{"id":5909,"date":"2020-12-03T11:27:07","date_gmt":"2020-12-03T11:27:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dartoidsworld.net\/2020\/12\/column-hr294-a-clown-moans\/"},"modified":"2024-02-14T22:21:38","modified_gmt":"2024-02-14T22:21:38","slug":"column-hr294-a-clown-moans","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dartoidsworld.net\/2020\/12\/column-hr294-a-clown-moans\/","title":{"rendered":"Column #HR294 A Clown Moans"},"content":{"rendered":"

Thursday, December 3, 2020
\n<\/strong>Column HR294<\/strong>
\nA Clown Moans<\/strong><\/p>\n

In practically all sports some athletes reach a point where they view themselves as abused and put upon – chagrined that they’re not receiving the fawning praise they feel they “deserve.”\u00a0\u00a0 They expect respect.\u00a0 They feel slighted if they aren’t granted\u00a0assorted wishes with a snap of their fingers or a nod of their heads.<\/p>\n

After dispatching an opponent\u00a0in an early round of the recently concluded Ladbrokes Players Championship Finals,\u00a0reigning World Champion Peter Wright took center desk for a post-game interview. \u00a0Anyone watching\u00a0the interview had to be on the verge of tears for what this poor man has had to “endure.”<\/p>\n

One might think he’s “earned” Go Fund Me pages set up by fans – or at least a letter to the United Nations Human Rights Commission.<\/p>\n

For the purpose of this soapbox tirade let it be stipulated that dart players\u00a0are accepted as athletics, which is a stretch at best.\u00a0 The only contest that most players are in physical shape for\u00a0is a possible audition for the Goodyear blimp lookalike contest.\u00a0 In England, their physical condition makes them well suited for planting their ample backsides in a BarcaLounger to watch a Peter Kay 24-hour marathon on the telly.<\/p>\n

One\u00a0of Wright’s complaints was that there were no fans, making it hard to play.\u00a0\u00a0Yes, I won but my darts didn\u2019t feel right.\u00a0 I played rubbish.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

It wasn\u2019t that many years ago when he would have been happy with any win.\u00a0 Back in the day when he was a tyre fitter or out of work getting \u00a314 a week he would have been \u201cover the moon\u201d with this success.<\/p>\n

He hadn\u2019t really set the world on fire with the BDO, getting to the last 32 in the World Championships in 1995 and the last 64 in 2001 World Masters.<\/p>\n

One would think that with earnings of \u00a31,011,000 over the last 2 years with a possibility of \u00a35 million overall in his career in the PDC he\u2019d be one happy puppy.<\/p>\n

Nay, nay.<\/p>\n

His main complaint was that because of the Chinese Virus (Kung Flu) he\u2019d been locked in a room for of couple of weeks.\u00a0\u00a0They won\u2019t even let me decorate it.<\/em><\/p>\n

Blimey!\u00a0 What heartless bastards.<\/p>\n

But fear not – when he gets to All Pally everything will be okay, but it\u2019ll be a struggle, he admits.\u00a0 The Old Dart Coach was shedding crocodile tears over the plight of poor old Peter.<\/p>\n

Wright would be set free from his \u201cundecorated prison cell\u201d in the semifinals of the Players Championship – sent packing by Mervyn King 11-4.\u00a0 He probably had to be forced to accept the \u00a325,000 that came from being released.<\/p>\n

One can only wonder if following the defeat Wright went outside and yelled at the top of his baby lungs,\u00a0Free at last!\u00a0 Free at last!\u00a0 \u00a0<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

The\u00a0Players Championship is the culmination of a year-long series of individual Players Championships.\u00a0 It\u2019s those events that allow the PDC players to make a living.<\/p>\n

The current Order of Merit has 63 PDC players banking more that \u00a350,000 during a two-year period.\u00a0 The leader of the pack is Michael van Gerwen with \u00a31,494,750 followed by Wright at \u00a31,011,000.\u00a0 Wright joins van Gerwen and Phil Taylor as the only three players to break the \u00a31 million barrier since the PDC moved to an Order of Merit system in 2007.<\/p>\n

Going into the Players Championship Mervyn King was a favorite along with van Gerwen.\u00a0 This although King hadn\u2019t made TV final in six years and van Gerwen was in a slump.\u00a0 King advanced to the final with a 11-8 win over Gerwyn Price.\u00a0\u00a0van Gerwen, as mentioned, had been on a cold streak, not winning a TV event since the UK Open in March.<\/p>\n

This caused critics, which are people who know everything but are dumber than a lump of clay, to suggest that van Gerwen has lost \u201cit\u201d – he was on the way down.<\/p>\n

His performance during the weekend should have his critics eating crown with a nice Chianti and fava beans.\u00a0 Best put the Chianti in a paper bag while drinking so the world will not know what a dunce you are.<\/p>\n

During the weekend van Gerwen went 42-32 while averaging 102 over the 54 legs.\u00a0 He topped out when he averaged a whopping 110 when dispatching\u00a0Dirk van Duijvenbode 10-5.<\/p>\n

Stating the oblivious, in which the ODC has obtained a master\u2019s degree, van Gerwen did good.\u00a0 In the final he was challenged by Mervyn King squeaking out an 11-10 win.\u00a0 The 11-10 score is called sudden death.\u00a0 It was for King but sudden life for van Gerwen.<\/p>\n

The\u00a0final was one of those \u201cI got it you – take it!\u201d affairs.\u00a0 van Gerwen took the opening leg with 96-check only to see King take three on the trot for a 3-1 lead.\u00a0 King used finishes of 115 and 107 for that lead.\u00a0 van Gerwen answered with a hat trick of his own utilizing 146 and 94 checks leading to a pair of 12-darters which when aided by a 14-darter gave him a 4-3 lead – which King would eventually level at 5.<\/p>\n

van Gerwen would move two legs adrift with checks of 72 and 160.\u00a0 He went up 9-8 with a 135 finish on the bull.<\/p>\n

In a \u201cmonkey see-monkey do\u201d response King would toss a 13-darter from 126 using the \u201clittle red hole finish.\u201d\u00a0 In what had become a familiar scenario King would post another 13-darter to tie at 10 when van Gerwen then stumbled to get over the line – it was a pedantic finish when he took out d8 for the title.<\/p>\n

Holding a \u00a3100,000 check van Gerwen was emotional.\u00a0\u00a0I’m proud of myself.\u00a0 I’ve worked hard for this, and to come back stronger and stronger like this means a lot to me.\u00a0 Of course, it’s been a long time since I won a tournament so I’m glad I played a very nice tournament.\u00a0 I played well and I’m glad to have my hands back on the trophy.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

King has at least one critic who posted the following:\u00a0Am I the only one who thinks Mervyn King is behaving like a child… already he\u2019s called MVG a wanker and just now a f****ng pr**k under his breath. He knows already how MVG reacts when he wins a leg…\u00a0 grow up King or I\u2019ll tell your mummy you sword. \u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

Naughty, naughty – momma always punishes a boy that swords.<\/p>\n

Babs Evans is a women darter from the Golden Age with a wicked sense of humor.\u00a0\u00a0She contacted the ODC with the tale of a group of Irish\u00a0Animal Rights activists who raided a turkey farm, rescuing 5,000\u00a0imprisoned turkeys.\u00a0\u00a0When asked what they were going to do with the birds a spokesman said,\u00a0when they defrost, we\u2019re going to release them into the forest.\u00a0 \u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

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

In practically all sports some athletes reach a point where they view themselves as abused and put upon…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":4127,"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 center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","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-5909","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-howie"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"views":1309,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/dartoidsworld.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/darts-image-feature-random-5.jpg?fit=520%2C502&ssl=1","uagb_featured_image_src":{"full":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/dartoidsworld.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/darts-image-feature-random-5.jpg?fit=520%2C502&ssl=1",520,502,false],"thumbnail":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/dartoidsworld.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/darts-image-feature-random-5.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-5.jpg?fit=300%2C290&ssl=1",300,290,true],"medium_large":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/dartoidsworld.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/darts-image-feature-random-5.jpg?fit=520%2C502&ssl=1",520,502,true],"large":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/dartoidsworld.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/darts-image-feature-random-5.jpg?fit=520%2C502&ssl=1",520,502,true],"1536x1536":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/dartoidsworld.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/darts-image-feature-random-5.jpg?fit=520%2C502&ssl=1",520,502,true],"2048x2048":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/dartoidsworld.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/darts-image-feature-random-5.jpg?fit=520%2C502&ssl=1",520,502,true],"rpwe-thumbnail":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/dartoidsworld.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/darts-image-feature-random-5.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":"In practically all sports some athletes reach a point where they view themselves as abused and put upon...","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\/5909","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=5909"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/dartoidsworld.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5909\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6231,"href":"https:\/\/dartoidsworld.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5909\/revisions\/6231"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dartoidsworld.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/4127"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/dartoidsworld.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5909"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dartoidsworld.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5909"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dartoidsworld.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5909"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dartoidsworld.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/ppma_author?post=5909"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}