Friday, November 7, 2024
Column HR472
Gary Anderson attacks the ODC!
Gary Anderson, the smooth throwing Scot, is never shy about stating his opinion. It’s sometimes difficult to understand what the heck he’s saying. The Old Dart Coach recently caught a post of Anderson being interviewed after a match. Fortunately, it as transcribed for the hard of hearing so the ODC could clearly understand. When a reporter asked a question Anderson replied:
“You’ve not got a friggin’ clue. I’ll stop when I want to stop. Your pundits have not got a clue. That’s why they are sitting on their arses talking about darts instead of playing darts.”
Well, Mr. Anderson, here’s the ODC’s answer.
Life is an any given day experience. Sampson found the jawbone of as ass which he used to slay a thousand men. Sport is the ultimate any given day happening.
In PDC darts not so much. At any PDC tournament, given 10 choices a person can come up with a winner. The Machineseeker European Championship was an “on any day event.” The field included all the usual suspects, none of whom were around when the field reached the semifinals. MIA were Michael Smith, MvG, Luke Littler, Luke Humphries, Gerwyn Price and Dave Chisnell.
A story about Littler said he was a millionaire that bought a castle and changed darts. Littler switched back to his old darts that bought the castle. Tied at 4 with Andrew Gilding he missed a double to lead 5-4 then lost the match 6-4.
Michael Smith ran into Ritchie Edhouse. Smith led 9-8 in the race to 10. Edhouse used a pair of 13-darters to win 10-9. Michael van Gerwen called Gary Anderson a “part-timer.” The “part-timer” laid a royal hiding on MvG 10-4.
Luke Humphries ran into a red-hot Jermaine Wattimena who laid a Brod Crawford (from the old radio show Highway Patrol). When Crawford said “10-4″ it was over on him 10-4. Wattimena simply overpowered Humphries with an average of 100.04 while checking out on 10-24.
The semifinals featured 4 names not usually associated with the “usual suspects”. Luke Woodhouse would face Ritchie Edhouse, and Jermaine Wattimena went against Danny Noppert. Truly for these four it was that “any given day.”
Ritchie Edhouse prevailed over Luke Woodhouse 11-5. Edhouse built a 5-2 lead with legs of 21, 20 and 3 of 17. Then “Madhouse”, as Ritchie’s called, hit the surge button going 6-2 in 15 darts with a T17 close. That followed with an 11-darter, a pair of 14, then a close with T47-check in 15.
It was an all-Dutch semi with Jermaine Wattimena against Danny Noppert. The pair split the first 6 legs holding serve. Noppert broke, then held for 5-3. Using 13 and 14 darts Wattimena drew level at 5. Wattimena extended to 8-5. Noppert came back to narrow the gap to 8-7 with a 12-darter. When Wattimena reached 9-7 Noppert used just 13 for 9-8. That became 9-all after Wattimena missed the bull on a T70 check. Wattimena held for 10-9 followed by Noppert holding for a level 10. In the deciding leg Wattimena used a T74 to reach 32. Which in took in 2.
In the early days of the PDC neither Dennis Priestly nor Phil Taylor took their prize money. When Barry Hearn met with the players he promised to pay all debts. He did. Players got shares in the PDC. Rumor has it that Priestly cashed a couple of years ago, getting £600,000. Nice payday.
The ODC is honored to have a major PDC event named in his honor. The 2024 Mr. Vegas Grand Slam of Darts holds forth November 9-17 in Wolverhampton. Players vie for a piece of the £650,000 event and the Eric Bristow trophy. The unique PDC format has 8 groups of 4 playing round robin. A top eight seed heads each group. Luke Humphreys is the reigning champion.
In any event there’s always at least one group labeled by the media as the “group of death”. This time not so much although Group “B” and “G” are sure to draw interest. Group “B” is headed by Danny Noppert and includes Martin Schindler, Cameron Menzies and Ms. Beau Greaves – the only lady in the field. Menzies caused a stir after winning his first PDC event when he called himself “The Fat Foxtrot.” Ms. Greaves has a chance to advance with 2 wins. One may wonder why Ms. Greaves is in a PDCTV event when she opted out of the World Championship’s for the WDF Lakeside to-do.
The lone Yank is the field is Leonard Gates. He faces #4 Rob Cross, Peter Wright and Martin Lukeman with 2 wins needed to move forward. Gates always plays well in the Motha Country and has a good chance to move forward.
That brings us to Group “G” headed by #3 Michael van Gerwen. He will play against “no snap-on tool needed” Noa-Lynn van Leuven. Van Leuven recently took to social media referring “to her detractors as “toxic b—–s” and urging them to act respectfully” (something she seems short of).
The PDC has yet to delve into the “man to lady” issue. The ODC was of the opinion that the WDF had taken a stand. Oh, how wrong he was. Maybe for the first time ever.
From the Queen, Deta Hedman, “At the WDF meeting we were told we needed ‘legal proof’ of the difference, yet when we asked how to define ‘legal proof’ we were told ‘we don’t know’. For nearly 3 years this has been discussed by the WDF and others and we are told that they will monitor the situation on a regular basis. It’s a shame it has to be discussed on social media, but I think players, especially the women, know what’s going on.”
Dear Mr. Anderson. You are wrong. The Old Darts Coach knows a lot. So, there you go, you “sheep shagger” Scot.
Stay thirsty, my friends.
