With the Kansas City Royals amazingly making it into the post-season for the first time since some of our league bowlers were born, half of the league did not show up to roll with plans to either post-bowl or already having pre-bowled. Week #6 had a lot of TBDs and tentatives...until now.The matchup between The Finger Holes and Ballz Out is now available, and patience paid off for cagey veterans. With only two team members putting bowling above baseball, Dennis "Pops" Laube led The F-Holes to a 3-1 victory with his 542 series. Chadwick Andrews had his Ballz Out to the tune of a 471 series but it was only enough to secure one win. Neither team shifted in the standings with The Finger Holes holding onto 2nd and Ballz Out still in 7th place.Dixie Stampede, who managed to have two of their bowlers pre-bowl, were able to complete their matchup against opponents Split It & Hit It. With Ryan Doll's 649 series leading the way along with this week's Most Valuable Bowler performance from teammate Bryan Mohr, Dixie notched a clean sweep to move up into 3rd place. Sub Dennis Blake put up the most firepower for Split It, ending his night with a 468 series. The team remains in 8th place.The season, so far, has belonged primarily to the men of My Three Sons. Post-bowling just a few hours before Week #7's action kicked off, they finally got to see the scores that Pin and Tonics put up while they were out losing their voices at The K. Leading the way with his 596 series, Aaron Barber's dominant performance helped wrap up Games #1 and #2 in the matchup. Game #3 saw the only life out of The Sons as they secured their lone victory in the contest, led by Seth Gunderson's 535 series. While My Three Sons remain in 1st, their lead is now down to just a single game. With their wins, Pin and Tonics move up into 5th place.After going 1-7 over the past two weeks, 921+ looked to make easy work of their competition and get back on track in their title run. The men of More Beer, Chelsea had other plans. Taking Game #1 behind anchor Eric Lynch's team leading 520 series, Chelsea was on fire with all four members of the team contributing. 921+, led by this week's #1 Power Ranked bowler performance from Ken M. Wilson's 678 series, managed to only secure a narrow win in Game #2, losing the last contest by six pins. More Beer remain in 4th despite the wins while 921+ tumbles three spots into 6th place.The Tournament of Champions currents looks like this:Division 1 = Ryan Doll (15), Ian Goetz (7)Division 2 = Jonathan Vigliaturo (7), Phil Schroeder (6)Division 3 = Rob Kaszuba (6), Eric Lynch (6), Michael Gordon (6)Division 4 = Jake Parrott (8), Michael Smith (7)Bowlers that made it into The 200 Club this week, albeit late, include: Aubrey Moren (203), Dennis Blake (211), Ian Goetz (229), John Boren (210), Jonathan Vigliaturo (205), Ken M. Wilson (237, 209, 232), Kody Karnes (204, 208), Ryan Doll (210, 205, 234), and Seth Gunderson (201).See you next Tuesday!

THIS WEEK'S MVB Bryan Mohr Runner Up: (See Posting)	#1 POWER BOWLER Ken Wilson Runner Up: Ryan Doll	#1 H2H BOWLER Ken M. Wilson Runner Up: Ryan Doll
FROM THE GUTTER (GUTTER QUOTE) "Wait a minute, I had money on Oakland. Damn you, Satan!!!" God, who didn't believe in the Royals.

The league now has Week #5 in the history books and with it came some serious output from the first place team. While three teams swapped places in the league standings, only two teams remain standing with winning records – which has to be a first in our league's history. In the first showdown between the league's top two scoring teams, 921+ looked to bounce back after a piss poor performance last week. Unfortunately they could not derail My Three Sons' star performer this week – and #1 Power Ranked bowler – Ian Goetz. Hoisting his very first 700+ series (he shot a 707 to tie for the 15th highest series in league history), Ian and crew easily laid waste to the underperforming 921+ crew. Ken M. Wilson put up the highest series for his team, a 598, in the losing effort. My Three Songs remains in 1st place by three games while 921+ remains in 3rd.In the off season, the core of Pin and Tonics looked to improve its roster and brought in former sub Aaron Barber. This Tuesday night, it paid off. With the gang fully in attendance, they nearly completed a sweep against opponents More Beer, Chelsea but ended up going 3-1 behind Barber's team-leading 579 series. Hall of Famers and league hump-recipient Scott Murdock led the Chelseas with a 499 series and kept his team from getting blanked with a Game #3 victory. Neither More Beer, Chelsea nor Pin and Tonics moved in the standings, remaining in 4th and 6th place respectively.After last week's disappointing fall into last place, Dixie Stampede decided to buck like an angry bull against opponents Ballz Out. Led by Ryan Doll's best output of the season thus far – a 618 series – coupled with this week's Most Valuable Bowler performance from Rob Kaszuba, the under-manned Stampede roared back with a clean sweep of their competition and climbed three spots up into 5th. The Ballz, led this week by Cliff Barendsen's 496 series, simply couldn't find any answers for Dixie and fall two spots into 7th place.On the final pair of lanes, The Finger Holes continue their chase to the top of the standings by defeating Split It & Hit It 3-1. With Aubrey Moren showing signs of life with a 556 series to lead The F-Holes, the gang looked close to wrapping it all up until Game #3. Todd Way put up the team's highest series at 421 but, overall, the entire team contributed with above-average scores pretty much the entire night to secure their lone victory. The Finger Holes remain in 2nd while Split It slips down one spot into 8th place.The Tournament of Champions now looks like this:Division 1 = Ryan Doll (9), Ian Goetz (6)Division 2 = Phil Schroeder (6), Jonathan Vigliaturo (6)Division 3 = Rob Kaszuba (6), Eric Lynch (6)Division 4 = Michael Smith (7), Mark DeVoe/Dan Imperial (6)Bowlers taking turns making fun of Ian's headband in The 200 Club this week include: Aaron Barber (221), Brian Coe (209), Carl Goetz (205), Ian Goetz (238, 244, 225), John Boren (200), Jonathan Vigliaturo (215), Ken M. Wilson (222), Rob Kaszuba (213), Ryan Doll (231, 206), Scott Murdock (203), and Seth Gunderson (209, 200).See you next Tuesday!

THIS WEEK'S MVB Rob Kaszuba Runner Up: (See Posting)	#1 POWER BOWLER Ian Goetz Runner Up: Rob Kaszuba	#1 H2H BOWLER Ian Goetz Runner Up: Seth Gunderson
FROM THE GUTTER (GUTTER QUOTE) "I haven't been manhandled like that since Christmas '73 at Uncle Randy's." Scott Murdock, after being "gang-humped" by five guys during his 200+ game's initial turkey.

This week saw most teams either remain fixed in the standings or slide. However two teams managed to buck the trend and improve their position in the league.In the matchup between Ballz Out and More Beer, Chelsea on lanes 41 & 42, Each bowler roll either uncharacteristically well or uncharacteristically poorly, and in some cases it was a combination of both. While Scoot rolled his worst series in more than 6 years, Eric Lynch climbed to a 222 by game 3 to lead his team with a 546 series and take #1 Power Ranked bowler honors. This wasn't nearly enough to offset the damage done by Chadwick Andrews and his 492 series (combined with high games by both Bryan Bay and Cliff Barendsen), giving the Ballz a 3-1 triumph over Chelsea. Neither team moved in the standings, however.921+ vs. The Finger Holes was expected to be a very tough battle, but we learned that while Ken M. Wilson can't close a 10th frame to save his life (or health), he's at least apparently the motivator that brings his teams victories. In Ken's absence, 921+ came nowhere close to their namesake as Brian Coe and Kody Karnes co-led the team with 582 series each. The Finger Holes, led by Phil Schroeder's Most Valuable Bowler-earning 539 series (and assisted by high games from Dennis "Pops" Laube and Aubrey Moren), made unusually quick work of the situation and came away with a 3-1 win. 921+ and the F-Holes trade places in the standings.The men of My Three Sons are getting sick and tired of having to calculate handicap after the fact, but that's exactly what they had to do yet again when Dennis Blake made a return visit to Split It & Hit It. Once the furious math was finished, Carl Goetz's 596 series led him and his progeny to a 3-1 victory, while Matt Bunyard let Split It with a 503 series (and a new personal best game of 203). Split It drops 1 spot to 7th, while My Three Sons continues to be the number 1 show this season.Finally, in what is perhaps the biggest upset of the night, dow at 47&48 the yet-to-all-be-seen-at-the-same-time Pin and Tonics trampled all over the Dixie Stampede. With a 558 series, Aaron Barber led the Tonics, while Ryan Doll's 568 was only enough to get the Stampede 1 win. Pin and Tonics climbs 2 spots in the rankings -- the biggest jump of the night -- while Dixie Stampede drops to... dead last?!?!?The Tournament of Champions kicked off tonight, with Ryan Doll winning Division 1 and Carl Goetz taking 2nd. Division 2 was led by Phil Schroeder with Todd Way taking 2nd. Division 3 was devastated by Eric Lynch, with Matt Bunyard taking 2nd. And Division 4 was won by Michael Smith, with Dan Imperial taking 2nd.Bowlers joining or renewing their membership in The 200 Club tonight include: Eric Lynch (222), Kody Karnes (225), Brian Coe (207), Phil Schroeder (204), Jonathan Vigliaturo (213), Carl Goetz (224, 210), Matt Bunyard (203), and Ryan Doll (200).See you next Tuesday!

THIS WEEK'S MVB Phil Schroeder Runner Up: (See Posting)	#1 POWER BOWLER Eric Lynch Runner Up: Aaron Barber	#1 H2H BOWLER Aaron Barber Runner Up: Phil Schroeder
FROM THE GUTTER (GUTTER QUOTE) "I got Phil last week and Pops this week. It’s all happening according to my plan." Aubrey Moren, on his plot to make each of his teammates fall down and injure themselves in the hopes of getting better teammates.

Tuesday night was an historic night in GutterAlley as, combined, the league put up a pretty big overall average of 168 for Week #3. Tentatively, five teams have moved around in the league standings but last season's champs refuse to relinquish their icy grasp on first place despite only two games separating the top four teams. The Tournament of Champions seeding is now complete and that will kick off within next week's action. For a breakdown of what all went on, just keep on reading...The results of the matchup between Split It & Hit It and Pin and Tonics cannot be tallied just yet as one team still needs to post-bowl. We will update the site once they have done so. [Update: Split It forfeit, and Tonics lost all 4 anyway.]With Bill Krejci opting out of this season after having missed the first two weeks, Dixie Stampede replaced him with long-time league roller Jason Carpio in an attempt to make another run at a title. Unfortunately for them they ran into My Three Sons. With Seth Gunderson's 561 series leading the way, The Sons corralled Dixie for the majority of the night to come away with a 3-1 matchup victory and remaining in 1st place. Carpio, making his triumphant return with a team leading 576 series in his debut, led the way for Dixie in the losing effort and tentatively remain in 7th place.What a night for 921+'s ringer Brian Coe. Putting up 9th highest series in league history with his 726, Coe not only led his team to a 4-0 sweep of opponents Ballz Out but also was the biggest factor in the team setting the best 4-man team series since the start of the league back in 1999. Needless to say, Coe also tentatively netted both #1 Power Ranked bowler and Most Valuable Bowler honors with his performance. Chadwick Andrews' 502 series was the tops for the Ballz but it simply couldn't derail the Coe Express. 921+ moves up one spot into 2nd while Ballz Out tentatively drops one spot down into 6th place.Down on lanes 47 & 48, The Finger Holes nearly blanked opponents More Beer, Chelsea in their matchup but ended up 3-1 after a late rally by the opposition. With Aubrey Moren and his 555 series leading the way, The F-Holes secured Games #1 and #2 before a surge by More Beer, Chelsea led by – brace yourself – Scott Murdock's team leading 478 series managed to take Game #3. With the victories, The Finger Holes tentatively climb one spot into 3rd while More Beer spills two spots.The Tournament of Champions seeding is ALMOST complete...but won't be officially tallied until the post-bowling scores are in. Sorry, gang!Bowlers discussing why Carpio wanted Scoot to hump him this week in The 200 Club include: Aubrey Moren (217), Brian Coe (257, 235, 234), Carl Goetz (202), Ian Goetz (205, 200), Jason Carpio (223), John Boren (213, 206), Ken M. Wilson (211, 223, 216), Kody Karnes (236, 269), Ryan Doll (201), and Seth Gunderson (201).See you next Tuesday!

THIS WEEK'S MVB Brian Coe Runner Up: (See Posting)	#1 POWER BOWLER Brian Coe Runner Up: Ken Wilson	#1 H2H BOWLER Brian Coe Runner Up: Ken M. Wilson
FROM THE GUTTER (GUTTER QUOTE) "Looks like I took the wrong person into the elevator that night." Ray Rice, former Ravens player, after seeing Ken open in the 10th frame of Game #1.

As we point out every season, Week #2 is always the most volatile of any given session. Not to disappoint, seven of the league's eight teams swapped places in the league standings in the second week shuffle. Average were all over the place with one person raising his 27 while another person dropped theirs 17. If anyone could accurately predict what was going to happen in Week #2 each season we'd hire them on the spot to forecast all kinds of things.After a slow start last week, former champions Dixie Stampede looked to bounce back against opponents More Beer, Chelsea. Things didn't quite work out their way as Chelsea's Eric Lynch put up a 485 series to lead his team to a 3-1 matchup victory and propelled the team into 2nd place. Ryan Doll, putting up the highest series for Dixie, led the way in the losing effort with his 583 and find themselves in 7th place.On lanes 43 & 44, Matt Bunyard of Split It & Hit It put on a clinic against 921+. Throwing his new personal best in Game #2, he followed it up with an even better personal best – narrowly missing his first 200 game with his 198 – to trounce the competition with his all-time high series of 543 and raising his average 27 pins. Split It moved up one spot into 6th place. 921+, led once again by Kody Karnes this week with his 599 series, fall two spots into 3rd place. Bunyard was easily this week's #1 Power Ranked bowler. After sandbagging didn't pay off last week, Phil Schroeder of The Finger Holes decided to roll for real against Pin and Tonics and added 3-1 to their record. His team leading 535 series warranted Most Valuable Bowler honors and pushed his team up two spots into 4th place. Pin and Tonics, led this week by Aaron Barber's 545 series, remain in 8th place.The final matchup of the night pitted reigning champs My Three Sons against Ballz Out in the loudest battle across all 48 lanes. After narrowly dropping Game #1, the Sons stormed back thanks to Carl Goetz and his 588 series to walk away with a 3-1 win and now sit atop the standings in 1st place. Ballz Out, led by Cliff Barendsen's 535 series, roll one spot down into 5th place.The Tournament of Champions is starting to take shape but won't officially seed people until the end of next week.Bowlers holding the door for Bunyard but not quite letting him enter the The 200 Club include: Brian Coe (254), Carl Goetz (203), Cliff Barendsen (200), Ian Goetz (238), John Boren (221), Ken M. Wilson (201), Kody Karnes (235), and Ryan Doll (215, 204). See you next Tuesday!

THIS WEEK'S MVB Phil Schroeder Runner Up: (See Posting)	#1 POWER BOWLER Matt Bunyard Runner Up: Phil Schroeder	#1 H2H BOWLER Matt Bunyard Runner Up: Phil Schroeder
FROM THE GUTTER (GUTTER QUOTE) "I better stay the hell away from Ferguson." Ian Goetz, commenting on his super dark tan.