Yes, bowling is a sport.

Hello, by the way, and welcome to another edition of the TBTL newsletter! I hope this email finds you well.

I used to work with a radio host on a live, call-in talk show who was pretty unflappable. Whenever I’d fret about losing a guest to a bad phone line, or maybe running out of questions on a particular topic, he said not to worry, he always had an ace up his sleeve.

“I’ll just open the phones and ask the listeners if bowling is a sport. Trust me, we’ll get calls.” 

I admired that. I still do. Luke and I now use it as shorthand for a backup plan. “Welp, we can always do Is Bowling A Sport.”

But this week on the podcast, we came very close to addressing the question earnestly. Only we weren’t talking about bowling. We were talking about darts, and whether or not the 18 year-old reigning champ might be the best athlete in the world, as some click-chasers claim. 

But since these types of questions are more fun to explore together than actually answer definitively, I’ve put together a little poll called Is Bowling A Sport? A TBTL Sports Survey. It’s a list of fun but important questions that I know you’ll have an opinion on, even if you’ve never so much as flicked a birdie on a badminton court. 

Unfortunately, when I try to include a link to that poll here, this whole email gets flagged as “dangerous” for some reason, and it will go directly to your spam folder. So I will share the link on our Bluesky account later today. Meanwhile, you can peruse the questions below.

(Sorry, I’m not including a link to Bluesky, either. This email keeps getting in trouble with the phishing police, so I’m trying to remove all unessential links. Just search for TBTL on Bluesky if you’re not already following us.)

While you work on that, I’m going to practice my favorite sport: Walking to SAARs in the rain and picking out a weird kind of sausage I’ve never tried. I hope you all have a great weekend, too!

— Andrew

Is bowling a sport?
Yes
No

Is darts a sport? 
Yes
No

Grammatically speaking, should it be “Is darts a sport?” or “Are darts a sport?”
Is
Are

What about gymnastics?
“Gymnastics IS a sport.”
“Gymnastics ARE a sport.”

Do you think it’s weird that we apply different grammatical rules to “Gymnastics” and “Darts”? 
Yes
No
I’m lost

Do you think a unicorn would make a cool team mascot?
Yes
No

Do you think a penguin would make a cool team mascot?
Yes
Absolutely

Do you think schools that call their teams “The Wildcats” should have to pick a more specific animal? 
Yes
No

Should bowling teams have mascots?
Yes
No
Yes, but they should only be bowling related, like “Pin Boy” or “THE BALL”.

Who would win in a bowling match between me and The StuBot?
Andrew
The StuBot

Is that because he lives in Minnesota? 
Yes
No

Have you ever bowled a 200 game?
Yes
No

Have you ever bowled a 100 game?
Yes
No

Have you ever bowled?
Yes
No

Have you ever played Jarts? 
Yes
No

Is Jarts a sport?
Yes
No

All YAYS and NAYS are submitted by TBTL Tens.
Send yours here!

YAY to alert and helpful drivers, like the man in the red truck who gave clear hand signals to indicate when I could safely make a blind left turn from a parking lot near a busy intersection. It's really putting your life in someone's hands and is a good reminder that we're all in it together! 

NAY to parents who block the “drop and go” line at my kid’s middle school. Listen, it is a DROP and GOOOO! If you need to watch your kid walk all the way into the building, park in a spot. If you need to get out of your car, park in a spot. If you have a text to send, PARK IN A SPOT. Come on people!

YAY to the lady at the very busy grocery store who wouldn't let me apologize and get out of the way, but instead insisted I "take my space". It put the biggest smile on my face and gave me confidence that lasted for days. 

NAY to the lady at the bar during the 15 inning Mariners game who didn’t get my sarcastic joke and used the opportunity to "educate" me on the game. It was anything but good vibes only. 

YAY to Luke! Some months ago there was a discussion surrounding Colin Kaepernick, and Luke referred to his hair. I was so grateful when he said “curly” rather than “bushy” or “wild”. As a person with very curly hair, it is disheartening when those types of words are used.

Have a gripe you want to get off your chest? Want to celebrate a moment of human decency in the world? Send us your “YAYS and NAYS” via email, and we might share it in an upcoming newsletter!

What’s your name and where do you live? 
April Kent. San Diego, California.

When did you start listening to TBTL? How did you find the show?
I'm a "Luke is fun on Wait Wait Don't Tell Me... let's see what this other thing is about" person.

How would your friends describe you?
Hard working, cat crazy, and picky about coffee.

What was your favorite cereal when you were a kid?Is it still your fav? 
I have fond memories of Cap'n Crunch and Cocoa Krispies. And good lord, no.

What food do you love to eat the most of?
Pasta. And cheese. Especially together.

What’s the best or worst nickname you ever had?
Caveat: ONLY my siblings and a couple of school friends are allowed to call me this, and anyone else who tries is flirting with danger: Ape.

If you could play one song on TBTL, what would it be?
Me and Magdalena by the Monkees, written by Ben Gibbard.

What’s a special skill that you have?
I loathe shopping, but if you place me in virtually any store and ask me to find a particular item, I can do it in no time flat.

What’s a skill you *wish* you had?
I wish I were a lot more at ease in social situations!

If you were driving down the street and you saw Luke and Andrew on the sidewalk, what would you yell at them as you drove past?
"Powah oooouuuuuuuttttt!"

Hey, it’s Andrew here again. Just a reminder that you can find our Ten of the Week form here! If you’ve never been a TOTW before  (or if it’s been a really, really long time) fill out our little questionnaire. And check out our Ten of the Week archive here!