Splitzter - December 12, 2002

  I’m going to tap the old memory chips this week for a few of you old timers out there.  Wake up, Lenny and poke Henry B to get his attention.  Can anyone name the last time a gal shot 300 in Henry County?  My brain-pan on this one is a bit fuzzy, too.  I’m thinking it was roughly 15 years ago and was only done once.  Mrs. Zoomer made a run at it earlier this season with her 10 bagger but couldn’t complete the task.  Well, sports fans, Renee Dishong took dead aim Thursday night in the Napoleon Party Mart Classic and started them strikes a-rollin’.

After a fluttery 178 start in game 1, Renee started her run at glory.  As the tenth frame neared, folks started talking around the center about the gal on 23 stringing 7, 8, then 9 strikes.  Renee cut loose the tenth ball on what looked like another great shot.  Too bad she only had Hoopster fingers on the ball.  The trajectory was just a bit light and a nasty 5-10 split shut down her attempt at Henry County fame and fortune, leaving her with a fine 266 game.  Great game, kiddo.

Did anyone happen to see “Pardon the Interruption” on ESPN mid last Thursday?  The subject of bowling came up after an article in USA Today mentioned the explosion in 300 scores  from 1986 to last year.  My jaw dropped when Kornheiser attributed this to the way the lanes were “waxed”. Michael Wilbon made huge points with me as he explained to “I don’t have a clue” Tony K that today’s equipment and more stringent OIL patterns are the reason for the scoring multiplication.  Gheesh… America’s number 1 participation sport and a so called sports expert makes a gaff like that.  Even MoeMan knows better and HIS info comes from the School of Schwaig…. Tandy that is.

With Christmas upon us I thought I’d spend a paragraph or 2 with some info for those fill-in Santas among us on what’s hot bowling ball-wise this season to help you with your gift search.  For a mid-range priced ball, the Storm Erase-It looks to be the ball of choice.  It has a scuffed shell that takes polish well if needed and that killer Storm core.  For a ball in the sub-hundred dollar range a urethane shell of any type is always a good choice and a long time proven winner.  In the higher price category the X-Factor just released two weeks ago and is looking like it will be around for a long while.

Looking for a stocking stuffer? I’ve got a great suggestion.  For that bowler in the family that has everything you might look at an accessory bag for their gift.  And while you’re at it, fill it with a pack of thumb tape, a nice pair of cuticle scissors for cutting the tape to size and an easy-slide for those nights when it’s a bit humid.  A nice, thick bowling towel makes a great gift, also.