[Shrek] Bowling and Backpedaling

Tuesday began the couple's league I bowl in during the summer. As I mentioned earlier, I'm on a new team with Rich, Josie, and Fiona. Let's just say the league has probably never seen a team like us.

Because Fiona was going to Salter School the last couple of summers she hasn't bowled in the league since 2004. It was funny watching her open her bowling bag as she wasn't certain what was going to crawl out of it. Turns out it was just as she left it--her shoes and red, white, and blue bowling balls neatly packed away.

To say Fiona was "a little rusty" would be the understatement of the relatively new millenia. She bowled less than her previously reliable 66 average, but as the night went on she had more and more fun as the rust scraped away. The highlight of the evening was when she got a ten and nearly the entire league cheered and rang the bells they bring to indicate a teammate scored a spare or strike. Her ear-to-ear grin really solidified that we are there for the fun of it.

I had my normal night--two good strings sandwiched around an absolutely pathetic effort. I finished with a 320, which is right around where I should be scoring. Rich was a tad under where he normally bowls, but as he's bowled very little (if at all) since last summer that's not a shock. Josie wrote her own story about the night, which you can catch in her blog on the T&G website.

We bowled some good folks and we all had a great time. And as luck would have it, when it was all said and done we tied 4-4 for the evening.

Now for a complete change in direction, I'd like to say some things about Curt Schilling. As if there's anyone on the planet that doesn't know, Curt Schilling is the definition of "attention whore". There isn't a topic he doesn't have an opinion about, and he's not afraid of speaking about it. Some might say he and I have that in common, but I digress...

Schilling makes a weekly appearance on Boston's WEEI (850 AM, in Worcester it is simulcasted on WVEI 1440AM). During his call in earlier this week to the "Dennis and Callahan" show, Schilling was asked if fans should hold their noses while Barry Bonds perseus Hank Aaron's Major League all-time home run record.

His answer:
Oh yeah. I would think so. I mean, he admitted that he used steroids. I mean, there's no gray area. He admitted to cheating on his wife, cheating on his taxes, and cheating on the game, so I think the reaction around the league, the game, being what it is, in the case of what people think. Hank Aaron not being there. The commissioner trying to figure out where to be. It's sad.

And I don't care that he's black, or green, or purple, or yellow, or whatever. It's unfortunate... there's good people and bad people. It's unfortunate that it's happening the way it's happening.

Schilling has backed away from those comments, and posted an apology on his blog (which I will not link to, Google it if you want to see it).

Well Curt, you should have stood behind those comments. Yes, you were wrong when you said Bonds "admitted to cheating on his wife, cheating on his taxes, and cheating on the game", because Bonds has never admitted to doing those things. He has admitted to taking steroids, although he says it was "unknowingly". Yeah, I guess you could "unknowingly" take a substance for a few years and not wonder why you went from looking like Stan Laurel to The Incredible Hulk.

The fact is Bonds has done all of those things, he simply didn't admit to doing so. I would have liked to have seen what would have happened if just once someone would have the guts to speak out against the elephant in the room, and I thought for once Shilling would use his reputation and speak out.

Alas, I was wrong.

For humor's sake people should check out all the attacks now aimed at Schilling. Many of them are coming from the San Fransisco area. I can't say I'm surprised at that as they are the only people that believe en masse that Bonds is a victim in all of this.