In the thrilling sixth week of our bowling league, the lanes buzzed with excitement as teams clashed, jockeying for position in the standings. It was a showcase of skill and determination, with standout performances leaving spectators on the edge of their seats. The spotlight shone brightly on JoAnne Barber and Seth Gunderson, who dazzled with their exceptional bowling prowess. JoAnne claimed the title of this week's queen of the lanes, securing the high game (143) and series (350) for the woman, while Seth asserted his dominance with a stellar high game (238) and series (562) for the men, solidifying his status as a force to be reckoned with.

As we get in to what happened on each of the lanes, there's an important bit of league history that needs to be discussed. A great many of you joined the league after AMF closed on us. Because of this, there are a lot of deep-rooted traditions and folklore within the league that you may not know about. Perhaps the most important: The Cheese Stick Curse is REAL. For over two decades we have documented time after time after time that nothing kills a good game faster than taking a bite of delicious fried mozzarella.

DB Lenz a Hand had Grumpy Old Men playing right into its hand.

So it should come as no surprise that on lanes 1 & 2: when Chris Lenz of DB Lenz a Hand shared some cheese sticks with Nathan Burrows of Grumpy Old Men, that it was a trap that caused Nathan to plunge from a 170 in game 2 to a 92 in game 3. Even though highlighted by the skills of AJ Hofmann with his below-average 456 series, Grumps accomplished only 1 win against Lenz Handlers. Once cheese sticks were exchanged, the tables turned and Chris Lenz with his better-than-normal 394 series took the lead among Lenz Handlers as his team took the match with 3 wins. Grumpy Old Men drops 1 spot in the standings to 3rd place, while Lenz Handlers move up 1 spot to 4th.

Squid Row celebrating their unexpected victories like the party animals they are

On lanes 3 & 4, Glory Bowl and Squid Row engaged in a fierce battle for supremacy. Despite Nicholas Knight's above-average 501 series leading the charge for Glory Bowl, they faltered, securing only 1 win against the formidable Squids. Matthew Taylor's inspiring 538 series rallied Squid Row to victory, clinching the match with 3 wins and maintaining their stronghold on the top spot. Glory Bowl's setback saw them dropping 1 spot in the standings to 5th place, while Squid Row, welcoming back a moderately-recovered Dennis Walling, stood tall in 1st.

An AI vision of Seth vs Sisco. AI really doesn't understand what either of them look like. But my my, aren't they buff?

Down on lanes 5 & 6, the atmosphere was electric as Schindler's Fists clashed with the Sun Dolphins. Led by the indomitable Most Valuable Bowler Seth Gunderson and his above-average 562 series, Schindler's Fists dominated, seizing 3 wins against the resilient Dolphins. Despite the valiant efforts of Ryan Sisco, the #1 Power Ranked and #1 Head-to-Head player, and his outstanding 494 series, the Dolphins could only muster a single win. The victory propelled Schindler's Fists to climb 1 spot in the standings to 2nd place, while the Dolphins remained in 6th, determined to swim back stronger.

As the dust settled and the marinara sauce wiped off chins, it was clear that this week's battles and cheese sticks had left an indelible mark on the league, setting the stage for even more thrilling showdowns in the weeks to come.

Bowlers who sneaked in through the employee entrance of The 200 Club include: Aaron Barber (205) and Seth Gunderson (238)

In this week's Tournament of Champions brackets: Ben Spencer swept Division 1, while Scott Thompson topped Division 2. Chris Windham decimated Division 3, and Ryan Sisco conquered Division 4. In terms of overall points: Matthew Taylor reigns over Division 1; Seth Gunderson is in the driver's seat in Division 2; Chris Windham runs the show in Division 3; and Ryan Sisco dominates Division 4.

NEXT WEEK:

• First, on lanes 1&2, 1st-place Squid Row will battle 6th-place Sun Dolphins (hcp 96). Squids are expected to maintain their current strength as they win the series; while Dolphins are forecast to hold steady as they avoid getting swept.
• Moving to lanes 3&4, 2nd-place Schindler's Fists will match wits with 4th-place DB Lenz a Hand (hcp 100). Fists might roll a little low, yet still manage to sweep the series; while Lenz Handlers ought to drop their average a bit while they endure a rough night.
• Finally, on lanes 5&6, 3rd-place Grumpy Old Men will chill with 5th-place Glory Bowl (hcp 19). Grumps are predicted to have a bit of an off night and lose the series but avoid getting swept; while Glory is anticipated to hold steady 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 Seth Gunderson Runner Up: (See Posting)	#1 POWER BOWLER Ryan Sisco Runner Up: Seth Gunderson	#1 H2H BOWLER Ryan Sisco Runner Up: Scott Thompson
FROM THE GUTTER (GUTTER QUOTE) "Ron, we have some balls getting backed up on lanes 5 & 6." "That sounds like something they should have taken care of before coming to bowling." "It's definitely not something they should be taking care of on the grounds of a Catholic church." Joe, then AJ, then Scoot, on issues the guys on lanes 5-6 were having with their balls.