{"id":5946,"date":"2022-01-05T10:31:24","date_gmt":"2022-01-05T10:31:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dartoidsworld.net\/2022\/01\/column-hr322-the-snake-bites-and-pockets-a-cool-half-million-pounds\/"},"modified":"2024-02-14T22:21:27","modified_gmt":"2024-02-14T22:21:27","slug":"column-hr322-the-snake-bites-and-pockets-a-cool-half-million-pounds","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dartoidsworld.net\/2022\/01\/column-hr322-the-snake-bites-and-pockets-a-cool-half-million-pounds\/","title":{"rendered":"Column #HR322 The snake BITES and pockets a cool half million (POUNDS!)"},"content":{"rendered":"

Wednesday, January 5, 2022
\n<\/strong>Column HR322<\/strong>
\nThe snake BITES and pockets a cool half million (POUNDS!)<\/strong><\/p>\n

As Peter Wright lifted the Sid Waddell\u00a0Trophy for the second time it marked the end of the 2022 PDC World Championship.\u00a0\u00a0The words of Waddell, the articulate one, rang true. \u00a0\u201cIt\u2019s a funny old game.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Funny “peculiar” for some, funny \u201cha ha\u201d for others and for many \u201cnot funny.”<\/p>\n

The game of darts played at the highest level sometimes evolves a scenario that, were it a movie, no one would believe.\u00a0 This tournament has good and evil,\u00a0human interest with angles more complex than a megagon, stories of personal success and failure, comebacks from the jaws of defeat, tears of joy – and defeat, with the final salvo of \u201cwait until next year.\u201d<\/p>\n

The final between Peter Wright and Michael Smith had everything, plus a little more. \u00a0For Wright\u00a0it capped off a year that had him annexing three PDC TV majors –\u00a0the World Matchplay, Players Championship and now the World Championship.\u00a0 For Michael Smith it was yet another chance to erase the label of \u201ccan\u2019t win the big one.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0In\u00a0his 8th TV final Smith came out on the short end, unable to capitalize after coming from 2-3 down to 4-3 up.\u00a0\u00a0The Dart God, aka Tungsten Tilly, can be and is a cruel mistress.\u00a0 She takes great delight in offering\u00a0her charms only to reconsider at the last minute.<\/p>\n

One negative result of the final was that so many outstanding performances during the previous days were lost.\u00a0\u00a0The Old Dart Coach, aka the Chalk Eating Weasel, tabbed Gerwyn Price’s to repeat as champion (after stating that “no champion repeats”).\u00a0\u00a0Michael Smith eliminated Price in a contest where Price had a 9-darter while also missing 2-match darts.<\/p>\n

What of Gary Anderson?\u00a0\u00a0He\u2019s the last back-to-back World Championship winner whose darts were way below his usual standard entering the Championships.\u00a0 He reached the semi-finals, coming from 1-3 down to defeat a red-hot Rob Cross 4-3.\u00a0 Anderson\u2019s comeback saw him winning 11 legs on the trot and a 170-check. Anderson would fail to reach the final when Peter Wright averaged 104.38 added by an historic harvest of 15 T80s.<\/p>\n

The ODC wrote, \u201cJames Wade has his moments but when down loses interest.\u201d\u00a0 The ODC apologizes to James for being stupid.\u00a0\u00a0Wade fell behind Smith in the semis 5-1 in the race to 6. \u00a0He could have tossed in the towel but fought back to win 2 of the next 3.<\/p>\n

With a 7-5 final score one can imagine that the Championship match itself had more twists and turns than an amorous encounter in the back of a Volkswagen Beetle…<\/p>\n

The opening set was a precursor.\u00a0\u00a0Wright won (3-1).\u00a0 Smith’s winning first leg was in 28 darts thanks to Wright missing 13 doubles.\u00a0 Wright would\u00a0move up 2-1 with a 148 to break then a 124 (on the bull) to win.<\/p>\n

Smith won his first set thanks to a 167 break along with 3 T80s.\u00a0\u00a0Wright missed a T70 finish, then leveled with\u00a0117 as both held which gave Smith the set.<\/p>\n

Smith would gain his second set to level at 2 after Wright missed 2 darts to break with a d10.<\/p>\n

After the match,\u00a0Wright spoke of the atmosphere in the venue that made his darts \u201cnot go like they should.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0Wright changed darts prior to the 5th\u00a0set,\u00a0which resulted in an opening T80 along with two legs on the trot. Smith answered with an 11-darter, then 65 to level. Wright prevailed for a 3-2 lead.<\/p>\n

Wright’s lead would disappear when Smith, after losing the first leg, would take 3 on the trot and a 3-1 win with the finale leg a 13-darter.\u00a0\u00a0Wright had switched back to his original darts to no avail with the match now \u201ceven Stephen.\u201d<\/p>\n

Smith continued to roll with a snyder (3-0) win in the 7th<\/sup>\u00a0set when Wright ran into double trouble leading to a\u00a04-3 deficient.<\/p>\n

The eight set was one of \u201ccould ‘aves\u201d\u00a0in that Smith \u201ccould have\u201d taken\u00a0a 5-3 lead but for a couple of missed double tops and a bull.\u00a0 Wright used 72-out for the set.<\/p>\n

The 9th\u00a0set was a missed opportunity for Wright as, with the throw, it was even after 4 when Wright missed 4 allowing Smith the steal the set and a 5-4 lead.<\/p>\n

Wright was in danger of falling behind 6-4 when Smith followed a T80 with d15 to break, forcing Wright to break back – which he did to force the decider.\u00a0\u00a0Trailing, Wright used a T80 to set up 84 which he erased to\u00a0level the match again.<\/p>\n

The 11th\u00a0leg showed a noticeable change in Michael Smith.\u00a0 His energy needle tilted towards Low while Wright\u2019s steely-like countenance shined like a beacon.\u00a0 Wright was masterful, taking 3 on the trot which included legs of 12- and 13-darts. Smith had\u00a0a shot at the bull that went\u00a0\u201ca rye.\u201d (Editor\u2019s note: \u201ca rye” is a measurement equal to approximately 2.5 acres.)<\/p>\n

Leg 12 had the \u201cflat lady preparing to sing\u201d when a 12-darter broke Smith\u2019s throw with an\u00a081 bull finish. With Wright just one leg from victory Smith got a leg but was denied renewed life as Wright landed d8 for the win.<\/p>\n

To the winner (7-5) go the spools – a nifty \u00a3500,000 which in real money (USD\u2019s) is $673,778 and a meaningless 58 cents.\u00a0\u00a0But the\u00a0final score doesn\u2019t reflect how close this match was…<\/p>\n

Smith had the best average (99.22 to 98.34), threw more T80s (24-17) and had the highest check at 167 to 148.\u00a0 Besides winning the war,\u00a0Wright topped legs won 27-23 and check out average.\u00a0\u00a0Post-match, Write mentioned to Smith that he should \u201cpractice doubles.\u201d\u00a0This was not an unkind statement.<\/p>\n

Dart players everywhere\u00a0might have some sympathy for Michael Smith.\u00a0\u00a0He once again proved that \u201cthe big one\u201d remains elusive.\u00a0\u00a0He\u2019s still\u00a0\u201cthe best player never to win the worlds.\u201d\u00a0Only the Bully Boy can remove the tag.\u00a0\u00a0The answer probably isn\u2019t found on the practice board but on the couch of a sports psychologist. \u201cCalling Doctor Batten.\u201d<\/p>\n

Peter \u201cSnakebite\u201d Wright may dress like a clown but there’s nothing funny about the way he mows down opponents like ten pins.\u00a0\u00a0He\u2019s an emotional man.\u00a0\u00a0He feels for his competitors with\u00a0the same professionalism that wills him to win.\u00a0 His championship winning dart provided a restrained response.\u00a0\u00a0There\u2019s no doubt he was thrilled\u00a0to win he also empathized with Smith’s plight, thinking “I\u2019ve been there.\u201d<\/p>\n

Wright was both \u201cgood and evil\u201d being good to win but evil to some by denying Smith a victory.\u00a0 Both players came back on various occasions from the \u201cjaws of defeat” with enough \u201ctears of joy\u201d and \u201cdefeat\u201d for another Anne \u201cSleepy\u201d Kramer tear-jerking novel like\u00a0Cally\u2019s Dream.\u00a0<\/em>\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

The ODC was right that,\u00a0\u201cThe winner will come from one of the 11 seeds.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0Captain Oblivious rules.<\/p>\n

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

As Peter Wright lifted the Sid Waddell\u00a0Trophy for the second time<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":4129,"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 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Peter Wright lifted the Sid Waddell\u00a0Trophy for the second time","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\/5946","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=5946"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/dartoidsworld.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5946\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6203,"href":"https:\/\/dartoidsworld.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5946\/revisions\/6203"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dartoidsworld.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/4129"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/dartoidsworld.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5946"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dartoidsworld.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5946"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dartoidsworld.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5946"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dartoidsworld.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/ppma_author?post=5946"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}