by Randy Ooney
My Nickel’s Worth by Randy Ooney
Do it Right
I sometimes hesitate to endorse a bowling center or other products because I don’t want to slight their competitors. The fact is I enjoy most bowling centers which I have visited, most golf courses I have played, and I will even have a Pepsi or a Coke. Politics is always a touchy subject this time in even numbered years. If you don’t believe me just open a Facebook account and sign up 100 friends and let them rip. I wish they would cut back on the lawn signs, though, so I can find the garage sales. I even discovered a member of our bowling community that enjoys the analyst commentary of Bert Blyleven! All I can say, Halsey, is Holy Cow. But honestly, there is room in our great country for Home Depot and Lowe’s, Miller and Bud, Walmart and Target, or DeSoto and Edsel…well maybe not all of the above.
The September MSC tournament was held at the Brunswick Zone XL in Brooklyn Park. I arrived around 9:00 AM and greeted my Rochester friends Brian Floen and Rob Downer inside the door. I commented that I had read in the paper that the Saudi princes objected to women driving them around Rochester in limos when they were visiting the Mayo Clinic, and I asked if Brian also had a problem with female drivers. He said absolutely not, in fact Rob had driven him up to Brooklyn Park just that morning. Rob got even for that remark a few hours later when he faced off against Brian in the title match and squeaked out a 239-227 victory.
It was a successful tournament with a high number of 51 entries, but my real positive impression came as the day rolled on into the afternoon. No, it was not the Vikings upset win over San Francisco. Almost everyone I know predicted that, just ask them. The Brooklyn Park Zone has 48 lanes, 20 face east and 28 face west. Around noon the 28 lane side began to fill up with families and their kids, enjoying a few games of bowling, maybe celebrating a birthday, high schoolers on an afternoon date, and patrons of all ages enjoying the facility. There is a quiet bar, dimly lit with a fire ring for those over 21 to have a libation while watching football on several TVs of various sizes; and a snack bar to provide pizza and finger food to satisfy the hunger of all the aforementioned patrons, and the huge gameroom for kids of all ages to play and win prizes. There are those who scoff at the new extreme modern centers with the huge game rooms and the couches in the settee area. It’s true that they cater to birthday parties on weekends, but still provide many leagues for bowlers of all skills and ages. And I have no doubt that many of the young boys and girls that were having a great time this past Sunday, will someday be league bowlers with that $5.00 bottle of beer in one hand.
And by the way – It’s not all about the kids. I noticed a PacMan video game, obviously for the MSC players over 50, next to the lazer tag area. KFC has a slogan that they do chicken right. I have to say that Brunswick does bowling right! AND …. The icing on the cake is my good friend drock on the Brunswick staff. That thumbs up should keep me out of the Combat Zone for a couple of weeks.
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