What a Coinky-dink!

OK, so I’m sitting here on my couch (as I do every damned day of my life) thinking of another piece to write.

I’m about to start one about coincidences when something happens…

But I’ll get to that in a few paragraphs so I can bore you first.

There was that time (yes, I’m repeating this one from a prior piece) in the early 2000s when I was bowling on a Sunday evening league with Sherry Grabill & her husband, Gordon.

In 3 consecutive frames, on 2 different lanes, I left just the 8 pin standing.

For a right handed bowler like myself, it’s really a pretty-rare leave.

Unlike the infamous 10 pin (that one in the far right corner) or the 7 pin (in the opposite corner for lefties) that are often the result of a less-than-perfect shot (usually hitting the pocket at “too shallow an angle”), the 8 pin is toward the very middle of the pins on the back row.

7 8 9 10
6 5 4
3 2
1

It’s hard to imagine throwing a “good strike ball” & leaving ONLY the 8 pin standing! In fact, it’s often referred to as the only “true rap” in bowling (or the 9 pin for southpaws).

When you get “rapped”, you got “robbed” of getting a strike.

For that to happen 3 consecutive times, on 2 different lanes, must have absolutely astronomical odds!

Leaving a solitary 8-pin happens, probably, once every 5,000 times you throw your first ball. Therefore, the chances of throwing 2 in a row would be 5,000 x 5,000.

3 consecutive 8-pins??? 5,000 x 5,000 x 5,000…1 in 125 BILLION!!!

1:125,000,000,000

Some people will contend that a slight “pin misplacement” (caused by an automatic pin setting machine that needs to be adjusted) was the real reason for my leaving the 8 pin.

But it happened on 2 different lanes…both machines needed the same minor adjustment?

And there wasn’t another 8 pin leave the entire night on that pair of lanes!

And 7 other bowlers used that 1st lane before it was my turn again!

I know my buddies Randy Burns, Suzanne Spates, Tony Gentile, Joe Nipitella & Jim Belcher (and other veteran keglers) will appreciate this “coincidence” & the incredible improbability of this ever happening again!

OK, then I was gonna talk about how, whenever I’m changing channels to a game (baseball, football, whatever), something “significant” seems to immediately happen.

A while ago, I taped the Monday Night Football game between the Cleveland Browns & the San Francisco 49ers (as I was watching my NY Yankees beat the Minnesota Twins & sweep their best-of-5 American League Divisional series live).

After the Yankees game was over, I turned on the DVR & fast-forwarded the game (at the top speed) to avoid the pregame nonsense.

As soon as I stop it, the first thing I see is 49ers QB Jimmy Garoppolo handing off to his running back, Matt Brenda, for an 83-yard scoring romp!

Then tonight…

I’m watching the MLB Channel (Major League Baseball)…truth be told, I had it on in the background as I just finished the “7 Wonders of the World” piece & was thinking about writing this “coincidence” thingie…when I hear them mention tonight’s Astros-Rays game.

Since it was playing on FS1 (Fox Sports cable), I change the channel…

…JUST IN TIME TO SEE JUSTIN VERLANDER THROW A PITCH TO TOMMY PHAM WHO PROMPTLY DEPOSITED OVER THE LEFT-CENTERFIELD WALL!!!

Thinking about writing a piece on (TV) sports coincidences…and it freakin’ happens right in front of my eyes!

You never would’ve been subjected to this boring nonsense had this never happened tonight!

“Why couldn’t you have been napping then, Mike?

UGH!”

BTW, Suzanne Spates (the former Suzanne Dugre who worked for me in CitiPhone back in the ’80s), who I mentioned before as being able to appreciate my “8 pin triple”, is quite the accomplished bowler!

In addition to appearing in numerous state, regional & national competitions, and whose bowling talent is only exceeded by her beauty, has rolled 6 perfect games in her life!

12 consecutive strikes…and in a row, too!

(Shout out to Mike Loewenberg who besides creating this website for me & pushing me into writing this blog (along with my lovely cousin, Geraldine Fonte Drago), was the keeper of the infamous “Peter Fasano Green Book”.

It was a simple spiral-bound notebook, but contained many of the “gems” for which Peter was famous.

One of the more notable entries is…

“We’ll be holding the Priority Services customer events at the Bush Terminal branch on three consecutive evenings …the 21st, the 22nd & the 25th!”)

On that note…

As always, thank you so much for listening!