dawgsfan

catsbackr, I was glad to meet you, too. It's nice having a face with the name. I plan to take good care of the shirt and am confident that I will get to wear it again next year to cheer your girls on. They have too much talent and heart not to fight their way back. You should also know that several of our Smyrna bowlers tried to get me to let them wear the shirt once they saw that I had it. I found that quite funny! I am also confident that our guys will be back in the tournament next year. I hope you are willing to wear the purple and gold and show support for them (as long as they aren't bowling Hixson, of course). Our bowlers and fans were proud to be Hixson supporters at the state tournament, and are confident that if the tables had been turned, Smyrna would have had the full support of the Hixson fans. Really cool. We look forward to seeing you all again next year! (Unless of course, we can arrange pre-season scrimmages for our teams next season. Wouldn't that be awesome?)

Prior to last year, the state tournament was four rounds in Smyrna and there was not a sectional round (substate). I'm not sure what brought about the change, but as a parent and fan, I think I like the old format better. However, I would like to hear how others feel about it. Perhaps if enough people express opinions, TSSAA will take another look at how the tournament is done. However, I don't know that double elimination will ever be considered because that would lengthen the tournament and that would take the participants out of the classroom for more days, and I know many would frown on that.

Thank you for your comments about our center. We Smyrna High School bowling people are very proud of our facility and are excited to hear that others appreciate how hard they work to host a fantastic tournament. I do want to mention that the Smyrna bowlers and their parents give their time during the tournament to help get the facility back in order for open bowling (cleaning, putting tables and chairs back in place, etc.) I hope that those of you using other bowling centers across the state during regular season appreciate your centers and are willing to help out with keeping your centers clean and in order. Without the generosity of the bowling centers, we cannot keep our sport going, and we as bowlers and fans have a responsibility to them. Low bleachers are a great idea, and hopefully, before next year, someone can make a plan for making that happen. Of course, the first step for that is making sure there aren't fire codes or something that would prevent the use of bleachers. If there aren't, I think everyone would like to see bleachers used so that more people can have a better view of the action. As for the parking, the field across the street from the bowling center was available for parking, but I realize now that only those of us from the area know how to access the field. From the bowling center, it looks as though the only way to get into the field is to drive across the curb, and most people do not want to do that. People unfamiliar with the area do not know that there is access to the field from the highway. For next year, we will try to see that there is signage letting people know that the field is available.

I just want to say to the Hixson girls, "Keep your heads up!" You had a tremendous season. Today's loss in the semifinals was heartbreaking, I know. You fought hard against a tough opponent, and I know all your fans are very proud of you and your efforts. You showed great strength and character today and are a credit to your school and your sport.

Congratulations, Hixson guys, on winning the state title today! You guys showed great strength and teamwork, and that's what it takes to win the championship. I think everyone who has watched you over the last couple of days has seen that you are an outstanding team, but more importantly, you are outstanding young men who well represent your school and your sport. Melanie Anderson

Great bowling today by both Hixson teams! We were proud to be among your fans today and look forward to tomorrow. Go, Wildcats!

A XXL will be too big, but I can make it work seeing as how I'll have to wear it over my Bulldogs sweatshirt anyway. I'll still have to wear my Smyrna stuff too in support of our guys in the individual competition. I will definitely pick it up at the front counter! Thanks "catsbackr"!

Congratulations to the Hixson guys. It was indeed a hard fought battle today, and I am very proud of each team. There aren't two classier teams in the state! Hixson handled victory very graciously, and the Smyrna guys again showed their class by the way they handled defeat. Bulldogs, you had a great season especially since so many people predicted you wouldn't make it out of the district after losing four bowlers from last year. Wildcats, we are now looking to you to carry on and go all the way! We're pulling for you. And, to all you Hixson fans, I'll be there with you to cheer your team on. If anyone wants to leave a Hixson button, t-shirt, or some other type of fan apparel at the front counter of Smyrna Bowling Center for "dawgsfan", I'll be glad to wear it while I'm cheering with you.

No, I don't bowl for Smyrna. I am just what my name implies. I am a fan.

First of all, perhaps you should pay more attention in English class. Second, just because LaVergne bowled poorly at Hixson does not mean that Smyrna would have. The Smyrna team has not lost on the road in two seasons. Clearly, they can adjust to their conditions. And, it's funny that you think Hixson struggled at Smyrna. They adjusted to the conditions and dominated their opponents until the finals. They were not considered "struggling" until they got beat. (So, there is a hole, afterall.) You show both Smyrna and Hixson a great deal of disrespect by implying that they need home lane advantage to win. Hixson came to Smyrna and bowled well, and there is certainly no shame in being State Runner-Up. Just out of curiosity, what was Hixon's average match pinfall on their home lanes this season? And don't lie about it. Lies like that can be spotted from far away. There is no denying that home lane advantage exists, and I don't believe anyone has said that it doesn't. But, those of us who have watched Smyrna bowl week after week and win in houses besides their own know that they don't need home lane advantage to win. And stop making excuses for Hixson. They deserve better.

Now that Jerome Bettis has announced his retirement from football, maybe he should pursue a career in bowling. Can you imagine a PBA event with Chris Barnes or Patrick Allen against Jerome Bettis in the finals? That would be awesome!

Bowler4, I apologize for seeming to directing to my reply to you. It is actually knightnarmour54 that I am directing my comments to. He seems to be the one who is uninformed about bowling and its place in the sports' world. But your post with the immature and cocky comment was attached to my post, so it looked as though you were directing your comment to me. Again, I apologize.

I am not being cocky, nor am I am man. I am an informed sports enthusiast so no more intentionally misspelled words or bad grammar. No more games. I will just tell it like it is. What is childish and immature is going onto a message board for bowling and denigrate the sport and its participants by making some of the most uninformed statements I have encountered in a while. Whether you are motivated by jealousy or just ignorance, I do not know. But it is time for you to take your comments somewhere else. Those of us who bowl and support bowling are tired of you belittling "the most popular and most played amateur sport in the United States"--USA Today.

I want to congratulate the Smyrna team on their back-to-back state titles. Yes, their numbers may have been a bit lower than last year, but they did step up, under an amazing amount of pressure, and win a second state championship. And, even with lower numbers, records were broken, both team and individual records. No small feat! Smyrna bowlers, you should be proud of yourselves because your school, your parents, and your community are very proud of you!

According to a Sports Illustrated poll of PROFESSIONAL ATHELETES, bowling is the most difficult sport to master. The second most difficult is golf. If professional athletes (football players, baseball players, basketball players, etc.) consider bowling a sport and the most difficult one to master, why shouldn't everyone? Thoughts?