Tuesday, February 8, 2011
\nColumn HR36
\nIs \u201cexperienced\u201d just another word for OLD?<\/b><\/p>\n
There is a constant debate whether sport imitates real life or visa versa. (As if sport isn\u2019t real life.) As in life, one works hard at sport to develop abilities and then reap the benefits. In an 1889 essay Oscar Wilde held forth that \u201clife imitates art far more than art imitates life.\u201d Anyone who has seen a Picasso or the later years Van Gough\u2019s work will shout \u201cAmen!\u201d A beginner in any sport is always told to practice hard to gain experience.<\/p>\n
Is it possible that experience is over rated? At what point does experience become old, tired and used up?<\/p>\n
On Sunday, February 7 in the Year of our Lord 2011 (which we all know is 2554 in the Thai calendar) in different venues a perfect example of \u201cexperience\u201d versus \u201cOLD\u201d was played out.<\/p>\n
In Irving, Texas the Pittsburgh Steelers transformed their Super Bowl experience into \u201cgetting old before our eyes.\u201d The younger Green Bay Packers playing with less experience grew up fast to win Super Bowl 45 (which is reportedly XLV) 31-25. The Steelers \u201call everything\u201d safety Troy Polamalu summed it up with \u201cI was just off a step here or there.\u201d That\u2019s what happens when experience becomes old in sport, as in life. A thousand or so miles away Phil Mickelson playing in the Phoenix Open golf tournament, which is held in Scottsdale, told Sir Nick Faldo \u201cI\u2019ve stopped messing with my swing.\u201d \u201cThat makes sense. Mickelson is 40 years old and has hit millions of golf balls to develop his swing. To change would require him hitting another million golf balls. At 40 there isn\u2019t time,\u201d said Sir Nick. Once when in England I was watching the British Open live on the BBC as Faldo was getting ready to putt. His caddy, named Fanny, admonished the crowd, \u201cShush, Nicky\u2019s getting ready to putt.\u201d From the crowd came the loud cry, \u201cShut the f*** up you old cow.\u201d<\/p>\n
This brings us to the same day, last Sunday, in the Doncaster Dome, the Players Championship Finals and one Philip Douglas Taylor. Taylor had been experiencing a recent slump to put it mildly \u2013 no major wins since August when he won the European Championships. While explaining away the results he said, \u201cI\u2019m using new darts. I have to practice more.\u201d Had experience turned too old?<\/p>\n
Well, one Gary Mawson, whose IQ barely tops the combined total of a radish and a carrot, said before the World Championships \u201cHe\u2019s old and past his prime.\u201d Taylor spanked Mawson 3 sets to nil but then Taylor\u2019s unexplainable miss doubles and triples led to going out 5-2 to Mark Webster. At the German Players Championship, the week prior to the Players Championship finals, Taylor extended his string of \u201cL\u2019s.\u201d It was possible that like the Pittsburgh Steelers Taylor was moving from experienced to old.<\/p>\n
Now like Samuel Langhorne Clemens, Philip Douglas Taylor can say \u201cThe reports of my death are greatly exaggerated.\u201d He can say that after getting off the \u201csnyder\u201d with a win in the Players Championship Finals. There were times in the Players when like Troy Polamalu he was \u201cjust a step off\u201d as he was in the semi finals falling behind to Mervyn King 5 to nil. King was in good form coming off a win in the German Players the previous Saturday. The Sunday German Players winner \u201cRocket\u201d Ronnie Baxter would fall to \u201cThe Pie Man\u201d Andy Smith. Smith converted 6 double opportunities into 6 legs for a 6-2 win. Baxter in an attempt to emulate his pal the Old Dart Coach\u2019s style of dress came out in his usual dart shirt but with multiple colors added. The \u201cRocket\u201d could become \u201cRainbow\u201d Ronnie before our very eyes.<\/p>\n
A former American player was once asked by the ODC, \u201cWhat are you thinking about when you play?\u201d \u201cNothing,\u201d was the reply. He was one of those who when asked \u201cWhat do you think\u201d about anything should have answered \u201cnothing.\u201d Maybe that\u2019s been Taylor\u2019s problem. Sometimes you just got to \u201cout dumb them.\u201d After disposing of Wes Newton 9-3 in the quarter-finals Taylor changed the barrels on his darts. \u201cHow\u2019d that work?\u201d He found himself down 5 nil and 6-1. When the break came he changed back to the \u201cNewton barrels\u201d and immediately tossed a 180 on his first trip to the oche. Yes, another example of \u201cdance with the guy who brung ya moment.\u201d Taylor rallied for a 10-8 win. Why would he change barrels? \u201cThe others were new and the grip was a little harsh on my fingers.\u201d Oh yes, that and he was down 6-1. Phil put on the big boy pants and tough it out.<\/p>\n
In the reporting of sport there are often references to real world experiences. \u201cRolling along,\u201d \u201cStorm back,\u201d \u201cmissed opportunity,\u201d \u201cwhen the going gets tough the tough get going\u201d and the oft-heard chant of \u201ctake one for the team.\u201d The last was heard a lot in Las Vegas on Sunday during the playing of the Lingerie Bowl football game. The game was between two teams of scantly clad lady\u2019s. Maybe \u201ctaking one for the team\u201d there had a different meaning.<\/p>\n
Taylor was rolling along with leads of 5-3 and 7-5 over Gary Anderson in the final. Scot Anderson would \u201cstorm back\u201d to take an 11-9 lead with only a missed double to make it 12-9. Taylor didn\u2019t \u201cmiss the opportunity\u201d when he took the next three to lead 12-11. Taylor did though miss a chance to win 13-11 when given the shot at double 16. Anderson on his 6th try punched out double 19 to tie things up at 12 sending it to the decider. It was vintage Taylor that went 140, 134, 99 and a 128 check. Leg, match, championship. \u201cThank you very much. It\u2019s my \u00a360,000 check. Drive home safely. How do you like me now? I ain\u2019t dead yet mates.\u201d<\/p>\n
TALES OF THE OLD DART COACH<\/b><\/p>\n
How about we take a deep breath and quit blaming the ADO for things they have no control over? They try the best they can. It\u2019s not their mandate to prepare darters for the PDC.<\/p>\n
It would be nice though if the ADO would only give points for men in singles \u201801. Then take it a step further and only recognize wins in singles\u2019 01 when the semis and the finals are played best of 11. Encourage tournaments to hold two open singles events, both \u201801. The truth is that cricket became popular with Yanks due to the thinking it was better game because you didn\u2019t have to hit a double. Silly Yanks. The rest of the world calls cricket Mickey Mouse and it is. Save the sport. Stamp out cricket. Down with Mickey. And in so doing, to quote Astronaut Neil Armstrong, take \u201cOne giant step for mankind and good luck Mr. Gorsky.\u201d<\/p>\n
The ODC was whiling away a lazy January afternoon at a Las Vegas dart bar with an American former #1. The \u201caiming fluid\u201d flowed freely even though the only thing to be aimed was in the room behind the door with three letters on it. As sometimes happens, the language got a little ripe. Not by the ODC, perish the thought, but by the former champion. After one brilliantly delivered group of words the lady bartender came over to caution, \u201cWatch it. Nice people come in here.\u201d The ODC looked around and saw a bunch of AARP types with their snoots in poker machines. \u201cAnd they would be coming in when?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNot actually a brother,\u201d Bill, called the ODC on Sunday to set him straight. With his mind on the edge of gone the ODC needs all the help he can get. \u201cYou reported that at the Camellia Classic back in the day I became disabled and living challenged by drinking Peach Brandy. That\u2019s not true. It was Blackberry Brandy that did the damage. Never would that happen with Peach.\u201d<\/p>\n
Once he had straightened out the ODC Brother Bill asked \u201cHow ya doin\u2019?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cGood. I check the obituaries every morning and if my name\u2019s not in them then it\u2019s a good day.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYea I check them each day too. I want to see what old women have become available.\u201d<\/p>\n
Not actually a brother is one sick puppy.<\/p>\n
Does life imitate art?<\/p>\n
Yes, in this case both are examples of Van Gough\u2026 the later years.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
There is a constant debate whether sport imitates real life or visa versa. (As if sport isn\u2019t real life.) As in life, one works hard at sport to develop abilities and then reap the benefits. In an 1889 essay Oscar Wilde held forth that \u201clife imitates art far more than art imitates life.\u201d Anyone who has seen a Picasso or the later years Van Gough\u2019s work will shout \u201cAmen!\u201d A beginner in any sport is always told to practice hard to gain experience.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":4132,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_eb_attr":"","_uag_custom_page_level_css":"","site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center 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Reed","author_link":"https:\/\/dartoidsworld.net\/author\/howie-reed\/"},"uagb_comment_info":0,"uagb_excerpt":"There is a constant debate whether sport imitates real life or visa versa. (As if sport isn\u2019t real life.) As in life, one works hard at sport to develop abilities and then reap the benefits. In an 1889 essay Oscar Wilde held forth that \u201clife imitates art far more than art imitates life.\u201d Anyone who…","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"authors":[{"term_id":17,"user_id":4,"is_guest":0,"slug":"howie-reed","display_name":"Howie Reed","avatar_url":{"url":"https:\/\/dartoidsworld.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/111howie.jpg","url2x":"https:\/\/dartoidsworld.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/111howie.jpg"},"first_name":"Howie","last_name":"Reed","user_url":"http:\/\/www.dartoidsworld.com","job_title":"","description":"Astute, often controversial, and always humorous, the Old Dart Coach, Howie Reed (a former rodeo cowboy and advertising executive), is heralded as the Dean of Darts Chroniclers - the most prolific and widely followed writer ever about our sport. He goes back decades with the legends and knows where the skeletons are buried (just ask any of the ADO and WDF old-timers!). Here are four well-known facts about the Old Dart Coach: 1) he is a Republican, 2) he loves the ladies, 3) he can drink most anybody under the table, and 4) he throws darts as bad as Dartoid."}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/dartoidsworld.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5386","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/dartoidsworld.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/dartoidsworld.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dartoidsworld.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dartoidsworld.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5386"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/dartoidsworld.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5386\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dartoidsworld.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/4132"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/dartoidsworld.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5386"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dartoidsworld.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5386"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dartoidsworld.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5386"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dartoidsworld.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/ppma_author?post=5386"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}