Tag Archives: bowling

Bowling in Culture

Bowling is a sport that consists of throwing a heavy ball down a long impasse, called an alley, toward bowling pins.  There are a few different types of bowling, which vary in how many bowling pins are in place.  Ten-pin bowling, which is prevalent in the United States, consists of ten pins.  Ten-pin bowling evolved from Nine-pin bowling which is played in Europe.  Ten-pin bowling, however, is played around the world in championships and other amateur activities, making it the more common form of bowling around the world.

The origins of bowling can be traced back to places like Finland, Yemen, Germany, Egypt, and India (Tenpinbowling). Popularization came during the feudalism era in England, where there are records of King Edward III restricted his soldiers from playing bowling in favor of working on their archery skills instead (Tenpinbowling).  As bowling became more popular, it spread to the other countries of Europe, and propagated into the rest of the countries where the game is played today.  Variations of bowling play with the concept of how many pins are to be knocked down, or modifications to the score sheet.  (Wikipedia)

Bowling also takes place in other parts of our culture, like film and television.  Movies like The Big Lebowski and Kingpin incorporate the sport into its story, but in different ways (Findarticles).  The Big Lebowski portrays the game as an aside, more like a hobby that characters share in common while events greater than themselves are happening around them.  Kingpin is all about the game itself and the competition involved in it.  The bowling ball is infamous for its weight, and is featured as a “weapon” in Mystery Men.  The Hanna-Barbera cartoon “The Flintstones” also featured many occurrences where the main characters of the show would be bowling at various times during the series.

Even though bowling may not be a defining piece of world culture, it is one of the underlying aspects that create it.  Bowling is a sport that many people can get involved in, whether it be for professional league play or just hanging out with friends during a session of Nitro Bowling.

             Works Cited

“The Game History.” Tenpinbowling.org. November 4, 2007. http://www.tenpinbowling.org/view.php?page=the_game.history

“Bowling.”  Wikipedia.org.  November 4, 2007.  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bowling

“Our List of the Best, uh, Top … Well Here Are Some Bowling Movies – Brief Article.”  Findarticles.com.  http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0FCK/is_1_19/ai_71821872

Joke #18433

It’s that time of the year — the days are getting longer and the weather’s warming up. That means only one thing: time to call in sick.

Here are some actual, road-tested excuses collected in a survey from the job site careerbuilder.com

* I forgot to come back to work after lunch.
* I hurt myself bowling.
* I was spit on by a venomous snake.
* I had to be there for my husband’s grand jury trial.
* My monkey died.

Joke #18432

“Do you remember first meeting your wife?”

“Sure, I found Jill lying face down in the gutter. I lifted her to her feet and promised her that if she agreed to marry me, she would begin a new life and I’d never allow her near the gutter again.”

“Wow, I hope she appreciates what you did for her.”

“Not really. Jill hated to give up bowling.”

Silly Sports Talk

“Looks like I missed the bull’s-eye,” Tom said aimlessly.

“Give me a rubdown,” Tom said sorely.

“Let’s go camping if the weather is good,” Tom said tentatively.

“I’ve got a great tennis serve,” Tom said faultlessly.

“Would you go fishing with me?” Tom asked with baited breath.

“What this team needs is a great home-run hitter,” Tom said ruthlessly.

“I’m retiring from baseball,” Tom said with resignation.

“Something is wrong with my bowling,” Tom said gutterally.

“Is this boat tilting, or is it my imagination?” Tom asked listlessly.

“Want to Indian wrestle?” Tom asked bravely.

“Our canoe is headed for the falls!” Tom said rapidly.

“This horse won’t stop,” Tom said woefully.

Sports Bestsellers

Strike Three – by U.R. Out

Last-Inning Cliffhangers – by D. Bases, R. Loaded

Last-Second Touchdown – by Justin Time

Interception – by E. Bluitt

The Referee Is Always Right – by R.U. Nuts

Sports Medicine – by Frank N. Stein

The Washington Redskins – by T.P. Dweller

Great Basketball Plays – by Jim Shoes

Improve Your Foul Shooting – by Mr. Completely

Basketball Bloopers – by Dub L. Dribble

Calisthenics – by Stan Dupp and Neil Down

Skateboard Hotdogging – by Frank Furter

Ice Hockey for Beginners – by I.M. Freezin

Hockey Plays – by I.C. Tose

Bowling Strikes – by M.T. Lane

Boxing Knockouts – by Seymour Stars

My Bowling Scores

These are all the bowling scores that I’ve been able to write down for myself:

8/27/07

92, 84, 117

9/10/07

92, 76

9/17/07

78, 91

9/21/07

76

9/24/07

118, 85

10/1/07

85, 84, 75

10/15/07

55, 101

10/22/07

78, 82

10/29/07

88, 100

11/5/07

105, 93

11/26/07

80, 84, 69

Stats:

# of games recorded: 24

Average: 87

Highest: 118

<100 scored games: 19

100-199 scored games: 5

200+ scored games: 0

I usually use a 8, 10, or 12 pound ball.  More often 10 or 12 pounds.