Howie Reed’s Column

Wednesday, September 1, 2010
Column HR19
North American Players Miss the Good Ship Lollypop BUT the Menace’s Ship Comes In

Peter Cross sang the song “Some Day My Ship Will Come In” which is probably what North American players were singing when the good ship “HMS PDC” landed in Canada. Even if they never heard …

Saturday, August 14, 2010
Column HR18
If you want to be a sport act like one!

Toeing the Oche has for the most part been positive on the Professional Darts Corporation. They, the PDC, have accomplished in fewer than 15 years what the sport couldn’t accomplish in the 500 years prior. A TV contract, the …

Monday, August 2, 2010
Column HR17
SURPRISE! It’s Taylor Again (at European Championships)

Back in the day when the Old Dart Coach was the Old Rodeo Guy the days around July 4th used to be called “Cowboy’s Christmas.” The name emerged from a string of rodeos around that holiday that could make or break a …

Monday, July 26, 2010
Column HR16
Taylor Does a Tchaikovsky! Bromberg Gits ‘er Done!

The ODC sometimes gets things almost right. He opined, “Off the quarters (97.93) one would have to think that Barney (95.89) is there for the taking if Wade is up to the task.” He was spot on but Wade wasn’t up …

Saturday, July 24, 2010
Column HR15
Darts Needs a Mercy Rule!

The Old Dart Coach is in his cups and almost inconsolable after yet a third trip to the local Wal-Mart for his favorite “red-skinned potato salad.” As is usually the case before being over taken by demon alcohol he ranted on and on about …

Friday, July 23, 2010
Column HR14
£40,000 at 1/40 on Lloyd to beat Painter!

The media reported that a punter bet £30,000 pounds on Kevin Painter in his match against Colin Lloyd. Toeing the Oche asked “what was he thinking when Painter was 8-2 down in the race to 13?” The light of day, actually …

Wednesday, July 21, 2010
Column HR13
One Night in Blackpool

In 1984, Murray Head had a big hit record with “One Night in Bangkok.” It was written by Björn Ulvaeus and Benny Andersson who were bookended by the pair of A’s in the group ABBA. With ABBA now again relevant with their musical hit Mama …

Saturday, July 10, 2010
Column HR12
Musings from the Padded Cell…

The Old Dart Coach has been locked in a padded room for his own protection. It was a move taken to protect not only the ODC but those around him from injury. The trigger to his unexplained behavior is believed to be the PDC …

Friday, July 2, 2010
Column HR11
North American Darts Championship

Many years ago, before The Old Dart Coach was the ODC, an aspiring writer equated his local yearly darts tournament to a circus. Being a newbie he had volunteered to help with the set up and the tear down. In later year’s he would come …

Wednesday, June 30, 2010
Column HR10
World Series of Darts Festival… Par Cuatro

Ernest Hemingway wrote the novel “The Sun Also Rises.” For reasons unknown there was never a work titled “The Sun Also Sets.” Missed opportunities some might say… as the sun in Las Vegas set yesterday on the PDC portion of the Tropicana …