MEDIA
TAKING AIM
The weekly steel dart tournament at Paddy’s is growing steadily, attracting amateurs and professionals alike to take their best shots.
Fayetteville Observer
August 4, 2009
Brian Dukes
Bill Ayerbe held the last of his three darts aloft.
His eyes bored holes into the “double 1” slice of the dart board pie — the precious space of real estate he needed his dart to find. The slightest millimeter could make the difference between victory and defeat for him and his teammate Brian Delgado. Breath held, eyes squinted, Ayerbe let the dart fly.
Ayerbe’s dart wobbled mid-air, landing on the board at a physicsdefying angle. It was an “ugly” throw, as Ayerbe said later.
But it was enough. The dart found its target, and Ayerbe and Delgado advanced to the next round of the weekly Wednesday night steel dart tournament at Paddy’s Irish Public House — the only known tournament of its kind in the city.
There are plenty of dart nights and league competition at other venues, but they use plastic darts.
Wednesday night visitors to Paddy’s Raeford Road pub will find this scene often repeated, complete with soaring darts, sloshing beer and crunching numbers.
That’s right. Crunching numbers. While darts is a game of both skill and luck, there definitely is some math involved when it comes to tallying scores. Competitors in the tourney play one of two standard darts games — Cricket or 501.
“The math can get a bit fuzzy after a few beers,” said Paddy Gibney, the bar’s owner. “But everyone has a good time, and that’s what I care about.”
Gibney has held the tournaments for a few months and said he has seen a steady increase in the number — and quality — of participants.
“We’ve got all kinds,” said Gibney. “From national champs like Brian Blake to amateurs like myself.”
Blake was the 2008 American Darts Organization’s Men’s Singles Points Champion.
He will travel to Charlotte in September as part of the 2008 U.S. team at the World Dart Federation World Cup, which will feature 35 countries competing.
For Blake, the Wednesday night tournaments give him a chance to hone his skills.
“This is a great place for me to practice,” said Blake. “It’s a fun time, and it gives me a chance to get other people interested in darts, which helps the sport grow.”
Local darts legends Joe Creech and Sonny Wise also can be found throwing steel on Wednesday nights at Paddy’s.
“We’re going to show some of these young guys how it’s done,” said Creech behind a wry smile.
“Well, I’m not too sure about that,” added Wise. “I literally haven’t touched darts in years; I’m way too rusty.”
Brian Delgado, a soldier at Fort Bragg who said he hasn’t played darts in years, said dart night offers him something to do in the middle of the week.
“I love it here because there’s a ‘Cheers’ sort of atmosphere,” said Delgado. “Everyone’s just cool here.”
Gibney gets in on the fun, too. He often plays in tournaments alongside Ayerbe, a violinist who is the other half of their musical duo, Paddy & Bill. Wednesday is one of their rare nights off the stage.
But the teams, Gibney says, are not stacked with pros. The tournament’s format prevents that, as individuals are randomly paired into teams, which compete in a best-two-ofthree round.
“We randomize the pairings and ask the pros to share their knowledge,” he says.
Gibney said it was important to him that dart night foster a fun and learning environment, despite there being a cash prize for the winning team. The entry fee is $5 per person, with the bar matching the total.
So far, Gibney is happy with dart night’s growth.
The tournament draws about 30 participants each week, with about half that number attending just to watch — and enjoy a beer, naturally.
And the majority of that crowd, Gibney said, hangs around after the tournament to listen to live music performed by local group DL Token.
Pat Spears said dart night is a great way to fill his social calendar. His recent dart night participation is the first time he has picked up darts in years.
“It’s a nice crowd and a great atmosphere here,” said Spears. “It’s nice to be out and having fun on a week night — even if you’ve gotta do some math.”
© Fayetteville Observer
