{"id":7877,"date":"2023-07-27T13:52:32","date_gmt":"2023-07-27T13:52:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dartoidsworld.net\/2023\/07\/column-624-remembering-stacy-bromberg\/"},"modified":"2023-07-27T13:52:32","modified_gmt":"2023-07-27T13:52:32","slug":"column-624-remembering-stacy-bromberg","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dartoidsworld.net\/2023\/07\/column-624-remembering-stacy-bromberg\/","title":{"rendered":"Column #624 Remembering Stacy Bromberg"},"content":{"rendered":"

Thursday, July 27, 2023
\nColumn 624
\nRemembering Stacy Bromberg<\/strong><\/p>\n

This is old but apropos – Stacy would have been 66 today.<\/p>\n

STAY TUNED FOR DETAILS about the Stacy Bromberg Senior Dart Open (January 19 and 20, 2024 – in Las Vegas) to benefit her favorite charity, the Make-A-Wish Foundation.<\/p>\n

_____________________________________________________________<\/p>\n

Today, at King David Mortuary in Las Vegas, Nevada, along with a couple hundred others from as far away as England and Japan, I said good-bye to one of my best friends ever.\u00a0 Stacy Bromberg was just 60 years old.\u00a0 She had battled cancer since 2012.\u00a0\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

As the late, great Sid Waddell often described Phil Taylor, Stacy may have been the greatest female darts player \u201cever to draw breath\u201d \u2013 certainly no North American comes close to or will ever challenge her accomplishments. \u00a0She toed the line against the best of the best \u2013 Francis Hoenselaar,\u00a0Deta Hedman, Trina Gulliver, Tricia Wright, Anastasia Dobromyslova\u00a0\u2013 and won her fair share.<\/p>\n

She was a three-time world champion \u2013 indeed, upon her death on February 12, 2017, she wasn\u2019t just the \u201cformer\u201d Professional Darts Corporation\u2019s (PDC) Ladies World Champion \u2013 she was the one and only and still\u00a0reigning<\/em>\u00a0holder of that prestigious title.<\/p>\n

As has been recalled so many times during that past several days, Stacy was also the American Darts Organization\u2019s (ADO) top-ranked lady player 16 times (13 years in a row), a US National Team member 12 times, National Ladies 501 Champion 11 times, National Ladies Cricket Champion 4 times, and the 4-time Bullshooter Ladies Top Gun Champion and MVP.\u00a0 In 2009, in addition to winning the World Cup singles in Charlotte, she won the inaugural Shanghai International Darts Open, dropping only\u00a0one<\/em>\u00a0leg.\u00a0 There is SO much more.<\/p>\n

In 1999, Stacy was honored by\u00a0Sports Illustrated<\/em>\u00a0as one of Nevada\u2019s 50 greatest 20th-century athletes.<\/p>\n

But none of this was what was most important to Stacy.<\/p>\n

She\u2019d been a teacher, lawyer, and private detective.\u00a0 She was an accomplished swimmer and tennis player in her younger days.\u00a0 No doubt she could have excelled at most any sport.\u00a0 She landed upon darts by accident, not design, and although she achieved all that a female currently can in the sport I have no doubt, had she been able to crawl into a time machine, she\u2019d have chosen a different direction \u2013 a different sport, a different profession.<\/p>\n

From the day she began to make her mark to her final hours she was given the cold shoulder and worse by the ADO.\u00a0 She was screwed by the organization that is supposed to represent the sport and players in America and whose record books she smashed and rewrote forever and all time.\u00a0 Current writings by certain ADO-associated people and talk of an official ADO award in her name would have disgusted Stacy.<\/p>\n

When it could have, the ADO board chose to do absolutely nothing to intervene on Stacy\u2019s behalf when she was unfairly disqualified by the World Darts Federation (WDF) from playing (and defending her title) at the 2011 World Cup in Ireland.\u00a0 In fact, and even worse, all these years later it is clear that at least one ADO board member was\u00a0complicit in the decision to declare her ineligible<\/em>.<\/p>\n

In Stacy\u2019s own words\u2026\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

In January (2011), I went to the WDF world ranked Rae Chesney tournament in Philadelphia.\u00a0 I won the 501 singles.\u00a0 In February, I went to and won the 501 singles event in the WDF world ranked Las Vegas Open.\u00a0 Then, in March, I attended the Virginia Beach Classic, another WDF world ranked tournament and won the 501 singles.\u00a0 I was on fire.\u00a0 It felt great!\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 I simply couldn\u2019t wait to go to Ireland and defend my singles title.\u00a0 I would be the \u201cfavorite.\u201d \u00a0The \u201cone\u201d to beat!<\/em><\/p>\n

But she never got the chance.<\/p>\n

In Connecticut in August at the welcome party prior to the annual East-West Challenge, Stacy was pulled aside and summarily informed by an ADO official that she would not be able to defend her title.<\/p>\n

Again, in Stacy\u2019s words\u2026<\/p>\n

I asked _____ about this and all _____ would say was \u201cthe board voted on it and that\u2019s their decision.\u201d\u00a0 I asked _____ who \u201cthe board\u201d was and was told by _____ that he \u201ccould not tell\u201d me.\u00a0 It was clear I was going to get no support from my own country\u2019s ADO officials \u2013 especially since I was not taking another player\u2019s spot who _____\u00a0 didn\u2019t want in the World Cup.<\/em><\/p>\n

This is the reason<\/em>\u00a0\u2013 not illness \u2013 why Stacy was rarely ever seen again on the ADO tournament circuit.<\/p>\n

Then last week, this same cowardly individual (as well as another ADO official and even a WDF representative) wrote glowingly about Stacy, as if they were all longtime buddies.<\/p>\n

To echo Joseph Welch\u2019s famous words to Senator Joseph McCarthy, \u201cAt long last, have you left no sense of decency?\u201d<\/p>\n

No, what Stacy was most proud of was her work for charity, her friends (she used to say she \u201ccollected\u201d them) and helping others \u2013 even those she barely knew.\u00a0\u00a0This<\/em>\u00a0was the real Stacy Bromberg.\u00a0 She was called \u201cThe Wish-Granter,\u201d having raised $100,000+ for the Make-A-Wish Foundation.\u00a0 This was a big deal to Stacy, but it was the little things she did that defined her, and she did them every day.<\/p>\n

I traveled a fair bit with Stacy.\u00a0 She knew her days were numbered \u2013 although we, I anyway, surely thought she had another six months or more.\u00a0 She was working on her bucket list.\u00a0 She\u2019d say, \u201cI don\u2019t know if I have two weeks, two months or two years left \u2013 but I\u2019m going to live every day to its fullest.\u201d\u00a0 Almost at a frenzy, from under the Northern Lights to Machu Picchu to Easter Island we knocked sights and experiences off her list.\u00a0 With others she made it to Japan (her \u201cspecial\u201d place) to climb Mt. Fuji.\u00a0 She got back to England one last time.\u00a0 Niagara Falls.\u00a0 With another friend she went to Costa Rica to zip line and swim with sharks.\u00a0<\/a>\"\"<\/a>\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

While on Easter Island with her long-time friend and sponsor, Terry Maness of Horizon and Laserdarts, we met a retired couple from New Jersey who traveled the world.\u00a0 Of course, Stacy befriended them.\u00a0 They told her the most sensational site they had ever seen was Iguazu Falls on the border of Argentina and Brazil.\u00a0 Stacy and I had just started to plan this trip.<\/p>\n

When we were watching the Northern Lights in North Pole, Alaska, Stacy saw me pick up a pebble and put it in my pocket.\u00a0 She asked me what I was doing.\u00a0 I said something like, \u201cYou collect friends; I collect rocks.\u201d\u00a0 She then said she did too.\u00a0 But it was more than that\u2026<\/p>\n

It turned out that we had each seen a movie years before (With Honors<\/em>\u00a0\u2013 1994) where a homeless man, Simon Wilder played by Joe Pesci, would occasionally pick up a pebble and save it in a pouch he carried in his pocket.\u00a0 He would do this each time he experienced a key moment in his life.\u00a0 The pebbles were his memories, good and bad.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
North Pole, Alaska<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Long ago, Stacy and I had each adopted this same practice.\u00a0 Stacy told me about pebble memories she had in a small box at home \u2013 from the day she was married, divorced, her world championships, and more.\u00a0 She also picked up a pebble in Alaska.\u00a0 I saw her find one at Machu Picchu and on Easter Island\u2026<\/p>\n

Yet in all my travels with Stacy the sights and experiences we had seemed secondary.\u00a0 Important yes \u2013 she absorbed every second.\u00a0 But it was when she met new people that she really lit up \u2013 in an airport, on a plane, in a hotel lobby, a restaurant, or hiking on a trail.\u00a0 Just as she was in a darts hall, Stacy was always talking and meeting people \u2013 \u201ccollecting friends.\u201d<\/p>\n

And she was constantly shopping \u2013 shopping for fake Rolexes, laser pen lights, and pirated DVDs in Shanghai\u2026 little beaded bracelets, key chains, refrigerator magnets, hats in Alaska, Peru, and Chile \u2013 just stuff, tons of it.\u00a0 When I\u2019d ask what she was going to do with this or that item she\u2019d always have an answer.\u00a0 \u201cI told the parking lot attendant I\u2019d bring him a gift\u2026 I met someone at the store the other day\u2026 I don\u2019t know, I\u2019ll save it for my next friend.\u00a0 Here, take one.\u201d<\/p>\n

I\u2019ve wracked my brain trying to remember when I first met Stacy and I honestly don\u2019t know. \u00a0I think it was when I was a member of the Tidewater Area Darts Association (TADA) in Virginia Beach.\u00a0 TADA\u2019s tournaments were a favorite of Stacy\u2019s.\u00a0 An old friend of mine, now also no longer with us, \u201cThumper\u201d Galloway, used to arrange for a Rolls Royce to pick Stacy up at the airport.<\/p>\n

Stacy would be so pleased about efforts led by Paula Duritza Bushey to raise money to be added to the prize fund for the ladies at the 31st Virginia Beach Classic.\u00a0 Stacy was long a vocal proponent of fair payouts.\u00a0 The likelihood is high that Bushey\u2019s efforts resulted in the ladies taking home\u00a0more<\/em>\u00a0than the men.\u00a0 Stacy would have loved this!\u00a0 What Bushey and others are doing is what\u00a0respectful<\/em>\u00a0people do.<\/p>\n

Wherever Stacy and I met it no doubt began with an argument.\u00a0 Stacy loved to argue, as do I, and she was good at it.\u00a0 Just as good darts were not something we had in common, verbal (and written) jousting were very much in our wheelhouse.\u00a0 Stacy was smart and quick and witty and tough and damn difficult to convince to change her position.\u00a0 I don\u2019t recall ever winning a bout with Stacy.\u00a0 Probably no one ever did.<\/p>\n

Some may be aware that Stacy authored a book,\u00a0Lady Darts: The World of Women\u2019s Darts Though the Life of World Champion Stacy Bromberg<\/em>\u00a0(2011).\u00a0 When she took her place at Heaven\u2019s Oche she was working on another,\u00a0Life is a Gift\u2026 Open it Slowly<\/em>. \u00a0Memories of the 3-time World Champion and Cancer Fighter.<\/em>\u00a0 As the title suggests, it is about far more than Stacy\u2019s extraordinary career at the line.<\/p>\n

Despite lacking feeling in her fingers due to multiple chemotherapy treatments, Stacy continued to compete and win at the highest levels while working on her manuscript.\u00a0 Her book will still be published.\u00a0 As a tribute to her beloved cat, Knothead, she selected an animal welfare charity to receive the proceeds.\u00a0 The book is certain to be a compelling story of determination and perseverance from which all can draw strength \u2013 pure Stacy Bromberg.\u00a0 And as she put it to me several times, \u201cI\u2019m going to tell all and take no prisoners.\u201d<\/p>\n

Recently, a package arrived in the mail from Stacy.\u00a0 In it was a small box and a note.\u00a0 In the box were a couple dozen pebbles of different colors and sizes.\u00a0 The note read, \u201cPlease save my memories.\u201d<\/p>\n

A long time ago someone told me, \u201cIf when you die you can count on one hand the number of true friends you have, those for whom you would do anything and upon whom you could depend to do anything for you, you have been fortunate in life.\u201d<\/p>\n

Stacy was one of my five.<\/p>\n

But she left this world with thousands of her own.<\/p>\n

Rest in Peace, Stacy.<\/p>\n

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

This is old but apropos – Stacy would have been 66 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is old but apropos - Stacy would have been 66 today.\u00a0","authors":[{"term_id":15,"user_id":2,"is_guest":0,"slug":"dartoid","display_name":"Dartoid","avatar_url":{"url":"https:\/\/dartoidsworld.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/2024-02-13-12_01_31-Dartoids-World-_-The-most-widely-read-column-about-darts-in-the-world.png","url2x":"https:\/\/dartoidsworld.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/2024-02-13-12_01_31-Dartoids-World-_-The-most-widely-read-column-about-darts-in-the-world.png"},"first_name":"Paul","last_name":"Seigel","user_url":"http:\/\/www.dartoidsworld.com","job_title":"","description":"\"Dartoid\" is the pseudonym of Paul Seigel, a prominent chronicler of darts for over 35 years. His columns are celebrated for their wit and insight, often detailing his quest for a game in exotic locales worldwide. His writing offers vibrant commentary on the competitive darts landscape, including players, organizations, tournaments and the sport's unique culture. Dartoid's articles are highly regarded among darts enthusiasts, solidifying his role as a pivotal figure in promoting and documenting darts as both a recreational pastime and professional sport."}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/dartoidsworld.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7877","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=7877"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/dartoidsworld.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7877\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dartoidsworld.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/6509"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/dartoidsworld.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7877"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dartoidsworld.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=7877"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dartoidsworld.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=7877"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dartoidsworld.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/ppma_author?post=7877"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}