When two teams are evenly matched (similar handicaps) it is very easy to tell if you are winning or losing just by looking at the scoreboard. Our handicap is 190 pins per game over these guys so it is hard to say until the game is almost over how close the scores really are. Doubly so because a 193 bowler will only throw one or two open frames in a game. A bad 9th & 10th might change my score by 20 pins but it can change theirs by 50.

So towards the end of the first game we weren't sure how they were doing but we knew we weren't doing so hot: jackdied 111 (-11), Kristy 130 (+1), Mike 148 (-9). George threw like a champ and turned in a 235 but his team mates faltered so our modest score plus our handicap earned us a 30 pin win.

In game two Mike & Kristy turned it up a notch: Mike 175 (+16) and Kristy 137 (+8). I limped along with a 109 (-13). Mike and Kristy reminded me that I had skipped practice (we get there 45 minutes early for a couple warm up games and a snack). Mea Culpa. George's strike arm fell out of tune a bit and he only through six strikes that game. Andy & Jones tightened their game and started living up to their averages. We lost by 10 pins.

I'd like to stop here to mention that it was during the second game that Jones pulled a 6 inch knife. Oh sure, it was just to adjust his finger grips but it is a friendly league so I made a friendly joke.

jackdied: Hey Jones, isn't pulling a knife against the league by laws?
Jones: Maybe, but just be happy I didn't pull a gun.

jackdied: Heh, so you're a Big Lebowski fan?
Jones: What's that?
jackdied: "The Big Lebowski," the bowling movie?
Jones: Never heard of it.

Game 3. The overall score is tied at 2-2 and we need a 5-2 win to make our chances of winning the league better than 50-50. George's game has dropped back to merely his average but Andy has fixed up his game and Jones is throwing strikes like it is his job (did I mention he threw a perfect 300 last week?). Fast forward to the last bowlers of the 10th frame with only Jones and Mike left to throw. I had managed a 148 (+26) and Kristy a 126 (-3). Our lead was 20 pins.

Jones had a strike in the 8th and 9th frames so his first ball would count triple. Mike had a strike in the 9th so his first ball counted double. Jones threw a strike and the score was +10 the other guys. Mike threw a strike so the score was +10 us. Both Jones' and Mike's next balls count double. Jones throws a 9 (not a strike, woo!) so it was +8 the other guys. Mike throws a strike so it is +12 us and we can't lose. Jones finished with a 237 Mike with a 184 (+25).

Suburban Achievers win 5-2! On the night I averaged +0, Kristy +2, and Mike +12. I asked Mike afterwards if he checked the score going into that last frame and he said "no, what could it have possibly helped?" This is one of my favorite (and less popular) bits of common wisdom. Think of all the times you answered a statement with "Too Much Information" and just imagine that instead you had been asked "do you want to know X?" The answer is "No, how could that possibly help anything."

We are now 7.5 win points out of first. By chance we are playing the #1 team next week so we will sink or swim then (the #3 team is 0.5 win points behind us). The next and final week after that the #1 team plays the #2 team (probably us) and the #3 team (maybe us) plays the #4 team. Whoever has the most win points after that wins.

I just drank a pot of coffee so I'm in the car and back to Elba. See you Tuesday at Lanes & Games (we are allowed spectators and they do have a bar).

[1] Unfortunately Steve-the-bartender is out for the rest of the season and took his 208 (!!) average with him. Jones is subbing.