This is not really suppose to be a post on how great the good old days were, but.

I currently bowl in a higher dollar sponsored handicap league. My team consist of older bowlers and most of us have been bowling together over 25 years.

We were reminiscing about a defunct scratch league that we used to bowl in before the house closed. Everyone felt that was the best of times in our bowling history for several reasons.

One was the fact it was a classic scratch league, pure scratch, you build your best team, we build ours, no limit on substitutes, 4 points per night. The league fluctuated between 12 to 16 teams over the years. There were a core of about 8 teams that were there every year and others that would come and go.

Virtually all the better bowlers made their way thru the league with WSU collegiate bowlers we had a steady pool of new talent. Collegiate national champions, ABC open champions, ABC/USBC hall of famers, PBA champions, Olympian, you name it, they were present in the league.

Two the decorum was cordial, not formal, but everyone seemed to respect the competition.

There is no longer a classic scratch league in town.

Looking at our league now there is lots of shouting and horseplay. One thing that has started here is if a bowler leaves a 5 pin a bunch of the bowlers will hold up their hands with the idea that if they miss the 5 pin the bowler owes all of them a drink. Some stand at the end of the approach to intimidate the bowler.  Since it is handicap there are a few lower average bowlers they do this to. If they came up behind me I would probably throw a ball backwards at them.

PB, my memory of the antics are a little different than yours.  My wife, after 18 years, still reminds me that it's fine to look at another woman as long as I don't touch or act like the jackwagons did when the Hooters girls came over.  Then there's Penner raising his shirt and dancing on the tables.  All good fun.

While I'm younger than you, Rose Bowl East still holds some of my most fond memories.  That was my first highly competitive league.  Finishing 2nd in average for a season ranks as one of my favorite accomplishments.  Doesn't sound like much, but  it meant I was good for a season against some of the best in town.  It's where I learned how to finesse a deep inside shot down the lane because the ball return wouldn't allow getting deeper and lofting the gutter.  I remember watching Tommy bowl wondering what was so special.  Then I sat down and just listened to him talk about every ball going down the lane knowing what it was going to do before it was halfway down the lane.

Some of us young morons did need to learn respect for other bowlers and property.  That was handled mainly because the owner allowed fun, but stepped in sternly before things got out of control.  It didn't hurt that the Shocker coaches were there to keep an eye on their students.  Make a fool of yourself in league and there were consequences later.