Happy Thanksgiving! Lots of events around the area, hope you all bowl at least one!

What do you give thanks for in bowling?

Me - it's my dad. Got me started at age 5. Then he, along with my uncle Wally Clark, got me into the hands of Nelson Burton, Sr. at age 10 for lessons.

When I got to college, I repaid my dad when he was trying to fill slots on his Missouri Knights of Columbus teams for the St. Monica Cardinal Ritter Chapter. The were all older and needed some "new blood".

I got my former SLU teammate John Toebben (now there's a name from the past!) to join me. Together, we turned it up a notch for them. Each year, they cashed and were proud to see their name on the tournament results list with $$$ behind it!

My K of C memory was at Airport Bowl. Threw the first 7 in team event, in the plastic era, not an easy thing to do. 8th ball - headed home - then jumped 4" before the pocket. Ugly split - turns out a screw had dislodged from the Brunswick A-2.  I didn't ask for interference, I probably should have. I still threw a great game but to think, a 300 in the state K of C tournament in the plastic/rubber era?

Another Thanksgiving moment for me was the 1976 Vincennes Invitational. Until the big college tournaments at Strike and Spare and St. Clair, This was THE BIG ONE in the country. Vincennes was one of only 3 schools at the time that gave scholarships (the other two were Wisconsin-Whitewater where Tim Tyler went, and SUNY). Vincennes was always strong.

My father wanted to go, so I let him drive. At 4am, I welcomed the break! It paid off. I shot 1947 and won the all events. I shot 693 for singles and won that. I had no chance in doubles - my partner didn't show up! Two bowlers I remember beating that day - Harry Sullins and the late Mike Halwe. That got me on the radar screen and I was named an ACU-I All American honorable mention that year.

I give thanks just being able to bowl today as a raisin. I gave up the game for 12 years. Wish I hadn't. But I don't look back, only look forward.

And I give thanks to be able to put together and edit this forum - and thanks to you for being members - especially Bowlergrif - congratulatiions to Don Griffin for being elected to the Missouri USCB Hall of Fame. A well deserved honor.

And Don, before you let it go to your head, you know what it means to be in a HOF? You're old. They don't let kids into HOF's.

Now it's your turn. Tell us your what you give thanks for about bowling this Thanksgiving.

Happy Thanksgiving,

Scott Simon