Bowling and Me.

Facebook post, sans comments and most photos.
A whole lotta I...

It is a slow day. I am fine, but my wife has some minor health issues.that we would like to keep minor. We seem to trade off. Our motto is We Can't Both Be Down At The Same Time. If we both go down, we rely on or put more burden on others. Nobody wants to do that.

So, when my physicality is down, my mental activity soars. I can't let my mind AND body atrophy at the same time, now can I?

Earlier today, I was thinking about my bowling tournament losses. Tournaments that I wanted to win badly....that could have slightly changed my status...but looking back, those losses made me better, and helped me win more. Is it a wash?

The first bigger tournament in Kansas that I could have won was the Gardner Masters at Gage Center in Topeka. Many of the areas best players bowled it. I led the qualifying, then went undeafeated in Matchplay, and lost to Charlie Lacy on local TV.

Charlie Lacy has a PBA title, a few SASBAs, a Greater Ozarks all events title (a 10,000 entrant tournament) and won the Rick Stewart singles classic in Miami Oklahoma, which had 500 plus entries at the time. I am sure he has many other wins....

In '92, I traveled with Mike Fleming to Memphis for the Jack Hubbard singles classic. It paid 4K to win, 2500 for second. Strong field from the south , central, midwest and southwest region. I finished 3rd in the sweeper, even after somehow crushing and twisting a testicle in the middle game. After lots of ice, I decided to never wear Levi 501s to bowl again. I made matchplay, qualified 2nd for the stepladder, millions of pins behind Brian Kretzer, Shot 300 in Semi and lost 266 to 248 or something like that. (scores were low, overall...a bit tight for most.

Brian Kretzer won everything, everywhere.. He was a hero of mine before I had even met him. Google him. Always been god to me (little g). At one point, I think he was the best bowler in the world. 1 PBA title, many shows, many regional titles, senior and regular., many High Roller and Eliminator titles as well as international wins. I am not sure I have ever finished higher than him, but that does not mean I bowled badly.

I qualified for matchplay for the Sandhills in Fremont Nebraska on a Friday night. Sandhills move center to center, and are notorious for low scoring. I then won a 12 gamer in Marshaltown Iowa on Saturday, somehow coming out ahead of Mike Nape and Jeff Richgels and a long list of strong cashers. I then drove back to Fremont to get a few hours sleep to bowl 12 games of matchplay in the Sandhills finals. I lost to Tony Manna and Rick Miller in games 11 and 12 to lose to Rick after winning 9 games in a row at one point. The Sandhills means a lot to me. A great list of champions. I have 2 seconds. The other to Dale Davis, a great grinder.

Rick Miller. Legendary. Won 2 megabuck Vegas tourneys in 1 weekend, among his hundreds of wins

I won a sweeper in Salina Kansas on a Saturday, and drove to Fremont Nebraska on a Sunday morning (after my sons car was broken into in Salina)....led the tourney in Nebraska, and lost to Joel Carlson.

Or was it Tom Kelley Jr. ,,,or was that a different year?

Joel is a Madison Wisconsin Hall of Famer and won 2 Senior pba titles in 2019.

Tom is Nebraska Legend, and Son of Nebraska Legend.

Both fantastic people.

I bowled in Mountain View Mo on a Saturday, cashed but missed the cut, and drove to LeMars Iowa to climb through the matchplay to have nothing left but a crushing second to Tony Manna

Tony Manna. Many time Team USA, won everything in Nebraska , and the world.

In the early 90s, drove to Columbia Missouri, and led the 24 game Hustler tournament by 300 pins, and lost the stepladder to Sean Swanson 290-249.

Sean won many PBA regionals, made shows, Won the SuperHoinke and basically dominated anywhere he went. May he rest in peace.

I was second in a Willie Wells tournament at Red Bridge Lanes In KC to Dave Williams JR. or Shannon Buchan. Again, I was probably second to each of them somewhere. We were all good friends. .... It was a few grand for second, and I got paid to swing by a local BBQ legend to purchase some beans for Mr. Schwan. It was a good week and man, I have had an interesting life.

2nd in the Isleta Masters In Albuquerque. Got crushed by John Weltzien. 570-470 ish. Crushed.

John has several regional titles, a few eagles, and I watched him on TV at the Masters on the show Rick Steelsmith won.

This never ends.

Over the years, I doubt I bowled 15 regionals. I made two stepladders. I beat Richgels in Raytown in the opener, only to lose to Goebel. I still would have had to get past Traber and Jaros to win. At Scott AFB, I lost a close game to Beasley in the stepladder, but If I'd won, I had to get past Swanson, and at least one Traber. Basically, in two top fives, I looked around and realized I was the hack.

Several high finishes at state tournament in Kansas and Missouri....but I did not bowl many of them. I think there is a 2nd place team in Wichita, and I was second in Scratch All Events in the early 2000s in Joplin, when the scores were low.

I have more association titles in Kansas, but I think I have one in Steelville Mo. :)

As many sweepers as I have won in Kansas, I have won at least double that in Missouri, probably more. It is a big number, but is it enough? I ran small pro shops in both states for a time..

Every loss to a better player made me win more against better players.. These gentlemen all have titles I did not win.

What did the travel cost me? (Everything else?). .I just tried to bowl the best tournament I could somehow afford, every day of every week, for as long as I could, wherever that took me. I bowled the best scratch leagues in Kansas City and Wichita when I could. I was even on the winning team every now and then.

I think I got all I could get, and there is nothing left in the tank.

There are awfully good bowlers out there that you have probably never heard of. I have lost to a lot of them, and was happy to be there to appreciate it.

I have seen many win their first tournament, or get a first check, or shoot their first honor score. Watching that is better than winning...most of the time.

I may not make a State Hall of Fame, but Brian Smith (TwoHands) used to call me Sweeper King, and Dammit.....I will take that, cause he was a beast.

Now I will fall asleep on the couch and have horrible nightmares.

I hate my blood pressure meds.

Have a good one

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July 7 2019 from my facebook page

I have been asked to write a bio for being inducted into the Salina Bowling Hall of Fame. I have no idea what to put in it. I have no pba wins, or state titles. I am just a guy that bowled a lot. I have won several things in Salina, years ago, of the two or 3 events they had a year. This is way too long for a local bio. They can pick what they want.
This is a partial list of centers and towns I have won any kind of tournaments in. There are many high finishes in an untold number of places.. several of these places I have multiples, perhaps dozens of W's (Flight Lanes, Pittsburg). Most of those centers are closed. This list is not complete, I will slowly add the events.

A short bio.
I have been on 6 televised events. I led the Gardner Masters in Topeka 3 times. Lost to Charlie Lacy and Dave Stevenson. I later beat Jim Johnson to win , but not televised. I made an ABC Team Challenge event on ESPN with Larry Stepp, Mike Fleming, Tom Patton, Keith Runyan, and Raif...who sat out. We finished third behind the Wichita and Lincoln legends.
We made another show at NKC on FOX. (Larry Stepp, Don Fowler, Randy Hairgrove, Steve Willoughby) We finished a close second and the show was once again full of legend.
We lead the Omaha Lancer team challenge by a mile after qualifying, and then the 'I lost Eric" thing happened. We fell to 3rd, but won that. It was Larry, Jeff Barnett, Van Hoozer and Pat McLaughlin. Televised locally.
Don McClure from Jeff City and I made a show for the Sullivan Lanes doubles in Missouri, broadcast locally. Lost the first match.

My high pba finish is 4th and 5th in regionals, out of maybe 20 ish total events , over decades. Cashed often, made several finals. Bowled a few tour stops, cashed in the Masters, got a check in the US OPEN once, but I think that was when they had a tournament for state reps.
I don't know my honor score total. I have dozens in unsanctioned events and many just not turned in. My high average is 232 at New Holiday Bowl. My High series is 855 in Hermitage Mo at Nemo Lanes, 844 in Garden Center in Alexandria Minnesota.
I averaged 211 on a flat sport pattern league at Premier in KC. Larry was 2nd at 203 or 204. I got an ABC plaque for that for being over 210..
16k is my biggest check. For 2nd place at the Isletta Masters in Albuquerque in 2008.
I have several top 20s in the bowlers journal, Including a mixed dbls win in Albuquerque, and a 300 in doubles with Raif Terry in Reno the year they opened the stadium.
We have an Ozarks team title with Randy Hairgrove, Jay Bernard, Shannon Buchan and Larry, as well as many top tens.
I have a Sasba member guest title with Mike Fleming in Memphis. This and winning the bud light/max Jensen tournament in Lincoln are big deals to me.
We have a doubles title in the Tulsa Oil Capitol tournament with Steve Keeler.
I have been on teams that won the 2000 BOWLER team event in Fargo with Kelley's pro shop, and with Rob Gotchall we won the Garden Center team event in Alexandria Minnesota in 2009 {?}.
I won between 250 and 350 events of all kinds and sizes. I need to find my notes in storage if anyone wants specifics.

I have made some questionable decisions. I also never stopped trying to improve everything about myself. If I bowled bad in a center, I went back to figure it out. If I saw someone doing something on a lane that I could not do, I tried it til I could at least understand and preferably, simulate it. I sponsored several bowlers over the years and helped anyone I could with advice, a ride, or even a loan. I did this, because many have helped me even though I seemed hopeless. Through the years, it became less about bowling, and more about the history. I am a student of the game and the business. I have picked the mind of many proprietors, pro shop operators, and legendary players. Finally, I just enjoy studying the characters of the game. Around 2000, I had to see a doctor about my fingernails. I had psoriasis in them, and saw some pictures of what this could turn into when it gets to my joints. I was in my early 30s and needed to get a real job, but decided to keep bowling everything I could for as long as I could. I knew then I probably wasn't going to be able to move very well in my 50s. I was correct. It was a selfish decision, but I have led a very rich life for being so financially poor. There are so many people I cannot imagine never having met.

I did win 3 times in 24 hours, I did lose a tv final by going thru the 3-10, I think I did bowl Dick Weber in his last match play in the under 50 events, I have bowled and won events with Bob Glass and Mike Fleming, and I remembered I have thrown back to back 300s in the stepladder of a Derby sweeper. Oh, 1401 for 5 at Nemo.855 for the first 3. It was the 5th highest 5 game set and highest in Missouri in 2012 when I shot it, it is now the 6th highest. I started very slow, and ended worse, but I have a 200 plus average for 25 years of Nationals and am very proud to have been asked to bowl with as many great players and legends that invited me. I was just a guy that bowled 80-120 tournaments a year, for a long time. I haven't been any good for ten years, and people still ask me to bowl with them. I am proud to say that I have a few high finishes in Kansas and Missouri State tournaments and no wins, but my son, with Derek Lewis, just won doubles in Kansas this year.

I have been told, in letter form, that I am no longer allowed to participate in an event, due to my ability to keep winning it. Flattery is a good thing.

I miss the company and the travel. Friendly weekend competition is a good thing. Lots of talk radio, Prairie Home Companion and classical music on those drives.

Iowa. Bowling.
I was born in Iowa City. Still have family from both sides there. I have been lucky enough to win a GIBA in Des Moines, a tournament in Marshaltown,LeMars, Oskaloosa, Keokuk, Estherville, a sweeper for a PBA regional at Fair Lanes Des Moines with a Kong ball, and got my first PBA check in my 2nd regional there, as well. There may be a few more wins, and several high finishes, but for the most part I remember being impressed by just how many good bowlers there were when I went North. It was hard to win, and that is a good thing.

Minnesota. Team Event, Alexandria, 844. Gotchall
North Dakota. Team event, The Bowler, Kelly's Pro Shop
NEBRASKA. Omaha, West Lanes big dog sweeper, Mockingbird sport sweeper, Cougar lancer team, Mccook merchant scratch singles twice,Kelly's North trios, Beatrice notap, Columbus WNAX All events/finals dbls, team,/team 3 times, Lincoln sun valley bud light max Jensen memorial

OKLAHOMA. Ponca city, Pryor 2, Miami dbls 3, Tulsa Sheridan shootout 2, oil capital dbls, river lanes survival
Yukon 12 game

Arkansas. , hot springs village fiesta lanes sweeper, bentonville 4 seasons, jonesboro dbls patton

Illinois...cahokia sweeper , bethalto over under dbls w Mike Fleming, Quincy trios with Fleming Patton, Alton dbls patton

New Mexico...bowlers Journal mxd dbls Theissen

Colorado. Aurora sweeper

Tenn. Memphis sasba dbls. Fleming

Kansas--Salina NH Bowl, All Star, Hays, Russell, Great Bend, McPherson, Newton, Wichita- Flight,Derby,Fireside-. Manhattan, Maryville, Abilene, Topeka Gage Center, Gage North, Atchison, Pittsburg, Erie ,Coffeyville, Kansas City KS -Ranch Mission Olathe East Olathe West Ranchmart KL West College

Missouri -- Kansas City /pro bowl, Northland,Lucky Strike. Loma Vista, Laurel, Grandview, Blue Springs Bowl, Independence, strikers, oak grove, Lunar, Retro, strike market,

St Joseph/ Belt, Olympia

Columbia/ T and C. Oakland Plaza,

Jeff City, Rainbow, California, Fulton, Union, St. Clair, Pacific, Steelville, Imperial, Salem, Lebanon, Nemo lanes, Cape Girardeau, Branson, Nixa, Springfield Battlefield Sunshine, Joplin 4th st, west Joplin,Mountain View, Potosi, Jesters

Below, me in 1982

Me in 82

2007 ish Zach and I

2009 ish

2011 ish

2011 ish