Last pre-PBA Lines

Tonight BoPo takes the lanes before a week off to make room for the PBA.  The bowling tonight may not be as strong as this weekend, but the energy and camaraderie of this league, the folks bowling against you and next to you and on your team, are the main reason that the pros are coming by for a visit.  I think the weekend is going to be a huge success, and we’ll get a chance to do it again, but even if this is it what a hell of weekend and accomplishment.

PBA Commisioner Tom Clark emailed the pros yesterday and told them Bayside Bowl would have a ‘college basketball like’ atmosphere, that it would be one of the loudest venues ever, that the players will have never seen anything like it.  That’s a lot of praise, and we need to deliver.  Here are the basics:

• Chants, especially coordinated chants, are great.  From that seven nation army one “Bo, oh, oh, oh, ohhhhh, po!” to the basic “ole, ole, ole ole”, to doing our various team cheers as a group “set em up, knock em down, set em up, knock em down, set em up, knock em down, TURKEY (gobble, gobble, gobble)”, “POOP! there it is!”, “Slut, slut, sluttier!” etc.  Nothing negative, just loud and coordinated
• Make noise all the time except for a bowlers approach.  As soon as it’s out of their hands the noise should come back.  Some bowlers may ask for noise during their approach, if so, let loose
• Be creative – with cheers, signs, etc.  Again, no need for negative, but be as creative and funny as you want
• Help the staff.  There are going to be massive rushes in the bar/restaurant at 2pm each day, try to stagger your orders, be patient, etc.  We’re going to do a great job with that, but we do have 275 people in the building all trying to order at once
• Right. So have fun, be loud, make BoPo look good, and thanks for everything.

Now in more immediate awesome news…the 2015 BoPo movie, a Steve McQueen film produced by Ogden Media, will debut tonight at 8:15pm on the big screen.  Don’t miss it!

Oh yeah, tonight’s games

Oh shit, it’s (partial) crossover week!  Thursday is feeling good about themselves with the all-star win and defending champs, now they send a wave of teams to visit Tuesday.  Currently the season series is 2-2 in A, and 2-0 Tuesday in B.

Game of the Night

LATE: TH Guacabowle (5-5) -1 vs TU Off Constantly (3-7): My how things have changed! Last year Guacabowle was an unheralded B squad that shocked the league with a playoff upset vs powerhouse OC.  Now they are in A and have a solid record and enter this game as a slight favorite.  OC looked to be back on track after demolishing BEER and grabbing a 7-3 lead vs a Jerkless Bingas, but Hot Mango rallied past them to drop OC to 3-7.  This is a revenge game for them, and also a last ditch chance to try and escape the Sunday shootout.  Salt N Peppa carried Guac last week, now they get Bonita back.  OC needs some vintage Oz in this one to go along with Busta’s solid scores.

Early Games

TU Strikes of Hazzard (4-5) -1 vs TH BUI (4-6): Hazzard’s hard to figure.  They’ve won every game when they have their top two dudes, but when both have showed up they’ve posted their lowest scores.  Classic Uncle Jesse-constructed enigma.  BUI has a lineup where everyone has a 200 shot.  They are dangerous but inconsistent.  This should be a close one.

Cape Fear (4-6) -1 vs Ball That (4-6):  These are two teams making their A debut that have handled themselves very well.  Both have had some nice wins and have decent records.  The winner punches a ticket to the playoffs, the loser may face the Sunday Shootout.  Squampch’s team has been about depth, Cape has ridden the strong left arm of Top Dawg contender South Paw.  I’ll go with the star in this one, with a little boost from Soccer Dad.

TU #2b My Balls (7-2) -5 vs TH Lesbowlians (3-7): My Balls were deflated after blowing a 7-3 lead vs the Wreck last week, but still have a half game lead in Tuesday A and should hold the lead with a win here.  The Lesbowliand are in a long losing streak but a win here would certainly change the feel of the season.

TH 5 O’Cocks (4-5) -5 vs TU Three Livers (1-8): The Five O’s have really put it together lately.  Automatic has been a star player and The Quaker seems to go off every other week, when the spirit moves him.  Three Livers is cruising along with their minds on Spring a bit, but they may have a surprise or two left up their sleeves.

#4b Budweisers (6-4) -1 vs Splits Happen (7-3): The Buds are on fire with the highest average in B and a long winning streak. They put up a 675 last week, the kind of score that knocks out an A team in the 1st round of the playoffs.  This looks like a slam dunk for them to win and knock Splits out of the Tuesday A title chase.  That’s exactly the scenario where Splits usually pulls a massive surprise and wins, though, so I have no idea what’s going to happen.  Check out Pickup Truck in the Forecaster article picture today!

Late Games

TU #2 BIB (8-2) -3 vs TH #7 Leisure Rolls (7-3): This may actually be the night’s marquee matchup with a couple ranked teams.  BIB looked lost with back to back losses before a crushing 15-0 makeup game win on Sunday in which they averaged around 700.  Leisure lost big showdown last week with the Cunning Linguists but are big game ready.  Looking forward to watching this one, wondering which BIB team shows up, and if it’s enough to overcome the mid-level depth of the Rolls.  BIB clinches the Tuesday A title with a win.

#5 XXX Club (6-3) -5 vs Saucy Posse (3-7): Both these teams shocked me last week.  I said T-Club was pulling away from the rest of the league in the top 3, then they lost.  I thought SauPo was dead in the water and they upset Back in Black.  Bottom line, I don’t know what I’m talking about.  Club by 5.

TU Nuts (3-6) -1 vs TH #3b IBS (8-2): I agree that the A division battle between the nights has evened out, but Tuesday B still looks far stronger than Thursday B.  The Nuts, for example, are 3-6, but have steam average 30 pins higher than 8-2 IBS from Thursday.  IBS needs this win as they are locked in a  battle with the Lovernauts for the Thursday B crown, but they have looked vulnerable lately, and I don’t mean they want to talk about their feelings.

TU Incredibowls (7-3) -5 vs TH Bowlderdash (5-5): The Incredibowls have lost most tiebreakers but can get to 8-3 and stay alive with a win tonight.  Bowlderdash is pretty happy to be at .500 with some of their struggles so far.  They’ll get their Tuesday trip out of the way and try to finish the season at .500 with a home game.

TU BILF (4-5) -11 vs TH Pud’s Taxi (0-10): Well Pud’s hopes the different night changes their fortune, assuming they can field a team on the different night.  BILF just hoping to get through the game with no injuries, which are most likely to occur if anyone gets too close to DeLoose Cannon after he rolls a strike.