Chuck & Team Finish 2^nd in USBC’s

Amid much controversy, Chuck & his team placed 2^nd in the USBC’s, with Lava Lanes taking the first place prize. Due to poor decisions by USBC officials, the Lava Lanes team was allowed to move lanes, at the team’s request, and achieved the winning score by bowling unopposed. This quite obviously created an unbelievable scoring advantage for them. The reason for the lane change request was given as they had to bowl the early squad the next morning. Whatever!! Considering no bracket pay-offs are made until after the last team finishes at night, this reason for moving lanes was obviously fiction. The Lava Lanes team members are bowling veterans and planned their strategy. The USBC simply allowed them an unfair advantage over the rest of the field.

Chuck’s team, Barney’s, filed a protest with the USBC, but in one quick day the USBC came to the conclusion that Lava Lanes did not break any rules. They were informed that the Main Tournament Director was off on the night in question and was not aware of the request. He did state that the request to move lanes would NOT have been granted had he been on duty.

Although the request to move lanes doesn’t violate any USBC rules, it certainly compromises the integrity of the sport and the USBC tournament. It is our opinion that anyone not seeing the lane change request as being a form of cheating, simply doesn’t understand the lane scoring advantage of 5 people on a pair of lanes versus 10 people. The team members of Lava Lanes certainly understood this, hence their request. Our team was comprised of past PBA regional and nation champions, perennial megabucks accomplishments, World Team Challenge Champions and past PBA Tour reps. We understand the tremendous edge they were granted.

Our team would have loved to play the same place on the lane for a longer period of time. Look at the scoring pace of the top 10 teams other than Lava Lanes, a moderate to high 1st game, a lower 2nd game due to transition and pattern breakdown, and a higher 3rd game. This was the result of talented players making good adjustments and executing. Lava Lanes scores were totally different, a very high 1st game, high 2nd game, (344 over) and a moderately low 3rd game. Don't tell me this wasn't an advantage.

Our team was extremely disappointed with this turn of events as anyone would be if the team to go around you in score did so under questionable circumstances. We hope the win is flagged by an asterick which reflects “Winning score achieved by bowling unopposed”.