROR_7" class="blsp-spelling-error">hmmm</span>!? Or could it be that Jim M. (creator of most of these theories) got a first round bye, thus ensuring he would not suffer the humiliation of a 1st round departure? Conspiracy or not, the games still had to be played and winners declared. Pat and Dan did indeed meet in the finals. Pat defeated JD and Jim M. on the way to the championship and Dan beat Mark, Steve and Andy before "losing" to Pat in the finals. Four tournaments and 4 championships for Pat....congratulations.</div><div></div><br /><div>P.S. anyone who witnessed the singles tournament would be more than a little suspicious that Dan did not win the title. He clearly was on top of his game as he obtained the never before achieved double, double skunk on his way to the finals. If you are unfamiliar with this term, it is when you skunk your opponent 2 games in a row and then skunk your next opponent 2 games in a row. After riding this skunk-cubed momentum to a first game victory over Pat you could almost feel the compassion Dan had for his little brother. After watching <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_8" class="blsp-spelling-error">BowlerPat</span> struggle every Tuesday Dan knew that a loss in bags would just about devastate Pat. Los <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_9" class="blsp-spelling-error">Diablos</span> needs <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_10" class="blsp-spelling-error">BagsPat</span> to remain strong if there is any hope for <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_11" class="blsp-spelling-error">BowlerPat</span>. Congratulations Pat and thanks Dan. </div></div></div>Kayak Man Danhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16335537391414889980noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9121098840121264881.post-64783876632729016372009-12-06T17:11:00.005-06:002009-12-06T17:59:40.116-06:00Hey Brian! You already got that one!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhANRBCEpDxEOSUBYbf0_tCAgSkVTe8RZqpZX8_ulXY-xJdhLgb9Tltbih9sgUqdyrpfEfL17IRQeXsmCZp9mKfjI9cxxkl-KBxk6ztBISgBpP1yhDnquZ_eQdrWUi0DmfgfGoU-XXESycX/s1600-h/2009+DECMEBER+TO+REMEBER+BAGFEST-11.jpg"><img style="WIDTH: 216px; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5412276112587318178" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhANRBCEpDxEOSUBYbf0_tCAgSkVTe8RZqpZX8_ulXY-xJdhLgb9Tltbih9sgUqdyrpfEfL17IRQeXsmCZp9mKfjI9cxxkl-KBxk6ztBISgBpP1yhDnquZ_eQdrWUi0DmfgfGoU-XXESycX/s400/2009+DECMEBER+TO+REMEBER+BAGFEST-11.jpg" /></a><br /><div>With Dan on injured reserve (or was he just avoiding being part of the upcoming beat down?), Los <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_0" class="blsp-spelling-error">Diablos</span> was looking for a spark to get back on track. Unfortunately, trying to get back on track against quality bowlers is never a good idea. With our team average hovering around 800 all year, we all know that if we just bowl our average good things will come. About that theory.....we bowled 761 (lost by 18), a 771 (lost by 107) and a <strong><span style="font-size:180%;">665</span></strong>! (lost by 125). OUCH. Our handicapped score was 999. A quick look <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_1" class="blsp-spelling-error">thru</span> the archives reveals a 681 was our previous low this season. Last year we had a 677 with Scott A. as a sub. By the way, Scott bowled a 308 series that night!!!! That's not all that bad if you are on the Kennedy Jr high girl's bowling team. But a grown man? Wow! Our lowest point last year was a 636, which consisted of a 121 from Brian, a 143 from Pat, a 150 from Jim, a 118 from JD and a 104 from <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_2" class="blsp-spelling-error">FNG</span>!!! We suck!! There is one thing in common to this week's 665 and last years 636....what could it be?</div><div></div><br /><div>Back to the evening's bowling. During one game, Los <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_3" class="blsp-spelling-error">Diablos</span> threw 4 gutter balls. As much as he tried, Brian was unable to join the others in the gutter spree as his ball just managed to clip the 10 pin for a 1. So much for the old theory that Brian can't pick up the 10 pin. Just to show it was not a fluke, Brian put his 2<span id="SPELLING_ERROR_4" class="blsp-spelling-error">nd</span> ball in the exact same location, this time hitting no pins. This feat prompted the league chairman (and opponent) to shout out: "Hey Brian, you already got that one!"</div><br /><div></div><div>Dan will be back (assuming the back allows) and Jim H. will be there to cheer us on as we hope to bet back on track and end the first half strong.</div>Kayak Man Danhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16335537391414889980noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9121098840121264881.post-16468427119613014922009-11-10T06:18:00.003-06:002009-11-10T06:31:45.588-06:00Back on trackAfter the previous week's effort where all 3 games were in the 700's, the team rebounded and bowled all three games in the 800's this week (824, 822, 830). When we lost the first game by only 6 pins we all were speculating out loud where we could have mustered up another 7 pins to pull out the victory. Was it the open frames in the 10<span id="SPELLING_ERROR_0" class="blsp-spelling-error">th</span> or the missed spares in the 5<span id="SPELLING_ERROR_1" class="blsp-spelling-error">th</span>? Bottom line is all frames by all bowlers contribute to a victory or a loss. Fortunately for us, we bounced back to take the 2<span id="SPELLING_ERROR_2" class="blsp-spelling-error">nd</span> and 3rd game as well as the series 5-2. As Jim is always quick to point out: "We always win 5-2 when I am here!" Maybe a little less fishing and hunting and a little more dedication may be in order.<br /><br />We fell short of the 5 x 500 (actually nobody shot in the 500's) but Jim's 605 was <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_3" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">definitely</span> note worthy and <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_4" class="blsp-spelling-error">JD's</span> 497 gives us hope that the anchorman that we all saw in JD last year would soon emerge. We also had three 200+ games with Jim finishing with a 203, 226 and JD bowling a 203.Kayak Man Danhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16335537391414889980noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9121098840121264881.post-66390396152518009522009-10-30T17:59:00.003-06:002009-10-30T18:37:38.987-06:00The team had a comfortable 10 point lead in the standings as we once again ventured out of our <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_0" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">division</span> to take on the 2<span id="SPELLING_ERROR_1" class="blsp-spelling-error">nd</span> best team in the league. As we have proven many times in the past, all we need to do is bowl our average or a little above and we have a very good chance of winning the evening. Handicaps are a great thing and even without Muck (also known as the new anchorman?) in attendance we felt good about our chances.<br /><br />Putting up our 800 team average against their 952 may intimidate some teams....but not Los <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_2" class="blsp-spelling-error">Diablos</span>!! Not only did we shrink like a <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_3" class="blsp-spelling-error">frightened</span> turtle from the challenge, we tossed out a season low 681.......yes, 681. That would be 119 pins below average. The sad thing is we only lost by 49. Two bowlers failing to reach the <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_4" class="blsp-spelling-error">girly</span> 120's and another achieving it could explain the stellar performance. <br /><br />Game 2 we stepped it up to a 730 and game 3 we were really smoking with a 754. Unfortunately for us, their score improved every game also, leading to the shameful 0-7. What we did manage to establish was an <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_5" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">official</span> reference name to Brian's <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_6" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">tendency</span> to clear out the 3 left pins on his first ball.....which will now forever be referred to as a "<span id="SPELLING_ERROR_7" class="blsp-spelling-error">BP</span>3". Editor's note: while the <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_8" class="blsp-spelling-error">BP</span>3 refers to knocking down the 4,7,8 pins, the team established frequently it could also be used for a 6,9,10 knockdown. <br /><br />As the 3rd game was concluding, the talk of a team 5 x 500 seemed ludicrous as 3 bowlers were struggling to flirt with a 400. The totals for the night: Pat 503 (could he be back?), Dan 492 (right on his 164 <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_9" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">average</span>), JD 402(got him talking about lunch time practice sessions), Brian 394 (has he EVER talked about a practice session?) and Mark 370 (he sure seems like a better bowler with the new ball but the results have not come yet). These scores prompted a <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_10" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">mandatory</span> 4<span id="SPELLING_ERROR_11" class="blsp-spelling-error">th</span> game team practice session. The only significant thing that came out of the 4<span id="SPELLING_ERROR_12" class="blsp-spelling-error">th</span> game was Mark's 1st two frames when he did a <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_13" class="blsp-spelling-error">Prybel</span> followed by a <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_14" class="blsp-spelling-error">BP</span>3. Yes, he missed them all then picked up the spare and then only knocked down 3 and also picked up that spare.<br /><br />As if the 0-7 evening could be any worse, the Misfits took all seven and are now within 3 games of the lead.Kayak Man Danhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16335537391414889980noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9121098840121264881.post-89446449580318829242009-10-25T07:29:00.003-06:002009-10-25T08:06:49.763-06:00The tension was high as the 1st place Diablos were matched up with the 2nd place Misfits. Was it their lack of a friendly handshake at the end of a dominating Diablos' performance last year or the fact that they edged us out in the standings that has caused this bad blood? Or could it be Dean's two-bird, ball return kicking tantrums? Maybe its Neil's bizarre style / yell / "wrong side" comments that irritates us. Maybe its the Mini Me's.....or maybe its just all of the above. Whatever it is, they are our Green Bay Packers......the team we want to beat the most.<br /><br />How did we handle this heated rivalry? As our name would imply, we came out on fire. Led by Jim's 215 and our 1st of the year tequila shot (courtesy of JD), we bowled a nice, above average 831, winning by 126 pins. In the 2nd game we were even better. With scores clustered between 154 and 190, we bowled an 849 which led to a 61 point victory. With puffed out chests the team was talking sweep, many of us already putting the dominating victory in the score book.<br /><br />Unfortunately, the "that's why you play the game" and "don't count your chickens until they are hatched" type phrases are so overused. Was it the affects of the tequila shot on our skills or the mental let down that contributed to what seemed was heading to a 4-3 evening instead of the 7-0 evening? The 743 score and losing the third game by 86 pins may indicate it was both. The bottom line is we could / should have been 7 -0 but we actually were 5-2.....which is a could showing. <br /><br />Some "fyi" info to ponder: Rosary Florist took and O'fer, dropping into a tie with the Misfits at 21-28, trailing our impressive 31-18 record. Neil claimed he was a 201 bowler last year. In actuality his average was 168 on 10/21/08 and 176 on 4/28/09. While it feels good to catch Neil in a lie, it makes me want to puke thinking he his better than our whole team....YIKES!!Kayak Man Danhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16335537391414889980noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9121098840121264881.post-57793942507707541052009-10-17T05:29:00.003-06:002009-10-17T06:08:47.799-06:00A sub par eveningWith the early season success the team has been experiencing comes a certain sense of expectation revolving around our weekly performances. Unfortunately, expectations often lead to disappointment and that is what we experienced Tuesday night. Matching up for the 2nd week in a row against a superior opponent, we limped out of the gate with a 736. Ironically, this is the one game we managed to win. The scores speak for themselves (Dan 184, Brian 150, JD 145, Pat 141 and Mark 116). <br /><br />Games 2 and 3 were much better efforts ( 803 and 829) for Los Diablos but I think we woke the sleeping bear with our first game victory. The Budmeisters improved on their first game of 873 with a 1003 and a 1001. At least we inspired<em> someone</em> to bowl well. Series for the evening: Dan 536, Pat 495 (close 2nd consecutive week), JD 473, Brian 462 and Mark 402. Actually not all that bad for our current averages but not close to achieving the 5 X 5 goal. How close are we to the 5 X 5 goal, you ask? We have only had 2 bowlers in any week break 500 but we all can (and will again) break 500. Here are our highs for this year: Jim 547, Dan 533, Pat 533, JD 525 and Brian 487. As I speak of attaining a 500 series and providing numbers to indicate all of us can do it, I feel an obligation to also point out that we have had some challenges getting to a 400 series also (Pat 392 and Brian 398). As a reference point, 3 of the 4 Budmesiters had a 600 series capped by a last game 279 by Dominick.<br /><br />It was not all doom and gloom this week as 2nd place Rosary Florists also went 2-5 so we did not lose any ground. The Misfits, however, swept the evening and must once again be watched closely.Kayak Man Danhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16335537391414889980noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9121098840121264881.post-62656264422591721052009-10-08T19:43:00.002-06:002009-10-08T20:25:48.064-06:00The team continues to jellWe all know the joys and / or pains of waking up with morning wood. It all depends how you "handle" the situation. The same could be said when we are asked to step out of our division and take on the big boys.....in this case, team Morning Wood. Strutting around with an engorged 952 team scratch series average (we just now have reached 800) they clearly knew they had the upper hand playing the Division "A" Los Diablos. How did we handle it you ask? We were clearly "up" for the challenge. With no one really having a great 1st game we bowled an above average 816 (led by Brian's 185) and only lost by a mere 12 pins. We may just have a chance.<br /><br />Not only did we have a chance, our 2nd game of 838 (Jim M 199, Pat 195, Dan 183) tied the score at 2-2. Pumped up by the 2nd game victory, there was renewed discussion of the newly established 5 by 5 goal. A 500 series was within grasp for all five bowlers. A couple beer frames here, a tequila frame there and we would be all set. Here comes the bad news / good news part: There were no beer frames nor tequila frames and only 2 bowlers hit 500+ (Jim M 545 and Dan 525) (bad news). However, we won the 3rd game by 76 pins, took the evening 5-2, and 2 bowlers came very close to the 500 series (Pat 488 and Brian 487). This all despite Brian throwing what Jim described as the sh%#tiest ball ever. Of course, Brian returned the compliment a couple of balls later claiming Jim had then thrown an even sh%#tier ball (and therefore this had now become the sh#%tiest ball ever). Oh, the encouragement we give one another!!<br /><br />I will end with a few closing disturbing thoughts regarding a group of men who would call themselves "Morning Wood"....1)at one point after Pat got a strike via the "back door", one of the woodsman enthusiastically pranced up to our table and shrieked "The back door is closed for me!" The uncomfortable involuntary puckering of my sphincter reminded me of the questionable make-up of this league's players. 2) After a particularly good frame by one of the opponents and an exchange of high fives by all, I again felt queasy by the utter delicacy and femininity of his soft hands 3) Why would you have cards with pictures of fat women and men with big Johnsons?Kayak Man Danhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16335537391414889980noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9121098840121264881.post-85680209218601957502009-10-03T09:54:00.004-06:002009-10-03T10:24:59.100-06:00Our first 7-0 evening of the yearThis entry will be dedicated more to statistics than to any great wit or wisdom coming from me. First things first...we took the evening 7-0 which is always a good thing. This puts us at 19 - 9 for the season, compared to an 11 -17 record through 4 weeks last year (the Misfits are currently 7 - 21 if anyone is interested). Our team average is 794 this year verses 759 at this time last year.<br /><br />Individually Jim's 175 average is 50th out of 91 bowlers. He finished last year at 174. JD's 164 average is 63rd and it compares favorably to the year ending 159. Dan's 161 is 68th comparing well to his ending 157. Pat's 149 average ranks him as the 84th <strong><em>best</em></strong> bowler (this still has an asterisk next to it, I believe due to the large plummet in his average and the "anti-sandbagging" rule that is in place). His average last year was 163. Brian ranks 87th with a 146 which is about the 147 he finished with last year. Mark L or P is the 91st best bowler in the league at 133. As a reference point Hank has a 186 average.<br /><br />I think we all agree we each have the potential to kick it up a notch this year and despite that not really happening as of yet, we are doing great as a team compared to last year. Averaging over 800 scratch as well as all five bowlers getting a 500+ series on the same night should be a realistic goal.<br /><br />As a note to Brian who put out the challenge to find if JD ever has any "challenging" games. It did not take too long a 118 on 1/27/09 and a 113 on 2/24/09. <br /><br />Check out the link for Bagtoberfest 2009 pictures.<br /><span> <a href="http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=9041&id=1835017780&l=1eeb668c7e">http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=9041&id=1835017780&l=1eeb668c7e</a></span>Kayak Man Danhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16335537391414889980noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9121098840121264881.post-48256270021859255422009-09-25T04:51:00.004-06:002009-09-25T06:07:43.045-06:00Struggling to find our team MOJOIt was only one week that the new and improved revamped lime up was in play before a change had to be made. While it may appear to an outside observer that Brian took the night off to try to get his mind right after last week's sub 400 series, the team knew(did we?) that he had a business trip planned. I do recall how manly he told us how he laid down the law at home and had scheduled his trip on Wednesday morning. "Oh, so you don't miss bowling?" his wife sarcastically inquired. "Yes, Damn it, Tuesday is my night with the boys!" Way to man-up captain......um......if bowling is Tuesday and the trip was Wednesday.....um, interesting.<br /><br />In Brian's absence Dan took over the lead off spot and actually preformed for the first time this year progressively improving each game on the way to a 533 series ( 161, 176, 196). The team welcomed back founding team member Mark (not to be confused with FNG Mark) to take over the #2 spot in the lineup. Mark was all excited as he cast aside the old 8 pounder and displayed his newly acquired black beauty. At times Mark looked like a seasoned pro, the pins exploding as his ball hooked skillfully into the pocket. At other times Mark struggled, unsure what was going to happen as he released the ball. It was at these times I recalled the old joke about Adam getting his first erection. Not knowing exactly what was happening he looked over to Eve and said: "Stand back, I'm not sure how big this thing is going to get!" Mark had a 400 series, finishing nicely with a 153 (128, 119, 153)<br /><br />Pat was pumped over last week's nice performance and started out OK with a 162. The 2nd game 148 really was not all that bad either (Jim has had 3 games in the 140's in 3 weeks and is still maintaining a 172 average). Unfortunately, these 2 games were as good as it got for Pat as he rode a string of 5 mark less frames to finish the 3rd game with a 117. While falling short of the girly 120's it did exceed Brian 's low water mark from last week of 107. To make things worse, he actually did a "Brooklyn point" while he threw his 2nd ball. The fact that he had a whole rack (actually 9 pins) may have confused him. As he dug in his pockets for the non existent remaining quarters, he declared: "Looks like it is back to practice 3 days a week."<br /><br />In the battle for the team's top average, Jim out dueled JD 523 to 458 (not much of a battle anchorman!). As is his norm this year, Jim tossed in a 149 just to keep his average from spiking too high or too early. Is it strategy, or is he trying to give JD a fighting chance? Much like last year's explanations (scab on leg and clenched butt cheeks to avoid a bowel blowout), Jim produced a new one for this year......"I have a pain in my ass, don't you know?"<br /><br />Not much to be said about JD's 458 other than a girly 121 is always going to keep you short of the 525 series he is capable of achieving. Like Pat earlier, JD acknowledged it may be time for a practice session.<br /><br />We went 2-5 and now sit at 12-9 for the year.Kayak Man Danhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16335537391414889980noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9121098840121264881.post-37942372459283514552009-09-20T06:20:00.005-06:002009-09-20T19:04:00.086-06:00Taking us to the next levelIn the past few seasons the lineup has typically included Brian leading off (nothing intimidates an opponent like an erratic straight ball knocking over 5 random pins), Pat and Muck in the middle and Dan bringing up the year (easy fellas, you'll need to get your gay porn references at another site). While this lineup has produced moderately successful results a change was necessary to get to the next level (without actually gaining any real bowling skill of course). Hoping this modification would have the same results as the Doug Collins to Phil Jackson change, the team went the free agency route and was able to lure JD off the golf course a month early (you may ask yourself: "who golfs at 9:00 on a Tuesday night?" but that was the reason provided in the past for not making the commitment to the team). When advised of the preseason mandatory training sessions, JD indignantly rolled his eyes and said "The season starts in September, I'll practice then!"<br /><br />It was the confidence of a Tiger Woods and the "who needs preseason practice?" attitude of a Brett Favre that convinced the brothers that JD was the man to take over the anchor spot in the lineup. The 2009-2010 lineup was now set: Brian (the team's most improved player PNB*), Dan, Pat, Jim M. and JD. While this line up produced the same results as week one's 5-2, it does have the feel of much greater potential.<br /><br />In the interest of unbiased reporting I will simply list each bowler's scores. In the interest of "its my blog" I will comment upon those scores. Brian: 107, 140, 151. Really, a 107? Where is the PNB Brian that we saw at the end of last year and has a 175 average potential? Maybe a little practice would help. Dan: 148, 158, 145. Ouch. Second consecutive week of all games hovering around 150. House ball and rental shoes anyone? Pat: 145, 216, 172. A lukewarm start after last week's anemic 392 series (yes, that is for THREE games) but a very nice rebound to 2 solid finishing games. I guess the nightly practice does pay off. Jim M.: 191, 147, 149 and JD: 188, 160, 140. I list these together since it is the battle the team wants to see. Who will emerge as the team's top bowler? If the first game is any indication (191 to 188) we are on our way to two 180+ average bowlers. If the 2nd two games (Jim 148 avg) and JD (150) are any indicator, we will have five 150 bowlers.<br /><br /><br />After 2 weeks we are 10-4 and in 1st place. If there is any question why some of the good teams hate us try to digest these facts. There are 83 bowlers that have bowled this year. We have 3 of the bottom 15 (Pat at 68, Dan at 74 and Brian 77 ...tied with a Mini ME!!) . JD is 53 and our top bowler is 50th!!!!! We have no one higher than the 60th percentile. Thank goodness for handicaps.<br /><br />*PNB post new ball<br /> <div></div>Kayak Man Danhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16335537391414889980noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9121098840121264881.post-80677564978722660522009-09-12T05:21:00.006-06:002009-09-12T06:40:08.833-06:00An Evening of firstsFor the third consecutive off season, the team spent considerable time and energy searching for the elusive 5th man to round out the roster. First it was Mark P. who jumped ship in search of the American dream. Mark will be remembered for the famous gutter / spare combo which will forever be affectionatley referred to as a "Prybel". Next it was Ass-pan who fell pray to the pressures of being a dad (do I hear a whip?). Do we not all contemplate removing our shoes every time we stand in a urine puddle as some sort of preverse way of paying homage to Rick's bizarre behavior? Finally, there was Mark the II, also giving the same "I am so important to the company I just can't be spared for one everning of the week" reason. Three letters sums this up......"F" "N" "G".<br /><br /><br />Speaking of FNG's...Los Diablos welcomes its fourth 5th man in as many years. Clearly the core four has done a respectable job in the past considering the overall lack of bowling skill relative to the rest of the league. Could JD's presence propel the team to its first ever plus 800 average? It did look promising when the team achieved its first beer frame of the season on the first night...could this be the start of something that occurs on a regular basis?<br /><br />Over the years, this blog has taken some criticism for a bias for and against certain team members. While I continue to threaten to provide "editor" authority to all team members, I have yet to pull the trigger, gong with the "if you want to write a blog, create your own" philosphy. In the following paragraph, I will try to present unbiased facts only (supplied by the new Villa Park Men's league website).<br /><br />We won the evening 5-2. Misfits went 0-7. JD's 283 one game handicap puts him on the front page as the 2nd high handicap game of the evening. Los Diablos' 1137 handicap series was the 3rd highest, also getting a spot on the front page. There were results of 75 bowlers listed. Jim's 182 average was 30th place. JD's 175 average was 39th place. Brian's 158 was 55th place. Dan's 143 was good for 68th (tied with Dean Corn!) and Pat's 130 was good for 75th place.<br /><br />Enough said about biased reporting, the facts speak for themselves.Kayak Man Danhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16335537391414889980noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9121098840121264881.post-14797560724444411382009-04-08T09:29:00.008-06:002009-04-08T10:18:34.956-06:00All we need to do is bowl our averageFresh off the "B" squad's impressive victory the week before, Los <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Diablos</span> had its #1 and #2 bowlers back and was armed with the news all we needed to do was pick up 3 points tonight and we would be in the playoffs. Couple that with the fact that it was Pat's birthday, everything seemed to be lined up just right, almost the exact opposite of the week before when all odds were stacked against us.<br /><br />As happens so often in sports, when presented with the opportunity to cease the moment, an individual or a team feels the pressure. The anchor around the neck, the hand against the throat, the quivering knees, the puckering sphincter...we all know the signs all too well. If we bowl our average or better, we have a very good chance of taking the majority of the points. Last week's <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">glorious</span> 2445 series (815 average) was replaced by this week's 2290 (763 average). Altough we win and lose together as a team, it must be pointed out that Pat (519), Brian (466) and Matt (435) all bowled above average.<br /><br />While Dan has abandoned the "it doesn't matter what I do I still bowl 160 (158)" <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">attitude</span>, his ill advised late season delivery adjustment seems to be poorly timed. Dan did start out in game one earning the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">Diablos'</span> 1st burrito of the season (followed by Muck and Pat) on the way to a solid 178. This solid start was aborted abruptly when birthday boy Pat, with his left hand on his hip and his right hand limply moving up and down with his index finger pointing at Dan's chest, screeched: "You <strong><em>BITCH!!"</em></strong> This disturbing outburst by his younger brother appeared to have done serious psychological damage and the 178 was followed by an impotent effort of 124 and 136 for a series of 438.<br /><br />Speaking of puckering <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">sphincters</span>.....Jim seemed much more focused on clenching his butt cheeks <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">together</span> than following through on his delivery. <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">Although</span> we all would have liked to see some better scores, we can be thankful Jim spared us a lifetime's worth of nightmares had we witnessed a <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">back swing</span> bowel blowout. When it became clear to Jim that he would not break a 450 series, a little of the old Jim came to life as he declared he had never been below 450 all season. Jim was correct, tonight's 432 (155, 124, 153) was indeed his lowest. Week ten's 457 (155, 154, 148) was his previous low. Looks like a 1st game 155 is a bad omen for Jim.<br /><br />Next week we start all over again boys. Let's get back on track.Kayak Man Danhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16335537391414889980noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9121098840121264881.post-84880326087188125392009-04-02T19:20:00.002-06:002009-04-02T19:25:37.622-06:00"B" squad my ASSWhat would we do without our rocks, our strength, the number 1 and 2 bowlers on the team? Who would lead us on the trash talking and the "get your head out of your #@%" comments? Despite the gloomy forecast and the prospect of an 0-7 evening, Los Diablos showed up on Tuesday night. How would we put our 776 average up against Hank and the Any Old Strikes' 994 average? With Brian in the familiar lead off spot (no place for headcases tonight), Dan in the anchor spot and JD solidly in the middle, we filled inthe roster with a late arriving Todd and Super Sub 100. The question was in everyone's minds....would Scott break 100 in more than one game this week or would he truly take over as King headcase?<br /><br />Not only did Scott break 100, his 485 series (175, 181, 129) was 178 pins over last week!! Brian's 520 (163, 213, 144) was followed by Dan 's 503(192, 163, 148), JD's 490 (186, 162, 142) and Todd's 447 (174,128, 145). No need to do the math, that was a whopping 890 in the 1st game, only 12 below our all time best. Needless to say we did an ass whippin' and won by 153 pins. Game 2 saw a slight drop to an 847 but another 2 points nonetheless. This margin was a mere 84 pins. Could we possibly win all 7 or would Hank's corkscrew, annoying style finally get the better of us? We did dip to a sub par 708 in game 3 yet it was good for another 41 pin victory and a 7-0 sweep. Los Diablos was on fire and we tied our all time high handicap series with a 3555. This performance by a "subpar" lineup got the talk going about who truly deserves to be in the starting five and begs the question.......can you afford to miss a week?<br /><br />As we all say and know all too well, it sure feels better to be taking 5 or 7 points a night verse getting only 1 or 2. Let's keep it rolling.<br /><br />PS. A couple worthy notes. During his 175 game, Scott earned the right to buy shots and Brian started out game 2 with 5 straight strikes.Kayak Man Danhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16335537391414889980noreply@blogger.com0