Atlanta Bowlers

[Chris LaCross]

I just recently came to Atlanta and bowled the ABA and could not understand why there was not anyone there. Many people complain about not having tournaments to bowl and when 1 shows up people get scared. Just shows that still many bowlers love to talk and still would rather watch than bowl. Like a friend that made one of my shirts SHOE UP OR SHUT UP. And those who respond, please dont give me the handicap riff!!!! B/c if you where all srcatch bowlers, you would be in Bama or Tenn. bowling there. Other than that nice to meet you all. Oh ya, and McNair Bros., I am the guy who called you a year ago to ask about flyers to pas around here in columbia. Never got them? You send them and you got 20 more bowlers.

[Gil Jimenez]

Chris....the Aba has just started to bring their tournaments to Georgia, not sure many knew about it to be honest. You don't leave many options for a conversation if you don't want to hear about handicap when it comes to their tournaments....if I remember correctly, the jackpots were not offered for the first tourney either....I understand why, but not exactly the best thing to do when trying to break into a new area.

And I see you are from Columbia....when did anyone from Columbia travel for scratch tournaments, outside of 2,3, maybe 5 people? I don't think you could get 20 Columbia bowlers to travel to anything period...scratch or handicap.

[Nick Smith]

Gil the only tourney columbia bowlers travel to is the 250 masters, other than that you wont see em. Oh yeah and the ones that look forward to the TSR Alumni tourney every year, blah. Gil didnt you give up the ABA's because they asked you to lay down and not score. Who would bowl something when they ask you to back off when you make some money?

[Kenny Taylor]

I never heard of the ABA, that might be part of the problem. There are no bowlers at the tournaments in Atlanta because most of the tournament directors don't know what they are doing. The handicap systems they use stop at 210. Two teams with the same combined average total get different handicaps. I'm a 215 average bowler, I give pins to someone 25 pins lower than me but what do I get from someone 25 pins higher than me, and don't give me the scratch bowler BS. The prize funds, if guaranteed punish the bowler if entries are low. Sandbaggers don't get re-rated. In scratch tournaments lanes with poles and walls aren't taken out of the mix, some bowlers get them, some don't. Eight bowlers on a pair for eight games, 10 lanes not in use, no re-oil. Tournament bowling in Atlanta is 30-40 years in the past.

[Randy Russell]

Just so I understand....you've never averaged over 200...and you have a 299 to your name...and you're calling people out? What an EPIC failure....

I bowl 3 games a week because I have two kids, so I rarely bowl tournaments, but when I do venture out I run chumps like you over. If I do bowl a rare tourney nowadays I'm definitely not going to give some douchebag like you 30 pins so you can throw some hook in a box all over the place and talk s#@t about it.

You should leave your buddy "handicap" at home before you start talking about "shoe up or shut up".

[F.O.X]

LIKE WHOA!!!

Kenny Taylor said:

I never heard of the ABA, that might be part of the problem. There are no bowlers at the tournaments in Atlanta because most of the tournament directors don't know what they are doing. The handicap systems they use stop at 210. Two teams with the same combined average total get different handicaps. I'm a 215 average bowler, I give pins to someone 25 pins lower than me but what do I get from someone 25 pins higher than me, and don't give me the scratch bowler BS. The prize funds, if guaranteed punish the bowler if entries are low. Sandbaggers don't get re-rated. In scratch tournaments lanes with poles and walls aren't taken out of the mix, some bowlers get them, some don't. Eight bowlers on a pair for eight games, 10 lanes not in use, no re-oil. Tournament bowling in Atlanta is 30-40 years in the past.

[TIM MCNAIR]

First of all, this post is hilarious to me.....Chris, nice to meet you and frankly i've never heard of you. If you did contact me or my brother in the past about flyers we would have been happy to send you some, me personally didnt get that call.....we are always looking to get more bowler participation. Secondly getting on here calling out ATL bowlers is your prerogative but before you do so you might want to do your homework.....i'm pretty sure you didnt see many bowlers at your tournament because no one knew about it. You might want to do a little more promoting before you assume people dont show up because they are scared. Bowler participation here is probably the same as it is anywhere else.....people have alot of reasons for not showing up and i dont feel it is necessary to try and list all the reasons why people dont participate. True enough you do have alot of TALKERS but for the most part the guys that really want to bowl, come out and bowl. Some bowlers like to sit back and complain about why something is not perfect for them and thats fine too.......thats to be expected. We run tournaments here 10 months out of the year and the bowlers that truly want to bowl, come and participate. Mr. Ken, i am not sure who's events you were referencing but i have to disagree with you on some of your assessments, i know some tournaments held here by different organizations has had some issues but overall the tournament market in GA is much better than it was in years past. Bowlers have more opportunity to bowl and it is still a work in progress for some tournaments. Chris, inform your people to do a little more advertising and maybe when you come back to the ATL you will see more bowlers....better yet, come to a RBT event, you will definitely see some bowlers.....you will even see some from SC.

[Chris LaCross]

Yes I truely understand where some of you are coming from but. The main thing that got me going was that I shot one big game and half the bowling center came over to watch like they had never seen big scores before. Thats why things seemed out of place. I would love to come to a RBT event. Mr. Randy Russell......dude really.......You are a THB......man what is your deal with me? Who gives a shit if you can avg. 220+ on a house shot that Ray Charles strikes on, Really dude. Its BS like that is why I just pot bowl and tourney bowl anymore. Leagues are for fun not to prove how good you can avg. If you want patches and awards go ahead LOL......matter fact since you attacked me on this post like that. I would be glad take weekend and drive to your local center and bowl lets say 100 a game, b/c thats what chumps like me do LOL. But everyone makes a valid point. I understand and respect where everyone is coming from. Its just there is no scratch in columbia SC, we have a sweeper in Charleston and other than that, we pot bowl on tues. but if you shoot 1 big score the house bowlers back out and then its down to 3 or 4 as usual. I didnt know the ABA didnt advertise well down there. What was real funny was the guy who ran the shop that sat. in ATL he said to come bowl RBT but he didnt like the payout.

Ra+ndy Russell said:

Just so I understand....you've never averaged over 200...and you have a 299 to your name...and you're calling people out? What an EPIC failure....

I bowl 3 games a week because I have two kids, so I rarely bowl tournaments, but when I do venture out I run chumps like you over. If I do bowl a rare tourney nowadays I'm definitely not going to give some douchebag like you 30 pins so you can throw some hook in a box all over the place and talk s#@t about it.

You should leave your buddy "handicap" at home before you start talking about "shoe up or shut up".

[Randy Russell]

Perhaps my response was a bit harsh...I just took offense to someone coming on here and calling out the whole city over an ABA tourney. Those things are so overrun with baggers it's sad...anyone who bowls them is just wasting money.

As far as me being a THB...yes...yes I am. I know my place in the bowling world...and it's with the bumpers up. I don't play enough anymore to kid myself into thinking I can keep up with the elite players without some help from Mr. Laneman. I will come out and play from time to time....and I usually manage to come home with more $$ than I left with, which is good enough for me.

I agree with your thought that Atlanta bowling as a whole needs a pick me up...I just disagree with the tone of your original post. It doesn't justify me going after you like that...and I apologize.

On the flipside I would be glad to bowl for some $$ sometime....I thought about trying to get a traveling action game back together a few months ago but never pursued it. Maybe we could make this thing happen....one THB like me at a time :)

[Akil Razzak]

Cris if you're looking to bowl against better competition then all you have to do is travel a couple hours north to NC. There are always scratch tournaments up there. They run one on Sundays and Thursdays. I can't say the exact frequency but if you would like I can get the information for you. Now I will tell you that it will not be house shots in these tournaments but if you have a good game then it will sharpen it and make you better.

Chris LaCross said:

Yes I truely understand where some of you are coming from but. The main thing that got me going was that I shot one big game and half the bowling center came over to watch like they had never seen big scores before. Thats why things seemed out of place. I would love to come to a RBT event. Mr. Randy Russell......dude really.......You are a THB......man what is your deal with me? Who gives a shit if you can avg. 220+ on a house shot that Ray Charles strikes on, Really dude. Its BS like that is why I just pot bowl and tourney bowl anymore. Leagues are for fun not to prove how good you can avg. If you want patches and awards go ahead LOL......matter fact since you attacked me on this post like that. I would be glad take weekend and drive to your local center and bowl lets say 100 a game, b/c thats what chumps like me do LOL. But everyone makes a valid point. I understand and respect where everyone is coming from. Its just there is no scratch in columbia SC, we have a sweeper in Charleston and other than that, we pot bowl on tues. but if you shoot 1 big score the house bowlers back out and then its down to 3 or 4 as usual. I didnt know the ABA didnt advertise well down there. What was real funny was the guy who ran the shop that sat. in ATL he said to come bowl RBT but he didnt like the payout.

Ra+ndy Russell said:

Just so I understand....you've never averaged over 200...and you have a 299 to your name...and you're calling people out? What an EPIC failure....

I bowl 3 games a week because I have two kids, so I rarely bowl tournaments, but when I do venture out I run chumps like you over. If I do bowl a rare tourney nowadays I'm definitely not going to give some douchebag like you 30 pins so you can throw some hook in a box all over the place and talk s#@t about it.

You should leave your buddy "handicap" at home before you start talking about "shoe up or shut up".

[Gil Jimenez]

Chris......most handicappers that support the ABA don't see many "big" games on the shots they bowl on...if the locals don't know much about the tournament, how can you expect them to show up and bowl? Just my opinion, but if the ABA were coming down to Atlanta more often, more bowlers would show up and bowl once the word got out a bit. This tournament was I believe their first in GA.
If it's action you want, I'm sure you can drive to Atlanta any Sunday and get what you want...or you can come to Greenville and get some as well...I know one person who would be interested....and I assure you I am a THB as well :)

Randy..... for the most part it is tough to make good money there unless you finish 1-2, but they did open a scratch division, doesn't pay much ($250-350 b.o.e), but the competition is for the most part scarce at best. As for why I don't bowl them anymore...not really worth getting into, I bowled the ones in my backyard and did well for a few tournaments in a row and made apparently too much cash for their liking.

[Rodney Leopard]

Gil Jimenez said:

Chris......most handicappers that support the ABA don't see many "big" games on the shots they bowl on...if the locals don't know much about the tournament, how can you expect them to show up and bowl? Just my opinion, but if the ABA were coming down to Atlanta more often, more bowlers would show up and bowl once the word got out a bit. This tournament was I believe their first in GA.
If it's action you want, I'm sure you can drive to Atlanta any Sunday and get what you want...or you can come to Greenville and get some as well...I know one person who would be interested....and I assure you I am a THB as well :)

Randy..... for the most part it is tough to make good money there unless you finish 1-2, but they did open a scratch division, doesn't pay much ($250-350 b.o.e), but the competition is for the most part scarce at best. As for why I don't bowl them anymore...not really worth getting into, I bowled the ones in my backyard and did well for a few tournaments in a row and made apparently too much cash for their liking.

You and your 5 pins a game was scaring all the entries Gil.

[Chris LaCross]

Gil I know who you are pretty well, you came down to a tourney I had in columbia and bailed on my bracket lady LOL you got it square but as I recall you wasnt happy. But its prob. b/c the way she randomized the brackets LOL. Gil I would be glad to come up and do some pot bowling with ya and some others you know. I dont back down from anyone ask Richie Allen. For a while there I was the only person in columbia who would pot bowl him at the Z in columbia, You Tommy Palmer right from aba he would tuck his tail the minute the cash came out. But yeah, I can mostly get every other sat or sun off so lets do it!!! Anyone else on the post you here us. So what if I lose it just makes me try to become a better bowler and thats what its about PUSHING to the limits. That is y I called out you ATL bowlers.

Rodney Leopard said:

Gil Jimenez said:

Chris......most handicappers that support the ABA don't see many "big" games on the shots they bowl on...if the locals don't know much about the tournament, how can you expect them to show up and bowl? Just my opinion, but if the ABA were coming down to Atlanta more often, more bowlers would show up and bowl once the word got out a bit. This tournament was I believe their first in GA.
If it's action you want, I'm sure you can drive to Atlanta any Sunday and get what you want...or you can come to Greenville and get some as well...I know one person who would be interested....and I assure you I am a THB as well :)

Randy..... for the most part it is tough to make good money there unless you finish 1-2, but they did open a scratch division, doesn't pay much ($250-350 b.o.e), but the competition is for the most part scarce at best. As for why I don't bowl them anymore...not really worth getting into, I bowled the ones in my backyard and did well for a few tournaments in a row and made apparently too much cash for their liking.

You and your 5 pins a game was scaring all the entries Gil.