# Jack has the Bowling Bug **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [June 10, 2001, 6:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jack-has-the-bowling-bug/68268 "2001-06-10T06:23:14Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Jack\_Batty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jack_batty/32/3201_2.png) [@Jack\_Batty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jack_Batty)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2001, 6:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jack-has-the-bowling-bug/68268/1 "2001-06-10T06:23:14Z")
Here’s the situattion. After a hearty meal of Red and Green Enchiladas at Mexicali Rose in Oakland, **slackergirl, SeaDiver, woodstockbirdybird** and I, headed off to the local Alameda Bowling Alley. And, not to blow my own horn (ah, fuck it, I _am_ blowing my own horn) I kicked ass. Hail me. Ok, so I rolled a 121, but it’s only the second time I’ve bowled in like 15 years. For the record, **SeaDiver** rolled a - this is a direct quote “Fuck if I know”. But I do know she came in second. **woodstock** and **slackerG** tied with a 71. And we left a half a pitcher of beer for the high school kids in the lane next to us. So all in all, it was a pretty sucessful/fun night. Not to delve into the whole IMHO realm, but which Dopers (and I’m sure there are many) can beat a 121? Bring it on, ya pansies!! ---
**Author:** ![Jack\_Batty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jack_batty/32/3201_2.png) [@Jack\_Batty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jack_Batty)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2001, 6:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jack-has-the-bowling-bug/68268/2 "2001-06-10T06:26:55Z")
Oh yeah – the bowling bug … I have now decided to dedicate my life to a new dream. The top of the Professional Bowling Tour. Chris Schenkel will be kissing my ass before the end of this year!!! ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2001, 6:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jack-has-the-bowling-bug/68268/3 "2001-06-10T06:36:47Z")
This will seem stupid, but it’s true. On a football trip in my teens, the host family took me bowling, they all bowled. I had bowled a few times before but paid no attention to the scores. I scored over 200 just by dumb luck, I’ve tried many times since in the belief that I’m a natural - I’m not. I seem to have a knack for this stuff. I filled in in one baseball game - 3 at bats, 3 hits, career average 1.000; work golf day, I’ve never played, they give me a handicap of 36, I shoot 98 and win. But if I take up the sport I never improve. [twilightzonetheme] [/twilightzonetheme] ---
**Author:** ![woodstockbirdybird](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/woodstockbirdybird/32/7905_2.png) [@woodstockbirdybird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/woodstockbirdybird)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2001, 6:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jack-has-the-bowling-bug/68268/4 "2001-06-10T06:40:00Z")
I just wanna say that my low score was attributable to the fact that I didn’t drink a single beer all night. The best part of the evening for me was definitely the nipples, though. ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2001, 6:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jack-has-the-bowling-bug/68268/5 "2001-06-10T06:42:30Z")
Sorry. If I’d known that visible nipples were in the equation… put me down for a 69. ---
**Author:** ![Monster104](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c6cbf5/32.png) [@Monster104](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monster104)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2001, 6:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jack-has-the-bowling-bug/68268/6 "2001-06-10T06:49:27Z")
Well, for a very long time I bowled sub-50. Consistently, every time. Then I realized something: Don’t throw it in the gutter! Wow! What do you know, I got up to 100! So, my philospophy for bowling: Don’t miss the pins! ---
**Author:** ![obfusciatrist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/4af34b/32.png) [@obfusciatrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/obfusciatrist)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2001, 6:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jack-has-the-bowling-bug/68268/7 "2001-06-10T06:52:56Z")
You guys are just lucky that the A’s game went long. If I had shown up your asses would have been kicked. When I was last in a league I had a 180-190 average. The last time I bowled (about a year ago) I had a 216 game. ---
**Author:** ![mdf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/dbc845/32.png) [@mdf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mdf)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2001, 7:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jack-has-the-bowling-bug/68268/8 "2001-06-10T07:06:51Z")
The last time I bowled in league play (nearly 20 years ago) I was rolling around 130. No one on my team was generalyy over 170. We were all bowling for beer. -mdf ---
**Author:** ![mdf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/dbc845/32.png) [@mdf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mdf)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2001, 7:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jack-has-the-bowling-bug/68268/9 "2001-06-10T07:18:36Z")
Damn! I had been wondering where that’y’ went. ---
**Author:** ![Snooooopy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ee7513/32.png) [@Snooooopy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snooooopy)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2001, 8:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jack-has-the-bowling-bug/68268/10 "2001-06-10T08:12:22Z")
Can’t remember the last time I bowled. The last time I stepped in a bowling alley was in Tracy, when I went to interview a guy who rolled a 299. ---
**Author:** ![Mnementh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/898d66/32.png) [@Mnementh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mnementh)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2001, 2:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jack-has-the-bowling-bug/68268/11 "2001-06-10T14:49:12Z")
I got me a 191 once. Once. usually I can manage around a 150, which is enough to kick the asses of almost everyone I know around here. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Persephone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ecc23a/32.png) [@Persephone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Persephone)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2001, 3:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jack-has-the-bowling-bug/68268/12 "2001-06-10T15:33:36Z")
I got Most Improved Bowler for my league this year. Brought my average up from a 116 to a 126. Oooooooh. I’m just a smokin’ hot bowlin’ mama now! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Bumbazine](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bumbazine/32/362_2.png) [@Bumbazine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bumbazine)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2001, 4:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jack-has-the-bowling-bug/68268/13 "2001-06-10T16:59:25Z")
My best score ever was 147. What I’d _really_ like to know is, why in the Hell do I even remember stuff like that? I can’t remember someone’s name when I was introduced to them 30 seconds ago, and I remember a bowling score from 30 years ago. 😕 FWIW, I’d be lucky to break 100 now, I suppose. ---
**Author:** ![Rasa](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rasa/32/3578_2.png) [@Rasa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rasa)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2001, 5:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jack-has-the-bowling-bug/68268/14 "2001-06-10T17:40:35Z")
I totally suck at bowling, but occasionally I’ll do freaky things like get three strikes in a row. Usually, I’m lucky if the ball hits a pin or two. ---
**Author:** ![MikeG](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mikeg/32/4329_2.png) [@MikeG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MikeG)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2001, 6:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jack-has-the-bowling-bug/68268/15 "2001-06-10T18:24:05Z")
Ok, I really really suck at bowling. I think it is due to being hesitant and not following through for fear of wrenching my back. How bad you ask? Well, I took my two kids bowling two weeks ago. Claire (almost 7) and Andy (4.5) were laced up and raring to go. We put up the bumpers and I went first. I was bad. Fast forward to the 9th frame. Claire is in the lead with two strikes followed closely by me and Andy is trailing by only a small amount. Claire goes up and bowls her 3rd strike of the game! I go up and hit maybe three pins 😮 So now it is Andy for the last turn of the game…he is pissed that he is not winning and getting whiny. He takes the ball and just hurls it down the lane. a Strike!! The lady next to us who has ben watching my humiliation with much amusement reminds us he gets another turn as its the last one. He takes the ball and bowls another STRIKE!! to pull ahead and win the game. Final score: Andy 121 Claire 108 MikeDad 98 They can’t wait to go again… ---
**Author:** ![DRY](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a87d85/32.png) [@DRY](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DRY)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2001, 6:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jack-has-the-bowling-bug/68268/16 "2001-06-11T06:42:01Z")
I _believe_ I broke 200 once, years ago. (Offhand, I think the score was 207.) Even a blind pig finds an acorn once in awhile. ---
**Author:** ![Doobieous](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/da6949/32.png) [@Doobieous](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doobieous)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2001, 8:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jack-has-the-bowling-bug/68268/17 "2001-06-11T08:30:00Z")
When i bowl, like my mind, the ball usually ends up in the gutter. Glad you all had a good time, even if I heard about this AFTER the event. But i’m not bitter. Actually i’m too poor…i couldnt have even afforded the gas to get up there…but i’m not bitter or anything :D. ---
**Author:** ![Bottle\_of\_Smoke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Bottle\_of\_Smoke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bottle_of_Smoke)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2001, 1:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jack-has-the-bowling-bug/68268/18 "2001-06-11T13:12:59Z")
Oh all right. Since you asked, my high game is a 245. My average is around 175 or so, but I haven’t bowled in a couple years. Why are you looking at me that way? I live in Wisconsin after all. ---
**Author:** ![Paul\_The\_Younger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/d9b06d/32.png) [@Paul\_The\_Younger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paul_The_Younger)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2001, 2:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jack-has-the-bowling-bug/68268/19 "2001-06-11T14:00:09Z")
Sorry, **Smoke** , but while my season average was only 172, I bowled a 251 this year. **MikeG** , I don’t know what it is about bowling with kids. I can throw 200 games about every other week with the league, but I can’t put two strikes in a row when I take my older boys bowling. Last time out Bryan (6) had an 81 and Sean (4) had a 72. Boy, I showed them with my 118 and 115 games, huh? **Jack** , good to see you in the fold. Now that the bug has hit, let’s talk about your delivery. When you release the ball, you want to make sure that your fingers… **Jack**?.. **Jack**! Wake up! I’m talkin’ to ya! Sheesh. ---
**Author:** ![Rebo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rebo/32/13005_2.png) [@Rebo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rebo)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2001, 2:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jack-has-the-bowling-bug/68268/20 "2001-06-11T14:55:28Z")
Sorry, Jack, but I bowl all the time. I averaged 190 last year, and 200 the year before that. My high game last year was a 279, with a 725 series. We just started the summer league last Wednesday and set averages. I set a 225 average, by bowling a 206 (opened the tenth), 222, and 248 for a 676. Join a league! Get your own equipment and some lessons. It’s really lots of fun to bowl on a team. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jack-has-the-bowling-bug/68268.md?page=2)