WRITE UP # 5: OUCH
CAPTAIN'S LOG: DART DATE: 4 - 17 - 06
It had been a long lay off for the Dartbags (Most Drinkin'est and Friendliest Team in NYC TM) and maybe the rust was still there. Or maybe the lads just hadn't completely sobered up from their epic quest to Galway the week before to celebrate Vince's pending nuptials. The 'Bags even brought their arrows to Ireland in hopes of throwing a few with the locals, but never got the chance. Apparently you're about as likely to find a dartboard in a Galway pub as you are a mechanical bull.
Who knew.
Back in the USA with their livers relatively in tact, the 'Bags headed to familiar ground, Gaf East to face MYOB. The Gaf is a terrific bar with friendly people, but a virtual house of horrors for the 'Bags. (Have we EVER won there? Doesn't feel like it.)
With Nellie and Gins there for support, and all 'Bags present and accounted for except Farty, (who was in England where presumably you can find a dartboard) the 'Bags began their weekly quest for a darting victory and a tasty buzz.
For a change of pace the 'Bags started off the evening with a nice Cuppa Joe. Cup would face off against 'Bag nemesis, Carlos. It was a rather listless start, with neither player quite on top of his game. The first two were close with Carlos doubling out first. In the last frame Cup found his game and pulled out the W, putting the Good Guys on the board. 1-2
Frank then squared off against Andre. The Captain was hot, racking up 581 ASPs, but with Duran Duran's "Wild Boys" blaring from the juke box, Frank could not hit the crucial last dart. Missing your outs is painful enough, you don't need Simon LeBon mocking you the whole time ("Wild boooooys, never looooose iiiit!"). That's just insult to injury. But such was his fate and he let two slip away. However, in match 3, to the much more appropriate strains of Pat Benatar's "Hit Me With Your Best Shot" he was able to salvage the final point. (Thank you, Pat.) 2-4
The 'Bags sent BLT against Suzana for round 3. (NOTE: Big Friendly Tim has been redubbed "Big Lucky Tim" for one week to honor his Irish trip). Tim did not bring extra flights and, as is the punishment for such a crime, was given sissy flights as his replacement (in this case a rainbow pattern with little bubbles on it). Unfazed, BLT got in a nice triple groove, smacking 79s to 83s. Perhaps Ireland did him some good. Normally possesed by a silent intensity, Tim seemed unusually relaxed and comfortable, even commenting during the match on his fruity flights by breaking out his much celebrated "Christopher Walken Doing a Starburst Commercial" bit. ("Taste... the RAINbow of flavas... lime, lemon... grape!")
Line of the Night
Cup: He looks as confident as Mike Ginsberg in front of a bottle of Tequila.
Truer words have never been spoken. As if on cue, Tim popped a 95.
After taking 2, he began to flag in the final frame. On 70 with a do-or-die turn, Tim aimed T-10 and caught a 6. With the Captain's advice he aimed for the T-8/T-16 wedge to land on an out, but hit a D-16 instead. (Hey, even better!) He steadied himself, did the BLT "Triple Pump" (TM) and sank a second dart in D-16 for the win. 5-4
Way to go Rainbow Warrior!
In the final singles round, the 'Bags sent Vince out against Greg. Vince was slow out of the gate, and dropped the first match. 5-5. But in the second match, Vince started to look like his old self. He won a squeaker. In the third match, 'Cenzo was up to cruising altitude and walked away with a sound victory. And what started as a 2-4, clunker was now a 7-5 advantage.
Cricket has been giving us trouble all year. Tonight was no exception. Playing the hot hand, the 'Bags sent out Vince with Glenn seeking to put a strong foot forward. It didn't work. Some valiant darts by Vince, but the 'Bags dropped 2 of 3 to Carlos and Sue. 8-7
FrankenTim went up against Andre and Jackie in the in the final cricket match. Jackie was relentless. Three every time at least. The 'Bags let the first one slip, took the second, while losing a frustrating rubber match to make the score an even 9-9.
On to doubles. Frank and Colin "The Microwave" O'Donnell (seeing his first action of the season) went up against the women- Jackie and Sue. Colin had previously enjoyed a delicious burrito from "Taco Taco" and consumed a large serving of baklavah. With his pre-game ritual complete, big things were expected. A quick double in by Frank quickly gave way to some stellar darts by the ladies. Jackie was still relentless. They dropped the first. In game 2 Colin got the good guys on the board. A late 94 put the 'Bags on 52 with the lady Gaffers poised to go out on double top. Colin stepped to the line. First dart - fat 20. (Nice.). Second dart... high of the mark D-8. Colin chuckled, threw up his hands (as he is wont to do) and stepped back from the line.
By this point, the dart enthusiasts in the bar sensed a change in the air. The other league game stopped, and directed their attention to the back board. There were murmurs in the crowd... and that's when it began... the slow, rhythmic chant; "Rus-tee... Rus-tee... Rus-tee..."
And lo! O'Donnell held Ol' Rusty aloft in the dim Gaf light! Ol' Rusty! Enchanted arrow! Bane of Fockers and Smiter of Gaffers!! And verily, the crowd released a collective gasp! O'Donnell spoke aloud addressing his dart, "Once more into the breach dear friend. Go then... and seek your brother!!" And with a mighty crosshanded swipe, he let fly. Ol' Rusty twisted through the air and in blur of flickering brass, struck the second dart - holding fast below it in the D-8! Colin pumped his fist in jubiliation; "Victory is ours! A pint of Brooklyn for all my Dartbag friends!" And there was much rejoicing.
Then we lost the last match. 10-11.
In the final set, Carlos refused to miss the triple 20 under any circumstances. He went in on a ton and was en fuego the entire time. Cup'nVince shot okay. But it wasn't enough. Superb darts. Gotta tip your cap to the man. Three more points for the Gaffers and the final score was 10-14.
At the end of the evening, Brian the bartender informed me that the bill had been taken care of by Vince, who left silently (though not without singeing the curtains as he brushed past them on the way out.) Brian wanted to inform me that there seemed to be a reaction to the bill and seeked to clarify that we had not been overcharged. Inquiring about it the next morning, I received this response.
"What Brian was picking up on was rage. Pure, unadulterated rage."
Yep. That pretty much sums up the night. Another wall-puncher of a night. It's been a rough go so far this year. We have simply not played up to our standards. But there are a lot of darts left. We're not even half way through the season and there is be plenty of time for redemption... and revenge. Frustration aside, it was a fun evening that provided some moments for the highlight reel. Let's do it again on Monday. We are back at the Friendly Confines against Who Darted?, a familiar foe and a good bunch of guys. Let's dial back the beer intake from 8 pints to 6, bring the arrows, and seek to get on the right path.
Thanks to all the Gaffers (Sybil, Brian, Tom, Steve, Jason, et al.) for their hospitality and for being good sports.
That is all.
-Capt. Furious
-----------------------
Props:
BLT and Colin for some clutch finishes.
All Stars:
Frank: 701
Vince: 338
Cup: 190
BLT: 95
It had been a long lay off for the Dartbags (Most Drinkin'est and Friendliest Team in NYC TM) and maybe the rust was still there. Or maybe the lads just hadn't completely sobered up from their epic quest to Galway the week before to celebrate Vince's pending nuptials. The 'Bags even brought their arrows to Ireland in hopes of throwing a few with the locals, but never got the chance. Apparently you're about as likely to find a dartboard in a Galway pub as you are a mechanical bull.
Who knew.
Back in the USA with their livers relatively in tact, the 'Bags headed to familiar ground, Gaf East to face MYOB. The Gaf is a terrific bar with friendly people, but a virtual house of horrors for the 'Bags. (Have we EVER won there? Doesn't feel like it.)
With Nellie and Gins there for support, and all 'Bags present and accounted for except Farty, (who was in England where presumably you can find a dartboard) the 'Bags began their weekly quest for a darting victory and a tasty buzz.
For a change of pace the 'Bags started off the evening with a nice Cuppa Joe. Cup would face off against 'Bag nemesis, Carlos. It was a rather listless start, with neither player quite on top of his game. The first two were close with Carlos doubling out first. In the last frame Cup found his game and pulled out the W, putting the Good Guys on the board. 1-2
Frank then squared off against Andre. The Captain was hot, racking up 581 ASPs, but with Duran Duran's "Wild Boys" blaring from the juke box, Frank could not hit the crucial last dart. Missing your outs is painful enough, you don't need Simon LeBon mocking you the whole time ("Wild boooooys, never looooose iiiit!"). That's just insult to injury. But such was his fate and he let two slip away. However, in match 3, to the much more appropriate strains of Pat Benatar's "Hit Me With Your Best Shot" he was able to salvage the final point. (Thank you, Pat.) 2-4
The 'Bags sent BLT against Suzana for round 3. (NOTE: Big Friendly Tim has been redubbed "Big Lucky Tim" for one week to honor his Irish trip). Tim did not bring extra flights and, as is the punishment for such a crime, was given sissy flights as his replacement (in this case a rainbow pattern with little bubbles on it). Unfazed, BLT got in a nice triple groove, smacking 79s to 83s. Perhaps Ireland did him some good. Normally possesed by a silent intensity, Tim seemed unusually relaxed and comfortable, even commenting during the match on his fruity flights by breaking out his much celebrated "Christopher Walken Doing a Starburst Commercial" bit. ("Taste... the RAINbow of flavas... lime, lemon... grape!")
Line of the Night
Cup: He looks as confident as Mike Ginsberg in front of a bottle of Tequila.
Truer words have never been spoken. As if on cue, Tim popped a 95.
After taking 2, he began to flag in the final frame. On 70 with a do-or-die turn, Tim aimed T-10 and caught a 6. With the Captain's advice he aimed for the T-8/T-16 wedge to land on an out, but hit a D-16 instead. (Hey, even better!) He steadied himself, did the BLT "Triple Pump" (TM) and sank a second dart in D-16 for the win. 5-4
Way to go Rainbow Warrior!
In the final singles round, the 'Bags sent Vince out against Greg. Vince was slow out of the gate, and dropped the first match. 5-5. But in the second match, Vince started to look like his old self. He won a squeaker. In the third match, 'Cenzo was up to cruising altitude and walked away with a sound victory. And what started as a 2-4, clunker was now a 7-5 advantage.
Cricket has been giving us trouble all year. Tonight was no exception. Playing the hot hand, the 'Bags sent out Vince with Glenn seeking to put a strong foot forward. It didn't work. Some valiant darts by Vince, but the 'Bags dropped 2 of 3 to Carlos and Sue. 8-7
FrankenTim went up against Andre and Jackie in the in the final cricket match. Jackie was relentless. Three every time at least. The 'Bags let the first one slip, took the second, while losing a frustrating rubber match to make the score an even 9-9.
On to doubles. Frank and Colin "The Microwave" O'Donnell (seeing his first action of the season) went up against the women- Jackie and Sue. Colin had previously enjoyed a delicious burrito from "Taco Taco" and consumed a large serving of baklavah. With his pre-game ritual complete, big things were expected. A quick double in by Frank quickly gave way to some stellar darts by the ladies. Jackie was still relentless. They dropped the first. In game 2 Colin got the good guys on the board. A late 94 put the 'Bags on 52 with the lady Gaffers poised to go out on double top. Colin stepped to the line. First dart - fat 20. (Nice.). Second dart... high of the mark D-8. Colin chuckled, threw up his hands (as he is wont to do) and stepped back from the line.
By this point, the dart enthusiasts in the bar sensed a change in the air. The other league game stopped, and directed their attention to the back board. There were murmurs in the crowd... and that's when it began... the slow, rhythmic chant; "Rus-tee... Rus-tee... Rus-tee..."
And lo! O'Donnell held Ol' Rusty aloft in the dim Gaf light! Ol' Rusty! Enchanted arrow! Bane of Fockers and Smiter of Gaffers!! And verily, the crowd released a collective gasp! O'Donnell spoke aloud addressing his dart, "Once more into the breach dear friend. Go then... and seek your brother!!" And with a mighty crosshanded swipe, he let fly. Ol' Rusty twisted through the air and in blur of flickering brass, struck the second dart - holding fast below it in the D-8! Colin pumped his fist in jubiliation; "Victory is ours! A pint of Brooklyn for all my Dartbag friends!" And there was much rejoicing.
Then we lost the last match. 10-11.
In the final set, Carlos refused to miss the triple 20 under any circumstances. He went in on a ton and was en fuego the entire time. Cup'nVince shot okay. But it wasn't enough. Superb darts. Gotta tip your cap to the man. Three more points for the Gaffers and the final score was 10-14.
At the end of the evening, Brian the bartender informed me that the bill had been taken care of by Vince, who left silently (though not without singeing the curtains as he brushed past them on the way out.) Brian wanted to inform me that there seemed to be a reaction to the bill and seeked to clarify that we had not been overcharged. Inquiring about it the next morning, I received this response.
"What Brian was picking up on was rage. Pure, unadulterated rage."
Yep. That pretty much sums up the night. Another wall-puncher of a night. It's been a rough go so far this year. We have simply not played up to our standards. But there are a lot of darts left. We're not even half way through the season and there is be plenty of time for redemption... and revenge. Frustration aside, it was a fun evening that provided some moments for the highlight reel. Let's do it again on Monday. We are back at the Friendly Confines against Who Darted?, a familiar foe and a good bunch of guys. Let's dial back the beer intake from 8 pints to 6, bring the arrows, and seek to get on the right path.
Thanks to all the Gaffers (Sybil, Brian, Tom, Steve, Jason, et al.) for their hospitality and for being good sports.
That is all.
-Capt. Furious
-----------------------
Props:
BLT and Colin for some clutch finishes.
All Stars:
Frank: 701
Vince: 338
Cup: 190
BLT: 95
posted by Captain Furious at 9:02 AM
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