Thursday, February 7, 2013
\nColumn HR85
\nHey critics – lay off Butler and Young!<\/b><\/p>\n
A critic is someone who can\u2019t do something but doesn\u2019t know it – or accept it – and bitches about those who can – someone “who tends to make harsh or carping judgments; a faultfinder.\u201d This is especially so when it comes to sport. Many, perhaps most, would describe the Old Dart Coach as a critic. He believes he can do anything except grow hair on his head or understand any book with \u201cFor Dummies\u201d in the title.<\/p>\n
The ODC will criticize the Brit Bastards that have stolen the idea of this column for their on-line chat show called \u201cOff the Oche.\u201d It\u2019s a show that highlights the PDC Premier League play. Some say \u201cImitation is the highest form of flattery.\u201d No one that\u2019s ever had a creative idea stolen ever made that statement. Come up with your own ideas you collective wankers. Bet you don\u2019t even know where the term Oche comes from.<\/p>\n
Critics might have a field day with the American\u2019s performance in World Cup III – but not the ODC. Larry Butler and Darin Young crashed like a car running in the Talladega 500 and are probably being excoriated by some with witless rhetoric not normally heard in polite company. Butler and Young should answer with \u201cgo far away and multiply\u201d or in twitter talk\u2026 \u201cFO.\u201d<\/p>\n
Sometime race cars just crash, no real fault of the driver. Neophyte darters learn that sometimes things \u201cjust happen.\u201d The ODC learned that \u201cIt\u2019s the Dart God\u201d when things go awry. The \u201cDG\u201d is unforgiving, can be judgmental, cruel, but at times very rewarding. She\u2019s a demanding mistress with unexplainable mood swings. DAH.<\/p>\n
Playing out of the Holiday Inn in Concord the ODC, before a home crowd, was set for his first 120 league checkout. The d\u00e9cor of the cocktail lounge featured a brick wall with dart boards mounted. The ODC\u2019s first dart landed in the triple 20, the second midway between the triple and the desired double.<\/p>\n
The crowd fell silent. The ODC took a deep breath remembering the old lesson, \u201cthe darts ‘in’ just take it ‘out.’\u201d Back came the dart with stealth-like precision followed by the usual syrupy smooth release and flowing follow through.<\/p>\n
WHACK!.<\/p>\n
WHACK?<\/p>\n
That\u2019s the sound a dart makes when it hits sideways halfway up a brick wall. For the ODC the memory of \u201cnowhere to hide and nowhere to go\u201d remains indelible. The Dart God had struck Let he who has not been attacked by the Dart God cast the first stone. Darters are familiar with the tungsten telegraph so within a hour\u2019s time the ODC became \u201cBrick.\u201d Oh the shame of it.<\/p>\n
All darters have similar memories. Today it would be a \u201cWTF\u201d moment. The American team departed World Cup III with two \u201cWTF\u201d moments.<\/p>\n
Prior to the World Cup the ODC predicted in print, \u201cButler and Young will have to best Finland and Germany to move on.\u201d That drew a response from Holger a regular reader from Germany, “They won\u2019t. Neither of them.\u201d
\nHolger was right.<\/p>\n
The USA first faced Finland. Up 2-0 in the race to 5, Darrin Young had three darts to make it 3-0. He missed. Finland won 5-4.<\/p>\n
Next up was Germany. The Yanks were up 2-0. Butler had three at 40. His first dart was a fat 1 which landed with the effect of the ODC\u2019s \u201cbrick shot.\u201d Unable to right the ship, the opportunity sailed as Germany came back for the 5-4 win. USA out.<\/p>\n
NASCAR drivers at Talladega after a big wreck explain \u201cIt was one of those racing deals.\u201d Butler and Young? \u201cThe Dart God gave us half a victory sign. The ‘DG’ got us.\u201d She can be a bitch.<\/p>\n
The Bitch \u201cDG\u201d had no trouble smiling on the England Team of Phil Taylor and Adrian Lewis. For the Saturday knockout rounds the weather outside was in the 30s and overcast. To borrow from a Clint Eastwood spaghetti western \u201cIt was a beautiful day for a hanging.\u201d<\/p>\n
At the end of the day there was more carnage on the floor of the Alsterdorfer Sporthalle than after \u201cThe Big one at Talladega.\u201d For the record Talladega means \u201cpulverized rock\u201d in the language of the Choctaw Indians.<\/p>\n
Five seeded teams were hung out to dry after being pulverized. In the lead up to the Cup play \u201cwise guys\u201d mentioned Wales, Australia, Scotland and Netherlands as teams that could upset reigning champs England. Only the Wales duo of Mark Webster-Richie Burnett, Germany and England escaped the Saturday seeded slaughter.<\/p>\n
Germany had a stress free 5-2 win over Poland. The winning leg had the home country fans \u201crock\u2019n and rollin’\u201d when Jyhan Artut and Andre Welge opened with back-to-back T80\u2019s. Artut missed the 9-darter but his partner ended it in 12 which is not too Chablis.<\/p>\n
Wales took out Canada 5-2 coming from 2-1 down hitting four doubles with four darts. Croatia- Northern Ireland was a see-saw match. Croatia tied the score at 4 on Robert Marijanovic’s 120-out. In the decider both teams had darts to win with Marijanovic\u2019s double 13 providing the 5-4 win. The Emerald Isle suffered another loss when Japan eliminated the Republic of Ireland 5-3. Japan\u2019s Haruki Muramatsu, a soft point player, was brilliant hitting a pair of T80\u2019s and three of the five winning doubles.<\/p>\n
The Dutch Duo of Raymond van Barneveld and Michael van Gerwen were heavy favorites to send the Fins packing. They led 2-0. After a pair of Fin T80s it was 2-1. They leveled when Jani Haavisto hooked a double 18. The Fins moved into the lead 3-2 behind Jarkko Komula\u2019s T80 and doubles missed by Barney and van Gerwen. Haavisto hit his 3rd double for a 4-2 lead. The Dutch got to 4-3 down on a double 2. With a chance to extend the match van Gerwen missed double 18 and two at double 9. Komula hit double 10 for the win (with four of their legs less than 14 darts).<\/p>\n
Spain\u2019s Antonio Alcinas is well known as a good player. He was teamed again with Carlos Rodriguez. In 2010 they made it to the semi-finals. The Scots led 3-1 only to have Spain come back to level. Then is was 4-3 Scotland – when great scoring allowed them to miss 5 doubles before Anderson hit double 1. Robert Thornton would miss one at tops on a 100 finish for the match. Alcinas leveled at 4 with double 5. The final leg was all Spain. Alcinas hit T80 leaving 81. With Scotland not in three dart range Rodriquez set up tops for Alcinas which he took.<\/p>\n
Last year Australia lost in the finals. This time around Simon Whitlock and Paul \u201cThe Jerk\u201d Nicholson got their respective reproductive organs knocked on the floor. Belgian brothers Kim and Ronny Huybrechts went through them like corn through a seagull. On the way to a 5-1 win the Brothers Huybrechts averaged 101.08.<\/p>\n
For reasons that makes no sense the World Cup format changed from the quarter finals on. Why? The Brits love to mess with a good thing…<\/p>\n
After all doubles play singles were added – two singles first and if tied a doubles match. Belgium copped both singles from Croatia for a 2-0 win. Wales, England and Finland advanced with 2-1 wins over Spain, Japan and Germany. Only Germany had a dart to win the deciding doubles match.<\/p>\n
Belgium reached the finals with a 2-1 win over Finland. After splitting the singles the Brothers Huybrechts tossed a 4-0 doubles licking on the Fins. England reached the finals by the same score 2-1 score. Adrian Lewis made up for his earlier 4-3 singles loss to Richie Burnett by hitting doubles to level the pairs at 3 and then hit the winning double. Burnett had double 10 from a 140 finish to win the match 4-2.<\/p>\n
The finals was played 4 singles with a doubles match if needed. It wasn\u2019t. The only win in the finals for Belgium came from Kim Huybrechts over Adrian Lewis 4-0. That tied it at 1 with Lewis then beating Ronny Huybrechts 4-2 as Phil Taylor sealed the deal 4-1 over Kim for the 3-1 win.<\/p>\n
Yes, the Dart God smiled on England. Some would call it luck. The great golfer Jack Nicklaus once said of luck, \u201cThe more I practice the luckier I get.\u201d That may be true but still it never hurts to have a little insurance…<\/p>\n
Valentine’s Day is just around the corner. Can\u2019t hurt to buy chocolates, a card and roses for the Dart God. She just might grant you that extra triple or double that will make the difference. Of course Taylor does it with Champagne and Caviar but it\u2019s the thought that counts. Oh yes, and \u201csize doesn\u2019t matter.\u201d<\/p>\n
Stay thirsty my friends.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
A critic is someone who can\u2019t do something but doesn\u2019t know it – or accept it – and bitches about those who can – someone “who tends to make harsh or carping judgments; a faultfinder.\u201d This is especially so when it comes to sport. Many, perhaps most, would describe the Old Dart Coach as a critic. 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lay off Butler and Young!","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[9],"tags":[],"ppma_author":[17],"class_list":["post-5483","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-howie"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"views":2422,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/dartoidsworld.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/darts-image-feature-random-29.jpg?fit=520%2C401&ssl=1","uagb_featured_image_src":{"full":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/dartoidsworld.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/darts-image-feature-random-29.jpg?fit=520%2C401&ssl=1",520,401,false],"thumbnail":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/dartoidsworld.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/darts-image-feature-random-29.jpg?resize=150%2C150&ssl=1",150,150,true],"medium":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/dartoidsworld.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/darts-image-feature-random-29.jpg?fit=300%2C231&ssl=1",300,231,true],"medium_large":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/dartoidsworld.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/darts-image-feature-random-29.jpg?fit=520%2C401&ssl=1",520,401,true],"large":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/dartoidsworld.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/darts-image-feature-random-29.jpg?fit=520%2C401&ssl=1",520,401,true],"1536x1536":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/dartoidsworld.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/darts-image-feature-random-29.jpg?fit=520%2C401&ssl=1",520,401,true],"2048x2048":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/dartoidsworld.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/darts-image-feature-random-29.jpg?fit=520%2C401&ssl=1",520,401,true],"rpwe-thumbnail":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/dartoidsworld.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/darts-image-feature-random-29.jpg?resize=45%2C45&ssl=1",45,45,true]},"uagb_author_info":{"display_name":"Dartoid","author_link":"https:\/\/dartoidsworld.net\/author\/dartoid\/"},"uagb_comment_info":0,"uagb_excerpt":"A critic is someone who can\u2019t do something but doesn\u2019t know it - or accept it - and bitches about those who can - someone \"who tends to make harsh or carping judgments; a faultfinder.\u201d This is especially so when it comes to sport. Many, perhaps most, would describe the Old Dart Coach as a…","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\/5483","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\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dartoidsworld.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5483"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/dartoidsworld.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5483\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6438,"href":"https:\/\/dartoidsworld.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5483\/revisions\/6438"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dartoidsworld.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/4151"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/dartoidsworld.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5483"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dartoidsworld.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5483"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dartoidsworld.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5483"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dartoidsworld.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/ppma_author?post=5483"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}