{"id":7492,"date":"2014-08-06T14:09:15","date_gmt":"2014-08-06T14:09:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dartoidsworld.net\/2014\/08\/column-468-where-theres-smoke-theres-fire\/"},"modified":"2014-08-06T14:09:15","modified_gmt":"2014-08-06T14:09:15","slug":"column-468-where-theres-smoke-theres-fire","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dartoidsworld.net\/2014\/08\/column-468-where-theres-smoke-theres-fire\/","title":{"rendered":"Column #468 Where there’s smoke there’s fire!"},"content":{"rendered":"

Wednesday, August 6,\u00a02014
\nColumn 468
\nWhere’s there’s smoke there’s fire!<\/strong><\/p>\n

Smoke is billowing about the private ADO “empire” like at Hamas House on a crisp mid-summer’s eve.<\/p>\n

There are embers too.\u00a0 Lots<\/em> of embers.\u00a0 And there’s a crowd around the campfire…<\/p>\n

A few are trying to keep the embers cool, attempting to stop them from bursting in to a raging fire.\u00a0 What do they want to hide?<\/p>\n

Others are pounding my e-mail in-box with information about ADO goings-on.\u00a0 The information – much of it still not corroborated – is astonishing.<\/p>\n

It has now been 24 hours since I sent the following message to the ADO’s chief financial officer, Lloyd Hoover.\u00a0 I also posted it to the Darts Discussion Group so that others – particularly ADO officials – would be aware.\u00a0 There has been no response, not from anyone in authority.\u00a0 Perhaps\u00a0 Hoover is on vacation.\u00a0 Perhaps his e-mail is on the fritz.\u00a0 Perhaps he has been told not to reply.\u00a0 In fairness, 24 hours isn’t a lot of time…<\/p>\n

August 5, 2014<\/em><\/p>\n

Mr. Hoover… \u00a0 Respectfully, as CFO for the\u00a0American Darts Organization might I ask that you e-mail me a copy of the most recent financial statement for the organization?\u00a0 I am working on a column for September 1 and would like to refer to the most recent numbers available.\u00a0 Thank you. \u00a0 <\/em><\/p>\n

Paul Seigel (aka Dartoid)<\/em><\/p>\n

When more than one person knows a secret – or many secrets – it is only a matter of time before everybody knows. The money trail is often illuminating. How much is the ADO taking in? How are they spending it? Why won’t they say?<\/p>\n

Are funds missing?<\/p>\n

Again, my e-mail is buzzing. Some of those who ADO officials may think – may have long thought – are protecting secrets, and friends, are not.<\/p>\n

My aim is not to bring the ADO down. My aim is to see it fixed (and I still firmly believe that current president, David Hascup, is trying<\/em>). But I fear his efforts are being thwarted by some of the very people with secrets to hide.<\/p>\n

Let me also be clear: I also have no reason to believe Lloyd Hoover has anything but the best of intentions. I do not know him but I am told he is an honest stand-up guy.<\/p>\n

I feel the same about Hascup.<\/p>\n

But if the ADO cannot be fixed I submit the organization should be dismantled and reconstituted via fair and representative elections with a governing body and squeaky-clean financial transparency – which represent all of the dues-paying members (not just the handful who chase points) and leagues the way they should expect to be represented.<\/p>\n

For background, take a moment to read the following two columns:<\/p>\n