Is a reverse block a legal oil pattern?  I thought I had read somewhere that it was not.

While I see no reason that a reverse block is illegal, people have so many problems with some of the sport patterns, I wonder if something like the reverse block is really necessary any more.

FYI about 99% of the time that people suspect they are on a reverse block, they are either on a true 2:1 sport pattern or they are on a flat pattern. Flat patterns can be absolutely, devastatingly brutal.

FWIW a lot of medium true sport patterns can look and feel like a reverse block after some burn

I started out bowling on a reverse block. It really hones your targeting skills, and your consistency skills.

The guy that was running the tournament put one out. The lane graph said so! :p

I believe you Doom.  I just don't think a proprietor consciously decides to drive away his league base by making them tough.  Tournaments are a different story.

The first part sums up what is wrong with the game...proprietors feel like they have to cater to the egos of those who want big numbers but not the skills that one would ideally associate with those numbers. 

Tougher scoring environments tend to produce better BOWLERS. 

This could quickly turn into a whole "Bowlers don't want to do any work anymore" thread, but I agree. Where I bowl league during the summer is usually a LAKE in the middle (a ton of oil from 10 to 10, 43 feet whee!) and caters to the dumpers. It's the definition of Tweener Hell. Usually don't bring anything lower flare, because I can keep moving into the puddle (Network, Darkness, War Eagle, and King Cobra with plastic are usually in the bag)

Well, the last 2 weeks, the middles have been on FIRE (compared to the normal house shot.) First week, I figured it was a fluke, because the place likes to cater to the house bowler. No shame. 2nd week, I walk in, throw one shot with my Network, ball went runaway 4 pin, and I balled down to the weakest piece in the bag.

I loved it. Scores were MUCH more reasonable, and it was fun. You missed, it showed! I had a guy with a lot of hand shoot 225.. for 2 on my pair. Dude went 105 120. Average? 215.

Seems legit.

It's absolutely legal and I have bowled in some sweepers with it before.  In my cases, it was not a true reverse block, but more of a flatter pattern.  The thing I like about it is that it emphasizes shot making.  Strikes will be at a premium due to the flatter pattern, so make sure that you make your spares to stay in the game.