On Watching Mike Flynn and the Outlaw Doubles Tournament in Stockton

Last weekend I bowled in a tournament. This weekend I just watched one. But what a good one it was. 54 doubles teams of some of the finest bowlers in Northern California descended on West Lane Bowl in Stockton, CA to compete in an eight game scratch tournament. Among the participants were two-time Collegiate Bowler of the Year and exempt PBA player PJ Haggerty teamed with PBA Western region standout Jeff Frankos, exempt PBA player and two-time TV finalist this season Wayne Garber, and a guy you may have never heard of named Mike Flynn.

If you ever see Mike bowl (check out the brief video below, even though it doesn't begin to do justice to his incredible physical game), he should make a big impression on you. He throws one of the most effortlessly powerful balls I've ever seen at any level. He bowls in the Steve Cook Classic league at Fireside Lanes in Citrus Heights, CA near Sacramento. I'm guessing that he also bowls leagues in other houses in the area. He used to tear up Wayne Webb's league at another house in Sacramento.

He bowls sanctioned 300 games and 800 series like they are nothing, and he had a pin ripping 300 game in Stockton on Saturday. I understand that Steve Cook is so impressed with Mike that he offered to sponsor him on tour a few years ago but Mike declined. Anyway, I love to watch Mike bowl as much as I do anyone on or off the PBA Tour, which is another way of saying that I would watch him as readily as I would any bowler in the world. That is how much his physical game impresses me.

I also saw two people shoot 300's in the same game on the same pair, one right after the other. In all the tournaments and leagues I've watched over decades and decades, I've never seen this before. Yes, there was a relatively easy house shot out there. There's no way people would have shot those kinds of scores on the new Shark pattern I bowled on recently. But these were still good bowlers, and they put on a very entertaining show.

I'll post the final results of the tournament when they become available. And if there's any way I can, I plan to bowl in that tournament next year. Anybody want to be my doubles partner?