I know how you feel. Let me join you in a round of grousing.
1. I hate small leagues. Five and a fraction teams is ridiculous. A team that keeps disappearing is a guaranteed recipe for chronic aggravation. And what on earth kind of “roll-off” did you people think made sense for a league destined to have, at most, six teams?! I presume “roll-off” means something more than just a last-week position round. In your position, I’d swear off that particular league unless they had at least 8 solid teams next year.
2. I’m frustrated right now partly because I seem to be bowling my best just as the season is wrapping up. Two weeks ago, I bowled a 290 game in the State Tournament (team event, no hope of cashing). The only chance I have to cash is in scratch all-events (I’m stuck with a 224 average in an easy house from last year), and my 2014 was only 4th best on the opening weekend, with 5 weekends to go. This past week, I shot 721 on Monday (215 average) and 725 on Thursday (204 average). And now, Monday is finished and Thursday ends this week.
3. As for teammates, oh, BOY, do I understand. Our Monday team has been really frustrating. We’ve have been trying to put together a run the last two months. Every week, we’ve been taking 6 out of 8 points, and every week, struggling teammates kept us from the sweep. One week, everyone on both teams was struggling. We won the first game easily, then lost the second game narrowly while I struggled to a 146. For the third game, I moved 5 boards left and suddenly found a consistent shot. Every shot was high flush as I strung the first ten strikes, then left a 4-pin for a 289. But my teammates (170-185 averages all, including the blind) shot 160, 160, and 140, and we lost that game too. AARRGHH!
The upshot was, in our position round Monday, we were in third, 8 points out of 1st, 6 out of 2nd, and 4 ahead of third. We swept them (finally!), the 2nd team swept the 1st, and we wound up tied for second, 6 out of first. So many lost opportunities.
I LIKE your bowling posts. Once I get my back and knees back into shape, I’ll take up bowling again!