Anyone remember that show? I was about 5 when I saw a few episodes of it.

It wasn't until years later, as a Lakers fan, that I realized their late announcer Chick Hearn, was also the host of that show.

It's amazing to look back at some of the bad TV shows that were around that people actually watched (have you ever really listened to the crap they're saying in Three's Company?)

I digressed a bit. A few bowling stories in the news.

The first one happened just outside of Sacramento. Two guys were arguing over who came up to the lane first, and was ready to bowl. Now, for those that haven't bowled with regularity, there's something called "lane courtesy." When you grab your ball (that sounded so Michael Jackson)...you are supposed to look at the lane next to you. If there's a person standing there ready to roll, you don't step up to start the process. You let them bowl, before stepping up and getting ready. Often times, you run into people that don't realize this and there's not much you can do.

I remember in my early 20s, my friend needed me on his bowling team. I insisted they call themselves The Bowling Stones and get shirts (I designed the Stones tongue/lips logo, with the teeth being bowling pins, and the ball starting at the tip of the tongue...it was awesome).

Anyway, I got into it with a big, drunk guy that's the local stud at the bowling alley in Mira Mesa. He started calling me an a-hole. He thought I didn't give him the courtesy, but he always spent one minute wiping his ball down with a towl, near where the balls are returned. I got right back in his face, and we had to be separated.

Well, in the melee in Sac town, one 24-year-old hit the other man in the face, knocking out one of his teeth.

But, here's the crazy part. He used a 16-pound bowling ball. Now he's being charged with assault with a deadly weapon.

I guess huge balls can be weapons (I'm going to refrain from a cheap joke here). Anyone ever see the damage John Goodman did in The Big Lebowski?

The other bowling story, everyone has heard. President Obama was on The Tonight Show. He had originally gotten a lot of bad press for even agreeing to do a late show. Especially when things had happened like him picking his NCAA brackets, and knocking Duke. That got Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski to comment that Obama should be worried about the economy instead of his tournament bracket.

Since I don't watch Leno, I didn't see the incident. But, because of Obama's poor bowling on the campaign trail, I think Leno brought it up (Richard Nixon had a few lanes put in the White House, for those that don't know). Leno probably asked if he's improved because of that.

This much I am sure of. Obama mentioned bowling a 128 and being proud of that. Leno jokingly said that was good, as he turned his head to laugh. Obama then said that he should be bowling for the Special Olympics.

Well, before the show even aired, Obama called the Special Olympics from Air Force One to apologize. And now we're hearing that one of the Special Olympics bowlers has said he once bowled a 300 (a perfect game), and that he would beat the President.

And I'm guessing the President, who isn't a stupid guy, will invite him and a few other Special Olympic athletes over for a few games, a few photos, and some good PR.

I do think people have to be less sensitive about comments like this.

My girlfriend disagrees. She claims that mentally challenged people can understand when idiots around town call each other a "retard," and it hurts them. My stepbrother claims that if you're mentally retarded, you wouldn't be able to comprehend what a statement like that even means.

I can see both sides. It definitely seems like a word that shouldn't be used in the negative. The same way people don't like hearing a friend call their other friend a "fag".

But I read a letter to the editor in the LA Times, when the movie Tropic Thunder came out. A woman that worked for some organization with mentally handicapped children, was complaining about the scene in Tropic Thunder where Robert Downey Jr. is telling Ben Stiller he didn't get nominated for an Oscar for playing a retarded boy, because he "went full retard. And you never go full retard."

He then explained all the other actors that have gotten nominations, including Sean Penn, Dustin Hoffman, and a few others. It was a very funny scene. And I can understand why a woman in that position isn't happy with it. But it was trying to show ignorant and arrogant actors discussing their craft.

I don't think you can start editing movies based on who might be offended, or nothing would come out of Hollywood.