Wednesday, September 22, 2022
Column HR370
“Facts are the Enemy of Truth”…
…from author Miguel de Cervantes’ quill in his novel Don Quixote. Today, facts trump media truths. The Old Dart Coach is both.
Don Quixote had a fear of windmills. Amsterdam is a city of windmills. Is it a coincidence that the Old Dart Coach would introduce de Cervantes, Don Quixote and windmills as Jack’s World Series of Darts Final plays (well, played) in Amsterdam? Shirley, you jest.
Sergeant Joe Friday from Dragnet would say, “Just the facts ma’am”….
Fact – the final between Gerwyn Price and Dirk van Duijvenbode, won by Price 11-10, presented more perils than old Don Q. walking into windmills. The two players share a common trait. When throwing good they prosper. When not – disaster.
Price’s missed dart got the “Why me look?” van Duijvenbode scowled first at the board, then at the crowd. Both blameless.
van Duijvenbode went thru Gary Anderson like a Vegas service girl does a punter’s wallet. DvD was up 6-2 over Ryan Joyce who then took 4 in a row to level at 6. They traded until Joyce took the lead at 9-8 when DvD missed 14 darts from 24. van Duijvenbode got it together with outs of 56 and 98 for the 10-9 win.
van Duijvenbode exploited Jonny Clayton’s usual slow start, leading 7-4 only to fall into a scoring depression that saw the match level at 7. van Duijvenbode then took 3 of 4 to win 10-8, losing only one to an 11-dart leg.
Price led 4-3 over Canadian Matt Campbell when a pair of Campbell 15-darters moved him into a 5-4 lead. Price leveled finishing 113 and then scored a 6-5 win.
Holding twice and braking once, Price led Joe Cullen 3-0 – one leg a 12-darter with a T38 close. Cullen answered Price’s T38 winning 4 in a row, including the last in 22 darts. The pair traded 11 (Price) and 12 darters (Cullen). Cullen leveled at 6 as Price took 4 of 6 for the win – the last 7 in 11, 12, 13, 14 and three 15s. WOW.
Against James Wade, Price broke a 6-6 tie for a 10-6 lead and then Wade rallied to close the gap to 10-9. With 13 darts Price closed the deal while denying Wade a double.
Fact – in the final, Price started fast, leveling in 14 and then with 15 and 16 moved ahead 4-2. Then, double trouble struck as Price trailed 5-4 to the delight of beer-filled crowd. From there the duo would be tied at 6, 7, 8, 9 and 10. van Duijvenbode had multiple opportunities to lead by 2 stopped cold as Price showed finishes of T12 and T21. Price would lead (9-8) following a DvD missed d18 – by closing T15. The lead was brief as two T80s and a 59-close on a 11-darter produced another tie. van Duijvenbode moved ahead 10-9 when Price used 12 to level and force the decider.
Throughout the finals each Price trip to the oche was met with a chorus of boos. Price’s response was “The Stare”.
With the darts van Duijvenbode wanted 116 after 15 darts. Price wanted 90 after 12. His first dart was t20 – which raised the crescendo of boos to an ear-shattering level. Price turned to stare to the crowd, gave them the “Watch This” look and then turned back to the board and hit the d15 for the win.
Then from Price the “Foxtrot Unicorn” stare.
Fact – two North Americans advanced after the first round and one didn’t. Danny Baggish was sent packing by Ryan Joyce 6-5 after Baggish led 4-2. Joyce ran 3 as Baggish took one forcing a decider which Joyce took in 14 darts. Baggish hit just one triple.
“Gates will do alright (against Devon Peterson) if he doesn’t have to count.” The match was 2-all after 4. Gates’ counting faults entered the picture when he left himself 26 from 122. But his out chart worked with 13-5-d5 for a 4-3 advantage, leading to a 6-4 win.
Matt Campbell’s 6-3 win over Vincent van der Voort put the Amsterdam crowd into deep funk – the only “cure” being another pint. An early 11-darter gave Campbell the lead at 3-2. Campbell then opened a can of WA with 3 on the trot for the 6-3 win.
Many made sport of the fact that Fallon Sherrock would face Peter Wright in the first round. Ms. Sherrock gave Wright more than he asked for. While being out scored, Sherrock was “even Steven” at 4 thanks to checks of 87 and T20 (on the bull). She went 4 for 4 on doubles. Wright would win 6-4 with 3 legs of 13, two of 14 and one in 15.
Fact – remember the song “That’s The Way We Do It”? Now, it’s all pip, pip, cheerio, buddy, pal, amigo. James Wade scored an “in your face” win 6-4 against Leonard Gates. In the first leg, 1 Gates required 126, Wade 284…
Gates’ brain is not IBM pendulum powered. Gates threw t19, t19 – leaving what? His face said “Whiskey Tango Foxtrot”…
“12” said the referee.
With Wade at 284 the throw is 4, leaving 8. Gates threw 6 leaving 6. “No problem”.
Wade threw a Ton for 184. Gates? 3-1-bust.
Wade tossed 58 leaving 126. Gates 0-0-3.
Wade finished with t19, single 19, dead bull – and then the “That’s how it’s done” look.
Fact – Sometimes doing the “right thing” will come back to bite one is the backside. Dave Chisnall is one that can go off the boil. An unnamed female friend said of Chisnall, “He has the belly button of all time protruding like the crotch of a horny teenager.” She’s unnamed – as the ODC told Annette he would protect her.
Chisnall was playing great – up 5-4 (in the race to 6) over Joe Cullen. Chizzy wanted 164. Cullen 280.
Chizzy scored t20-t20 with an option of dead bull for the win or a safe 10, leaving 40. He thought then tossed the fat 10. The crowd booed lustily.
As Chizzy walked back from the oche he saw the “You chicken” smile from Cullen. Chizzy looked like the guy that got caught braking wind as the preacher said, “Let’s us pray.”
Cullen hit 97 for 142. Chizzy stepped to the line with 3 darts at tops for the match…
He looked, stepped away, looked away and stepped up again. Three perfect darts – “No score”.
“Paralysis by analysis” took hold…
Cullen hit 126, leaving 16. Chizzy threw 20-10-miss. Cullen gets the win.
Fact – the untimely death of “Dusie” has put his longtime partner Sandi Cain in uncomfortable circumstances. Together since the 70s, they never married. As many know, not being married can cause many problems. (The ODC can unequivocally attest that marriage also causes problems.)
Fellow darter David Frazer has started a GoFundMe page to assist Sandi in her time of great sorrow and need. Please go to the “Dusie Memorial Fund” by David Frazer at https://gofund.me/913df989.
The Celebration of Life for Dusie will be held on October 2 from 2:00 pm until 5:00 pm at the Sandpiper Lounge, 1183 South Coast Hwy, Laguna Beach, CA.
A former darter, now a big-time dart supplier, once likened the ODC to Don Quixote…
“You’re like Don Quixote. You see windmills and walk into them.”
Some never learn.
Stay thirsty my friends.
