{"id":5929,"date":"2021-07-26T12:15:04","date_gmt":"2021-07-26T12:15:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dartoidsworld.net\/2021\/07\/column-hr308-colorful-hair-pants-shoes-old-mo-and-snakebite-git-er-done\/"},"modified":"2024-02-14T22:21:32","modified_gmt":"2024-02-14T22:21:32","slug":"column-hr308-colorful-hair-pants-shoes-old-mo-and-snakebite-git-er-done","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dartoidsworld.net\/2021\/07\/column-hr308-colorful-hair-pants-shoes-old-mo-and-snakebite-git-er-done\/","title":{"rendered":"Column #HR308 Colorful hair, pants, shoes, “Old Mo” and Snakebite GIT \u2018ER DONE!"},"content":{"rendered":"

Monday, July 26, 2021
\n<\/strong>Column HR308<\/strong>
\nColorful hair, pants, shoes, “Old Mo” and Snakebite GIT ‘ER DONE!<\/strong><\/p>\n

The Old Dart Coach could dine on\u00a0crow, fava beans and a nice\u00a0Chianti (not\u00a0Pierazzuoli Chianti Montalbano Riserva 2015\u00a0–\u00a0but on the\u00a0brown bag stuff).\u00a0 But still, his Matchplay predictions\u00a0were<\/em>\u00a0right more than wrong.\u00a0 He did pick the winner, Peter Wright, as did Wayne and Julia Miller.\u00a0 Before the Matchplay started Wright said, \u201cI\u2019m going to win.\u201d\u00a0 But then they all say that.\u00a0\u00a0\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

He did win, adding \u00a3150,000 to his bank account and lifting the Phil Taylor Trophy.\u00a0 Overall, the play for all was subpar, except for Wright, for the most part. \u00a0This could be attributed to playing before a live and\u00a0sometimes boisterous crowd for the first time in eons.<\/p>\n

The ODC would be remiss if he didn\u2019t describe\u00a0the crowd.\u00a0 Here\u2019s a story that Dutch Darter Roland Scholten loves to hear from the ODC…<\/p>\n

A man arrives for a\u00a0holiday in the woods.\u00a0 It\u2019s bear season.\u00a0 Not a hunter, the man gets advice and a gun from an expert.\u00a0 Once out,\u00a0he sees and shoots.\u00a0 The bear falls.\u00a0 The man\u00a0rushes up.\u00a0 Not dead,\u00a0the bear grabs the hunter, bends him over, pulls down his pants and has his way.<\/p>\n

So, he hunter gets a bigger gun – and the next day it’s the same.\u00a0 He shoots, the bear\u00a0falls and – and has his way.\u00a0 The same thing happens again and again for five days…<\/p>\n

The bear is shot and gets up and says, \u201cYou don\u2019t come here for the hunting, do you?\u201d<\/p>\n

Like the novice bear hunter, darts crowds don\u2019t always come for the darts.\u00a0 A pint or three, funny costumes, singing and signs for\u00a0the telly.\u00a0 Best sign?\u00a0 The one held up by a lady: \u201cBobby I won\u2019t be to work tomorrow.\u201d\u00a0 In the other hand a pint of lager.<\/p>\n

The ODC can\u2019t resist a little \u201cNa, na\u201d to the English.\u00a0 Entering the semifinals there was nary an English player.\u00a0 The ODC is obliged to repeat the totally\u00a0gratuitous statement: “The English are great at inventing games, but they seem to have trouble playing them.\u201d<\/p>\n

Rookie Callan Rydz’s walk-on was\u00a0more like a death walk.\u00a0 His eyes were as big as the ODC’s when he sees a Popeye\u2019s Chicken sandwich.\u00a0 Rydz, a Jordy BMX rider, needed training wheels as the Polish Eagle,\u00a0Krzysztof Ratajski,\u00a0soared\u00a0to an easy\u00a016-8 win.<\/p>\n

Gerwyn Price whined about the fans, calling for them to “respect\u00a0(his) achievements.\u201d\u00a0 The crowd yawned as\u00a0Price and Van den Bergh were in sleep mode until leg 9.\u00a0 Price took the leg, acting like a pratt, yet behind 6-3.\u00a0 Energized by the boo\u2019s Price go to 8-7.\u00a0 But he was discombobulated with 190 – he threw 180, the lost the leg.<\/p>\n

The ODC was shocked –\u00a0shocked<\/em>\u00a0I tell you that neither the commentators nor the crowd went bananas with the 180 to leave 10. \u00a0Van den Bergh ignored Price\u2019s antics and took the 16-9 win.<\/p>\n

When Peter Wright did his little \u201cdicky-do\u201d dance across the stage he also did it to Michael Smith\u2019s hopes to move on. \u00a0Snakebite was sailing along 11-4 after a run of 7 but lost\u00a0focus and dropped 3 in a row.\u00a0\u00a0Smith\u2019s problems were\u00a0with doubles – with numerous chances in double digit zone, with 3 he couldn\u2019t close.\u00a0\u00a0At 13-7, after a break Wright added 3 more and it was “Hello, semi-finals.” \u00a0\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

Can\u00a0Michael van Gerwen vs. Nathan Aspinall be described in one word?\u00a0\u00a0Yes, UGLY.<\/p>\n

If doubles were the Pacific Ocean and these guys wer in Malibu with beach balls, they couldn\u2019t hit the water.\u00a0 The pair combined for 25 doubles from\u00a079 attempts.\u00a0\u00a0MVG\u00a0at 13-9 won legs of 12, 13 and 11 Darts for the 16-9 win.<\/p>\n

Defending\u00a0champion\u00a0Dimitri Van den Bergh\u00a0faced off against\u00a0Krzysztof Ratajski and fell behind 4-1.\u00a0\u00a0But still, Ratajski was under a lot\u00a0of pressure on him.\u00a0\u00a0The late\u00a0Tommy Lasorda once said, \u201cPressure is when you try to do something that you\u2019ve never done before.\u201d<\/p>\n

In the 9th<\/sup>\u00a0leg when Ratajski missed two to go up 7-2, losing the leg\u00a0\u201cOld Mo\u201d deserted him for good.\u00a0\u00a0Van den Berge went from\u00a06-3 down to the 17-9 win.\u00a0\u00a0Was van Den Bergh brilliant?\u00a0 Hardly.\u00a0 The Polish Eagle\u00a0from 6-3, missed 18 darts at a doubles yielding 11 legs to Van den Bergh.\u00a0\u00a0Van den Bergh advanced again to the finals – and should have thanked\u00a0Ratajski.<\/p>\n

Against Michael van Gerwen, Peter Wright started like a house on fire jumping to a 4-1 advantage. \u00a0van Gerwen maintained his ordinary performance.\u00a0 Then it was Wright ahead 6-3 although van Gerwen had a chance to make it 5-4, but faltered.\u00a0 The lead grew to 10-5 although MVG played his best of the week.\u00a0 That showed. \u00a0MVG took 4 to narrow to 11-9.<\/p>\n

With a break after every 5 Wright, during the break, changed his darts.\u00a0\u00a0 John Part joked, \u201cThat\u2019s his doubles shafts like a putter.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0From there Wright went 6-1 including a 149-check and a 121 on the bull to win 17-9.<\/p>\n

The ODC was shocked, yet again, that anyone would think Dimitri Van den Bergh could win his second Matchplay, joining Rod Harrington and Phil Taylor…<\/p>\n

Wright had a record of 54-15 while Van den Bergh was 54-31. \u00a0The Belgium was in the final because Ratajski missed 18 doubles giving Van den Bergh 11 legs.<\/p>\n

Wayne Mardle predicted a \u201cgreat final.\u201d\u00a0 It wasn\u2019t.\u00a0 Only one finish over 100.\u00a0 That came from van den Bergh when down (17-9) for 105.\u00a0\u00a0It was workman like. \u00a0For this week, Peter was the Dartwright completely dominating a classic field.<\/p>\n

Wright took the final 18-9 leading from the first dart 4-1, 10-5, 12-8, 17-9 and 18-9.\u00a0 Van den Bergh scored well, a 100 average, but wasted 17 darts at doubles, yielding 4 legs.\u00a0 Wright averaged 105.9.<\/p>\n

For his efforts Van Den Bergh, soon to be a father, takes home \u00a370,000 which bumps his Matchplay earnings in two trips to \u00a3220,000.<\/p>\n

Wright had predicted his victory – an opinion that was countered by both Gary Anderson and Michael van Gerwen when they said, \u201cHe won\u2019t win.\u201d<\/p>\n

Anderson was correct when he said, \u201cI won\u2019t win.\u201d\u00a0 He didn\u2019t.\u00a0 van Gerwen had a chance to derail the Wright train but failed miserably.<\/p>\n

Not enough is made of \u201cOld Mo,\u201d aka \u201cOld Momentum,\u201d in darts.\u00a0 Wright had it from the get-go.\u00a0 Whether it was the hair, the pants or the special shoes \u201cOld Mo\u201d and Wright got the job done.<\/p>\n

Say thirsty my friends.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The Old Dart Coach could dine on\u00a0crow, fava beans and a 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Old Dart Coach could dine on\u00a0crow, fava beans and a nice\u00a0Chianti...","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","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\/5929"}],"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=5929"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/dartoidsworld.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5929\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6217,"href":"https:\/\/dartoidsworld.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5929\/revisions\/6217"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dartoidsworld.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/4124"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/dartoidsworld.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5929"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dartoidsworld.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5929"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dartoidsworld.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5929"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dartoidsworld.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/ppma_author?post=5929"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}