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by Randy OoneyMy Nickel’s Worth by Randy Ooney
MSC
As most of you know, the Midwest Senior Classic is a traveling monthly tournament for players over 50 years of age. Don Theis, the tournament director, has made several changes in the past couple of years to encourage membership for some of us gray beards pushing 60 or seventy. I’ve always said I’d rather be pushing 70 than pushing up daisies. There are now four segmented age groups within a tournament to increase the chances for cash among your peers. I’ve often thought they could enhance further by segmenting groups of bowlers with hair and without hair, with natural teeth vs. store bought teeth, Vikings fans vs. Packer backers, sedans, minivans, or pickup trucks, Pepsi or Coke, Miller or Bud, but what do I know.
I arrived at this month’s tournament at Midway Pro Bowl this past Sunday. Our host, Al Loth, had guys available to help with equipment down the two flights of stairs. I carried my own this time, but when I get old I am thinking of purchasing one of those ball carriers with wheels on it. Maybe someone will come out with a self propelled one by then and we can just steer it with a remote. In a passing moment with Jeff Kristal last Friday, I remarked about what might have happened if someone walked into Texa Tonka in 1965 with a two ball carrier with wheels. We both agreed he might have been laughed out of the place. Leo Mann was the first guy I remember bringing two balls to league night, but that was okay because he was Leo. I think he invented the two ball bag.
Anyway, I congratulated my friend, Roger Blad, for his 815 performance in the Minneapolis City Tournament. It’s not often that a man of Roger’s girth is able to bowl over his weight for all three games. Then I checked in and received a score sheet with the number 7 on it. I found out later that meant that my starting lane was 23, along with 5, 6, and 8. Had I drawn sheet #24, my starting lane would be 24. I think 1-4 started on 15 & 16, and 28-32 started on 19 & 20, and so on. Next tournament, I think I will stop at Super America on the way and pick up a box of Cracker Jacks, in hopes of getting a Super Senior MSC lane assignment decoder ring. But thank you Mr. Loth, (I only left one solid 5), for hosting a fine tournament. Basement bowling at it’s best.
And how about a few props for Kelly Kulick for winning the PBA Tournament of Champions this weekend at Red Rock Lanes. She defeated Chris Barnes in the final match, and got to the finals by defeating Mika Koivuniemi, who had borrowed a pair of pants from Jasper Parnevik for the TV finals.
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