One plus three equals MVB!Not since Darwin's findings were released has there been so much clamor surrounding something based in logic. With that, here is the long awaited equation that is used each week to determine the MVB.There are five steps in this equation. Before we start, total pins DO NOT count as a game...only the three games that you bowl as an individual are used for the factoring. With that said, let's get it on.Step 1: Did you bowl over your average?Step one involves taking every bowler's individual game scores and determining whether or not he/she bowled over their average. For every game that you bowl over your average you get one point.Example:(Just FYI, Willie Tyler and Lester DID NOT face one another on the particular evening used in this example, nor are they are on the same team)Willie Tyler shoots 47 over his average in Game #1, 22 over in Game #2, and 6 under in Game #3.Lester shoots 19 over his average in Game #1, 18 over in Game #2, and 11 over in Game #3.Therefore, Lester gets three points, Willie Tyler gets two. Anyone without at least two points to his or her name at this juncture is discounted. So, in other words, if you don't bowl over your average twice, you're out for that week.Step 2: Did you win?Now go back through and check whether or not each game that is being checked (in our example, all three of Lester's and just the first two games by Willie Tyler) were won or lost. For each one that was won, add another point to their tally.Example:Willie Tyler's first and second games were won. Score two points.Lester dropped the first and second, but won the third. Score one point.Again, total pins DO NOT count as a game and do not factor into the MVB scoring at all at any step.Current points? Both Willie Tyler and Lester are tied (Willie Tyler had two from Step 1 and just received two more; Lester had three from Step 1 and received one more here) at four apiece.Special note: Anyone that does not have at least four points here is automatically disqualified and doesn't go on to Step 3.Step 3: You bowled well, but did you own the victory?Here's the fun part and where the scores separate the boys from the men. Take the games that were won and calculate the margin of victory versus their opponents. Next, take the pin calculations from Step 1 and subtract the margin of victory. If the number is positive (1 or more) – meaning that the points that the bowler scored over his/her average was MORE than the margin of victory – give the MVB candidate another point.Example:Willie Tyler's team won the first game by 36. As we saw in Step 1, Willie Tyler himself bowled 47 pins over his average. 47-36=11, which is a positive number, therefore, Willie Tyler earns a point for that game.Willie Tyler's team won the second game by 26. As we saw in Step 1, Willie Tyler himself bowled 22 pins over his average. 22-26=-4, which is a negative number, meaning that Willie Tyler's heroics did not save the game, therefore he doesn't get a point for this one.Lester's team won the first game by 92. As we saw in Step 1, Lester himself bowled 19 over his average. 19-92=-73, negative, so no points for Lester for this game.Lester's team won the second game by 18. As we saw in Step 1, Lester bowled 18 over his average. 18-18=0 and so his score didn't help them win the game (which is what makes an MVB, dammit!). So, again, he gets no points for this particular game.Lester's team won the last game by 6. As we saw in Step 1, he bowled 11 over his average. 11-6=5, positive, score Lester one point.Current points? Both have five points.Special note: Anyone that does not have at least five points here is automatically disqualified and doesn't go on to Step 4.Step 4: Did you have help?Now... look to see if there are multiple same-team qualifiers still in the running. If there are, this will hurt their chances at being MVB. Why? It's much more powerful from the standpoint of the MVB equation if *one* person contributes to a team's victories on a game by game basis than if *two or more* people combine to create the victory in this case. For each person on your team that is not in the running still, you get to multiply your current point score by that number, plus one (because you are still in) – in other words, if you are the only person from your team still in the eligibility roster at this point, you get to multiply your current point score by four (three people on your team didn't make it up to this point, plus one/you – note: a blind counts as a person NOT in the running, automatically, each week).Example:At this point, still in the running, are Lester, Colonel Sanders, Willie Tyler, Larry Mondello, and The Amazing Francis. Now, we'll just focus on Lester and Willie Tyler, however, for this run through.Lester and The Amazing Francis – both who are still in the running – are on the same team and therefore had help from one another in the evening's victories. Lester's point value is therefore multiplied by three as Teammate #1 (1) and Teammate #2 (2) are not in the running while The Amazing Francis is... so Lester's point value goes to 15.Willie Tyler had help from his other two teammates... and since they're all three in the running, Willie Tyler can only multiply his score by two (one for the fourth teammate's absence from the list and one for himself). Willie Tyler's point value goes to 10.Special note: Anyone that does not have at least ten points here is automatically disqualified and doesn't go on to Step 5.Step 5: The tie-breaker, or, who is the lesser bowler?The tie-breaker. Take the current average of each remaining candidate (meaning AFTER their new average has been calculated based upon the games they've just rolled) and determine their individual handicap (which, as you know, is 80% of the difference between 200 and their current average). Multiply this figure (decimals included) by their current point value. After all is said and done, multiply this number by the number of games the candidate's team won that evening for their final MVB figure for the week. The highest number wins.Example:Let's just say that after all is said and done, it comes down to ONLY Willie Tyler and Lester in this final step (yes, I know if we carried out the example up to this point there would be multiple people still in from Step #4, but just work with me here). Lester's current average is 168. Willie Tyler's is 161. The differences between each bowler's average and 200 is 32 for Lester, 39 for Willie Tyler. Eighty percent of each one, respectively, is 25.6 for Lester and 31.2 for Willie Tyler. Multiplying 25.6 by Lester's 15 current points, we get 384. Taking Willie Tyler's 31.2 times his 10 current point value, we get 312.Now, take this number and multiply it by the number of REGULAR games (not including total pins!!!) that their team won that evening. Lester's team won only one regular game while Willie Tyler's won two.Final point scores? Willie Tyler has 624 to Lester's 384.Willie Tyler is this week's most valuable bowler because wins and scores are what it's all about, my friend.So, see, ladies and fellas? You can bowl a 600+ series and not earn the MVB title because if you can't lead your team to victories you ain't shit.