Thursday, October 16, 2014
Column 475
Wake up steel-tip players! DEMAND an END to the BULLSHIT!
Yesterday morning at the ADO (aka DOA) website the newly “elected” officers (Steve Brown and Carolyn Camp, who ran unopposed, and Joe Hogan, who “defeated” three others – Tom Sawyer, Ron Peppers and Sue Russano) were publically announced…
This choice tag line was included: “Thank you to everyone who participated in the election process.”
Right. There aren’t but a dozen people on the planet who, according to the ADO by-laws, are allowed to participate.
Sorry – but it is inconceivable, if this was run honestly, that Joe Hogan was elected.
It is inconceivable that financials have not been presented for more than a decade.
It is inconceivable that minutes from any meeting (except the most recent) have not been made public with a record of how each board member voted.
It is inconceivable that the west coast office is still in operation.
And it is BEYOND COMPREHENSION why ANY league would continue to pay dues or why ANY but the very best handful of players would attend an ADO event. Frankly, the best players should take a stand too.
In might be argued that the ADO’s gross failures have helped fuel the growth of soft tip and steel tip start-ups like the NADPA and new CDC. So in a convoluted way perhaps the ADO has been good for darts.
All the best to David Hascup and Steve Brown (good guys in my opinion) but I personally find the “election” of Joe Hogan to be laughable. If congratulations are in order they are due only to Laurette Meddis.
There used to be a classified advertisement in the back of Popular Mechanics magazine. It read: “Send $1.00 and a self addressed stamped envelope” and gave an address.
It promised nothing. Provided nothing.
It ran for years.
Why?
Because someone was making more money than it cost to run the advertisement.
This used to be a little case study discussed in direct marketing seminars.
There’s a point here – say what you want about the ADO but it is the players and leagues supporting the ADO that are letting themselves down, tolerating the scam.
That’s their prerogative.
It is time for ALL steel to players to wake up and DEMAND and END to the BULLSHIT!
From the Field,
Dartoid
