A team captain's wish.....

“I’ll take someone who is happy and average over a guru who is frustrated and discontented.”

WORLD CUP teams are set!

Official Web Site of World Cup 2005, Perth, Western Australia
Here is a list of a few of the World Cup Teams:
USA World Cup Team
Ladies World Cup Team
Stacy Bromberg
Marilyn Popp
Men’s World Cup Team
John Kuczynski
Ray Carver
Bill Davis
Pat Cook

England's World Cup Team
Ladies World Cup Team
Trina Gulliver, Captain
Clare Bywaters
Men’s World Cup Team
Martin Adams, Captain
Mervyn King
Andy Fordham
Tony O'Shea

Canada's World Cup Team
Ladies World Cup Team
Kim Whaley
Robin Curry
Men’s World Cup Team
Jerry Hull
Greg Lewis
Danny MacInnes
Jim Croke
Team Managers
Mary Dezan
Maggie Leblanc

Northern Ireland' World Cup Team
Ladies World Cup Team
Denise Cassidy
Grace Crane
Men’s World Cup Team
Paul Watton
John Elder
Brendan Dolan
Stephen Rennie

Republic of Ireland's World Cup Team
Ladies World Cup Team
Olive McIntyre
Nicola O'Donovan
Men’s World Cup Team
Martin McCloskey
Aodhagen O'Neill
Luke Nolan
Benny Grace

Scotland's World Cup Team
Ladies World Cup Team
Anne Kirk - Captain
Louise Hepburn
Men’s World Cup Team
Mike Veitch - Captain
Gary Anderson
Paul McGimpsey
Paul Hanvidge
Team Manager
John Cook

Wales World Cup Team
Youth World Cup
Girls
Kimberley Lewis
Boys
Jamie Lewis
Ladies World Cup Team
Jan Robbins
Gaynor Williams
Men’s World Cup Team
Phil Evans
Martin Phillips
Dale Pinch
Wayne Warren
Team Manager
Malcolm Hawkins

OLYMPIC SPORTS - Will darts gain recognition?

INTERNATIONAL OLYMPIC COMMITTEE - SPORTS

I'm still thinking about the Darts in the Olympic thing and I thought that I would take a look to see what are the currently recognized sports. Here is what I found:


RECOGNISED SPORTS

Climbing, bridge, golf, roller skating and surfing are sports that are recognised by the International Olympic Committee (IOC). The International Sports Federations (IFs) that administer these sports must ensure that their statutes, practice and activities conform with the Olympic Charter."

I think that a some point darts will get into the Olympics, but I think a great opportunity was missed when it didn't make it for the London 2012 Olympics

ADA needs to tell it's story....

After the great plug that the ADA got on ESPN I was hoping they would do something to take advantage of more advantage of the nationwide exposure. Granted they have launched a membership drive based on ESPN's 50 in 50 tour:

ADA is randomly selecting 50 new members and awarding them 50 great prizes
50-50 Contest"
But when you look at the results page all you get is endless list of names and placings(putting faces to these names would help). I think they need to put some time into telling the story of the tourney with a daily news release or a blog. I was also thinking that the ADA site could have a forum for members and people that might be interested in the organization. This is an organization that seems to be interested in promoting itself and darts, and it would be good for the ADA build more on the time it was given on ESPN.

I think there is still time to put a feature on William Cross Jr on the website so that people who want to know more, after having seen the ESPN segment, have a place to read a more complete telling of the tale. That would also present the opportunity to tell how things turned out for William and his family at the tourney. I've also heard that some of the women in the dart world would like to know more about his wife's involvement in darts.

One more item I would like to see is the story of the creation of the ADA on it's website.
DT

I just want to hit more twenties.....

A common complaint of dart players that play '01 games: I'm getting upset because I'm hitting 41 or 45 almost every turn. Is it in my head because my throw feels the same every time?

I know i can hit 100's and 140's but they're hard to come by right now.... Help!

My answer to that is:
Without seeing your throw it would be hard to say what the problem could be, but that being said when I'm having that problem I use a simple test.

I stand at the line use my best form and throwing technique and try to duplicate the exact form and technique with every throw (three turns of three darts each). I do not select a specspecificget, and let the darts fall where they may. If all three on all three turns the darts land in a tight group its not throwing form & technique that are the problem. Then I throw a dart at dead center; double 20, double bull, double 3, next turn is double 11, double bull, double 6. While hitting everything I aimed at would be nice I'm mostly looking to see if my darts are close to the target and make a straight vertical line then horizontal line.

If it's not my throwing technique, or aim, that's the problem then it's what I'm thinking. My frequent troublesome thoughts are....
- OK that was a nice trip now don't mess it up...
- I really need a ton or better and that trip really helped....
- That last dart was really close to the wire.....
- That dart hardly stuck in the board... just a little harder this time...
- I can't believe how far behind I am....
- I can't believe how far ahead I am....

So could this all add up to just thinking much or trying too hard?

ESPN.com - 50 in 50 - Features the ADA

ADA: National Championship XVI
"2005 National Championship XIV
$75,000
August 03-04-05-06-07, 2005
Las Vegas, NV

The ADA National Championship was the featured event, and specficly # 3 seeded WILLIAM J CROSS JR in the Men's Neutralizer Soft-tip division who is seeking his third national title. There was a brief discription of the ADA and it's divisions, No mention was made that the league is for both Steel & Soft tip darts and that Cross is competing as a soft tip player, but several scenes had both steel and soft tip boards in the background.

I did enjoy the dart family background scenes in the segment; William's Wife: "You've got to play dart's if you want to be in this family", and the father son scene with the son standing on the chair to shoot at what may have been a double 10. Maybe everyone needs a dart board in the bedroom.

It would have been nice to have a bit more background on where he plays, and perhaps a mention of the bar's name and his home town.

So all in all I would say it was not a bad segment, but It could have been so much more.

DT

ESPN.com - 50 / 50 - DARTS

Well this is it the ESPN 50/50 tour hits Las Vegas and darts will be the featured event. Will the coverage do justice to the sport of darts? Well I'll be watching to find out. Will it live up to your expectaions? I'll wait to hear that form you. Respond to the poll & leave a comment.

DT

Comments from Part & Lloyd: canada.com

Sports | canada.com: "'I felt like I'd already won this tournament after beating Phil again but the way Colin played tonight has made me feel a little better,' the Canadian was quoted on the Planet Darts website. 'It felt like he missed nothing and he just kept on pounding the treble and even playing Phil doesn't feel like that.

'The averages must have been special tonight and as hard as I tried, I couldn't get near him. He's proved once and for all that he is the world No. 1.'

Part averaged 95 in the final.

'I played well tonight,' said Lloyd, 'but it was only because I knew that I'd have to because the form John has been in recently nothing else would have been good enough.

'It takes two players to make a great final and John is a true champion."

Well this was a good match to listen to, and I hope we will be able to see it on TV sometime soon.

DT

Colin Lloyd wins at Blackpool!

Professional Darts Corporation Ltd.: "Colin Lloyd won the Stan James World Matchplay in style with a 170 finish after the best display of his career propelled him to a 18-11 victory over John Part in a packed Winter Gardens, Blackpool on Saturday night."

Colin Lloyd put together a consistent and solid performance. I'm sorry the John Part did not win, but it was a great match. Part gave a good performance; Well done!

DT

Blackpool Final -John Part v. Colin Lloyd

Part v. Lloyd: "The World Matchplay final will be Colin Lloyd v. John Part."

[i]Part has been World Champion twice before and this match will go a long way towards showing if he has what it takes to regain that title as he will have to face the current world ranked #1 player and Grand Prix Champion in Colin Lloyd.

I would like to see John take this thing all the way. I know that he can't afford to give Lloyd many chances in this match or it will be lost. I was watching some old replays of the Vegas Classic 3, and was truly impressed by Johns ability to hit outs of 100 points or more. He will need to display this ability to finish against Colin Lloyd.

Good Luck John Part.

DT

Sky Sports - Todays Matches from Blackpool

After defeating Phil Taylor (a player I truly admire) I'm wondering if John Part can hold the course and win this thing. As everyone knows it's easy to let down after a difficult match and big win against an opponent that everyone thinks is unbeatable. Let's hope that John moves on to win and prove himself a worthy champion. I believe that a win by Part will serve notice to all the other players that Taylor can be beat if those who face him raise their game and don't crack when he starts the match in a strong fashion.

Good luck John!

DT

Sky Sports - Blackpool - Matchplay:
"Ronnie Baxter v Colin Lloyd
Peter Manley v John Part"

Part beats Taylor

World Matchplay Update: DARTS NEWS

PART SPOILS TAYLOR'S PARTY

In an incredible night at the World Matchplay, two times world champion John Part has sensationally knocked Phil Taylor out of the tournament winning by 16 legs to 11. The match was of the highest standard with Taylor going off to a 4-1 lead with Part throwing disappointingly. Part stormed back in the second session to level the game 5-5. From then on it was neck and neck the whole way with no break of throw as Part led 12-11. Whatever Taylor threw part matched it and vice versa - the 140s & 180s were going in for fun. Part broke Taylor to lead 13-11 and then made it 14-11 with a superb 108 checkout. His nerve held as his whipped off the next two legs and 16-11 to Part. Afterwards Part said, "I don't care about the rest of the tournament. That was the final".
He later changed his mind slightly remembering when he beat Taylor in the Vegas Desert Classic semi-final only to lose to Peter Manley in the final. Part said, "I won't let that happen again. I want Manley."

You can listen to the World Matchplay from Blackpool

You can listen to the world Matchplay at (with RealPlayer/RealOne Player)PDC site:
http://www.planetdarts.co.uk/article.asp?id=288302&Nv=1

Click here for the Real Alternative 1.42 information page: Real Alternative will allow you to play RealMedia files without having to install RealPlayer/RealOne Player

Here is the link to download Real Alternative:
http://www.free-codecs.com/Real_Alternative_download.htm

Stan James World Matchplay - Standings

Stan James World Matchplay Results: "
Second Round Results
Adrian Lewis 16-14 Denis Ovens
Ronnie Baxter 13-6 Dave Askew
Colin Lloyd 13-4 Mark Walsh
Dennis Smith 13-10 Roland Scholten
John Part 13-8 Andy Jenkins
Wayne Mardle 13-10 Mark Dudbridge
Phil Taylor 15-13 Dennis Priestley
Peter Manley 13-10 Terry Jenkins"

Blackpool - Match play

Full storyThu 28 July "Taylor: I'll Never Give In -
It was very, very tough. We had a little too much respect for each other.

"I think Dennis was coming back to his old form a little bit there, and was hitting the right shots at the right time.

"I just couldn't shake him off. That 156 is one of the best finishes I have seen - absolutely fantastic.

"Everything goes through your mind in a match like that - but what happens with me is that I never give in. That's one of the qualities I have got, and tonight against John Part I will not give in.

"Andy Jenkins dropped his head a little bit against John, but I won't.

"It's a different game against John, so I have got to go out and beat him. He always plays well - he never puts in a bad performance."