Milwaukee's Daily Magazine Sunday, Nov. 22, 2009
Today
Hi: 56
Lo: 41
Mon
Hi: 50
Lo: 39
Tue
Hi: 50
Lo: 40
Section Sponsor
Article Tools
Print this Article
Make text larger
Related Twitter Posts

  • Shades324:
    @Ellis4Dead Or he could pick up heavy and throw him like a bowling ball at unsuspecting victims!

  • obadiahradiou:
    Prepping for Turkey Bowling with House of Heroes or as we refer to it at RadioU: work.

  • yeah_write:
    I'll take you on at tennis or darts anyday. Lol RT @CalebHolyfield: @yeah_write Yeah I'm pro @ Wii Sports Bowling! (@jeannevb) (@zacsanford)

  • JKC86:
    @Fletch87 Erm, no thoughts as yet. How about bowling though, or something we havent done in a while. xoxo

  • DRey2531:
    Still upset about bowling. Should I golf, bowl or play poker. Have a tournament this weekend so I need to practice. But I got the golf bug


Follow us on Twitter ...
In Sports Blogs
Falling back into bowling
 
By Andy Tarnoff RSS Feed Twitter Feed
Publisher

E-mail author | Author bio
More articles by Andy Tarnoff

What is a blog?  For us it is a short blurb that we write when the mood strikes us.  It can be first person, funny or informative. In short, a blog is whatever we want it to be. Published Sept. 20, 2007 at 10:05 a.m.
Tags: bowling, bay view bowl, kingpin's

Back in 2001, a group of friends and I decided to put our money where our mouths were and learn how to bowl for real. We figured that if we were going to call ourselves true blue Milwaukeeans, we needed to become more than casual, sloppy bowlers using house balls and rented shoes. We knew it was silly and ridiculous, and we didn't care.

So we joined the Wednesday night league at Bay View Bowl and proceeded to get our butts kicked for 32 weeks in a row. We learned the difference between casual bowling, in which you occasionally throw strikes but don't know why, and league bowlers, who understand oil patterns, how to pick up spares and how to become consistent.

In four years, I watched my average rise from 132 to 145 to 150 to 160, earning the "most improved bowler" keychain in my final year of my first tour of duty. Our team finished eighth out of 11 that year, and while our team average was significantly below the league average, we weren't the complete pushovers we started as.

Then, for a myriad of reasons, the team fell apart, and during the 2005-'06 season, I don't think I picked up a bowling ball. Increasingly, I found myself yearning for the camaraderie of the Wednesday night league. I missed the hokey clichés, the high-fives, the games of bowling-poker, the beer frames. I missed the activity that broke up a cold, dark week in the dead of winter, in a season longer than that of Major League baseball.

So when a new team asked me to sub last year, I was chomping at the bit to pitch in. Bowling is a little like riding a bike. Even after a long layoff, you can still throw the hook ball for good results (picking up spares gets a little trickier, however).

This year, the team asked me join as a full member, and I did. OnMilwaukee.com even sponsors this group, and three weeks into the season, we're not bowling too badly.

With 12 teams totaling 60 guys from all different walks of life, it feels like a grown up fraternity -- but with more beer bellies. Many of the guys are still there from my rookie year, and most have been bowling much longer than that. There's the regular cast of characters, like Slicer, Kingpin, Scooby and Rooster. Some of these guys I know better than others, but without a doubt, if the chips were ever down, each of these bowlers has got my back.

Then there's my team. We're not good. But we're more interested in having fun than winning trophies. Most of the time, we're shooting the breeze about the Brewers outfield or eating beef jerky or insulting each other when we throw splits.

What got me blogging about bowling, though, were the events that transpired last night. I actually bowled pretty well (for me, anyway). I shot a 519, which averages out to 173 per game. After we wrapped up, most of the league retired to the bar, as usual.

The difference was that all eyes were fixated on the Brewers game. Alley owner and bartender Andrea turned off the music and turned up the audio on the TV. When Rickie Weeks socked a home run to right field, the bar went nuts.

It felt like a scene straight out of "Major League," a collective excitement I've never experienced while watching a Brewers game (the bar subsequently cleared out when Matt Wise lost, but that's a blog for a different day). In our own weird way, the Wednesday night men's league is a little community, with more in common than what meets the eye. By and large, it's a pretty cool group of dudes.

What started out as a joke in my life has grown into a weekly hobby. It's not much exercise, and some might argue that spending three hours in a smoky, hard-drinking bowling alley actually has detrimental health effects. But it's a ton of fun. And I'm glad to be back.



More Information ...
Bay View Bowl
2416 S. Kinnickinnic Ave.
Milwaukee, WI 53207
(414) 483-0950

1 comment about this article.
Post a comment / write a review.

Recent Talkbacks ...

Posted by LouManske on Sept. 20, 2007 at 12:28 p.m. (report)

What Andy failed to mention is his bad influence on specific teammates of his. Namely the one with poor self-control who agrees to continue the evening at the local tavern, landing himself in the doghouse for a good 24 hours. Why do I listen to you?

Rate this:
  • Average rating: 0.0
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5



Recent blogs/briefs by Andy Tarnoff
What is a blog?  For OMC, it is a short blurb that we write when the mood strikes us.  It can be first person, funny or informative. In short, a blog is whatever we want it to be. Advertising strategies that go in one ear and out the other
Monday
I'm probably more impressed than the average Joe when I see or hear good ads, and I'm ...

What is a blog?  For OMC, it is a short blurb that we write when the mood strikes us.  It can be first person, funny or informative. In short, a blog is whatever we want it to be. The best of the best burgers?
Nov. 12, 2009
I finally ate lunch at Five Guys Burgers and Fries today, and, you know, they make a mighty ...

What is a blog?  For OMC, it is a short blurb that we write when the mood strikes us.  It can be first person, funny or informative. In short, a blog is whatever we want it to be. Back in Milwaukee: so quiet, clean and orderly
Nov. 10, 2009
I just got home from a long weekend in Mexico City, an unusual but thrilling place for ...

What is a blog?  For OMC, it is a short blurb that we write when the mood strikes us.  It can be first person, funny or informative. In short, a blog is whatever we want it to be. What to expect when a waiter screws up
Nov. 03, 2009
When a waiter tells you he doesn't have the ingredients to complete your order, then brings ...

What is a blog?  For OMC, it is a short blurb that we write when the mood strikes us.  It can be first person, funny or informative. In short, a blog is whatever we want it to be. Embracing our inner Halloween child
Oct. 30, 2009
Other than April Fool's Day, today is one of my favorite days of the year at OnMilwaukee.com. ...

OnMilwaukee.com is part of the In Click Network. Other In Click sites include: 30RockReport.com | Behind The Scenes at OnMilwaukee.com | BetterRecipes.org | Bimmer Digest | Brain Brawn & Body | BrewCityBeats.com | Brewcitybigscreen.com | britneysnation.com | BritPop Rocks | Brooklynbanter.com | CactusLeagueReport.com | Caffeinateddigest.com | Culinary Piedmont | Cycling Chainring | Daily Lost Update | Daily Milwaukee News | Daily Spa | DannyGokeyMilwaukee.com | Dogs Blogs | EarthFueled.com | Edible Wisconsin | FanaticPhotog.com | Gadget Deals and Steals | GolfLinksWisconsin.com | H1N1 Alerts | H1N1 Blog | H1N1 Prevention | H1N1 Reporter | H1N1 Tracker | HogEnthusiast.com | Informed Runner | iPhone Daily Report | Man United Nation | Milwaukee Brewers Nation | Milwaukee Bucks Blog | Milwaukee Dad | Minnesota Wild Nation | MomMilwaukee.com | My Super Stocks | MyGayMilwaukee.com | MyHangoverHelper | News on Draught | NY Mets Nation | OnAtlantaGA.com | OnAustinTX.com | OnBaltimoreMD.com | OnBirminghamAL.com | OnBostonMass.com | OnBuffaloNY.com | OnCharlotteNC.com | OnCincinnati.com | OnClevelandOH.com | OnColumbusOH.com | OnDallas.com | OnDCmetro.com | OnDenverCO.com | OnDetroitMI.com | OnDoorCounty.org | OnFortLauderdale.com | OnGreenBay.com | OnHartford.com | OnIndianapolisIN.com | OnKansasCityMO.com | OnLakeCountry.com | OnLosAngelesCA.com | OnLouisvilleKY.com | OnMadison.com | OnMemphisTN.com | OnMiamiFLA.com | OnMilwaukee.com Cars | OnMilwaukee.com Metro Headlines | OnNashvilleTN.com | OnNewOrleansLA.com | OnNYCny.com | OnOrlandoFL.com | OnPalmSprings.com | OnPhiladelphia.com | OnPhoenixAZ.com | OnPittsburgh.com | OnPortlandOR.com | OnProvidence.com | OnRichmondVA.com | OnSacramento.com | OnSaltLakeCity.com | OnSanAntonioTX.com | OnSanDiegoCA.com | OnSanFran.com | OnSanJose.com | OnSeattleWA.com | OnSinCity.com | OnStLouis.com | OnStPetersburg.com | OnTampaBay.com | OnTucsonAZ.com | OnTwinCities.com | OnWichita.com | OnWindyCity.com | Packers Posts | Porsche 911 Fans | PriusFans.com | Roller Derby Network | SnuggieFans.com | SummerfestRocks.com | Swine Flu China | Swine Flu Reporter | The 24 Reporter | The Barack Obama Fan Club | The Brilliant Manager | The Comic Book Reporter | The In Click | The Office Fan Blog | TheHDTVReporter.com | TheNetbookBlog.com | TheNewParentBlog.com | Trueguitarheroes.com | Vintage Mets | VW Busses | WaukeshaWeekly.com | Weekly Media News | Wisconsincustomhomenews.com | WisWomen.com | Woodworker Digest