{"id":5536,"date":"2014-06-03T16:07:51","date_gmt":"2014-06-03T16:07:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dartoidsworld.net\/2014\/06\/hr113-rip-billy-joe-clark\/"},"modified":"2024-02-14T22:24:15","modified_gmt":"2024-02-14T22:24:15","slug":"hr113-rip-billy-joe-clark","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dartoidsworld.net\/2014\/06\/hr113-rip-billy-joe-clark\/","title":{"rendered":"HR#113 RIP Billy Joe Clark"},"content":{"rendered":"

Tuesday, June 3, 2014
\nColumn HR113
\nRIP Billy Joe Clark<\/strong><\/p>\n

The Old Dart Coach’s search for the ultimate Greek salad in Thailand and the Philippines caused some concern for one reader. \u00a0\u201cI didn’t understand half of this, but I liked it a lot.\u00a0 It’s much more like you used to write – funny, sad, (I’d put in poignant except that I can’t spell it), and entertaining.\u00a0 \u00a0More, more, more.\u201d \u00a0\u00a0The gentle lady was correct she couldn\u2019t spell poignant but good old spell check came scrambling to the rescue.<\/p>\n

The ODC, believing that truth is the best policy – as remembering lies is really hard work – must confess that he\u2019s having trouble filling this space. \u00a0Many figured that out years ago. \u00a0Got a young \u201czipper snapper\u201d now – 15-year-old Jamie “Jambo” Barron – covering the PDC in fine fashion which leaves the ODC writing about \u201cback in the day.\u201d \u00a0Nothing worse than a boring old coot\/geezer.<\/p>\n

As was not predicted here Raymond van Barneveld took the Premier League title with a rousing night of daring darting worth\u00a0 \u00a3150,000. \u00a0The choice here was Phil Taylor who had Barney down\u00a0 4-1 and then missed six darts to move up 5-2.\u00a0 Barney then landed on Taylor like the toilets Phil use to mold taking 5 legs on the trot on the way to a 8-5 win. \u00a0In the final against Michael van Gerwen he only trailed once (0-1) on the way to a 10-6 win. \u00a0“This means the world to me – I can’t describe how happy I am,” said van Barneveld. \u00a0At least he didn\u2019t say \u201cI\u2019m over the moon.\u201d<\/p>\n

F\u2019ing moon orbits are a \u00a0little crowded.<\/p>\n

In Dubai – where, at The Oasis,\u00a0Arabs were eating their dates – Michael van Gerwen repeated in the Dubai Duty Free with a pair of \u00a0impressive wins of 11-7 over Adrian Lewis and Peter Wright in the finals.<\/p>\n

“Impressive?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDid he win?\u201d<\/p>\n

“Yes.\u201d<\/p>\n

Then that\u2019s impressive.<\/p>\n

Oh yes, and\u00a0 $50,000 ain\u2019t too Chablis either, chilled or not.<\/p>\n

It’s not surprising that Peter \u201cSnakebite\u201d\u00a0Wright would be in the finals after dispatching Phil Taylor 10-5 in the opening round. \u00a0Old Snakebite has won three Players Championships this year. \u00a0He\u2019s probably the best player currently not to have grown up in the Land of Wacky Tobacky or have the name of a mode of transportation as a middle name.<\/p>\n

The nickname \u201cSnakebite\u201d?\u00a0 Appropriate as darts originated and was nurtured in pubs. \u201cSnakebite\u201d is a drink made of equal parts lager and cider and maybe a dash of blackcurrant squash. \u00a0Maybe a better explanation is that Mr. Wright looks like something you might see after a few dozen. \u00a0Multi colored hair, tats, and other assorted adornments.\u00a0 Maybe just commonplace in today\u2019s pubs, although the ODC recently ventured down to his local, The Sporting Chance – which he calls the Happy Heifer Heaven – seeing no sights like Old Snakebite.<\/p>\n

It’s always been a mystery why darts runs away from its roots. \u00a0It\u2019s the pubs and the people in them that give the sport its gravitas.\u00a0 Dart and pub folk are fun.<\/p>\n

\u201cDrunks?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cA pain in the ass.\u201d<\/p>\n

Oz Taylor is a pub and dart person. \u00a0He writes fondly of introducing his own son to the joys of the pub.\u00a0 \u201cI was reading last night about fathers and sons.\u00a0 Memories came flooding back of the time I took my son out for his first pint. \u00a0Got him a Fosters – he didn’t like it, so I had it. \u00a0Then I got him Carlsberg, he didn’t like it so I had it. \u00a0It was the same with Guinness and Cider. \u00a0By the time we got down to the whisky I could hardly push the bloody pram.\u201d<\/p>\n

Dave Whitcombe was a\u00a0world class player and interesting as a world class pub whit.\u00a0 He also has a big helping of common sense.<\/p>\n

\u201cTo all them dart players who don\u2019t go to work yet (but) want sponsorship to play darts I got a crazy idea. \u00a0How about getting a job and sponsoring yourself? \u00a0Just a thought.\u201d<\/p>\n

His constant foil is his wife Delph. \u00a0Whitcombe recently posted on FB…<\/p>\n

\u201cYes the rumors are true. \u00a0I’m gonna remake Gladiator!\u201d<\/p>\n

This brought an instant response from Delph…<\/p>\n

\u201cCan you remake the tea first, it\u2019s shit!\u201d<\/p>\n

It\u2019s the Taylors, Vans, Lewises and Snakebites that grab the headlines but they\u2019re only able to do so because of the Lowes, Bristows, Georges, Andersons, Wilsons and the millions of fans infected with the darts virus. \u00a0Like the sport, they\u2019re a product of the pubs.<\/p>\n

The world of darts lost a dear friend and fan recently.<\/p>\n

Bobby Joe Clark was born and raised in Dallas, Texas. He served in the U.S. Navy, retired to start a second life, catching the \u201cdarts virus\u201d along the way. \u00a0The ODC \u00a0met BJ in 1984 in Pattaya for the Thailand Open II. \u00a0BJ, the ODC, Dick Parke from Phoenix and Richard from France formed a 4-person team. \u00a0They lost 8 going to 4 in a round robin-format. \u00a0Okay, there were only 6 teams but they did beat three Italian brothers named Ivo, Evo, and Evil and a pregnant lady friend of theirs.<\/p>\n

BJ was a lousy dart player but a great friend to dart players throughout the world.\u00a0 Richard \u201cWould You Like Some Chicken Dick? – \u201cNo I\u2019d Rather Have a Breast\u201d McGinnis remembers his first meeting with BJ in Virginia Beach…<\/p>\n

\u201cHe didn\u2019t know us but welcomed us to his home, cooked food, \u00a0provided drink \u00a0and couldn\u2019t have been nicer. \u00a0He loved being around dart players.\u201d<\/p>\n

Mr. John Lowe remembers BJ. \u00a0\u201cOne of darts finest supporters and a good friend, BJ Clark, sadly passed away. \u00a0I first met BJ in Tokyo many years ago. \u00a0Our paths crossed many times, we shared a lot of darting talk, family talk and a few cold ones. \u00a0Our last meeting was in Bangkok in 2004. \u00a0We had a lot to talk about and we did until the early morning hours. \u00a0BJ always kept in touch and always cared for others. \u00a0A fine gentleman who will be missed. \u00a0Rest in peace my good friend.\u201d<\/p>\n

The odds are good that BJ is right now sharing a cold one with his pal Barry Twomlow in the Great Tungsten Heaven. They were friends with so much in common. \u00a0Love of family, darts and a nice beverage. \u00a0They may be replaced but never equaled.<\/p>\n

While in Thailand the ODC noticed that his laundered t-shirts smelled good. \u00a0Not \u201csmell good\u201d to the point of singing Broadway show tunes while skipping down the street, but good. \u00a0Visiting his Geezer Specialist teller at the bank he asked her…<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat is it that makes the clothes smell good after washing?\u201d<\/p>\n

“Fabric softener.\u00a0 I like Gain – it\u2019s my favorite smell.\u201d<\/p>\n

The ODC immediately purchased said product. \u00a0There were many scents to choose from so the ODC either bought \u201cMoonlight Breezier\u201d or \u201cMoonlight Geezer.\u201d\u00a0 The printing on the label was really small and he didn\u2019t have his glasses.<\/p>\n

Stay thirsty my friends.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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Old Dart Coach's search for the ultimate Greek salad in Thailand and the Philippines caused some concern for one reader. \u201cI didn't understand half of this...\"","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\/5536","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=5536"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/dartoidsworld.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5536\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6410,"href":"https:\/\/dartoidsworld.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5536\/revisions\/6410"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dartoidsworld.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/4152"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/dartoidsworld.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5536"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dartoidsworld.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5536"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dartoidsworld.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5536"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dartoidsworld.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/ppma_author?post=5536"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}