PINHEADS! BOWLING IS BACK!

Ethnically speaking, I come from a long line of bowling teams.

Chicago winters limited recreational choices to bowling and um, uh, well- I’ll think of it later. Pretty much everybody bowled.

I remember my first time. Pops had just gotten his own brand-new ball so he took me with him to try it out. I was about 5. While Pops practiced, I grabbed a 6 pound “kid ball” and shocked my father by bowling a 103! I’d beg him to take me bowling for the rest of my Baby Boomerhood.

Every so often I’d take Pops’ ball to see if I could reach the holes with my fingers. It became a unique growth chart. I was about 14 when my hand finally fit the ball. I even used it (Dad’s bowling career ended early) for a while before my hand required my own new ball.

I learned the game from watching it on TV. Back then, the football season ended in December, so to kill the time before the Chicago Cubs returned with the spring dandelions, my brother and I watched professional bowling on TV, Saturdays and Sundays. I learned the scoring system before I threw my first ball. Bro and I had replica plastic pins so we’d bowl in the basement using those pins and a 16 inch softball. The racket drove Mom to a vodka gimlet or two but it kept us out of the snow drifts and trouble.

Among the pros of that era was a Hall of Famer named Don Carter. When

Don had his own alley in South Florida after retiring, we became friends. The PBA held a nationally televised pro event there, and Don invited me to attend. He got me a seat BETWEEN THE COMPETITORS. I was on the ABC telecast coast to coast and witnessed the conversion of bowling’s toughest split- the 7-10. You can find it by looking up “John Mazza 7-10” on YouTube! A childhood hero gave me the bowling experience of a lifetime. Small world.

These memories were rejuvenated by a recent return to my cherished sport. Around 2008 a friend invited me to bowl as a substitute in a Tuesday night league at the legendary Bama Lanes on Atlanta Highway. I loved it, and a one night stand became a 7 year affair. I averaged about 180, but there were guys in that league who bowled perfect games.

My temper would flare up when the pins didn’t fall my way. A guy on my team named Steve Durrough (who could be wildly inconsistent himself) taught me a valuable lesson. “I don’t know about you but I’m here to have fun, d-mmit!”. A mild mannered accountant and great guy, Steve became my tax accountant. He’s been doing them for 15 years now. That, no matter what Steve says, is not always fun.

I left the league because staying out late Tuesday nights and getting up at 2:22AM for a radio show became a challenge. Still, I subsequently spent many happy Saturday afternoons at Bama Lanes teaching my stepson to bowl. Good times.

The local legend of Bama Lanes grew in part to the house bar-r Kegler’s Kove. It was there my friend, Tommy Shaw, genius singer/guitarist for Styx cut his teeth. In the irony of irony, when I worked for Styx in Chicago during the 70s, I was the guy who picked Tommy up at the airport the day he joined the band. Small world, The Sequel.

Sadly, the 60 year legacy of Bama Lanes took a hit in January of last year when a punk thug went up there looking for someone with whom he had a score to settle. It ended tragically. For the first time in its history, locals had doubts about safety. It was an incident that could have happened at any local business.

It was a blow to owner Steve Landers. After enduring Covid impacts, Steve invested in extensive refurbishments. Only days after finishing the makeover, this incident occurred. Meanwhile, Steve’s Prattville Bama Lanes rolled along without a hitch.

Still, uncertainty dug into business and Steve had to contemplate the unimaginable- closing a local landmark. He teamed up with NewsTalk 93.1FM. My suggestion?

“Take it back”!

We began a series of Saturday afternoon gatherings for listeners-those who bowl and those who wanted to join our affable gang for food, beverage and camaraderie. Meanwhile,

I’ve used my platform to let people know Bama Lanes is safe, secure and a place to have fun with the family.

Among those who attended the first get together was local attorney (and friend) Jacquelyn Tomlinson. An accomplished athlete herself, she brought along her 4 year old son Steven and 2 year old daughter, Lola. (Pictured) Jacquelyn wowed the spectators by throwing shot after shot, gliding down the alley with Lola cradled in one arm while gracefully releasing the ball toward the pins. Watching Steven was a blast for everybody, watching him walk his kiddie ball to the foul line and push it pinward.

Seeing Steven react to knocking the pins down- pure joy every time- brought applause from the gallery. We all enjoyed excellent bowling alley pizza, and the best French fries in the world (deep fried in oil, like they should be).

Each subsequent gathering has brought more people back to bowling and Bama Lanes. I hope you’ll join us in getting this local landmark thriving again.

Oh, hey- the “other” indoor activity I couldn’t remember earlier? Billiards! Bama Lanes has pool tables too!

Funny how that came back to me right on cue!

(If you have a comment on this column, email me at gregbudell@aol.com. It's still fun to hear from new people!)

Greg Budell lives in Montgomery with his wife, Roz, and dog, Brisco. He's been in radio since 1970, and has marked 17 years in the River Region. He hosts the Newstalk 93.1FM Morning Show with Rich Thomas and Jay Scott, 6-9 AM Monday - Friday. He returns weekday afternoons from 3-6 PM for Happy Hour with sidekick, Rosie Brock. Greg can be reached at gregbudell@aol.com