Thanks all for the replys.
This change (after a full year of week in and week out 'adult bumpers') was just a sudden shock to everyone's game. And the timing of it was what caused all the grumbling. This extreme wet-wetter and long condition brought almost everyone's scores down drastically. But, to the straight down the boards bowler who didn't even notice there was a pattern change, it actually was a minor blessing. With the ball skidding all the way to the pins, they actually increased there chance for mixing up the pins. This gave them more strikes and easier spares than they usually see. Also seemed to make their spare shooting increase as the ball seemed to always slid into the pins instead of sometimes skidding/sometimes grabbing up.
End result was, the lower average bowlers were able to find their usual 6/7/8 or so marks a game they needed while the higher average bowlers couldn't find the two turkeys, etc.. they needed to overcome the big handicap differences.
Yes, ultimately, more difficult patterns will fall into the higher avg. bowler's favor. But with the end of the season in 1-2 weeks.... No time for ultimately this year.
Side note: In our $5K added men's league later in the same week, the previously mentioned House Staff bowlers suffered the same lousy fate. They bowled a team of high handicappers on this same tough condition and they were shut out in points. Which, by the way, took them out of the running for the last third.
I suppose it's safe to say, What goes around, comes around...
Thanks again for the venting space and the replys.