I read on an article that his average was 211 in the League he was bowling in. Outrageous! I guess I just have to add a few more pins to my average and I'll start throwing 900 series every couple weeks. I'm not a believer. Dad wants to see son succeed, son likes the publicity -- why tell the truth?

Ok...my input. Angel you are right....so why not adopt a by-law that states that post bowling or pre-bowling is done at scratch level. Take the h-cap away.

Now as for Mushtare, why wasn't there a league officer present during his sets of pre-bowling to verify that the computer can verify the scores? I realize that even with today's technology in houses that the computerized scoring will indicate if anything has been changed on the scoresheet but think of it in this manner....before automatic and computerized scoring came out there was a time when you notified a league officer...preferrably the secretary, that you needed to pre or post bowl due to whomever's dogs having puppies, etc.; but any league officer.....and when you appeared to do your set....hey......lookie there............a league officer was present and would most often sit and watch you and the check and recheck scores.

Now maybe Mushtare did bowl those....who knows....it can't be proven nor can it be disproved....for the moment.....eventually something will slip somewhere and the truth will be known some day. If he did......then yippee for him....if not we'll vanquish him from the land and force him to live in exile with the Himalayan Yeti for all I care.

So to sort of put my spin on it....some get a 300....some don't...in either case...the odds are high...........to achieve back to back 300's......odds are higher.............now to think of a perfect series? Just what would those odds be......astronomical.......much like the royal flush in poker.....how many times can you draw it? how many times can you draw it 2 hands in a row? how many times can you draw it 3 times in a row? what would the odds be? how many golfers are going to go out and shoot 18 consecutive holes in one?

Do I think Mushtare really did it...ok maybe once....I'll give him benefit of the doubt that maybe...just maybe he did......but c'mon now............3? I seriously doubt it but as I have my opinion....others have theirs......and we all know what opinions are like......don't we? Now if I had just the choices of him shooting 900 and if the Himalayan Yeti exists...I'll take the Yeti any day. A lot of people have claimed to have seen it but there is no real prima facie evidence to support that the Yeti exists....and the only proof the Mushtare has bowled the 900's is the computerized printouts...I say to the judge "I object to this evidence. It is circumstantial and should be disregarded by the jury as it is not tangible evidence." Any objections?

While I'm very skeptical of the achievements of young Mr. Mushtare, since there can be no proof either way I say whatever, let him have the claim. It's just going to make it harder for him whenever he decides to leave daddy's bowling center and compete in front of other people. The more miraculous accomplishments he claims in the privacy of pre-bowling, the more expectation there will be on him to "put up or shut up". The court of public opinion will sort it out. If he succeeds then doubts will get pushed to the side, if not then he'll have his 15min and be forgotten soon enough. Either way it doesn't matter much to me.

Chris

USBC has stepped in and there is a new rule this year that no pre-bowled scores will be eligible for high awards. I think that is too bad. Someone will bowl a legitimate 300 but it won't count because in opinnion this guy cheated. Oh well it won't effect me so why should I care either.

My take on this:
Have I bowled a 300? Yes.
Have I been in a groove? Yes.
Have I rolled 16 straight strikes? Yes.

Do I believe 3-300 games in a row? No.
Do I believe 36 consecutive strikes? No.

Now, double that!!!! No way!!!

In daddy's bowling alley? With no one watching? No visual verification, only the computerized score?
Did he fill the gutters to get pin action off the walls?

But, there are many, many bowlers better than I.

I waited until I was 44 to shoot my first 300 and then I followed with my second the very next game (300-300-214, 26 strikes in a row). It was a special moment for me and all my friends still talk about it 5 years later. I think that is the biggest thing this young man is missing out on. One other kid saw it. Where is the joy in that? Sounds like the kid is a human version of an Iron Mike machine. He bowled the scores, the USBC approved it, they are changing the rule not to allow pre-bowled Honor Scores, end of story. Put the "Hator-ade" down and start practicing so maybe someday you too can shoot a 900!

How about someone getting a 900 in sport bowling, impossible? who knows? but that would deserve some national recognition.
Not these walled up house shots.

If he bowled 900, great. Good for him. If not, shame on him for belittling (spelling???) the achievement of other bowlers. The fact is that we are going to start seeing even more 900's come around with the easier shots that are put out. A couple of years ago, there was a bowler in Decatur Illinois who shot 17 300's in a season along with 17 800's (I happen to bowl with him when I was in college). If you look, the record for most 300's by a woman was also shot in Decatur that year (11). There was a very good article written on all of the scores in that house as well as other houses walling up the shots. Take a look.

http://www.bowlingworld.com/pdf/jul05/page21.pdf

I don't know about 900. 12 balls in the pocket will very seldom carry, much less 36. It is possible, but why does this kid only shoot them when nobody is around to visually verify them?

Also, I believe that the USBC rulebook requires that a league officer is present during the pre/post bowling in order for the scores to count. Was that the case here? 3 times? I find that hard to believe.

Mike

Frankly I just do not believe it. Would love to know if he has ever even bowled another 900 series since. My guess is no.