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One of the many benefits of my job as a sales and marketing executive, is that I have control over my travel schedule. It helps, too, that my boss, although not yet a darts player, is a scratch golfer and understands my passion for darts. He and I have had many friendly conversations about sports in general and, very often, about my dart league, the ADL.
So after attending the ADA Mid-Atlantic Regional Championship in March, I decided that I would travel to Kansas City for the Budweiser sponsored ADA Pro Doubles Dart Challenge on April 3. This kind of event was unfamiliar territory for me – I have always made it a point (no pun intended) to visit as many ADA events and venues as possible in my travels. But something told me this time something special was happening.
I knew I was right from the minute I walked into “Side Pockets” the event venue, an enormous sports bar in Independence, Missouri. Amidst a sea of over 40 pool tables, giant flat screen TV’s, and 20 Valley electronic games, I soon found the large darts arena that seemed to be the entertainment complex’s centerpiece.
Cindy Larkins, the Kansas City area ADA Franchise owner, signed us up by ripping a playing card in half (odd, I thought), then handing me a Budweiser key chain & a raffle ticket. I found a dart machine to warm up on. It was then I saw ADA President Glenn Remick conversing with the group of Anheuser-Busch Reps. Promptly at 7 PM Glenn corralled us over to the challenge area. His opening remarks confirmed my feelings that there was something exciting and unusual about this event.
I’m quoting from memory, but the words made such an impression on me, I know I am repeating his remarks with a fair amount of accuracy.
We are here for a night of competition, but how we are getting together is as important as why we are getting together. This is an historic night; this is part of the inauguration of professional darts in America. This is the start of the ADA Pro Doubles Tour.
Wow! From that introduction, you can imagine the energy that ran through the over 50 members & guests in attendance as Glenn continued. At one point he held a framed certificate up just above shoulder height for everyone to see.
This is a certificate, a professional credential, like you would see framed and hanging on the wall at a Certified Public Accountant or a Lawyers office. The ADA Professional Darters Certificate identifies you as a professional in your field, your sport.
Then, Glenn asked for anyone in the room who had seen The World Series of Darts on television last year to raise their hands. Many of us put our hands up, me included.
Okay. How many of you saw the last dart thrown (in the World Series of Darts)?
I shook my head. We were all disappointed when ESPN pulled the WSOD coverage halfway through the Series. As a professional sporting event the WSOD was a dismal failure. No one in any American television market saw Phil Taylor, a British professional dart player, win the final match. Many people think that the WSOD, rather than having a positive influence on darts in America, did grave damage to the prospect of establishing professional darts in this country.
Not Glenn Remick! We soon understood that instead of a setback for our sport in the defunct WSOD, he saw a vision of opportunity and a bright future for professional darts in America. But it will take commitment.
Most in the general public think that we play darts as an excuse to drink at a bar. You and other ADA members know nothing could be further from the truth. We are committed to our sport and many of us here tonight are committed to becoming professional darters. The ADA has the program to enable you to become a Pro, we have it outlined here in this 16 page document –the Professional Darter Certification Program (PDCP).
Then Glenn talked about commitment from a personal perspective.
I see familiar faces gathered here tonight who I know are capable of defeating these assembled Pros. As we witnessed many times, Professionals in other sports don’t win every time. You’ll witness the same tonight. But what they do is make a commitment to play the sport as professionals, to be Pro’s. That’s the first and foremost requirement to become an ADA professional darter – commitment.
At this point, I have to tell you, Adam Ember was a believer. This is the vision of our sport that I had long hoped for - and there was more.
The ADA president was just getting started. He introduced Tom Coleman, the General Manager of “Side Pockets”.
The ADA has established a professional darts program and soon there will be an ADA professional darts tour, just as there is with the PBA, PGA and other major league sports. What role does Tom Coleman play in this process? His role is providing and managing the playing field, where we play tonight, and more importantly, on American Dart League nights throughout the year. As it turns out, Tom is also an ADA member, and a very good player. However tonight his role is to provide and manage the playing field because when we have competitions like this Pro Doubles Challenge, this is where we are investing our recreational time & our recreational dollar.
Many of us nodded our heads in agreement. The playing fields and arenas of all professional sports are well maintained and managed because money is spent when people visit them.
Glenn directed his attention to another individual. He asked for warm welcome for Mitch Ford, the Anheuser-Busch Representative. What’s his role in the ADA professional darters program? Anheuser-Busch (AB) has a 50% market share in this country. That means every other beer sold in America is an AB product. Now you all know that we periodically survey ADA members on a number of topics. You won’t be surprised to learn that 85% of ADA members (who drink beer) consume Anheuser-Busch products.
That’s a prime reason for AB to sponsor ADA events. They see how this has fostered brand awareness and developed brand loyalty. ADA members are extremely loyal and we think of our sponsors first when it is time to make a purchase. That is the kind of relationship that sponsors seek to establish and nurture.
I glanced over to the group of four area Anheuser-Busch Reps who had accompanied Mitch Ford to the Pro Doubles Darts Challenge. They looked pleased. In marketing we call what I had just witnessed, “Third Party Validation”. Glenn’s citation of the ADA member’s high regard for their product, with precise statistical support, is the kind of market validation that cannot be gained through paid advertisements. This is a value of sponsorship that is often overlooked. But I could see that the Anheuser-Busch Representatives fully appreciated it.
After Glenn’s brief opening remarks, the competition got underway. I must say that I was in a bit of a fog, my head still reeling from the breadth and depth of the ADA president’s vision for the sport of darts in America.
It was then I found out the purpose of the playing card! By random draw Cindy matched up partners by pulling two “half” cards out of a cylinder. What a clever idea! The game was 501 ADA Rules - straight start, double out with the bull activated. I located my partner and upon introducing myself he flattered me by recognizing my name from my very first article! “Adam, if you’re writing another article, please don’t mention my name, as I am really at a Union Meeting.” Done!
Incidentally, the Certified Pro’s of the Challenge; were none other than the ADA President and the ADA National Office Manager, Karl Remick. Both Certified Pro’s under the ADA Professional Darters Certification Program (Karl with a 21.2 PPD and Glenn with a 22.6 PPD).
It was a great night of darts, sixteen matches played with four teams defeating the Pro’s, qualifying for the Budweiser grand prizes. The four teams played one game of 501 in a “winner take all” laying claim to a very fancy cooler and a Budweiser inflatable raft. (I’ve always-wanted one of those so bad!). Looking over her shoulder, I noticed that Cindy processing on her notebook computer every dart thrown by the Pro’s. The “Prez” finished the evening with a 21.8 ppda (2-180’s). Karl finished with 21.6 & the high out 135. Only 2/10’s of a point separated the Pro’s!
There were many other great passing moments. I talked to Paul Schaeffler & Mike Kern, two ADA Certified Professional Darters who took Amtrak from St. Louis to participate in the event. We all appreciated the Budweiser samples and the promotional items drawn at random throughout the night….I won a Bud shirt! And, I thought it was great that, at the end of the competition, Mitch Ford and Tom Coleman challenged Glenn and Karl to several games of Cricket….a nice crowd pleaser! Did I mention Mitch was also an ADA member?!?
With a long day ahead of me, unfortunately I had to hit the road but it was clear members were staying. Even though the KC ADA Pro Doubles Challenge was over, why did I get the feeling the best darts were about to thrown?
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