After what my son told me last night; it started to make me think, "Is that really impressive?"  I see people all the time on Facebook and even on here post "I just shot my (insert number here) 300 game" or "Went bowling tonight and shot 800".  It has gotten to a point to where my first thought isnt "Wow".  It is more like "Okay.  And?"  My son got home last night and told me, "There were four 300s tonight and one guy shot 860."  My initial thought was not, "Wow".  It was rolled eyes and "Why am I not surprised?"  One guy even posted that in this same center, he is averaging over 250 with 2 or 3 300s and back to back 800s to go along with a 780 the first week (only bowled 4 or 5 weeks so far). 

I bowl one night a week and it happens to be in this center where there are ten 300s shot a week and a couple 800s.  It is regarded as probably the easiest house in the city and produces the most honor scores.  The house record has been broken 4 or 5 times in the last 6 seasons.  I have been as guilty as anyone to post that I shot a number simply because I am more promoting the ball used than the fact that I shot the number.  Its not like it my first time posting the number.  Even though I dont shoot numbers as frequently as I used to; I still dont really get that excited anymore even when I do. 

What impresses me........probably Matt McNeil shooting 2300s on the USBC Open shot.  Probably the person who put in a lot of work and finally was able to shoot their first honor score.  Probably anyone who can average plus on a flat pattern.  Probably the person who can play up the twig one shot and swing 5th-6th arrow the next.  Probably someone winning their first PBA Title.  Probably someone coming back from a serious injury or illness and being competitive.

Off the top of my head; this is what impresses me.  Question is.....what impresses you?

What impresses me? Someone who accepts their failures from attempts at success over and over and over throughout the years, yet keeps persevering, when others would have given up.

Case in point: Jack Jurek and going through nearly 15 years between winning a tournament, including losing from being top seed in a major. And then when he finally won, he told his opponent that his time is indeed coming (which it did). How many of us would have given up from loss after loss after loss?

I look at that, and then compare it to this month's cover story on the Bowler's Journal, where Tom Daugherty quotes that he isn't out on tour to 'make friends'. It's that perseverance and class that impresses me. That isn't just someone I would want my children to look up to as a role model, but someone I would look up to and want to posses that type of character in my life.

Scores are nice, but the class someone has in handling wins/losses: That's what impresses me.

BL.

Well, we all strive to impress you. Isn't that what bowling is all about? Impressing each other?

 

Those guys and gals that spin the ball so hard that (for righties) their PAP is facing the right side, and the ball magically migrates back to the correct rotation due to friction and still manage to strike all day on the THS impress me. 

For real.

I look at that, and then compare it to this month's cover story on the Bowler's Journal, where Tom Daugherty quotes that he isn't out on tour to 'make friends'. It's that perseverance and class that impresses me. That isn't just someone I would want my children to look up to as a role model, but someone I would look up to and want to posses that type of character in my life.

Tom Daugherty? Role model for kids?   

Missed the context of that paragraph. It ties into my previous one, which focuses on Jack Jurek. He is one I'd look up to, not Daugherty.

BL.

Okay. Got it. 

Two things:

)when someone can actually admit that they are throwing the ball like crap, (while striking or not). Normally when people strike, ego keeps them from admitting they're tripping anything more than a corner pin.

)someone who can figure out a pattern when they are struggling... nothing like struggling and then finally figuring it out and stringing them.

Bowlers who contend on everything....grinders.  Also bowlers who have fun while bowling and don't take it too seriously.