Exciting Match Madness at China Dragon

By Ty Hughes
Digital Music Systems’ Bill Clark hosted his very first tournament on Saturday, April 13th at the China Dragon in Seattle for WWDL players.
Eight 4-person teams filled the tiny bar on Aurora Avenue, which had been transformed to accommodate six DARTSLIVE boards. Thirty-two dart players and their friends from as far away as Covington came out to the China Dragon in hopes to get their mitts on a bit of the guaranteed $1,500 cash payout. Owners Phil, Richard, and their sweet little mother were flabbergasted by the response, and did everything possible to keep up with the onslaught at the bar.
“This place has been busier than ever before since bringing in the new DARTSLIVE boards!” said Chris, their Dart Coordinator. Recently engaged to his girlfriend Basia, he was sporting the biggest smile.
The eight teams participating included:

• Siren Tavern’s Gary, Dave, Romie, and Bobby
• MVPub’s Mike, Robin, Russ, and Blake
• Wayne’s World’s DJ, Dan, Duane, and Don
• China Dragon’s Galen, Chris, Richard, and Matt
• R Bar’s Jeff, George, Marie, and Tom
• Interchange Tavern’s Kevin, Bruce, Gracie, and Mike
• Gonzo’s Bre, Derek, Sean, and Aaron
• Bad Monkey’s Mike, Ken, Phil, and Mandy

Spirits were high as these teams went after each other, mano y mano, using their darts to do the trash talking. Everyone in the place was cheery and excited to compete, especially the newly formed Gonzo’s team of newbies, who went undefeated, straight to the Driver’s Seat! They were so pumped up, cheering, high-fiving, and jumping around. Their amateur status was getting a bump - the enthusiasm was refreshing, even contagious.
The celebration went on into the evening when team R Bar finally slid into 4th Place. China Dragon finished the day with an impressive 3rd Place, and $240 in cash. And in the final match, it was Wayne’s World vs. Gonzo’s. Everyone stuck around to witness the outcome.
Tagged as old school versus new school, these next several games were amazing to watch. Gonzo’s team is young, and brand new to darts. Wayne’s World is a veteran team, with the most veteran of all players, DJ Snell, with 30 years under his belt.
Derek and Bre were especially en fuego at the line, and their teammates helped to kick Wayne’s World in the gut. Wayne’s World came out a little flat at first, with all the momentum and excitement in Gonzo’s corner. The bar was still packed, enjoying the match for what it was.
DJ and his team, with all their experience, were not planning on losing to these ultra-hot-shooting newbies on the scene. The energy was definitely in Gonzo’s favor, but skill and strategy prevailed as Wayne’s World took the first match, bringing them out of the Loser’s Bracket and even with Gonzo’s.
As the bitter taste of defeat was fresh on their tongue, Gonzo’s eventually fell to Wayne’s World, who put on an incredible show to the very end. For 2nd Place, a gracious Gonzo’s team of good sportsmen, were ecstatic when Bill Clark handed them $480 in cash! Wayne’s World picked up a whopping $780 to split between them. Congrats boys!
Thankful for a successful tournament, Bill Clark said, “Tonight was the best display of great sportsmanship I have seen in any sport in a long time. Newer players and veterans both got along great, and played some exciting matches. I Can’t wait until next month to see the program grow. Fun will once again be the key element in Match Madness!”
“I just watched one of the best matches I’ve ever seen,” Gary Rouse exclaimed.
There is an important lesson here for both teams that should not be lost; veteran shooters should remember to convey that positive enthusiasm for darts that they had when they began, and those players new to darts need to respect the veteran players and the game with humility, regardless of their skill level. It’s important to be teachable, no matter how long you’ve been throwing darts, 30 days or 30 years.
Great job to everyone, and thanks for coming out for a fun day of darts at the China Dragon.
Keep your eyes on the Medallion for regular WWDL events going on all over the place, every month! See their Facebook page for up-to-the-minute updates at Western WA Dart Leagues.