Thursday, December 28
Column HR216
The ODC’s second “last” column of 2017
Editor’s note: In his last column of 2017 (which you may now have guessed wasn’t) the Old Dart Coach wrote the following: To clear the slate for the New Year the ODC has a confession to make. He’s in a consensual workplace relationship. What the ODC (accidentally or conveniently?) neglected to mention was that he always works alone. Nonetheless, the ODC “checked into a facility at Cobb Creek and completed counseling under the direction of Dr. Jim Beam and Dr. Jack Daniels.” Today, the ODC claims to have been cured. Make of this claim what you will.
The year moved towards closure with the general dart world discovering what many knew for years: Paul Lim is a class act. There are some at all levels of darts that would never be described this way. In his second round world championship match against Gary Anderson Lim would go down 4-1 but win the applause of the crowd and his opponent.
Lim turns the clock back every time he toes the oche. It’s well documented that Lim threw the first “live” 9-darter at a world championship – in 1990 at the then BDO Embassy – the then world championship. He darn near got it done again against Anderson who was celebrating his 47th birthday. After losing the first 7 legs Lim tossed 8 perfect darts leaving double 12. He missed when his signature dart (available online) landed just under the bottom 12 wire. Lim would lose the leg but win the war.
Some dart players are phony jerks. Gary Anderson isn’t one of them. Paul Lim is an absolute gentleman and still a classy, classy dart player. If Paul had got the 9-darter it would have been the best Christmas present ever. I could have stayed up there all night playing Paul Lim at darts. It was very hard for me tonight because I was playing one of my heroes – I was like a kid in a candy shop.
Back when UK players (England, Scotland, Wales) would venture to North America to ”roll the natives” while fattening their bank accounts, lack of sportsmanship was many times the rule rather than the exception. When one of the foreign players misbehaved it was called “gamesmanship.” When the natives fought back it was called “bad form” and criticized.
In any man-on-man, women-on-women or person-on-person individual sport there’s always a little gamesmanship. One case stood out at the World Championships. The incident was described by a blogger in rather frank terms.
Justin Pipe: He’s another ******* that loves to dish out threats. He deliberately tried to put his opponent off when the Kiwi was playing and had 2 match darts against him. Pipe began coughing to try put him off.
He continued picking on TV voice Wayne Mardle: Mardle had a pop at Pipe saying the DRA should do something about it. Odd how Mardle never complained when MVG use to do it. Don’t recall him moaning about the one eyed ***** Jamie Cave-in either when he was sneezing to put Gary Anderson off a few years ago, which created some news back them.
(The stars always get preferential treatment. Check the draw at any tournament in North America.)
The #8 seed Adrian Lewis went out early. When he did TV guy Rod Harrington opined, Darts is better when Adrian Lewis is winning. Says who?
The same blogger took on Lewis. Adrian Lewis: What a waste of natural talent. Some Lewis fans tried to lay all the blame on Deller (his manager). The reality is Lewis has to take responsibility for hiring Deller, buying his bulls***, and accept blame for his own laziness. If Fatpot can get his arse in gear, dump Deller and start doing euro tours, where he could easily win a few of them he will be back in the top ten.
The natives of North America will see the return of the PDC’s World Series of Darts to Las Vegas in the good old USA in 2018. As predicted, the venue will move from the Tropicana Hotel/Casino to the Mandalay Bay which besides being a Hotel/Casino has been in the news a lot since October 1. The venue, for locals, will be a little more expensive as hotel residents and visitors will have to pay at least $20 a day to park.
The dates coincide with the USA celebrating independence from the oppression of the British Empire ruled by King George III where the “sun never set.” Now, of course, it hardly ever rises. The ODC can recommend Bill O’Reilly’s book Killing England for those that want to delve into the history of American independence. Warning: There are no pictures!
For the 2018 World Series of darts there will be 2 days of qualifying on July 3 & 4 with the top 8 playing for the North American Championship on July 5. On the 6th and 7th the 8 North Americans will join the 8 PDC stars in the PDC US Darts Master.
The other “Not Really” World Championships (BDO) kicks off January 6th at the once elegant Lakeside Country Club. That’s not to be confused with the ODC favorite hangout at Lake Tahoe – the always elegant Lakeside Resort/Casino.
American’s lone entry is “Chainsaw” Joe Chaney from Chattooga, Tennessee. He gets no stroll in the park as he takes on Danny Noppert from the Netherlands. Noppert was the runner-up last year in this event losing 7-3 to #1 Glen Durrant. In 2016, Noppert did dip his toe in the PDC Grand Slam of Darts where he beat Mensur Suljovic before losing top 16 to Gary Anderson 10-9. Guess the ban on those that dare play in PDC events is over.
The men will be playing for maybe an invite to the PDC where all entry fees will be paid for them this year. That would be a big win.
The ODC will be rooting his baby heart out Chainsaw Joe.
The BDO event is the only world championship for the ladies of the tungsten world. Nary a lady from North America is in the draw. Just as the ODC will root for Chainsaw Joe he’ll be rooting for Queen Deta Hedman, the #1 seed who has surprisingly never worn the world championships. She’s come so close being the runner-up in 2012 (to Anastasia Dobromyslova a Ruskie living in England), in 2014 (to Lisa Ashton) and 2016 (Tina Gulliver). All are in this year’s field.
HAPPY NEW YEAR and stay thirsty my friends.
