A strong argument could be made that Gutter Alleyers were more interested in what was happening behind the bar than they were about what was happening on the lanes, as the news that two Croation beers were now available (one of which some of us have been waiting over a year to try) opened up wallets and gullets throughout all 6 lanes. The large green bottles could be found in almost every other drink holder. But in the realm of balls and pins, the sixth week saw two teams climb in the standings, while one team slipped. JoAnne Barber picked up this week's high game (121) and series (351) for the women, while Nick Kinney earned this week's high game (211) and series (602) for the men. Read on for all the rest of the details!

First up, on lanes 1 & 2: In what once would have been a rather lopsided matchup, the hopeful Sun Dolphins challenged Balderdash. Demonstrating the prowess of Ryan Sisco with his 470 series, along with kudos ONCE AGAIN to #1 Power-Ranked and Most Valuable Bowler Ray Scott, the dolphins split the series with the balder dashers. On the other half of the score sheet, Matthew Taylor with his 529 series ruled the balder dashers as they matched their opponent in wins. Sun Dolphins remains in 5th place, while the balder dashers move up 1 spot to 3rd.

The real MVB?

On lanes 3 & 4, then on just lane 3, and then finally on lanes 5 & 6 due to seriously faulty lane 4: I Can't Believe It's Not Gutter tussled with AJ's Minions. Although receiving some motivation from Jeremy Varnell with his below-average but team-leading 388 series, the nonbelievers got swept by the minions. Moving on to the challengers, Jeromy Harris with his 469 series shone in the minions as they swept the competition. I Can't Believe It's Not Gutter plummets 2 spots in the standings to 4th place, while the minions move up 1 spot to 2nd.

Finally, down on lanes 5 & 6: Baby Beardo matched wits with Glory Bowl. Topped by #1 Head-to-Head Nick Kinney and his above-average 602 series, the Beardettes celebrated a clean sweep over the Glorious. Countering this, Brett Affolter with his 509 series commanded the Glorious despite his team getting swept. Baby Beardo remains in 1st place, while the Glorious remain in 6th.

Bowlers who moved on from Croatian beer to Croatian Vodka at The 200 Club include: Carl Goetz (200,205), Jeromy Harris (208), and Nick Kinney (211,202)

In this week's Tournament of Champions brackets: Nick Kinney shut down Division 1, while Ben Spencer creamed Division 2. Nobody claimed victory in Division 3 (though Ryan Sisco came closest), and Ray Scott decimated Division 4. In terms of overall points: Nick Kinney is in the driver's seat in Division 1; James Tott and Michael Gordon lead Division 2 in a tie; Ryan Sisco runs the show in Division 3; and Ray Scott holds the reins in Division 4.

NEXT WEEK:

• First, on lanes 1&2, 2nd-place AJ's Minions will tussle with 6th-place Glory Bowl (hcp 12). The minions are expected to roll a little low, yet still manage to sweep the series; while the Glorious are forecast to drop their average a bit while they endure a rough night.
• Moving to lanes 3&4, 1st-place Baby Beardo will test their mettle against 3rd-place Balderdash (hcp 6). The Beardettes might roll a little low and get swept; while the balder dashers ought to hold steady as they rack up a sweep.
• Finally, on lanes 5&6, 5th-place Sun Dolphins (hcp 21) will roll against 4th-place I Can't Believe It's Not Gutter. The dolphins are predicted to maintain their current strength as they lose the series but avoid getting swept; while the nonbelievers are anticipated to drop their average a bit even as they enjoy their victories.

^*(Remember, the predicted results above are based on mathematical extrapolations and can be changed by all sorts of factors. If you don't like how your team's results are predicted, you and your teammates have the power to prove the math wrong!)

THIS WEEK'S MVB Ray Scott Runner Up: (See Posting)	#1 POWER BOWLER Ray Scott Runner Up: Nick Kinney	#1 H2H BOWLER Nick Kinney Runner Up: Ray Scott
FROM THE GUTTER (GUTTER QUOTE) "Oh, you're in the 7th frame of game 1? What better time than now to have your scoreboard update to Windows 11?" Bill Gates, causing the first of many delays this evening.