STEVE BROWN

December 25, 2011

It's that time of year, so I'd like wish you all a very Merry Christmas, and a Happy, Peaceful, and Prosperous New Year!  I look forward to seeing you in 2012...

November 2, 2011

Not much to report again, apart from another disappointing display in Denver; if only I knew where the doubles were!  I did pick up the 501 Singles at the CMDA's Memorial Classic at the weekend, but failed to make to make it through the National Cricket Qualifier, losing a playoff to Ed LaBarbera.  

October 12, 2011

Still a couple of days until the Colorado Open, and hopefully it will go a little better than Austin!  Actually, I didn't play that badly, but that was never going to be enough. The Americas Cup Nationals on Friday threw up some familiar faces, and one relatively new one.  Marilyn Popp and Brenda Roush were the familiar ones, repeating their feat in teaming up for the last Americas Cup team.  Both men, though, are making their debut in the event, but I think that Tom Sawyer and Joe Huffman will do us proud.

As I said, this is a first for Tom, although he has qualified for the last two World Masters, but Joe is a total newcomer to the international scene.  However, Joe dominated Friday's event, and against such a quality field, that is testament to the guy's ability.

Of course, Joe really dispelled any remaining doubts by picking up the WDF-sanctioned 501 singles the following day, which gets him an invitation to next year's World Masters.  Strangely enough, Joe saw off the aforementioned Mr Sawyer in the final!  Congratulations also to Stacy Bromberg for lifting the ladies title.

My best result of the weekend came in the cricket singles, with a hard-fought semi-final placing.  Having squeaked past Max Mena, Darin Young, Bill Davis, and Howard Meyers, I fell against Joe Huffman's partner, Steven Price.  Despite losing, it was a superb game, and I can't feel that unhappy.  I managed to clinch the second leg with a total of nearly 1400 points, and seeing that I was three numbers and points down at one stage, I was delighted to get to a third leg!  I didn't stay for the final (we had to get back to Wichita), but Steven was getting ready to play Tom Sawyer (yawn...) in the final.

Outside of Austin, all I've been doing is playing league, and some local soft-tip blind draws.  Both have been going fine, although I'm missing two crucial league games because of the current trip.  Still, without me, we won 7-4 on Monday.

Finally, congratulations to my fellow (!) American Greg Hancock on becoming World Speedway Champion again, having last won the title in 1997.  Oh, and AFC Wimbledon are up to third place in League Two...

September 23, 2011

Well, the WDF World Cup is almost over, and it completes another disappointing few days for Americans.  With plenty of action this month, with both the World Cup and World Masters, I had high hopes of some good performances from our lads and lassies.

For those who aren't aware, Jim Widmayer was the only American to reach the TV stages of the Masters, and there were no significant showings in Ireland this week.  Obviously, I was heartbroken to miss out on competing in these events, but I was sitting at home cheering them all on!

October sees the Americas Cup National Finals down in Austin, with a trip to Belize at stake.  I can't say I turn down a trip to Belize, but I have heard that there may be - and not for the first time - a switch of venues for the Americas Cup.  For the first time, the Halloween Tournament in Austin will be WDF-Ranked.

The week after Austin is the Colorado Open, another WDF-ranked event.  This means that I have two opportunities to make history with a WDF singles win in four different decades.  I can't say that I'm that desperate, or even worried about it, but it would be wonderful to become the first player to do so.

Last week, I found another great little venue for soft-tip blind draws - Riverbend Billiards and Grill in Alton, Illinois.  It's not a bad run from the house, and the nice thing is that is held on Sunday afternoons.  What's also nice is that they serve a half-pound burger for a dollar!  Think I might try that this week...

Finally, I was sorry to hear of the passing of an old friend of mine, Foristell's Bob Lockhart.  A great player, and a wonderful person, RIP Bob.

September 1, 2011

For those of you interested in watching the Winmau World Masters from Hull, I 
have just received this email from ESPN.

As you know ESPN3 in the US will be distributing the World Masters for 
the first time. We’re attempting to get the word out to as many US darts 
enthusiasts as we can.

Sorry for the late notice, but I thought I'd let you know that I'll be appearing on 
Dart Talk on Chicago's WSDI radio station.  The show is broadcast live 
tomorrow (Thursday) at 11.00 CST.  I'll be going head-to-head with host Steve Panuncialman about a number of topics.

June 12, 2011

Firstly, I'd like to thank everyone who turned up to the special Cosmo Darts FIT Flights promotion yesterday, with a special thanks to Mike and Joyce for hosting 
the event at the St. Louis Dart Shop. The FIT Flights system was proving a big hit with everyone, and I was more than happy with the way they performed for me.

Darts-wise, it's been quiet recently. Since Blueberry Hill and Shoot the Rapids (a month ago), I haven't hit a tournament. I had been really geared up to try and 
capture a record-breaking sixth singles win at Blueberry Hill, but Gordon Dixon got the better of me in the semis. Congrats to Canadian Bruce Davey, who won both sanctioned singles.

Highlights of the Grand Rapids tournament were a first round win against Larry 
Butler in the cricket singles, and partnering Ryan Loch to victory over Bob 
Sinnaeve and Larry in the cricket doubles. Sadly, those matches didn't pave the 
way for event victories, but I wasn't too unhappy with the way I played. Still, that's been the story of my year so far; playing well and losing!

The real high spot of the last month was the incredible success story of AFC Wimbledon. The club was only formed nine years ago, as the original Wimbledon FC was moved to Milton Keynes. Left without a team, a bunch of supporters and local businessmen got together and formed a new club, which was entered into 
the Combined Counties League.

In less than a decade, we managed to work our way through several leagues, and finally, after a nerve-wracking playoff against Luton Town, into the Football League itself. Even the achievements of the old Wimbledon – going from non-league 
football to sixth in the Premiership AND FA Cup Winners in just eleven years – 
pales into insignificance when compared to AFC. Now, I can't wait for the new season!

Finally, I'd just like to say how shocked I was to learn of the terrible tornado damage down in Joplin. I've seen the after-effects of tornadoes before, including that within 
a mile of home, but I have never witnessed such total devastation. I know Joplin 
well, and have many friends in the area who were greatly affected by the tragedy. 
My thoughts and prayers are with you all.

 June 6, 2011

If you haven't got anything to do this Saturday (June 11), why not pop down to the 
St. Louis Dart Shop at 11711 Gravois.  I'll be holding a special all-day promotion to celebrate my new sponsorship from Cosmo Darts FIT Flights.  I will be taking on allcomers, and will be holding coaching clinics throughout the day.  Hours are 11am-5pm.

May 22, 2011

Well, I've been waiting a while to post this...

I am delighted to announce that I have acquired a new sponsor in the shape of COSMO Darts & FIT Flights. I am honored to represent COSMO Darts and 
I look forward to doing so alongside my fellow FIT Flight players. Watch this space for details of special FIT Flights promotions in collaboration with the St. Louis Dart Shop.

April 24, 2011

After the events of the last few days, it's something of a relief to be able to post again.  For those of you who don't know, the St. Louis area has being getting slammed with all sorts of inclement weather.  Apart from several bouts of hail, with hailstones as big as golf balls, we've had some severe storms which have been spawning a number of tornadoes.

Last Friday was the worst, with some widespread damage all across the area.  What spooked me was that we had two separate tornadoes come within a mile of where we live!  The one that hit between Granite City and Pontoon Beach wasn't 
on the ground for long, but caused some real devastation before dying out less 
than a mile before our house.

I know it's that time of year, but already, 2011 has been a bad one for storms and tornadoes.

As far as the darts, I've still been having a miserable time, despite playing well.  Virginia Beach was a real disappointment, particularly as that was one tournament that could have set me up financially for a few weeks.  I had a somewhat profitable time in at the Sooner Open in Miami, Oklahoma, but I did get sick of losing in finals!  Other than that, all I've really had is some local action but I have been doing pretty well at some soft-tip blind draws.  Of course, it's nice to draw Brad Wethington as 
a partner when there is a sizeable purse...

Next week is the T-Town Shootout in Topeka.  It's only a fairly small tournament, but we do have our All-Stars Regional there on Friday.  As a member of the ADO National Team, I don't compete in this Regional, but I'll be running the thing so that our Regional Director, Billy Dupske, can concentrate on playing.

The week after Topeka is the Blueberry Hill Open here in St. Louis.  It is guaranteed to be another weekend of high drama and emotion, as both Brad Wethington and I are still seeking a record-breaking sixth title in the '01 singles.

Talking of Brad - again - we'll be locking horns tomorrow night in the final of our Monday night MVDO playoffs.  Brad's team from Hotshots (South County) grabbed top seeding for the playoffs after beating us (Hotshots - Bridgeton) by two points in the regular season, and we both emerged unscathed from last week's semi-final playoffs.

Finally, congratulations to Crawley Town on winning the Blue Square Bet Conference, thus securing their place in the Football League.  We (AFC 
Wimbledon) are guaranteed a playoff place in attempt to emulate Crawley, so we'll just have to wait and see what happens.

Oh, and don't forget to check out my latest blogs on the ADO website : www.adodarts.com/category/brownies-blog/

 March 15, 2011

Well, I've finally managed to log in for another update; not sure why I've had this problem occasionally.  That's technology for you!

It's been a somewhat disappointing period for me since my last posting, but it's not that I'm playing badly or anything.  It simply seems that I just can't win!  I played well 
in both Decatur, AL, and down in Austin, but struggled to get into the money in most events.  I did manage to reach the finals of both cricket doubles (with Chris Helms and Connley Litton, respectively), but other than that, it was a real struggle.

My quest for a 15th cricket singles title in Jefferson City proved fruitless, as Springfield's Jesse Russell put me out at T4 on his way to the championship.  Jesse played great all weekend, and it was a relief to emerge from a near-1300 point deciding leg against Jesse and Jeff Brayfield in the doubles!  That wasn't even the final, but it felt like it...  Still, Tony Wessley and I grabbed the win.

Indianapolis last week was a little better, particularly on Sunday.  After failing miserably on Saturday, I got my hands on some 1st-place money in the 501 doubles along with Ryan Loch.  Admittedly, Gordon Dixon and D.J. Sayre should have had us, but I was pleased to get a shot at that 96 in the last leg!

The cricket singles was really draining, both physically and emotionally, but I didn't 
do too badly for a white-haired old man.  Actually, those last three matches against Ben Beltz, Gordon Dixon, and Scott Buckley made me feel even older, but I was delighted to pick up my first singles title since Wichita in January.

Sadly, it does look like my beloved AFC Wimbledon have thrown away the Conference, although I can't begrudge Crawley Town the title should they win it - which they should.  The best we can hope for is a spot in League Two via the playoffs, which won't be easy.

Finally, as it's March 15 today, you should check out my blog at www.adodarts.com/category/brownies-blog.  You should find this one interesting...

 February 7, 2011

I've been pretty busy since my last posting, and not just as a result of the darts!  I don't mind snow; in fact I quite like it.  I just get tired of having to dig the cars out every few days!  Still, I'm not the only one, but more importantly, I managed to avoid getting stuck in Vegas last week.  My flight home on Monday morning was one of 
the last ones to get out before a major winter storm hit the midwest.

Back to the darts, and as I mentioned last time, I had begun my quest to retain the title of 'ADO Points Champion', as the 2010 results were announced officially in Vegas.  The first tournament was the Air Capital Open in Wichita, and after a weekend of messing around with 2nds and Top 4's, I succeeded in capturing the 501 singles on Sunday afternoon.  I was a little inconsistent in the preceding events, but after an abysmal opening round in the singles (at least fives count or something in '01), I clicked into something like true form.

Last week was the BDO-ranked Las Vegas Open, and although I wasn't too disappointed with the way I played, that certainly wasn't reflected in my results.  In 
the 501 singles, I was doing okay until I ran into Nick Rivera.  In the deciding leg, I scored well, and was down to 101 after just 12 darts.  Nick was back on 222, but it was his shot.  A nicely timed 180 now made my 101 out a necessity, and when I failed, it was game over.

In the cricket singles, I was also doing well, but evergreen Canadian Bob Sinnaeve sent me packing after a long and exciting tussle.  The cricket was eventually won by Jim Widmayer, who prevented a clean sweep of the weekend's three singles by 1994 World Matchplay Champion, Larry Butler.  The other singles was the National Cricket Championship on Friday, and Larry and Bob teamed up to pocket the seniors - sorry, cricket - doubles as well!

We - the ADO - took control of the Las Vegas Open after the sad death of Della Fleetwood, and despite our apprehension, I am delighted to say that the tournament was a huge success.  Attendance was up, with players from as far away as England, Norway, Sweden, and Japan.  This was also our first real attempt at live updates online (at www.adodarts.com), and that also proved hugely popular.

It's down to Decatur, AL, this week, for one of my fave tournaments, the Shoot for 
the Moon.  It's one of our majors, and would be a good time to have a decent run.  The following weekend I'm off to Austin for the Capital City Classic.  February is usually a good time to head down to Texas, but they've been getting snow and ice too.  Ah, the joys of the American winter.  Still, it's been no different in England...

Finally, a reminder to check out my blogs on the ADO website, at www.adodarts.com/category/brownies-blog.

 January 19, 2011

Sorry for the delay in posting, but we moved house over the holidays.  Although we are now settled in to our new surroundings in Pontoon Beach, Illinois (just 20 miles north from our old house), there is still much work to be done.

The start to the New Year hasn't been too bad, particularly as I think I may have finished top of the 2010 ADO Rankings.  I'm sure nothing official will be announced until the awards presentation in Las Vegas next week, and I'm not 100% sure, but let's just say that I'm hoping!

My first tournament of 2011 was our traditional New Year's Day opener at the South 94 Bistro in St. Charles.  There are only two doubles and a mixed triples, but we always get something in the region of 100 players for the day.  Shooting with Rob King, I was pleased to hold onto our cricket doubles title, and Rob and I partnered Tambi Maginnis to T4 in the triples.  The less said about the 501 doubles, the better...

The following week brought the Missouri State Championship in Jefferson City.  
The weekend started poorly when I locked my keys - and my darts - in the car as soon as I got there, but thanks to the efforts of Rob Heinz, John Johnson, Mark Nowlin, and Tim Durbin, the situation was soon rectified.  Both singles titles were destined to head for the Brown house, as were the 501 doubles (w/John Johnson) and 601 mixed triples (w/John and Lynda Stokes).

Last weekend kicked off my ADO action for the year, but as it's getting late, I'll 
leave the report until next time.  Oh, and I shall try to post updates a little more regularly this year!

Steve

PS If you wish to read any older posts, you can access them in "Archives" on the menu.

 (November 15, 2010)

The highlight since my last posting has to be my trip back to England for the World Masters.  Unfortunately, I didn't come home with any trophies or titles, but I was pretty happy with my performances.

As always, the action began with the qualifying event for the Lakeside world Championship.  I came from a set down to win my first match against Karsten Koch (Germany), despite being on the wrong end of six maximum 180's.  I followed that up with wins against Belgian Harry Famaey, Poland's Krzysztof Ratajski, Jaakko Kiiski (Finland), and Dutchman Fabian Roosenbrand - all in straight sets.  Now just two matches away from Lakeside - again - I was up against Fabian's fellow countryman, Jan Dekker...

Young Jan had been efficiently scything his way through the opposition, dropping very few legs, so I knew I needed to play well.  Actually, I did play well, but still only managed two darts at a double!  I just missed shots at 121 and 116, but that was as close as I got.  Soon, Jan had also wiped out Finn Petri Korte, and was on his way to Lakeside.  I can't really complain, as all who saw Jan playing that day will agree that he was by far the best in attendance.

Onto the Masters itself, and I had a tough opener against World #19 Ross Smith.  After dropping the first leg, I stepped it up a little, and took the match 3-0.  It wasn't going to be any easier second time out, as I was pitched against another top Dutchman, Rick Hofstra.  I'll admit that it wasn't quite up to the standard of my first match, but I grabbed the "W" in four sets.  Then, it was time to play Scotland's John Henderson, who is currently competing in the Grand Slam of Darts.  Big "Hendo" ended my run, but had I not struggled on doubles, I might have done better.  I almost took it to the fifth set, but John's nice 106 checkout prevented that.

Overall, I would consider it my best performance at the event.  It wasn't so much how well I played, as I have actually scored better, but it was nice to stick in as many crucial shots against so many class players as I did.  The main thing was that I handled the situations well, particularly when I was behind.  So, roll on the World Masters 2011!  I did find some good restaurants over there, incidentally, although the best one was a little old cafe in London.  Great steak and kidney pudding...

Not much happening on this side of the pond, although I won both singles at the Route 66 Shootout down in Oklahoma last weekend.  Things are beginning to quieten down a little, and I'm gearing up for my first REAL soft-tip tournament next month!  Kind of intimidating, eh???

Finally, my thanks to Joe Edwards      www.blueberryhill.com

                      Nikki and Tim Wheeler (www.topshooters.biz),

                and Joyce and Mike Stafos (www.stlouisdart.com),

for their help with regard to the World Masters.

 (October 22, 2010)

Well, some disappointing news since my last update; I missed out on a place on next year's US World Cup team...  I played well in Denver, but failed to get out of my bracket.  Congratulations though to Jerry Van Loan, Scott Wollaston, and Brenda Roush for making the team for Ireland.  More disappointment in Denver as I lost the final of the 501 Singles to Larry Butler.  Had I won that match, I would have become the first player to win WDF-ranked events in four different decades.

Last week we were down in Austin, where Christy Zimmerman and I continued our habit of winning mixed doubles in Texas' Capital City.  This time it was the cricket, to which I added a win in the 501 singles.  I was extremely unhappy with my performance in both men's doubles though, and I felt really bad for my partner, Connley Litton.

It's time for my annual trip to the World Masters, and I'm really looking forward to it, although it's been moved from Bridlington to Hull.  I have a really tough draw, facing World #19 Ross Smith, and even if I do win that, it's not going to get any easier; I would still be facing players like Rick Hofstra, John Henderson, and Martin Phillips.  Thing is, they're there to be beaten, so I'll give it a go.  I'm a little happier with my group in the Lakeside World Championship playoffs, though.  Having said that, I have a difficult opener against German Karsten Koch.

I have posted the draws (for the Americans, that is) for both on my blog page.  You can find that at www.adodarts.co/brownies-blog.

That's all for now, and I'll let you know if I found any good restaurants in Hull...

(September 28, 2010)

I haven't posted anything recently, because quite honestly, there has been very little going on!  It's actually been unusually quiet for this time of year, and all I've been doing is playing a few local blind draws.  Okay, I played one open soft-tip tournament too!

Since Stamford, the only really tournament I had (before Chicago last weekend) was the Governor's Cup.  This is basically the Missouri State Team Championship, and again, it was our team from the South 94 Bistro who emerged victorious.

Onto the aforementioned Windy City Open, and we had an appallingly low turnout.  So bad, in fact, that the future of the tournament is in jeopardy, which is a great pity; it's been one of or majors for over 30 years.

I had a pretty good tournament, without doing anything spectacular.  It was good to pick up the 501 Doubles with Ryan Barnette, and it gave us a wonderful start to the weekend.  I didn't win anything else, but I was generally happy with the way I played, particularly in the cricket singles.  I lost my semi-final 3-2 to Darin Young, but it was a very high-quality affair.

While it's been quiet on this website, I've been keeping busy writing "Brownie's Blog" on the ADO website.  I'm covering all different aspects of the sport, and I've had some very positive feedback.  If you want to have a look, go to www.adodarts.com/brownies-blog.

I've got this weekend at home before hitting the Colorado Open in Denver, and the Halloween Tournament in Austin.  Main event in Denver is the US Team Nationals, with the winners making it onto next year's World Cup Team.  With it being held in Ireland, I'm determined to grab one of those places.

I'll be in touch in a couple of weeks...

(August 16, 2010)

It's been just over a month since I last posted, but yet again, I'm sitting here trying to recover from a bug I picked up at the USA Dart Classic last week.  What makes it worse is that I suffered a mild bout of food poisoning when I arrived in Stamford, got over that, and then started struggling with a sinus infection!

As far as the darts are concerned, the weekend wasn't that much better than my condition.  Having said that, I did make it to the final of the cricket singles against Larry Butler.  After taking the first leg in a somewhat fortunate manner (yes Larry, I know - you should have hit the 15!) I got myself into a really strong position in the second before the wheels fell off.  The decider was close, but not close enough for my liking...

That actually capped a good weekend for Larry, who collected the BDO-ranked 501 Singles the previous day.  That final against Jerry van Loan was an absolute classic, with both players shooting some brilliant darts; I just wish I had the figures for the match.

The previous week's action at the Music City Classic in Nashville wasn't any more profitable for me either, losing first round in all three singles.  The big problem is that with the last two majors (Nashville and Stamford) of the year now over, my chances of making the ADO World Cup Team on ranking are negligible.  Looks like I'll have to rely on making it out of our Nationals in Denver...

Other than the above, we had the Midwest Summer Classic here in St. Louis, and the Freedom Tournament (Austin, TX).  It was a particularly interesting weekend down in Austin, with Saturday bringing absolutely nothing in the way of success.  The nearest thing was the cricket singles, when I lost at T4 to Chris Helms.  Actually, I think it was Chris, but it could have been Phil Taylor in disguise!

Sunday was far better as I didn't lose an event.  In addition to the 501 singles, I captured the cricket doubles (with Connley Litton) and the mixed doubles 501 with Christy Zimmerman.  Highlight of the day, though, was Christy winning her first singles at a $10,000 shoot!  Having beaten the legend that is Andrea Taylor, Christy edged passed Suzie Hall in the final.

Another first was me shooting with Connley.  You may not know the name - yet - but Connley (from Gardner, KS) has to be one of the most improved players in the country this year.  That was very evident in Stamford, where he made the quarter-finals of both singles.

This weekend I'm off to Jefferson City for the Governor's Cup, which is basically the Missouri State Team Championship.  With a much-changed team from previous years, I'm really looking forward to it - as long as I can get over this sickness...

(July 7, 2010)

Well, just a few lines to let you know that KFUO FM closed down last night.  It was a very emotional evening, and despite the rain, over 200 listeners and fans of the station held a candlelight vigil.  I will be leaving the link on here, as we're not sure what will be happening with the website.

I have also posted some photos from last night on my Facebook page.

Thank you, KFUO; we'll miss you... 

(July 2, 2010)

Other than that not much to report, except for an extremely poor showing from England down in South Africa, and a disappointing exit for the U.S.A. at the hands of an impressive Ghanaian team.

(May 11, 2010)

 I have tried - without success - to post a couple of updates on here recently.  I don't know if it was the server, or the fact that I was trying to do them while I was on the road, but I've finally managed it!

The two "biggies" for me (Virginia Beach and Charlotte) both proved somewhat disappointing.  Although I did well in several events, I failed miserably in the two BDO-Ranked singles, and my chances of qualifying for Lakeside next year - on rankings, anyway - have disappeared.  It looks like I'll just have to rely on the playoffs at the World Masters.

On the subject of the World Masters, I was sad to read that the BDO have moved the venue from Bridlington to Hull.  Even out of season, Brid is a delightful little place to visit, and Hull at Halloween just won't be the same!  Other than the aforementioned tournaments, I haven't done too badly recently, and since Virginia Beach (where I made the semi-final), I've lost just one match in a cricket singles, and that was the final in Charlotte!  Yeah, I ran into my old friend and rival Brad Wethington, and it seems it was his turn...

Brad and I showed up at last weekend's Blueberry Hill Open each looking for a record-breaking sixth '01 Singles victory, to move ahead of the late John Reichwein.  However, we'll have to wait another year, as the ever-improving Connley Litton grabbed an impressive victory over tournament MVP Isen Veljic.  Some of you may not know Connley, but Brad and I have been grooming him for the last two or three years, and he is now really showing some form.

I was going up to Grand Rapids this week, but with some stuff going on at home, I reluctantly have to give it a miss.  I feel particularly bad as I was due to partner 2009 ADO National Youth Champion Robert Ham, but I'm sure we will team up again in the future.  Next week is the annual trip to Cedar Rapids, IA, for the Hawkeye Open.  They've had to drop the money this year, but it's still worth going to, not least because of the excellent Chinese Buffet next to the venue!  I'll let you know how I did.  At the tournament, I mean, not the buffet...

(March 19,2010)

Well, I've been busy since the last update, but I must have picked up a bug in Indianapolis last weekend, and have spent the last few days in bed.  Still, as long as I can get over it before Virginia Beach (next week), I should be okay.

Anyway, I won our local Masters qualifier, and the following week's St. Pat's Tournament in Jefferson City also proved quite a success.  Of course, the main thing was qualifying for the World Masters Nationals in Houston, which I did.  Honestly, I shouldn't have won, but Phil Ponder slipped up in his last match, and I gratefully scraped through.  Congratulations to St. Charles' Angie Maxwell who won her first women's Regional from Margaret Hemsath.

Onto the tournament itself, and I won both singles events, including the cricket singles for the 14th (yes, fourteenth) time!  After a fierce battle with Phil Ponder in the semi, I managed to see off Marc Molnar (St. Charles) in the final.  The 501 singles gave Mr Ponder the opportunity to exact some revenge, as the draw kept us apart until the final.  This time, Phil really should have taken it.  After a beautiful 13-darter to make it 2-2, Phil totally outscored me in the decider.  However, the winning double - I really don't know how those darts at double 5 didn't go in! - proved elusive, and I grabbed another win.  I teamed up with Tony Wessley to secure first in the cricket doubles, and we also took the mixed triples (with Tracie Saale).

Indy wasn't quite as profitable, but after several years of trying, John Ankeney and I finally got our first win together!  Some of the darts that were thrown against us were incredible, and looking back, it's difficult to work out how we won.  Win we did though, and saw off Gordon Dixon and D.J. Sayre (congrats on the 501 singles, buddy) at T4, and Dayton Strawbridge and Larry Butler in the final.

As I said, it's off to "the Beach" in a few days, and the next major.  With BDO ranking points at stake, this really is an important one for us.  Finally, it's my sad duty to report the tragic passing of three fellow darters and friends; Lisa Perkins (Kansas City), Clayton Sloan (St. Louis), and former National Cricket Championship finalist, Chad Hersman (Columbus, OH).  All were taken far too early, and my thoughts are with the families of these wonderful people.

(February 28, 2010)

 Apologies again for the lack of updates, but this time it was due to a serious issue.  My father-in-law, Paul Neeley, was rushed into hospital in Northern Iowa after a massive heart attack, so we dropped everything and went up there for a while.  Things really didn't look too promising, particularly as he'd been without oxygen for over ten minutes, but thankfully, he is doing much better now.  Although he will still be in hospital for a while, Paul has now been fitted with a pacemaker, and should be able to live a relatively normal - if a little sedentary - life.

Anyway, on to the darts...  Las Vegas was a trifle disappointing to say the least.  I played poorly in the National Cricket Championship, although I did end up reaching the quarter-final where I lost to Jerry Van Loan.  I played much better over the rest of the weekend, but with little reward.  However, I did pick up ten valuable BDO Ranking points (from the 501 singles), which will certainly help in my attempt to qualify for next year's BDO lakeside World Championship.

The following weekend was the Shoot for the Moon in Decatur, Alabama.  Highlight of this tournament was a hard-earned victory in Sunday's cricket singles.  Then it was on to the Tri-State Open in Joplin, Missouri, last week.  I only competed in four events - and won three of them!  I won both singles finals against eventual MVP Phil Ponder, and I partnered Brad Wethington to victory in the cricket doubles.  The only disappointment was that we lost first round of the Mixed Triples (with Wichita's Kris Reynolds).

Now, I'm getting ready to head down to the South County Hotshots for the last qualifier for next week's World Masters Regional in Jefferson City.  I'll let you know how I did...

(January 26, 2010)

Sorry for the delay in updating the site, but I've had quite a lot going on over the last few weeks.  Playing-wise, it's been fairly sedate this year, with the Air Capital Open in Wichita being the longest trip so far.  Highlight of that tournament was one of our local youth players making a big impression, as you will see. 

Sixteen-year-old Jared Sullivan from St. Peters rode down there with me to simply get some experience, but ended up partnering Philadelphia's Bill Davis.  Bill and Jared made the semis of both doubles events, and teamed up with Christy Zimmerman to capture the 601 Mixed Triples.  Making his debut on stage, Jared actually hit the winning shot in the deciding leg of the final!

On a personal note, I haven't really made an impact yet, and the only singles win I've had in 2010 was at last week's MVDO Open here in St. Louis.  I scraped past Brad Wethington in the final when he couldn't capitalize on a brilliant start to the second leg.  For five darts, Brad was on a perfect game, but the doubles proved elusive.  I certainly know that feeling...

Still, it was nice to be confirmed as U.S. #1 for 2009.  It's 10 years since I last topped the ADO rankings, so it was a great feeling to be back on top.  Hopefully I can keep that going, preferably doing well enough in the BDO-ranked events to make it to the Lakeside World Championship next January.  A good performance at the Las Vegas Open this weekend won't hurt...  In addition, we have the 2010 National Cricket Championship, which is another title I haven't held since 1999.  It will seem very strange being in Vegas without Della Fleetwood, who sadly passed away recently.

Away from darts, I've just finished another spell co-hosting Classic Tracks on KFUO FM radio, as regular host and fellow "Limey", Robin Weatherall, is back from spending the holidays in Germany.  Finally, it's good to see Dan Zimmerman on the road to recovery after suffering a ruptured appendix a couple of weeks back.  I'll be in touch when I get back from Vegas in a few days.