The Extremely Belated Final Dart Post of the Year: Another Doubleheader Sweep. But Questions Abound for Next Year

The season came to an end several weeks ago with a win, leaving our team a record of 7-7-1. I don’t have all the details of the games, but from what I understand, both were lopsided victories.

That means we started the season 2-5 and ended the season 5-2-1. We were on fire. For reasons unknown to me, there are no playoffs after Spring League.

To close out the season , I’m going to cut and paste this article that I just read that’s kind of interesting. The article originally appeared in the June issue of the Iowa City Dart Digest.

Predicting the Club Car's Fortunes

By Doug Schroeder

After being dubbed the darling of the playoffs two years ago when they made a run to the semifinals out of the B-League, and one year ago, when they took home first place in the B league--a feat for which they were awarded both a plaque and individually-engraved metals-- team Club Car finally had a chance to play in the A league this year.

Though the Club Car’s .500 (7-7-1) season might be viewed as a passable showing for the young squad’s first season in the A League, others think the group took a step backward this year. Rumors are swirling around what kind of changes, if any, the GM’s are going to make. Join ICDD as we take a quick look at the fate of what has become one of the most dynamic and dangerous teams in the league:

The Manager:

Though team manager Brad “Griff” Griffith has quite competently guided the team to the respectable position in which it currently finds itself, privately fans are beginning to wonder if he has what it takes to make it to the next level. His board-side antics were down this year, and new psychological research has called into question his management strategy, which consists long tirades abuse sprinkled with moments of enthusiasm and coddling. Sources close to the GM have indicated her desire to get a championship to the Club Car, and have been wondering quite openly if this manager still retains the gusto and motivational skills that made him a B-League legend.

Our Take: Though a few fans have begun to circulate their disappointment in dart chatrooms and forums, in all likelihood, Griff will be given a few more years to take this team to the next level.

Personnel:

The lineup itself may be in line for a shakeup as well. Erratic but handsome dart-thrower Nick “Grady” Gregory will be departing after accepting an offer to throw for a German outfit next semester. Though he finished the season with the lowest power ranking on the team, his winning percentage was the highest and he has been impressive in a number of outings.

Our Take: Though Grady has always been dubbed as a player with a lot of “potential,” he has generally been inconsistent and unspectacular. What’s more, his improvement has stagnated, making him extremely expendable.

Ryan “Murphy” Murray will also be departing to play next fall in the Kansas City Municipal Dart League. Murphy was a surprise sensation and rookie of the year two seasons ago, and GM’s agree that he was probably the best free-agent pickup in the league.
Management has remained mum about the size of his salary, but sources close to the organization reveal that the Club Car paid a pretty penny for his services. This means his departure could open up some much needed room under the salary cap to allow the Bombs to make a play for another elite player.

Our take: It’s a wash. Though Murray’s departure may cost the team wins, it will also save the team money and make them less disgruntled, as Murphy traditionally won the money games that followed the matches.

That leaves three returning players to shuffle around.

The surprise of the season was Kyle Weiner, who hit a hot streak late and ended up with a # 22 ranking overall. But questions remain? Is Kyle a franchise player? Is he the type of player that the Club Car can build a solid program around? Or are the GM’s going to go out and try to fill the void left behind by Murray?

Will Goodman, one of the most effective and dangerous darters in the league several years ago, has struggled of late. Keeping him on the team, however, is always a threat. Our sources say that Griff has been subjecting him to a battery of workouts and dry runs in the off-season in an effort to recapture his past confidence and glory.

Excepting a bizarre move by management, it is widely thought that player/manager Brad “Griff” Griffith will be back for another shot at the title. Last year he had a full-size practice area built in his home and he keeps a strict workout regime even in the off-season. He’s built the program from the foundations up and no one doubts that he has the commitment and wherewithal to see the thing through to the end.

Final Take on next year: ICDD thinks that next year will be similar to years past. The Club Car Bombs rebuild and have another solid year in the A League. A run in the playoffs to the semifinals ends tragically to some lame, douchebag team that doesn’t deserve it. Possibly Shakespeare’s.

Dart League Week 13: Oh Captain My Captain, has the Streak Ended?

When I walked into the Club Car at about seven o’clock, I knew we were going to be in for a rough night of darts. The team captain, long an exemplar of prudence and dedication, had been spotted leaving the premises an hour earlier. My quick inquiry of all credible sources revealed that he had been “completely wasted” at the time of said departure.

Long story short: we couldn’t field a team, but our opponents over at Charlie’s couldn’t field a team either. Everyone seemed to be a little bit embarrassed and apologetic, so we all went home early with vague plans to meet at a future date.

Now the only question that remains is whether our impressive winning streak, which we extended to two games last week, is still intact. If one team forfeits and the other is prepared to play the game, I think it’s quite obvious that the team that is prepared should be awarded a victory, and their unprepared opponents credited with a loss. But what is the rule if both teams are unable to compete? Two wins? Two losses? Something in between?

Until I get a call from the Commissioner of the Iowa City Area Dart League notifying me otherwise, I will consider the Club Car’s two game winning streak to still be valid.

Anyway, maybe that week off will prove to be beneficial to our team in the long run. As is usually the case in darts, the team that is most capable of making a run late in the playoffs is usually the team that hasn't suffered injuries throughout the season. With such a long and grueling schedule, last week was a great opportunity to keep our guys off the line, keep them fresh, and most importantly, keep them healthy to be a serious contender during the playoffs.

Dart League Weeks 11 and 12: A Doubleheader Sweep

And just like that a winning season is possible. After our last two winning matches we now stand at 5-7, meaning that a streak at the end of the season here could put us over .500 for the year.

Here's a recap of the last two weeks:

Club Car 23, Martini's Backdoor Bandits 20

Club Car 22, Gus' Gun Show 21

Two nailbiters. I don't have much information on these matches because I didn't play in either of them (which may or may not explain why we won them both). But that's the basic recap.

Tune in next week for more comprehensive coverage of what will hopefully be the continuation of our first legitimate "streak" of the season.

Dart League Week 10: Are You Kidding Me?

After we won our 4th straight team game on Monday to advance to an 18-10 lead, I had already mentally chalked up the win in my head. If I was a basketball player, I would have taken a seat at the end of the bench with the substitutes, taken off my shoes and started mugging for the camera and laughing a lot and playing with the radio commentators shit at that big, long table. At some point I would have had a towel on my head.

In my mind, I was practicing saying things like "great game guys" in my most gentle and condescending voice. In darts, nothing is more painful than hearing those hollow, meaningless words at the end of the game; I wanted to be sure I was ready to inflict that kind of pain when our last winning dart found its mark.

After all, 4 team games in a row! How do you stop momentum like that?

I'll tell you how: you win the next four to win going away by a score of 25 -18. Damn the luck.

Here are some highlights:

As a team, we probably hit more 5, 6, and 7 marks than we have all year in any match. Individually, I won my first 5 games, only to give an uninspired effort in the 6th game which could have given us the win.

Dart League Week 9: Shakespeare's Writes Us Another Tragedy

Michigan vs. Ohio State, Duke vs. UNC, Iowa vs. Western Michigan, and finally, the Club Car vs. Shakespeare's. These are the rivalries that have routinely captured the hearts and imaginations of citizens and sports fans around the world.

And as expected out of any major rivalry, it was a struggle all night long, with no points coming cheap.

As was not expected, Shakespeare's pulled away for a surprising 27-16 victory over a superior and more handsome team (that's right, put it on your bulletin board Shakespeare's).

But, as is often the case, handsome alone doesn't win you dart matches. You also need to throw darts and win big games, which we quite spectacularly failed to do.

Things were falling into place in the first round, as we came out with a 8-8 tie ballgame. Then the second round things unraveled as we saw a number of close games slip from our grasp and we began to lose hope.

But even as the lead began to accumulate and become insurmountable, we never, as a team, lost sight of our sense of revenge. As our team captain said: "If there is any justice in this world, we will be meeting Shakespeare's in the second round of the playoffs this year."

Congratulations to our worthy adversaries Shakespeare's, who proved, once again, to be an obstacle that we were unable to overcome. They kept cool heads and steady hands in our house, with our music, and our fans. For this they are to be commended. We look forward to seeing you again soon.

As always, there were a few highlights:

I won my two individual matches again, coming off the bench late in the game as Kyle was unable to play. Will and I had the most dominant win of the night, polishing off a game of 501 in the 8th round with an avg. of over 75 points per round and only needing one dart to double out for the victory.

In addition, I was able to eke out a win in the post game 20$ money match. That was a big victory because I had previously forsworn gambling on darts only the week before, and a loss would have made me depressed and irritable.

But who needs money? I would have traded back at least 4 of those 20 dollars for a dart match win.

You've got to know what's important in life.

Dart league Week 8: IRISH PRIDE!

What a win. That one was for the mother country. I love you great, great, great, great grandma MacGregory.

It came down to the last match, where Will hit a double-bull for the victory. If he wouldn't have hit it, Charliez boyz would have had six straight darts to hit a single 15 mark and win the game. Even taking into account the massive amount of green beer that our adversaries had consumed that Monday night, a single 15 would have been a sure thing.

As is customary after each club car win, an embarrassing amount of jumping and hugging and yelling ensued.

I've been to quite a few dart matches now, and I'm pretty sure we're the only team that does that.

As for my stat-sheet:

I started off slow, losing my two individuals, but then grabbed the next three win darts in doubles play and ended 3-3 for the evening. I dedicated two of my victories to Michael Collins and the last one to Alec Guinness, whom I mistakenly thought was Irish.

Long live Eire.

Dart League Week 7: A Perverse Advantage for a Worthy Adversary

I'm pretty sure the final score last night was 29-14, as we fell to the 6th ranked team from the Old Capitol Brewery. If it had been their usual roster, victory was possible, and perhaps even inevitable. It wasn't the usual team though. Instead, they had subbed in a new guy who was THE BEST DARTS PLAYER I HAVE EVER SEEN. EVER.

Because it was his first night, THE BEST DARTS PLAYER I HAVE EVER SEEN played with a 1 handicap (handicaps range from 3 to -3 in dart league). In several games of cricket he averaged over 6 marks per round. I can't guarantee that before last night I had ever even seen a game over 5 marks per round. I can guarantee, however, that after playing us he will be a -3 handicap against the next team he faces.

And that's what sucks. It's not that I think everyone should be handicapped so that we have a chance to win, because that's not the case. I'd even support a darts league that didn't even use handicaps.

The travesty, the grave injustice of the whole episode last night, was that THE BEST DARTS PLAYER I HAVE EVER SEEN hadn't been accurately handicapped. Thus the handicapping system gave this incredibly good player a kind of perverse advantage that he didn't need. Essentially, instead of serving to even the playing field, our players were actually handicapped against him.

For example, our top two players handicap-wise last night were Murphy at -1 and Griff at 0. This guy was miles better than the two of them (possibly combined), and yet while they got skipped a turn, he got extra darts.

But I guess that's the way the cookie crumbles whenever you're dealing with a handicap system-- it may just wind up handicapping the game itself.

Let it be known that as of this moment, Cornucopia, the Horn of Plenty is calling for a non-handicap system for the Iowa City Dart League.

Post-game facts for Nick Gregory--

My one victory for the night was in my first match, where I played horribly the entire match, had given up all hope, and then hit 8 bulls-eyes in 8 darts to steal a precious win from the jaws of defeat. Behind me, a small whimper of pain and confusion could be heard from my hapless opponent as my final dart found its mark. Small consolation, but consolation nonetheless.

Next week is St. Patty's Day. Look for Irish Pride, luck, and four leaf clovers to play a pivotal role.

Dart League Week 6: VICTORY AT LAST!!

The losing streak has finally ended with a 26-17 win over Charlie's Boyz. This is definitely something to build on for next week.

Unfortunately, I did very little to contribute, winning my first two individual matches but losing every team match thereafter.

I would like to note that I played tonight despite having slipped on the ice earlier today. The fall was severe enough to rip my jeans and draw blood. The team physician said that I should probably be out several weeks for rehab., and my friends and family begged me to take some time off, but I disregarded their advice. If we we're going to be pulling off an upset I didn't want to be sitting on the sidelines while my teammates basked in the glory of our adoring fans.

I think it's safe to say I made the right decision.

Dart League Week 5: The End is Nigh

Last week we suffered our worst loss since, maybe ever. I'll have to check on that. We lost 32-11 behind all-around poor team performances. Part of the problem was probably the snowstorm. And part of it was the discordant singing of our adversaries, which I found to be thoroughly unpleasant and annoying. Our captain went as far as to plug in his ipod and put headphones on to block out the distractions. Hostiliy was thinly veiled on both sides of field. And another part of the problem was probably our low handicaps, and the noise, and forgetting the score sheets, and getting stuck in the snow, and starting a 1/2 hour late, and wet socks, and superdelegates, and bright lights, and bad beer, and the subpar service. And on and on and on.

Excuses are coming faster than defeats these days. And that's saying a lot.

Dart League Week 4: The Losses Begin to Accumulate. The Time to Despair is Now.

We had a rough night at Martini's tonight. Final score: 29-14. Highlights: I went 4-2 and played passably. My individual record improved to 6-2. But I'd trade it all in for a championship. Darts isn't an individual game, it's a team game. I have a paper to write. I'm going to bed.

Dart League Week 3: Gut Check Time

I can tell this year things are not going to be quite as easy as they were last season. We're going to have to bite and claw for every point, focus on each toss, go in for the kill when are opponents are down. In short, unlike in the B League where we won 10 straight, we can't afford to get lazy.

Last night, once the dust settled and we wiped the sweat beading on our brows, we looked up at the scoreboard: a 27-16 loss. The loss was against the number 1 team in the league. They politely told us that we were the first team to keep them under 30 points this year, but under their hollow, condescending praise, I could hear a different message. That message: "Welcome to the A League."

After last week's loss against Shakespeare's, that makes two defeats in a row. It's gut check time. It's time to figure out if we deserve to be playing with these guys or not. If we're good enough to be here, then we've got to prove it. If we're not, well, we might as well hand in our gear (darts, beer) right now.

I just paid for new darts, and God knows I'm not going to stop drinking beer, so that only leaves one option.

See you next week.

Note:

Despite the loss, we were able to muster some highlights. Murray went 4-2, and he and Brad have yet to lose the final game (worth the most points). And I had a hat trick (3 bulls eyes in three darts) and my first ever league 9 mark (triple 17, triple 15, triple 15) to cinch a victory in a tight match.

Dart League Week II: An Undefeated Season Comes to an End

We are now 1-1 for the spring season. Last night was an awful, inexplicable 26-17 loss at the hands of cross-town rival Shakespeare's Ravens.

Things you need to know about this season:

1. After dominating the B League last season, we've been bumped up to the A League. The money is the same, but the A League carries with it significantly more prestige and a larger fan base.

2. Though last year I fared much better in team dart matches than individual, this year is proving to be the opposite. As of last Monday, I am still unbeaten in individual matches, taking a 4-0 record into next week.

More statistics will be forthcoming as they are released.

Spring Dart League Week 1: REDEMPTION

Tonight was the inaugural night of the spring season of dart league. That's right, the team had just seven short weeks from the end of last season to the beginning of this season to relax and enjoy ourselves. Some of the guys played golf, some went on vacations with their families, and all of us took time to reflect upon the disappointing end to last season. And now, after less than 2 months of break, we're back to the daily grind of being weekly dart players.

Grueling, I know. But that's why we get paid the big bucks. Last year we took in more than any non-champion team in the league ($150). I can't imagine this year will be any different.

Why? Let's take a look at the numbers: 5 returning starters, 5 players in the top 45 in the league, a 10-4 record, a 10 game winning streak mid-season, and the highest total winning percentage in the league.

In fact, if you erase our awful quarterfinal loss to the best team in the league, Joe's Place, we might just have been returning champions this year. But that's not how it works. Even Michael Jordan and the bulls lost to the Pistons their fair share before they found a way to seal the deal You can't erase losses, you can only wait until the next season to seek your revenge.

And that's exactly what happened tonight.

In an ironic twist of fate, in tonight's season opener we were pitted against the exact same team that knocked us out last season by the embarrassing score of 23-3.

And we had to confront a question: would we shrivel up and concede defeat, or would we fight like the warriors we know we are?

The answer came in a hard fought 26-16 victory for the Club Car. Just like last year, there were a lot of close games. But unlike last year, we won more of them than we lost. Last year, I don't know if we would have had the experience or talent to pull it out. This year we did.

For those of you keeping score at home, here are the figures you need to be concerned with:

Record: 1-0.

Potential: unlimited.

Dart league Playoffs: Round 2 vs. Joe's Place: The End of a Dream

We lost tonight. We lost bad. We didn't play well and we didn't win ANY close games. Even if we would have played the best games of our lives, I couldn't guarantee that we would've won, but at least it would have been nice to have made a game of it.

Mid-match our team captain bought tee-shirts for everyone in an effort to rally the team. I commend him for his effort, but the gesture proved ineffective and only made us feel silly as we sat in our new shirts and watched our opponents pound us into submission.

I have little more to say. The dream is dead. The miracle season is over. I will never play the piano again.

Thank you all so much for your support.

Dec. 17, 2007: The Most Important Day of My Life. Batting Average of .400

When I went to bed last night, I knew that today (or yesterday, seeing as it's past midnight) was going to be the most important day of my life.

Not only did I have my contracts test, which constitutes 1/3 of the most important tests that I will ever take, but more importantly, I participated in the quarterfinals of the Iowa City Dart League.

Today, December 17th, was the culmination of all of my academic and recreational efforts of the last 6 months. I was looking to go 2 for 2.

I'm sorry to report that I actually went about .8 for 2. Which, in a baseball context, means I'm batting .400, which isn't actually that bad. Note-- Nick Gregory often insulates himself from reality using excess amounts of industrial grade silver lining.

Here's a breakdown of the day:

1. The contracts exam--

Four essay questions, four hours. I worked, I wrote, I analyzed, I proof-read, I cited. I did everything I needed to do to make sure that I succeeded on that exam. Upon arriving at my apartment I realized that there were several issues I might have missed. However, I take solace in the fact that I can absolutely guarantee that I did not fail the test. I also believe that I couldn't have done better if I studied more. I now leave the result in the hands of a benevolent god (who I definitely believe in, wink wink, nudge nudge). Score: .8/1.

2. The dart game--

When I left the exam, I had about 2 hours to mentally and physically prepare myself for the most important game of the season. I had a good feeling all day long. Unfortunately, the miracle season came, rather unceremoniously, to an end. Read more about it in the next post.

Dart League Playoffs: Round 1 vs. Team Gus

The first piece of the puzzle is firmly in place. There are 8 teams left, and three more games between us and the realization of all of our wildest dreams. I didn't play this game, but I'll be playing next week's quarterfinal match-up versus Joe's Place.

My sources indicate that the rounds broke down like this:

Score after round 1:
Club Car 10, Team Gus 6

Score after round 2:
Club Car 22, Team Gus 12

Score after round 3:
Because 22 points wins a game, and we are now in the playoffs, this round was not necessary.

We were the best team coming out of the second division, and Team Gus was the worst team coming out of the first division. So, even though we were seeded 9th and Team Gus was 8th, I really didn't view this as an upset. I don't think anyone else did either.

We'll save our upset for next week, when we play third seeded Joe's Place. Last year our end of the year run came to an end at Joe's Place, so this year should be all the more sweet when we get the V at the end of three rounds.

Until then, it's all hard work and focus. You probably won't be able to reach me for the next 4 days or so. I'll be at the gym. . . pumping iron and making sure my dreams will become a reality.

Dart League Week 12 vs. Team Legalize It

Score after round 1:
Club Car 10, Legalize It 6

Score after round 2:
Club Car 19, Legalize It 15

Score after round 3:
Club Car 23, Legalize it 20

Last week, after months of fruitless searches, I found my Club Car darts t-shirt from the previous year. I don't think the significance of this event should be underestimated. Picture this: if the impossible happens, if we do we end up winning the title this year and become disgustingly rich and famous, I think a good deal of that will be due to having appropriate apparel the day of the big game.

True, I played in my Hiromatsu Japanese baseball jersey for several weeks. But Hiromatsu invariably produced mixed results. Why is this?

What people don't understand, and I certainly didn't as of one week ago, is that darts is a sport, like football or basketball, that you can't just use any old shirt to play in. Imagine a football player wearing Tiger Woods red polo for a big game. Would that fly for a football game? Of course not. Why? Because football players need the kind of protection that comes from wearing shoulder pads and helmets. They also need jerseys that clearly mark who is on each team so they don't start passing to anyone wearing a red polo shirt. In short, the needs of the game dictate the apparel of the game.

Darts is EXACTLY like that. How can I expect to play in a Hiromatsu baseball jersey and honestly expect to perform well? The buttons push against my abdomen, forcing me to be tense and uncomfortable, and the perforation of the jersey causes the airflow to reach levels that are abnormal and confusing to my body. This in turn makes me nervous, causing my hand to shake and my darts to fly imperfectly. It's just simple physiology. This doesn't even take into account the far more serious threat that, when I'm not wearing a Club Car jersey, half the time I don't even know whose on my team! Seriously, I just throw darts at a board, go home, and hope somebody sorts it out at the end.

True, I could look at my teammates faces or general body types to distinguish them. But eye-contact and human interaction make me extremely uncomfortable. I'm a dart-thrower, not a psychologist. A far more sound way would be to have everyone wear jerseys identifying which team they play for. That way we can be sure there will be no confusion once the lights turn on and the action begins.

It's quite clear that a black cotton t-shirt that says "Club Car Darts" is literally the only way to go. It all seems so clear now.

So, like a high school football player on game day (or grade school cub scout on picture day) I wore my jersey at school during game day. As I strutted through the halls, my peers slapped my back and lavished me with encouragement. I knew a lot was riding on this game tonight, and I wasn't about to let my community and nation down.

When I arrived at the Club Car, I could tell that we would have our hands full. The members of team "Legalize It" were at the line practicing, and the sweet smell of freshly smoked pot that permeated the men's room was a sure sign that they had been making preparations for some time now. They definitely weren't going to be taking this game lightly.

I was proven correct when, late in the game, either team had a legitimate chance to win it. And for that, team Legalize It should be applauded. Not everyone has the courage to stand up to a team that has won 8 straight matches and go the full ten rounds. But we were able to claw out a win despite their efforts and their practice, and despite their possible use of performance enhancing drugs (the latter is a topic for the Iowa City Dart League Performance Enhancing Drug Enforcement Agency, or, ICDLPEDEA. Considering they only have a staff of 23 local people and several volunteers, I honestly don't see them having the time).

So that's 9 straight heading into playoffs. Who would've thought that so much could be accomplished with just a little teamwork and a few comfortable cotton jerseys?

Dart League Week 11 vs. Team Drinks

Score after round 1:
Club Car 6, Drinks 10

Score after round 2:
Club Car 18, Drinks 16

Score after round 3:
Club Car 27, Drinks 16

The hallmark of a good team is that they are able to play through adversity and find a way to win even when they aren't playing well. At one point, we were down 16-9. Our opponents were confident and in good spirits and throwing the best darts of their lives. We weathered the storm though and scored 18 straight points to put the game away. It was amusing to watch as they silently grew angry at each other and began to unravel. Our response reminded me of that part in Bloodsport where Jean Claude Van Damme tastes his own blood and then starts doing helicopter kicks all over the damn place and wins the Kuhmatah.

One more week of fine tuning before playoffs begin. If we win next week, we'll be taking a 9 game winning streak into the playoffs. No team will want to play us.

Let the games begin. . .

Dart League Week 10 vs. Team Hard Tips

Score after round 1:
Club Car 14, Hard Tips 2

Score after round 2:
Club Car 26, Hard Tips 8

Score after round 3:
Club Car 35, Hard Tips 8

People play darts for many reasons. Some play for the feeling you get when, after having landed that final dart in the center of the bull, the machine begins to flash and beep, advertising your victory and superiority to all the alcoholics in attendance. Others play for the camaraderie or the exercise. Not a few times have I seen a serious dartist thrown of track because he forgot to wear his headband.

Me? I play darts for the fans. For the feeling I get when I hear the roar of the crowd as pound my opponent on triple 20's. Nothing, and I mean nothing can match that feeling.

That's why tonight's game was such a treat for me. As it turns out, my girlfriend's best friend was in town interviewing for the physician's assistant program here at Iowa. The two of them, looking for something fun (inspirational?) to do, came to watch Team Club Car in action. For someone like me, who feeds off of the energy of the crowd night in and night out, this was a huge boon. Though I'm used to playing in front of people, the addition of Emily and her friend more than doubled the amount of spectators we typically have at our games. You could hardly hear yourself think. It was absolute madness.

But that's really what it's all about isn't it. . . the fans. Monday night warriors aren't just playing to buff their egos or score a free beer; we're playing to make someone's life better. Sure, I like it when I do well. I'd be lying if I said it doesn't feel good. But it feels a hell of a lot better when I look up and see those teary-eyed faces after a major victory. I don't want to lose sight of the fact that a lot of people's happiness depends on me winning games. And if that means that by throwing a couple of silly projectiles at a flashing board the world can be made a better place. . . so be it.

I'm just going to keep throwing darts.

*This post is dedicated to all the people in the world who draw inspiration from the awesome dart throwers that they idolize.

Dart League Week 9 vs. Team Gus' Gun Show

Score after round 1:
Club Car Bombs 8, Team Gus' Gun Show 8

Score after round 2:
Club Car Bombs 20, Team Gus' Gun Show 14

Score after round 3:
Club Car Bombs 29, Team Gus' Gun Show14

This was billed as a showdown of the two titans of the second division, and after the first round, it was just as advertised: two heavyweights toe to toe, slugging it out as the fans watched in awe. At one point, Team Gus' even took a 14-11 lead. This may have been just what team Club Car needed to wake them up, as they quickly shut the door on a stunned Gus' by rattling off 18 consecutive points.

Good teams don't get frazzled, they lock down and score points. That makes six straight wins.

Highlight of the evening-- Murray hits a 9 mark (triple 19, triple 18, triple 17) during one particularly successful streak. His hapless opponent cries like a schoolgirl at his bad luck and takes another shot of whiskey.

Postgame highlight of the evening-- Nick and Kyle beating Murray and Griff on a combined six straight bulls-eyes in order to win a rubber match and 5 dollars apiece.