Friday, January 24, 2014

Picking Lillies

Bowling as a participation and spectator sport has changed greatly over the decades.  In your league,  does anyone stop and watch a bowler throw the final three shots for a perfect game?  Does any one clap when it occurs?  Is it even announced over the loudspeaker anymore?

Compare that event to another bowling situation.  An unlucky bowler is embarrassed as he has left the 5-7-10 split, otherwise known as 'the lilly.'  Now, how much noise is generated?  How many people now gawk?

On January 30, 2014, during the Monday Night Men's league at Madison Bowling Center, Kevin Ralston left the 5-7-10.  Hey, there is no crying in bowling!  He approached his second shot and converted the spare!!  This has to be one of the rarer feats in bowling.  There was no 6 pound ball involved or deliveries approaching 30 mph speeds.  While this is not Kevin's second shot, see if you can guess the weight of this bowling ball in how the lilly is typically converted, if at all:



Now, can we see how it is converted by real men with real bowling balls? There happens to be a video of Kevin's spare conversion, well, sort of.  While no one had their phone out thinking they would record a 5-7-10 spare conversion, the automatic scorer camera system can do a replay.
Now, a camera phone can record the replay.  Here is how it is done.


Congratulations Kevin.  You have probably set a record or accomplished something very few people have ever done in actual competition.  However, is it something you feel comfortable bragging about?