I bowl on a team that is probably the 3rd highest team average in the league (30 team league, 5 members)

Im around. Our averages are 220, 213, 208. 205 and 195. Smaller city (80k population) and averages across the board are lower than most metro areas. Just because less numbers of bowlers.

Last night, I began throwing a no rules and everyone else was throwing shiny equipment.

Leadoff 650
2hole 640
me 730
4th 690
anchor 740

we shoot 1278 game 1 with 2 opens in the 10th

after league. Other team comes up to us and says. "Thanks for making league bowling no fun" Apparently they were under the assumption that we burned the  lanes up to where they couldn't play them. When in reality they just never put in any work on their game (other than just drilling a new piece)

Am i in the wrong for telling them to work on their game if they want to beat us?

I bowl on a team that is probably the 3rd highest team average in the league (30 team league, 5 members)

Im around. Our averages are 220, 213, 208. 205 and 195. Smaller city (80k population) and averages across the board are lower than most metro areas. Just because less numbers of bowlers.

Last night, I began throwing a no rules and everyone else was throwing shiny equipment.

Leadoff 650
2hole 640
me 730
4th 690
anchor 740

we shoot 1278 game 1 with 2 opens in the 10th

after league. Other team comes up to us and says. "Thanks for making league bowling no fun" Apparently they were under the assumption that we burned the  lanes up to where they couldn't play them. When in reality they just never put in any work on their game (other than just drilling a new piece)

Am i in the wrong for telling them to work on their game if they want to beat us?

Not in my opinion.  If they equate fun with winning, then they should do more to ensure the winning part.  I'm 50.  I didn't really get into bowling until almost exactly 4 years ago when my son and I went bowling over winter break just to get out of the house and do something.  He immediately liked it and I signed him up mid season for league and he hasn't looked back.

That ensuing fall I joined my first sanctioned league (after doing a summer league with my son that summer).  I took it seriously.  I wanted to compete.  I finished that season with a 196 avg (prior to 4 years ago I had never bowled a 200 game).  I did summer league again...we took it seriously.  I read.  I watch videos. I work on different things.  Next season 197.  Summer league.  take it serious.  Read more.  Learn more.  Next season, 206.

This season I'm at 212 right now.  I started late in life and it would be easy for me to be ok and be satisfied and never do anything to try to get better.  But that's not me.  I want to compete, and mostly I'm competing with myself.  It blows my mind to see younger guys with like a 160 average doing the same thing over and over.  Not trying something different, not improving.  If my team gets it handed to us on a given night, we don't say the other team ruined it all and that's why we couldn't play.  The loss is on us.  And honestly, I look forward to my next chance against that team.

So yeah....tell 'em to work on their game.

 If you are bowling with the intentions of pleasing others by beating them, you are operating under false assumptions.

 People will always find fault with either your bowling, or your equipment, whenever you bowl more than they think you should.

 I've been throwing old urethane stuuf on the dryish house shot here, and several times other bowlers have complained about me f***ing up the shot on purpose. Thing is, right now I am high average in the league, yet they still want to claim I'm only doing it to screw them up.

 Three weeks ago, I shot 745. After league was over, I was told that the other team wasn't happy about me intentionally messing up their shot. Thing is, They were inside the third arrow, and I was playing outside the second arrow, on the eighth board.

 You'll never make them happy, and you'll never make them understand, so don't waste your time and breath. Just kick their a**es, add their names to the list, and move on.

Quote from: Juggernaut on January 04, 2017, 12:49:46 PM

If you are bowling with the intentions of pleasing others by beating them, you are operating under false assumptions.

 People will always find fault with either your bowling, or your equipment, whenever you bowl more than they think you should.

 I've been throwing old urethane stuuf on the dryish house shot here, and several times other bowlers have complained about me f***ing up the shot on purpose. Thing is, right now I am high average in the league, yet they still want to claim I'm only doing it to screw them up.

 Three weeks ago, I shot 745. After league was over, I was told that the other team wasn't happy about me intentionally messing up their shot. Thing is, They were inside the third arrow, and I was playing outside the second arrow, on the eighth board.

 You'll never make them happy, and you'll never make them understand, so don't waste your time and breath. Just kick their a**es, add their names to the list, and move on.

If I had people being that ridiculous, I'd be half tempted to throw 180-grit balls through the heads where they were warming up just to tick them off! 

Only HALF tempted? 

BL.

What happened to sportsmanship? We all have been there on both sides. 

It amazes me that there are still bowlers out there that expect to have "their line" every week.

Good Information guys, well said.

"he's on my line" is one of the phases that kills me lol.... SO WHAT?!!! I'm with Juggernaut, I too use urethane more than half the time, he strictly uses it. Since I've been doing well with it, I have that thought stuck in the far back of my mind waiting for someone to tell me I'm screwing up the shot. lol

Those that complain about your team play probably make excuses for their failures in life. the real bowlers try to figure things out and don't put blame on others or things. The pins don't move!! they just need to raise up their pants, tighten their belts, and shaking it side to side and bowl like Mr. Furley!!

Quote from: xrayjay on January 05, 2017, 01:15:32 AM

"he's on my line" is one of the phases that kills me lol.... SO WHAT?!!! I'm with Juggernaut, I too use urethane more than half the time, he strictly uses it. Since I've been doing well with it, I have that thought stuck in the far back of my mind waiting for someone to tell me I'm screwing up the shot. lol

Those that complain about your team play probably make excuses for their failures in life. the real bowlers try to figure things out and don't put blame on others or things. The pins don't move!! they just need to raise up their pants, tighten their belts, and shaking it side to side and bowl like Mr. Furley!!

Nailed it.  Heck, if I knew that me bowling a particular way or with urethane would negatively affect the other team (either psychologically or actually affecting "their line"), I'd do it in a heartbeat (assuming it works for me). For us to win, they must lose.  Why should it be incumbent upon me to make keep easy for them? And as an aside, I fully expect the other side to do it to me as well.  If I can't adjust in order to succeed, shame on me.

What always amazes me in these situations is how little is at stake to begin with. In most leagues (there are exceptions), there isn't a ton on the line other than bragging rights. Sure, there are some big money leagues to be found here or there, but they seem to be fewer and fewer as the years move along. As such, why get so worked up? Yes, I like to bowl well, and I prefer winning to losing, but I don't go crazy about it when the prize at the end is miniscule. Now, if we were making our living out there, I could understand why there would be more angst.

It was the same way when I lived in TX and played tournament softball. Most of the time, the prize at the end of the tournament is a team trophy and a bunch of T-shirts. That's it, yet I can't even tell you how many times game action led to actual fistfights on the field. I could never understand it. We were all weekend warriors with real lives and jobs, not people using softball to pay the bills; nevertheless, some people were willing to lie, cheat, steal, and assault others in the name of the game.

I guess it just shows how stupid a lot of people are. It's sad, but it's not like it's a new concept.