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Author Topic: Your thoughts if you please  (Read 9965 times)

shipper50

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Your thoughts if you please
« on: November 30, 2012, 12:39:39 PM »
I bowl in a men's 5 to a team handicap league and wonder what some of your thoughts might be.

This league has a guy who when he sees someone leave a 5 pin yells out, possible on what lane its one. He used to give out a patch to someone who left it and missed. He doesn't care where the 5 is left as there are guys who will come and tell him from as far as 2-3 pairs away. The league actually thinks this is a big joke except me.

I feel this guy and others are disrespecting the game. Then last night before the 3rd games starts 3 guys go outside for a smoke before the start of the game and we have to wait. I am kinda old with a 2 time replaced left knee and I get stiff standing around waiting.

I have been bowling since 73 off and on and this will be my last year due to health and body  problems, but wanted to know what you guys think about this.

 

imholte08

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Re: Your thoughts if you please
« Reply #1 on: November 30, 2012, 01:11:50 PM »
I understand the feeling of someone disrespecting the game, but remember they are having their own good time so why not focus on your own good time? At the end of the night, does it really matter what they do? I know in my leagues there a few less than desirable people bowling, but what's the point of letting them have an effect on you. All you're doing is getting yourself upset and all it does it hurt your chances of a good night. Focus on the game at hand, enjoy yourself and the company around you, it might make for quite a good night.
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shipper50

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Re: Your thoughts if you please
« Reply #2 on: November 30, 2012, 08:24:47 PM »
Thanks for the reply,

I wonder how you would feel bowling next to this guy have him calling out where there is a 5 pin standing while your up on the approach. I pity this guy if I ever get the front 11 and he yells this out while I am up.

I guess you would have to be there to see guys walk from lanes 3-4 to 9-10 to tell him so and so has a 5 standing. Most of the league watches if the guy will miss a 5 pin and when someone does, its a big deal. This has been going on for over 5 years. I guess I am old school and its time for me to put them up.

Long Gone Daddy

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Re: Your thoughts if you please
« Reply #3 on: November 30, 2012, 10:20:22 PM »
Yeah, if you're going to let these things bother you it is probably time to hang them up.  I have a team mate who smokes, sometimes have to wait an extra minute or two between games but no big deal.  We have a team that when a guy strikes they do the old "da da duh, da da" ESPN theme.  They have such a great time and laugh so hard, who cares?       
Long Gone also posts the honest truth which is why i respect him. He posts these things knowing some may not like it.

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JOE FALCO

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Re: Your thoughts if you please
« Reply #4 on: November 30, 2012, 10:37:18 PM »
LGD ..I agree with your comment!
RIP Thongprincess/Sawbones!

Russell

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Re: Your thoughts if you please
« Reply #5 on: November 30, 2012, 10:44:31 PM »
With LGD 100% on this one....

It's a game...it's fun...stop taking it so seriously.  People rib each other in much more mainstream sports....why should bowling be different?  Just smile and have fun with it.

Steven

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Re: Your thoughts if you please
« Reply #6 on: November 30, 2012, 10:56:18 PM »
The league actually thinks this is a big joke except me.



If the majority of the league as well as the league officers laugh at this behavior, you're screwed as far as getting anything done. You could 'professionally' confront the culprit, but he'd probably blow you off.


Unfortunately, this kind of behavior is epidemic in 5-man handicap leagues. In general, there is much more respect for the game in most scratch leagues, and this bozo would have to clean up his act or get tossed at the end of the season.


Sorry you're going to have to hang it up soon and have to deal with this as your final league experience. Focus on your own performance and try to block out the nonsense the best you can. There isn't much else you can do.


BallReviews-Removed0385

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Re: Your thoughts if you please
« Reply #7 on: December 01, 2012, 07:02:10 AM »

Shipper,

I agree with Steven. Not much you can do when the "class clown" has an audience, so to speak.  Find a way to block it out, or brush it off and concentrate before you throw your next shot. That way you can still enjoy your game.

The world (and bowling) is full of all kinds of people: tall ones, short ones, skinny ones, chubby ones, quiet ones, loud ones, intellectuals, and unfortunately a small percentage of "village idiots" too...  Somehow we must find a way to peacefully coexist. ;)

shipper50

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Re: Your thoughts if you please
« Reply #8 on: December 01, 2012, 07:13:38 AM »
With LGD 100% on this one....

It's a game...it's fun...stop taking it so seriously.  People rib each other in much more mainstream sports....why should bowling be different?  Just smile and have fun with it.
Of all the people on this board your the last person I would have thought to post a reply like this. I figured since your a serious bowler at Nationals you would have the same feelings towards league.

I used to bowl scratch leagues with some of the best in Indiana, miss those days and players.

Thanks
Shipper

Long Gone Daddy

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Re: Your thoughts if you please
« Reply #9 on: December 01, 2012, 07:39:58 AM »
Then you need to bowl in Senior (or Legends if that's what they're called now) regionals and other area tournaments if that is the atmosphere you crave.  It's obvious your temprament isn't geared to the league setting.  Too bad.  You'd probably have a good time hanging with your team while bowling if you could just relax a bit.   
Long Gone also posts the honest truth which is why i respect him. He posts these things knowing some may not like it.

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Juggernaut

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Re: Your thoughts if you please
« Reply #10 on: December 01, 2012, 09:01:48 AM »
 shipper50,

 I understand your point, and I tend to agree with you. When I first started bowling our mens league, there was a modicum of respect for the others on the league. Loud, distractions were frowned upon, and if someone had a string going, it was EXPECTED that you would be quiet and respectful during their delivery.

 Sadly, those days ARE gone. There is little, if ANY reverence for the game OR the other participants these days.  Like one of the other posters said, everyone is out there after THEIR fun, so just concentrate on yours. That's, I think, part of the problem, because nobody is concerned with anyone other than themselves anymore.
Learn to laugh, and love, and smile, cause we’re only here for a little while.

Long Gone Daddy

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Re: Your thoughts if you please
« Reply #11 on: December 01, 2012, 09:23:27 AM »
And now you know why so many young people don't bowl except for moonlite doubles.  They're not looking to go to a funeral home or church.  So when guys are yelling from the dugout in their baseball game, they are disrespecting the sport?  How about during a pick up basketball game.  How is it major league hitters can hit the ball with thousands of fans yelling at them to get a hit or strike out, yet a bowler can't get a strike unless it is absolutely quiet when he is on the approach?  I remember watching my dad and uncle bowl in the 60's.  Good bowlers, 190 + averages which was excellent for the day.  Their league didn't act like a Sunday sermon was going on.  Why do you guys insist on letting this menial garbage distracting you?   

You want it quiet?  Bowl in singles tournaments, not in leagues made up of teams.   
Long Gone also posts the honest truth which is why i respect him. He posts these things knowing some may not like it.

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Russell

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Re: Your thoughts if you please
« Reply #12 on: December 01, 2012, 09:39:35 AM »
With LGD 100% on this one....

It's a game...it's fun...stop taking it so seriously.  People rib each other in much more mainstream sports....why should bowling be different?  Just smile and have fun with it.
Of all the people on this board your the last person I would have thought to post a reply like this. I figured since your a serious bowler at Nationals you would have the same feelings towards league.

I used to bowl scratch leagues with some of the best in Indiana, miss those days and players.

Thanks
Shipper

That's just it though...I take it seriously...but it's a game.  I'm there to have fun...if I'm not having fun I'm going to quit.  The motivation for me when I put my shoes on is to smile a lot, enjoy my friends, and hopefully knock down some pins.  If my teammates hang me...I want to hear about it...because it's funny...we laugh.

Even at Nationals our guys have fun....we joke and laugh with each other.  Sure if we bowl bad we rib a little less because of the emotions in that environment, but the main point of the trip is fun.  I'm not doing to this to make a living....if I was I would starve. :)

Juggernaut

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Re: Your thoughts if you please
« Reply #13 on: December 01, 2012, 12:08:15 PM »
And now you know why so many young people don't bowl except for moonlite doubles.  They're not looking to go to a funeral home or church.  So when guys are yelling from the dugout in their baseball game, they are disrespecting the sport?  How about during a pick up basketball game.  How is it major league hitters can hit the ball with thousands of fans yelling at them to get a hit or strike out, yet a bowler can't get a strike unless it is absolutely quiet when he is on the approach?  I remember watching my dad and uncle bowl in the 60's.  Good bowlers, 190 + averages which was excellent for the day.  Their league didn't act like a Sunday sermon was going on.  Why do you guys insist on letting this menial garbage distracting you?   

You want it quiet?  Bowl in singles tournaments, not in leagues made up of teams.   

 LGD,

 I don't really think he, or I, am talking about bowling in a church. I never really expect people to act like church mice, heck, I don't even expect them to be real quiet, but we are talking about people just yelling out at random moments, not caring whether they are being distracting to some of the other players on the league.

 I am all for having a good time, and even yaking at and with your friends while bowling, but just blatantly yelling "Who's your Daddy" or "Come get you some" at the top of your lungs during other bowlers approaches is just disrespectful.

 Unlike at a baseball or basketball game where EVERYONES focus is on what is happening, and EVERYONE knows why you are yelling, and probably either expecting you to yell (or even yelling themselves), bowling is an indoor event where yelling has never really been the "norm".

 You try to make a comparison to yelling at a baseball game = to yelling at a bowling center, but you know it is not the same, so stop trying to make ridiculous comparisons that don't work. We both know you're smarter than that.
Learn to laugh, and love, and smile, cause we’re only here for a little while.

DrBob806

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Re: Your thoughts if you please
« Reply #14 on: December 01, 2012, 12:46:30 PM »
Sorry to hear that you may have to stop bowling.

It's weird how 99% of the time, what Shipper has described is something I tolerate in my leagues...yet once-in-a-while, that kind of stuff irritates me. I find when something like that irritates me, I tend to make mistakes on the lanes, I'm not focusing on the right thing.

Other people who posted here on the subject are spot-on. Do your best to focus on what you can control (your game, your emotions for instance). You are still going to be distracted from time to time, and it's not that you have to condone someone else's actions. Take an extra second/minute to calm down, and you'll be fine.