Bowling: A Love Story

Bowling: A Love Story
By Jeff Kagan

Matt Graham likes his balls heavy. Heavier balls are essential for maximum leverage. Lighter balls can lead to unpredictability once you pull your fingers out and they hit the wood pretty hard. Of course, we’re talking about bowling—get your mind out of the gutter! The gutter: where you’ll rarely find one of Matt’s balls.  In 13 years of bowling, Matt has bowled nine perfect games (that’s 12 strikes in a row, earning a score of 300) and he’s had dozens of games above 290.

With such high scores, many bowlers decide to compete in national tournaments. Two years ago, Matt went to Columbus, Ohio, to play in the International Gay Bowling Organization (IGBO) Annual Tournament over Memorial Day Weekend. He didn’t bowl as well as he had hoped on the alleys, but he picked up more than a spare in the hospitality suite after the games. Matt recalls, “I was hanging out with other fellow bowlers and friends when I saw a guy dressed in black enter our circle. He was smiling from ear to ear because he had bowled a 279 earlier in the day.”

They played the staring game with each other for a little while. Matt confesses to undressing him with his eyes but being more curious about his scores.  He says, “I happened to snatch this man's name tag, which read ‘Ross Hewitt’ from ‘New York City’, and wanted to know how he bowled the rest of the tournament.” A conversation began. They compared scores and averages. When Ross learned Matt had averaged a 227 that year, he was ecstatic and quickly asked, “Would you be my bowling coach?” Matt remarked, “What great pick up line! I’ll have to remember that one for next time!”

As the night went on, Matt and Ross joined a group of other bowlers in a card game, and Matt decided it was time to turn on the “Matthew charm” as he calls it.  He started flickering his eyes in a certain way and smiling with a warm and welcoming grin. Ross was bowled over. They had the opportunity to talk privately after the game, and they went on their first date to the movies the following day (no, it wasn’t Kingpin).  They exchanged numbers, planned to meet for a bowling lesson and the rest is history.

Matt and Ross bowl together all the time.  You’ll find them rolling with the Garden State Gay Bowling Organization League in West Orange, New Jersey, or with the Sunday Bowling League at Chelsea Piers 300 in New York City, where Ross is the league president.

Matt still coaches Ross on improving his game.  And Ross has helped Matt learn to relax and have more fun bowling. Matt claims to have been a bit of a tyrant on the lanes due to his competitive nature, but when he’s with Ross, that changes. It seems like the power of love can still change a hawk into a little white dove, as Huey Lewis once said.

IGBO will host its 32^nd Annual Bowling Tournament right here in the New York City area on May 23-28, 2012. More at www.igbo2012.org. Learn about the Sunday Bowling League at www.sblnyc.com.