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| Points Won: 5 - Points Lost: 22 (MAYBE) |
Quinton wasn't able to join us this week and we didn't have a sub lined up. This forced us to use a penalized score of 173 in Quinton's absence.
We were beaten rather handily by How Swede It Is but not without some controvery. I'll have more on that later. So far as the bowling went, it wasn't one of our better nights. We didn't break 800 in any of the games while our opponents did in all three, due in part to the controversial issue which I will cover later in this report.
WEEK 31 01 02 03 SER PTS G PINS AVG PTS HG HS 200 600 700 800
Quinton 173 173 173 519 1.0 81 14882 183.7 49.0 266 661 24 7 0 0
Mark 218 190 211 619 3.0 90 17004 188.9 60.0 247 659 34 9 0 0
Brandon 184 186 194 564 1.0 93 17990 193.4 50.0 257 688 30 8 0 0
Garrett 191 230 197 618 0.0 90 20007 222.3 65.0 299 876 66 18 8 1
Kevin 6 1138 189.7 4.0 223 574 3 0 0 0
TOTAL 766 779 775 2320 5.0 360 71021 197.3 229.0 964 2693 157 42 8 1
The issue in dispute was the vacancy score used by our opponents. Eric Ellard had to drop out of the league and in his place, a vancancy score of 250 was granted. We found this score baffling. No bowler in our league has an average anywhere near 250 so how is it equitable compensation for a team missing a bowlier? At the time, we went along with the posted score but with the intention of questioning its correctness afterward.
According to our league's rules, the vacancy score is supposed to be the sum of the present members' entering averages subtracted from 785. That clearly was not the case as my email to the powers-that-be at Diablo Valley Bowl explains:
"Good morning. In last night's Showcase 810 match between Team 6 (Pinole Bowlers Supply) and Team 11 (How Swede It Is), a vacancy score of 250 was used by Team 11. I am unable to reconcile this score with our league’s rules.
According to League Play Rule #6 (page 7), “Vacancy/Blind score will be the three present members’ entering averages subtracted from 785.”
According to Averages Rule #3 (page 3), “To be eligible to participate in this league at less than the maximum average, a bowler must have two years of book averages, of 40 games or more, during the past five years.”
According to Individual Entering Average Notes #1 & #2 (Page 4), “The league will not recognize ANY league average of less than 40 games; with the exception shown in rule 2 following.” (“If you have an average that is between 21-39 games, and it is higher than your 40 game minimum average for that season, then that average takes precedence for that season.”)
Using the USBC listings found at Bowl.com, Lisa Burney’s entering average is 164 and Kevin Burney’s entering average is 187. Dennis Ellard has only a summer league average listed and it’s based on less than 40 games so it is not recognized. (The exception in Rule #2 was not met.) Lacking a recognized book average, I assume his average would be the “maximum average” but I don’t see where that is defined. I noticed that Dennis was absent during the first week of the season and an average of 223 was used in his absence. Perhaps that means the maximum average is 233 and with the required ten-pin penalty for absence, his score for each game was 223. Perhaps he had established a higher average that is not listed on the USBC’s website.
If Dennis’s entering average was established as 233, the sum of the present bowlers’ entering averages was 584 and the vacancy score should be 201, not 250. (785-584 = 201.) If his entering average was 223, the vacancy score should be 211. For the vacancy score to be 250, Dennis’s entering average would have to be 184 and we are unable to see how that could be determined under the existing league rules.
At your earliest convenience, can you please clarify how the vacancy score of 250 was determined?"
I am anxious to see DVB's response to my inquiry. If my figures are correct, we won the second game and Garrett's score in the second game topped the vacancy score. We'd still be on the losing end of the match but by a score of 9-18 instead of 5-22.
To date, none of league's officers nor the committee have responded to my inquiry. Only Gina Moura replied and that was as a courtesy. She wasn't involved in the decision. This is what Gina had to say on the matter:
ReplyDelete"This is a sore subject that has been addressed by committee members of Showcase League.
I do not dictate the interprutation of rules, that is for the committee. I can only share what I have been told by officers and committee on the subject.
Max entering average for league is 810. When vacancy score is used, there is a penalty of 25 pins, which now they can only use a 785 max. 3 bowlers added up and the difference is vacancy score for a 785. It was determined a 275 average brings them to the max of 810 minus 25 pins, they are using 250 avg.
As far as what they came in the league at etc. I do believe that would be Peter Hagin."
Before I go into a nuclear psychotic rant, I want to see the figures they used to determine the average of 250. So far as I can tell, they made a huge math error or they're using entering averages that are not supported by the league's rules.