Power Rankings #1 (after 10/7/12 Games)
2. Strikes 'n' Spares - According to Las Vegas, they were tied with the Pin Pals as the pre-season favorites, but they did not look their best. They took 15 out of 23 possible points in week one against Asian Sensation. It is still early so averages will be inflated, but they are lead by the MVP of the league Jason Reis. Jason is averaging a remarkable 237.7 and has already had a series of 713 which may be the top series throughout the season. Mufty Dastgir (154) and Raza Dastgir(173) are excellent role players that Strikes and Spares will need down the road. Mufty will have to pick his game up if Strikes and Spares wants to fulfill its role as league super team. Their problem may be coming up as their handicap is very low, so we will see how they respond. The X Factor Omair (153) did his job and was a huge factor on my Strike and Spares came out with the victory. Some issues are still how some of the players will close and handle the pressure. It is still early, but they need to pick it up if they want to compete with the best.
3. Pin Pals - After all the trash talking from their Captain Ayaz they came out and laid an egg this past Sunday. Only getting 4 points is an embarrassment to Pin Pal nation and I’m sure Ayaz had problems sleeping that night. When you play Don Ali and Eddie with the way they bowled Pin Pals are lucky to get 4 points. Even though they had 4 points they are still 3rd in power rankings. Ayaz (171), and Asif (173) have the ability to match any other 1-2 combination in the game. They have playoff experience that no other team has and it will come in handy. It is only week 1 so we are not going to jump to conclusions on why they bowled poorly. Ayaz outside the MVP is the 2nd best closer in the game, and will bowl when it counts. Chris (133) and David (146) showed that they didn’t bowl in a long time and were rusty. As the season goes on they will only get better and the Pin Pals will be close to the top of the leader board.
4. Pin Smackers - The Pin Smackers are not the prettiest team in the league but they get the job done. Ahbi (196) aka The Mayor came out strong with a 215 game to set the tone for the rest of the series. They collected 20 points which is a great beginning. However, when you bowl a team who has two players average under 100 you should take 20 points or more. Nevertheless, Pin Smackers looked dominant. Eugene (176) aka Aaron Rodgers is a solid number two bowler and he and Ahbi have great chemistry. Eugene has big game potential to bowl over 200 which the Pin Smackers are going to need. Adam (100) has to pick his game up. It is very early but averaging 100 will not get it done and Adam has to practice if he wants to give Pin Smackers a chance. Sony was not available to bowl, but when he bowls he brings energy and big game potential that the Pin Smackers are going to need, and will send this team to another level. The Pin Smackers need to practice if they are going to compete with the best. But once Sony returns, they will be heading in the right direction.
5. Force - Team Force is the underdog team this year as no one takes them seriously. They may be one of the scariest teams in the league for that reason. Even though they are #1 in the standings, they are ranked 5th because they have to show the league more than just picking a part a team with only 3 bowlers. Prince (204) has quieted all the critics who said he’s tanking and bowled lights out. Prince has slowly gotten better every year and I expect him to bowl even higher. Moe (167) not only brings championship experience but one of the craziest hooks you will ever see. Moe has the potential to bowl well over 200 and bowlers around should be scared. Matt (154) is new to the league but a 154 average looks low for him, as he has a nice hook. If he can practice expect his average to reach in the high 160’s. If Riz (133) shows up on time he is the 4th guy to a very dangerous team. He learned a curve mid-match in week 1 and immediately got results. Riz like Moe was on the Pin Pals and knows what it takes to get done. The problem with this team is attendance. Three of their guys showed up late and almost didn’t make it in time. If they are going to compete Prince has to make sure his team shows up to bowl. But the potential of this team is very high.
6. Asian Sensation - Asian Sensation had a tough week vs Strikes and Spares as they only took 8 points. Yash (196) has become a household name and is now known as “The Shark”. He has become more clutch every game and he will throw 3 strikes in the 10th frame with no problem. Khaled (155) was not himself that series but it is still early and I expect him to be at the 180 average as the season goes on. The Sensation needs Khaled to bowl well and keep up with the opposing anchors if they want a chance to win it all. Amin (143) bowled great on Sunday as he was their leadoff man and was setting the pace nicely for his team. Amin has shown great improvement and I expect him to get better. Here lies the problem for the Sensation. Their 4th bowler Justin (177) won’t be bowling again until December. With Justin on the team the Sensation are dominant. Who will be there 4th bowler? Can they win big games without Justin? Will they take advantage of the big handicap? Only time can tell.
7. Snipers - This may have been one of the most shocking games we have seen in a while. They have two bowlers Pat (89) and Uday (98) who average fewer than 100 pins. But this is their first time bowling in competition so we will cut them some slack. They have two dominant bowlers in Gage (151) aka Chocolate Thunder and Guerrier (192). Guerrier is their anchor had has already shown big game potential. He will not be scared to go against the other anchors in the league as he can bowl over 200 pretty easily. Gage brings championship experience to this team and will need to light a fire under his team if they want to compete. Uday and Pat must get better and bowl near the 120-130 range if the Snipers want to compete. I expect this team to be at East Meadow practicing every week. If Uday and Pat increase their games this will be a team no one will want to face down the road. Keep in mind that have Yasser waiting in the wings, and he is a solid bowler that will add depth.
8. Balls 'n' Strikes - Balls and Strikes did not think they would start their inaugural season only picking up one pin. We are not sure if it was pre-game jitters or lack of practice. There is a light to the end of the tunnel though. Hakim (147) and Wahid (153) bowled well for the most part and showed flashes of big game potential.This is week one and I expect their scores to be significantly higher. Abdul struggled and Ali didn’t show up which is another reason why they didn’t bowl well. Like Force, they have to show up if they want to win. You cannot compete in this league with only bowling with 3 guys. This team will make a major improvement and have a chance of making the playoffs and being a contender. They also just signed Shumail Haque formely of Force to their roster, which is a big addition. With Shumail, they become a very deep team that no one will want to face.
