The pleasure of doing the Desert Classic in Las Vegas has occasionally been tempered by some local ‘difficulties’. Temperatures outside the hall of up to 110 degrees and gritty sand in the air can bring on my asthma so I used to take all sorts of throat pastilles in my luggage. This year the problem was compounded by viciously high humidity that had me snorting for clean breath from day one. However the locals loved it; damp air is the nearest thing to rain they get in summer! So I plugged on and got the job done…but I’m certainly looking forward to the clear air of Blackpool at the Matchplay, even if it ‘siles it down’ in buckets for the week.
The nutty atmospherics affected Peter Manley’s darts in the qualifiers; he said they were dipping on double twenty shots, and hanging at odd angles. We had a good chin wag about Pete’s wedding to Chrissie in Vegas five years ago, a do that climaxed in Peter and best man Wayne Mardle both jumping in a swimming pool in their hired tuxedos.
CAVORTING IN THE CROWD
It pleased me no end to see and hear the crowd at the Mandalay Bay give a fair impression of a Premier League night of boisterous bedlam. Sometimes the fans in Vegas have been reticent but at around game three of day one they went looney tunes. This was thanks to a belter of a match between Ronnie Baxter and Jelle Klaasen. Just like Jocky versus Alan Evans in the old days, this was knockabout fast flinging and was applauded with gusto. I had to yell like a banshee to cut through the frisson. Loved it. The same went for Adie Lewis against Vincent van der Voort on Friday. Adie was on the verge of defeat when he checked out to win on 164, ending on the bull. The punters could have heard me in Stoke - without the slightest assistance from Sky microphones.
TOP OF THE HEAP
Phil Taylor easily asserted his pole position in the world game by taking his fifth Vegas title. Now he’s going for his tenth triumph at Blackpool. His secret?
To use a cliché: Phil is the total professional. He goes to darts meetings as a jobbing worker; no shopping, socialising or boozing with buddies. He may lack the tight athletic fitness of Colin Osborne but that is his only blip. Phil dominated the Desert Classic with only 80% level darts – no 115 averages.
And Barney has real problems on two fronts. First, he has conflicting advice from within his camp over equipment. Secondly, just like in the clash of champions in 1997, his head goes down occasionally and he gives up the ghost. He forgets he’s on stage to entertain the public. This riled the Vegas crowd in the final and they gave him stick. Eric Bristow spotted this fault a month ago and writes about it well in WE LOVE DARTS magazine.
I fancy Adie Lewis and Gary Anderson to be Phil’s chief worries at Blackpool. It is my favourite tourney because of the holiday crowd and the brilliant Winter Gardens arena.