Sorry for the delay in getting this out to you, but there are two reasons.
Firstly, we had the Midwest Summer Classic at the weekend
(along with our US Team Regional), and secondly, I changed my mind about what I was going to write! I'll still post my original blog
at some point in the near future, but thanks to certain events and conversations at the tournament, I decided to strike while the iron was hot.
As I write this, I'm not even sure how long this particular blog will be, but I wouldn't be too surprised if this turned into a
two-parter. Still, we'll have to wait and see. In addition, I haven't got a clue what I will call this, but it really is
going to be a mixed bag of emotions and attitudes that we experience in darts - and life - along with some clever use of quotations and/or adages.
1) "I play darts for fun!"
Really? Of course, that is one of the main reasons for us all to play the game, but it's amazing to discover how many
individuals really don't. I do this for a living, and I thrive on competition, but do you honestly think that I would
put myself through some of this nonsense if I didn't love the game?
The nonsense I'm talking about is dealing with those
who are resentful of anyone who has put in the time and effort - and money - to get better.
I will cite a couple of specific examples, the first being one that I am sick of hearing, "You take darts too seriously! I play for fun!"
Well, I am doing this for a living, so I don't think that it would be a bad idea to take it seriously. Even if I wasn't trying to pay
the bills from my prize money, I would still be putting in some effort; after all, wanting to win isn't - and shouldn't be - a crime.
So, if you think that you're playing "for fun", why are you so bitter and angry? Sure, winning is enjoyable, but if one genuinely does
partake in a given pursuit "for fun", then the outcome shouldn't matter. It does seem that money often rears its ugly head in these matters,
but unless you physically cannot afford to indulge in a hobby or pastime, the money should be no more than a side issue.
People collect postage stamps, they restore motorcycles, they play golf, they build models, and they tend the garden.
All common hobbies, and all will cost time and MONEY. Why should darts be any different? This now leads me to the next
example; a night where one would have thought that I was Lucifer himself!
I played a local blind draw, and we had twelve players (six teams). If you were running the thing, how far would you pay d
own? Most will answer, "Second - at most." They paid the Top Four.
That's right, you pay $5 to play, and four players get at least $3 back without even playing! To my mind, if you simply
want to reward the masses (without them doing anything), then why even have a "competition?"
I questioned it, only to be met with yells of, "We're not all professionals like you; we just play for fun!"
Fine.
I then made a suggestion: "Let's run another draw after this one, with no entry fee and no prize money. Now
we'll see who plays for fun!" We all know that none of those players would, so how can they claim that they truly "play for fun?"
It's the same when I hear complaints about good players being at small tournaments; "You're just here to beat up on the
locals and take our money!"
This is when I come up with another suggestion: "This evening, I will run a cricket singles, all matches being best-of-seven.
No entry fee, and no prize money."
Who will play? Certainly not those locals who say that they "Play for fun." However, most of the better players will play,
as they want to play darts, they want the competition, and they want bragging rights. Therefore, it is the top shooters - those who are
deemed to be no more than evil mercenaries - who can rightly claim to "Play for fun!"
2) "Let's make it interesting, and play for..."
Quite the opposite of my last point. I never understand players who come up to me in a bar, and ask me if I'd like to play a game.
When I reply in the affirmative, I get, "Okay, let's play for $5." Sometimes, "Let's play for a beer."
Either way, my response is always a resounding "NO!"
"Why not? It makes it interesting!"
No it doesn't. If you want us to play, that's fine, but I'm not going to play for a beer, for money, or anything.
"There's no point in playing, then." is the usual response, as my would-be challenger storms off back to the bar.
No point in playing? Hmmm... If you have no interest in playing a game for the sheer enjoyment of playing darts,
I have no interest in playing against you.
Aside from my own feelings, I have seen too many games turn nasty because of money (even small amounts) or a beer.
3) "Winning isn't everything."
How often I hear discussions and disagreements about this. To a lot of people who do genuinely play for fun, it really isn't everything.
It's about the enjoyment of the game, the camaraderie, and even the competition - win or lose.
Then, there are those who claim that, "Winning isn't everything; it's the ONLY thing." That is a view to which I really do not subscribe.
I don't care who you are, or how good you are, you're going to lose sometime. Get used to it. It's done, you can't change it,
and you have to now focus on your next match.
Many look upon losing as a failure, but it's not. Providing you are doing your best, there is no way that it can be construed a
failure. Neither is it a that big a deal providing you learn from it. Losing is actually one of the keys to success, and the true
winners in this world have used these losses to make them stronger and better.
Basically, you have to learn to lose before you can learn to win.
Finally, this makes me think of a small plaque I saw in a shop window. It said, "Winning isn't everything. Wanting to win is."
I honestly believe that.
4) "Don't you ever get bored with winning?"
That doesn't even deserve an answer!
No, I don't get bored with winning, but I get tired of losing...
A friend approached me at the weekend, and said that if I won everything, there would be nothing else to shoot for.
I'm sure a lot of you will agree. However, does it look like Phil Taylor feels that way? While I'm not going to claim that
I am another Phil Taylor, I can honestly relate to his thoughts and desires.
Phil is the best there is, and is the best there has ever been. Despite that, he wants to be better!
As I told this friend, "I don't want to be better than everybody else. I want to be the best that I can be."
5) "If it ain't broke, don't fix it."
Following on from above, it's easy to say that sport is about winning and losing, but personal performance should be the
ultimate goal.
Winners want to keep winning, and keep improving, and keep setting records. It's amazing, though, and quite sad,
just how many individuals seem comfortable with what they are, and what they have done.
Another friend at the weekend noticed that my mechanics and rhythm are a little different to what they were a few years ago.
To him, I just messed up by changing something that didn't need changing; to me, it was a case of seeking out something better.
If you look at top players now, and then watch videos of them five and ten years ago, you will notice a lot changes, albeit
subtle ones. It's because of that quest for improvement, and again, Phil Taylor is a prime example.
Anyway, as I suspected, this is going to run into a second blog, and this seems a good place to stop for now.
I'll be back with more of this in a few days.