{"id":5620,"date":"2015-12-22T13:53:45","date_gmt":"2015-12-22T13:53:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dartoidsworld.net\/2015\/12\/column-hr154-merry-christmas\/"},"modified":"2024-02-14T22:23:23","modified_gmt":"2024-02-14T22:23:23","slug":"column-hr154-merry-christmas","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dartoidsworld.net\/2015\/12\/column-hr154-merry-christmas\/","title":{"rendered":"Column #HR154 Merry Christmas!"},"content":{"rendered":"

Tuesday, December 22,\u00a02015<\/span><\/span>
\nColumn HR154
\nMerry Christmas!<\/strong><\/p>\n

‘Tiz the holiday season throughout the world. A time we celebrate Christmas with joy, family, and good friends.<\/p>\n

RIP Mike Enright<\/strong><\/p>\n

For darters from the Golden Age of darts, there is sadness with the death of Mike Enright. Mike was born in Blackpool but\u00a0made the move to the Colonies where he became a well-known figure on the darting scene. For many years, he ran the St. Patrick\u2019s tournament in San Diego, which was the \u201cbig stop\u201d on the tungsten spring tour.<\/p>\n

The elite of the darting world (they just were<\/em> and knew it – so p*** off!) knew him as one of the co-founders of the Royal Hawaiian All-Star Drinking Team. The PC crowd took over later changing the name to \u201cDarting Team.\u201d An everlasting pox on them.<\/p>\n

Mike and fellow darters were sitting at the bar of the Pacific Hotel on Waikiki during the first Royal Hawaiian Dart Tournament. There, a group of darters and fun people gave forth to the Royal Hawaiian All-Star Drinking Team. At its zenith, the group had more world champions, more masters champions, and more country champions than any club in the history of darts, then or now.<\/p>\n

Mike served as president, and some might say ringmaster to fun members from America, Canada, England, Wales, Scotland, Japan, Australia, Thailand, Brunei and, yes, even Oklahoma and Texas.\u00a0Mike has now gone up to heaven where he\u2019s probably sharing a pint with Barry, Peter, Jocky, Bud and a couple of Davids. Not only sharing a pint but probably a story or two.<\/p>\n

The ODC first met Mike on a trip to the World Cup in Nelson, New Zealand 1981. They kind of became world cup co-captains as the \u201cappointed\u201d captain was busy being important. They got sandwiches, beers and cheered. Two years later, Mike would captain the team in Scotland. That aside, they forged a lifelong friendship.\u00a0Mike and the ODC even played pairs one year reaching the round of 16 of the North American. The ODC had two darts to beat Eric Bristow and Leighton Reis 2-1. Of course, the ODC\u00a0choked, but just barely.<\/p>\n

Debbie Bosang in a posting wrote, \u201cI never saw Mike without a smile on his face.\u201d<\/p>\n

Mike never met a stranger. So, with sadness, we will celebrate this holiday season with our prayers going to Mike\u2019s wife, Michelle, and the hope that God takes care of our friend in heaven.<\/p>\n

The “not brothers” Lopez<\/strong><\/p>\n

The ODC got an early Christmas gift when he was able to reunite with old friends \u201cthe not brothers” Lopez.\u00a0Frank Lopez was a superior dart player from the Chicago area and a heck of a guitar player. He and the ODC used to meet up once a year at the Stage Door bar in N\u2019Awlins, Louisiana during the New Orleans Open. Frank recently has been touring in South America with Blues Legend Linsey Alexander, strumming his guitar. Alexander’s latest hit, on the Delmark label, is \u201cCome Back Baby\u201d with music by Frank and lyrics by his wife Mary.<\/p>\n

The other Lopez is, Russ, called \u201cSlopes\u201d by the ODC.\u00a0He cemented his friendship with the ODC when he bailed in as the ODC was getting his rather ample bottom beat on at the Dutch Open. Russ, a retired Air Force veteran, was a good dart player representing the USA on a number of occasions. He recently dropped in to say “hi” driving a new Mercedes SUV. They adjourned to the ODC’s favorite local where the barmaid, the angel Sondra-Sondra, spotted a fellow Hispanic in a new Mercedes with Texas plates and said it just yelled \u201cdrug dealer.\u201d Naw, just retired and living the good life. Two great gifts for the ODC.<\/p>\n

The Sage\u00a0 <\/strong><\/p>\n

The Sage of Sittingbourne is oft quoted in these spaces. He\u2019s the Christmas gift that keeps giving all year.\u00a0He keeps the folks informed, such as writing, \u201cToday I will mostly be writing Santa.\u201d<\/p>\n

As a successful pub owner, he can jump in to liven\u00a0things up should the occasion call for it.\u00a0\u201cSo it was down to me tonight to take over the dance floor and do me John Travolta. Needless to say, the birds swooned.\u201d<\/p>\n

It\u2019s an unproven fact that \u201cbehind every successful man is a strong woman.\u201d Behind Dave Whitcomb is wife Delph. If he\u2019s the Sage she may well be the Scrooge, especially when she posted the following for New Years Eve at the pub…<\/p>\n

Just a gentle reminder. NYE tickets are selling fast so a few things to remember that people seem to think will work:<\/em><\/p>\n

I’m not your friend.<\/em><\/p>\n

There isn’t a guest list.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u00a0Lost your ticket. Too bad.<\/em><\/p>\n

Unless you are staff yes you have to pay for your ticket.<\/em><\/p>\n

Please don\u2019t be offended when I refuse to sell you a ticket when I\u2019m sold-out.<\/em><\/p>\n

No, I can\u2019t\u201d squeeze\u201d you in. 4. Unless you are staff, yes you have to pay for your ticket 5. Please don’t be offended when I refuse you a ticket when I’ve sold out! 6. No, I can’t “squeeze” you in!<\/em><\/p>\n

Take note people!<\/em><\/p>\n

Merry \u201cbloody\u201d Christmas everyone!<\/em><\/p>\n

Just a few days later she posted again…<\/p>\n

Chunk blowing season has started! Oh, the joy! Glad they made it to the car park! Thank you!<\/em><\/p>\n

Santa works in mysterious ways.<\/p>\n

Eric and Phil<\/strong><\/p>\n

Another gift for all dart players is Eric Bristow doing commentary. During play at the PDC World Championships, he pointed out that part of Phil Taylor’s recent problem is that he doesn\u2019t always count well, often leaving no three dart out. “In the past he was usually so far ahead it didn\u2019t make any difference, now it costs him matches.”<\/p>\n

The British media has blown those simple words into a controversy. Okay, they pronounce it \u201cCON TRAV IS SEE.\u201d\u00a0 Taylor responded, \u201cI can count my money in the bank – bet he can\u2019t.\u201d<\/p>\n

Those with some time should Google Taylor\u2019s \u201cincoherent\u201d interview where he appears to be plumb level full of \u201cgroup tighter and aiming fluid.\u201d Ah yes, the Golden Elixir will do that to a person.<\/p>\n

ADO. Ha. Ha. Ha. Ho. Ho. Ho.<\/strong><\/p>\n

The holiday season wouldn\u2019t be complete without a dishonest posting from the ADO. \u201cIf you haven’t seen the news, the ADO have increased the payouts at the 2016 Las Vegas Open to a total purse of $30,000.\u201d<\/p>\n

Note that the ADO had \u201cSweet Fanny Adams\u201d to do with the prize money increase at the Las Vegas Open.<\/p>\n

To our readers around the world \u201cGladelig Jul,\u201d \u201cFroehliche Weihnachten,\u201d \u201cNollaig Shona Dhuit,\u201d \u201cIL-Milied It-tajjeb,\u201d “God Jul,\u201d and “Sawadee Pee Mai.\u201d<\/p>\n

Oh yes, MERRY CHRISTMAS and God Bless.<\/p>\n

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

‘Tiz the holiday season throughout the world. 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the holiday season throughout the world. A time we celebrate Christmas with joy, family, and good friends...","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\/5620","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=5620"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/dartoidsworld.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5620\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6370,"href":"https:\/\/dartoidsworld.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5620\/revisions\/6370"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dartoidsworld.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/4143"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/dartoidsworld.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5620"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dartoidsworld.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5620"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dartoidsworld.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5620"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dartoidsworld.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/ppma_author?post=5620"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}