I hate bowling.
There I said it. Well, in all honesty I used to hate bowling… then I got a PHD from the bowling community of why this sport, and yes I now call it a sport, is so awesome.
I remember the first time I met Jack Hammill and I was taken back by the wealth of knowledge he had about every bowler that walked through the Lima and surrounding area bowling alleys no matter if they were 5 or 85.
As I sit here writing my first bowling report, I realize that I will never have the expertise about the lanes like Jack did but I will try and fill his shoes as best as possible.
From Jack to Vince Koza to Phil Austin introducing me to all the bowlers, workers and bowling proprietors at multiple centers is the reason why I have changed my mind about bowling. These people are some of the most caring, funny, loving and emotional individuals I have ever met in my life. Thank you for always embracing me no matter how bad I stink at the ol’ ten pin knockdown.
In the future, I will take a different spin on the bowling report articles, diving deep behind the scenes to reveal what makes these alleys continue to run like a well oiled Brunswick pin setting machine.
My wife and I will be traveling to many bowling centers. We will call this “date night” or “date morning” … depending. Not only will we head to the local Westgate and 20th Century but we will also be sampling the great foods, entertainment and beverages from Southgate, Delphos Bowling and Rec, Lyn Lee, Varsity, Sports Center, Highland, Norada, Van Wert Olympic, Plaza, Speedway, Liberty, Astro and Hillcrest just to name a few.
We will talk about lane oil patterns and conditions that I have no clue about. Heck, I don’t even know the difference between bear, cheetah and scorpion setups which all of you bowling gurus love to talk about. In addition to learning the scientific side of bowling, we will give a voice to the high school and college scenes.
Since I may not have total comprehension of all the technical bowling terms, I am still a specialist in customer service and food consumption. Adding that to my continuing education from our constructed team of professionals, my grasp of the bowling game will continue to grow.
In all seriousness, I am excited to get started on this journey with all of you and expand my love for our bowling alleys and the people that support them. Stay tuned for my ever growing appetite at a bowling center near you!
