This Pennsylvania newspaper report notes that Mike Tomlin, head coach of the defending Super Bowl champion Pittsburgh Steelers, took his team bowling yesterday rather than put them through a scheduled OTA.
Archive for June, 2009
Cross-training #97
June 10, 2009My new t-shirt…
June 9, 2009…well, the one that Brunswick Mixed League treasurer Mary Ellen LaBelle gave me at the banquet, anyway. You might only be able to barely see the design, so I may post another picture later.
Richie in t-shirt he received at the 2009 Brunswick Mixed League banquet
June 9 league standings update
June 9, 2009Last week’s split with “Going Pro” moved “T N T” into a four-way tie for 12th place, with my team getting the top position in the tie on the basis of pinfall. There is now a tie at the top between “Phoenix Kings” and “Heaven Help Us,” with “Git R Done” and “Shihoots” only 2 points off the pace. We have “Amelia” tomorrow night; I believe that team has the league’s two-handed bowler, Ed Alfieri (I believe…I don’t know for sure if it’s him or Jim Alfieri), so the opponents should be fun to watch.
May 2009 People’s Tournament results
June 8, 2009This post is slightly late, as there is an error on the People’s Tournament’s site that points the link to the May tournament results on the “Past Results” page to the results for the April tournament. I have informed Sherm of the error, and will link the correct page in this post.
The People’s Tournament reported Puntep Bhayakaport (201 avg., AMF 34th Avenue Lanes {NY}) as the winner of the May event at AMF Cranston Lanes. Bhayakaport defeated James O’Driscoll (174 avg., Town & Country Lanes) in the title match by a score of 254-224 (with handicaps). It was a bad event for Westgate Lanes bowlers, as no Westgate Lanes bowler reached the final eight. Greg Hudson (195 avg.) and Rafael Cruz (175 avg.) were in the top 16. James Vaughn (172 avg.) represented North Bowl in the top 16.
Into the rotation
June 8, 2009My practice today focused on axis rotation, meaning how you manipulate ball reaction based on which finger swings through the ball in the release. I tried index finger, middle finger, and ring finger types of rotation, and found that I got the best results on the house pattern using the middle finger type of axis rotation, which puts some side rotation on the ball (index finger rotation increases the side rotation, ring finger gives the ball more forward roll). This was also something I found useful when picking up spares, as I can kill the hook to a large extent using the ring finger type rotation. I didn’t really care much for scores today, but I did have 2 games over 210 (including a 222 first game) before I made a lot of bad shots in the last game.
A sad note
June 7, 2009It is with sadness that I note that I’ve seen several published reports stating that USBC and PBA Hall of Famer Mark Roth, whom I met when he came to Brockton for the December 2007 NEBA tournament (which he won), has suffered a stroke. I hereby wish the 34-time PBA Tour titlist a speedy recovery, and say that I was glad I had a chance to meet him while he was still healthy.
Cross-training #96
June 5, 2009This web site report notes that Indianapolis Colts defensive tackle Raheem Brock will return to his native Philadelphia for his third annual celebrity weekend, which will include a bowling tournament and benefit the Brock’s Kids Foundation. More information on the event can be found on Brock’s web site.
Cross-training #95
June 4, 2009This Jacksonville TV station report notes that Jaguars players Scott Starks and Rashean Mathis will be the hosts of the second annual “Stars and Strikes Celebrity Charity Bowl” at the Jacksonville Bowl America. The event benefits Clara White Mission, a charity devoted to helping the homeless and disadvantaged. Other Jaguars players and local celebrities will join Starks and Mathis.
June 3 league night
June 4, 2009Giving this post a generic title b/c I have no cute title for this one…
I had my worst night in some time, and I kind of sensed it in my warm-up session before the lanes were turned on for league, the second game of which I failed to have a strike. Most of the night’s problems came in the first game, where I seemed to have one lane going, but couldn’t get out of my own way on the other lane, getting only 1 spare and 4 opens. I did seem to get progressively better as my head cleared (I didn’t get much sleep the night before), and I had my only run of strikes near the end of the last game, getting a turkey. Also on the bright side, I did make all of my single pins, and improving on my single-pin spares was something I wanted to work on this summer.
Result: 143-164-189=496
Average (12 games): 185 Last 9 games average: 182
Next week’s AVG+1 score: 561
The team again got a split, but this time via the “hard way,” losing the first 2 games, then taking the last game by enough to also take total. Bonnie was a big part of the last game, as she tossed the last 5 at a point where we needed to get over the threshold for total. Rob also had a great night for him.
2008-09 season recap
June 1, 2009I think I’m going to use June 1 each year to wrap up each season, as the winter leagues will pretty much be all over by then. As I did on New Year’s Eve (which I used as an “unofficial” halfway point), I’m going to list the highs at Westgate Lanes for both the men and the women:
Men
High average: 228.3 Sean Richard (Thursday Handicap Doubles)
High series: 817 Sean Richard (Westgate Mixed)
High game: 300 Danny Khuu (Saturday Seniors {youth}), Harry Thibeault Jr. (Westgate Mixed), Bob Hamilton (2, Westgate Mixed and TNBA), Richard Mines (TNBA), Rai Doblmeier (Tuesday Scratch Sportsmen), Tom Hedding (Saturday Seniors {youth}), Steve Healy (Brockton Ten Pin), Dan Esdale (Westgate Mixed)
Women
High average: 218.1 Amy Aldridge (Westgate Mixed)
High series: 735 Amy Aldridge (Westgate Mixed)
High game: 300 Jessica Lowe (Westgate Mixed)
Notes: High averages are based on a minimum of 72 games in the league. When considering high series, the first three games of series in the Tuesday Scratch Sportsmen league was used, as per USBC rule on series awards.
