TL;DR summary (or, the bottom line up front summary, for my fellow federal employees):
We actually have 3 weeks left and the season ends Dec. 5 (no bowling on Nov. 28 ), not 2 weeks like I thought last week.
Action item: please vote (via email reply) for whether we just start next week w/a 4 team playoff or this week w/an 8 team play off (leaves out 1 team, sadly). Third option is to proceed w/4 team playoff this week with a “free bowl” final week that only affects prizes for best average.
I'm a dork who can't count, that's my bad, I'd like to blame COVID.
Everything else is basically the same
Well. I'd like to open this email with a fairly evident observation: I need to learn to count. So last week I sent out an email saying we only had 3 total weeks left. But it turns out that I'm actually an idiot who can't count (or read her own emails) and NOW we only have 3 weeks left. That's right, Pindependents, I was about to end our season a week early. To clarify: The last Sunday of the season is Sunday, December 5th. And no, we are NOT bowling Sunday, November 28th (Thanksgiving weekend). So we have this week (tomorrow), next week (the 21st), a week's break, and then the final week, the 5th of December. Which means that we can do one of three things with the playoffs:
Make this week our last regular season week (giving those few teams just separated by a point or two one more chance to make or lose out on the playoffs) and then proceed as described in last week's email.
Expand the playoffs by a week so that the top 8 teams are involved (seeded 8 v 1, 7 v. 2, 6 v. 4, 5 v. 3), which then takes the 4 winning teams from this week into a semifinal round next week with the 2 winning teams moving on to the championship game.
Go with the top 4 teams this week as described in last week's email and just play on the 5th in a “free bowl” situation for funsies (with prizes still awarded for best averages). The women's average race is a tight one, kids, the difference is about 1 point. RESPOND TO THIS EMAIL WITH YOUR PREFERRED PLAN.
I will go with whichever plan gets the most responses/votes.
Just to be clear- we have 10 teams, one of which is empty. So that means one team will miss the playoffs this year completely and play the empty team this week if we go with plan 2 (at the risk of spoiling it for you, it's The Dudes. Sorry, guys).
The other drawback with plan 2 is that most people didn't realize they'd be in the playoffs this week, so they made other plans (pre-bowling, etc).
I am truly sorry for all of the confusion. I really can't make any excuses other than “it's been a weird year and my brain is broken." You all paid for 11 weeks of bowling, and by God, we're bowling for 11 weeks!! Regardless of which plan we choose, the rules below are still the same:
Pre-bowling scores are NOT used for playoff/championship matches. In order to compete for the trophy, you have to be there. If you can't be there, then your blinded score will be used (average minus 10).
If a team fails to show up (all four players) on a playoff night, then the next highest team will be moved in to their slot and they forfeit. Traditionally, if even one player shows up, they can choose to still play, using their teammates' blinded scores. (see below.)
If your team is NOT in the playoffs, you still bowl! You paid for the whole season, you bowl the whole season. While it's not for all the marbles, or in this case a cheesy league trophy, it's still for fun. So don't quit on the league just because you didn't make the playoffs this season.
If you do make the playoffs but still want to pre-bowl, you can, your scores will just not be used.
Don't forget, there are also for our best average male and female bowlers, too! So keep rolling!
Ties are very rare. However, the options for breaking a tie are as follows: 1- using total scratch pins (sort of defeats the normalization with the handicap process) 2- doing a single frame play off (everyone on each team bowls one more frame and we use the handicap scores for that frame to determine the winning team- strikes and spares are counted as 10). 3-A sword fight in the parking lot to the death. You'll have to take off your bowling shoes for that one, unfortunately. It could also affect attendance for the teams on championship week. Let me know which tie breaker idea you like the best (I'm leaning toward option 2, personally). Final evergreen reminders: - If you do pre-bowl, please let me know. And make sure to put the date on your pre-bowling score card. I will not be using cards that are not dated anymore. It's week 7, you should know this by now.
- Don't forget! You get 2 free practice games per week. You can take these M-TH until 7pm, F-Sa until 6pm or any time Sundays. (Make sure to specify that you are practicing, not pre-bowling, so they get the math right.)
- Make sure to tell the snack bar you're playing in a league, you get a discount on food, soft drinks and bowling as a league member.
Bowling etiquette (just a constant reminder):
Be ready to bowl when it's your turn. This also means trying to be on time.
Be aware of other bowlers: if 2 bowlers make the approach side by side, the bowler on the right has the right of way. LOOK AROUND. Make sure that when it's your turn, you're not bowling at the same time as the bowlers in the lanes next to you.
Wear bowling shoes. This should go without saying, but street shoes can damage the approach and lead to falls. Shoes are NOT included in the price of your season, so make sure to rent your shoes when you arrive if you need to.
Keep an eye on food and drink: don't spill near the approach, wet shoes cause falls (trust me on this one). If you're a sloppy eater, then eat at the table behind the benches on the lanes.
Don't be a jerk. No, seriously. We're all here to have fun. Don't be a jerk.
Questions? Comments? Send them my way! keely@pindependentbowling.com I will post each week's updates on the website blog as well, so if you miss the emails, check there. www.pindependentbowling.com Again, chime in and let me know your thoughts. This is our league that we play for fun, so I don't want anyone feeling like their thoughts and ideas aren't valid. -k-