Full of Ship - The Ship's Blog

Snail!

2012-01-18T12:01:00.001-05:00

Another season is in the books. The inaugural High Society season ended with a bang, not a whimper, but it ended nonetheless. The night of darts started out as sweet as a pile of Girl Scout cookies, as we placed our orders and prepared to face off. Early on in the race to 9 points, things were looking good for The Society. So good, in fact, that we started thinking about our roster for Round 2 of the playoffs. But suddenly we found ourselves even after S501, so it became a race to 5. Cricket has been tough for us all season, and last night was no different. Despite being way ahead in both games, Rich / Turner only managed a split. And Fred / Scott ran into a buzz saw in the second round, and we found ourselves on the ropes, down 7-5 and needing at least three wins in D501 to keep hope alive. Rich / Turner swept the first two games, entirely due to Turner's dominance. He doubled in, he doubled out, and in between he threw a Ton-74. A really impressive showing, capping off a tremendous season. In the second round, Fred / Braley gave it their all. In both games, they pulled out ahead, holding leads of up to 250 points. It was a nail-biting finish, but in the end we came up just short, and lost 9-7.

We now have the offseason to practice "the Snail," the Snowman, and countless (ok, 35) other variations. Looking forward to the third-annual bi-athlon / post-season celebration, and we will see you all next season.

Post Layoff Playoff

2012-01-17T13:08:00.002-05:00

It has been a long, barren stretch of darts desert for the Society. Yes, we played last week, but the final standings were already set, so it was not a real meaningful match. The last time we played and it mean something was over 6 weeks ago, on December 6. But tonight begins our playoff run, so hopefully we will be able to hit the ground running. Just in case, there is this little gem of an article, which basically tells us to throw at triple-20. Ummm, thanks.

How to Make an Office Dartboard That Won't Destroy the Walls

2011-12-19T11:21:00.000-05:00

In case you have a ton of free time at the office, this article will show you how to make an "office dartboard" that won't destroy the walls. Of course, it isn't really darts (nice attempt at drawing a board, by the way...) and if you were any good you'd hit the board and not the walls.

O Turner Where Art Thou?

2011-11-22T19:41:00.001-05:00

This week we are playing the first place team (we are second), but without our ace. How will we fare? Follow all the action right here.

Two Great Books

2011-11-06T18:35:00.001-05:00

All you really need to know right here.

BBC Sport - BBC and ESPN will share coverage of BDO World Championships

2011-11-05T22:55:00.000-04:00

BBC Sport - BBC and ESPN will share coverage of BDO World Championships:

'via Blog this'

Dog Tired

2011-11-01T22:42:00.001-04:00

A full night of darts is not for the feint of heart.

George and Hooch (by Turner)

2011-11-01T22:01:00.001-04:00

The Longest Dart

2011-10-26T13:55:00.000-04:00

It has been quite a while since we've done a regular weekly update, but this week's "match" was so unique that it deserves to be memorialized.

The Society took to the boards this week as an optional match. We were scheduled for the second of back-to-back bye weeks, but we opted to play a friendly game, with the chance to hang out at our home away from home, Society Billiards. So, we accepted the invitation from The Gaf to join us for what we thought would be a casual night of darts, and to battle for the single extra point awarded to the bye week winner. And what a battle it would become....

Things started out inauspiciously, although we should have realized that there was the potential for a problem when we split the first three matches of the night. In the race to nine points, nothing had been decided, until Dave stepped up in the last game of S501 and swept both games. 5-3 for the Society, and things are looking good.

Cricket brought about more parity, as Rich / Scott split their first two games, and Dave / Andrew split their two games, making the score 7-5, heading in to the last round. Luckily, the games were lasting a long time, as well, so not only was nothing being decided, but it was not being decided slowly.

Things started to run off the rails when Dave / Scott were swept in the first round of D501. Suddenly, the score was tied, and someone got the brilliant idea to ponder what might happen if we ended the bye week match tied. Who would get the extra point? Wouldn't it be a waste of time to play, and have both teams end up with the same 8 points they would have had anyway? So, texts were send in to the league, and the official NYDO rulebook was consulted, and it was determined that the official way to settle a tie was with a four-on-four 1001 battle royale. But, there was still some work to be done before we knew if this would be necessary.

Despite looking good in the beginning of the game, Rich / Andrew dropped the first of their D501 matches by a slim margin. High Society was now down 8-7, with one game left to play. Coming out blazing hot, Andrew hit 60's left and right, and he nailed the win with a double-3, to send the teams into the Octagon to settle things once and for all.

After midnight, the teams lined up their rosters. High Society was left to play with only three players, as Scott was the the only sensible, responsible person who went home to be with his family. (We had not yet decided to play the 1001-off when he left.) So Rich, Andrew and Dave lined up to take their lumps in what should have been a (long, drawn-out) formality to determine a winner for the night.

Quickly, High Society was on the ropes, down by over 200 points, as we were not only spotting the other team an extra player, but they were nearly throwing Ton-80's when they played. Our string of Breakfasts was not quite getting it done, and we still had over 500 points on the board while they were nearly doubling out, creating the potential for a "virtual midget tossing".

But the beauty of '01 is that it ain't over till it's over, and when the other team stalled out on double-2, High Society had the chance to make up some ground. Suddenly, we found ourselves actually "ahead," as we were facing double-1 to their double-2. After many more rounds of anguish as both teams couldn't manage to put the game away, Rich managed to double out and put an end to the long evening. Hopefully the single extra point we received will be the deciding factor that will launch High Society into the playoffs at the end of the season.

I need a nap...

Phil Taylor wins Champion's League Title

2011-10-20T23:22:00.002-04:00

Phil Taylor's Champion's League Glory

New Home

2011-08-11T12:39:00.002-04:00

On March 11, 2011 I received one of the most shocking and upsetting emails I have seen in a long time. It was a relatively short note from Glenn, the owner of Ship of Fools, telling me that April 1st would be the last day the bar would be open.

It seemed like a big April Fool's joke, but it wasn't. The bar that we called home for the past 10 years was shutting its doors. Simply put, Ship of Fools was truly a second home to me, and I was sad for Glenn to be losing his business and for myself and the team for losing our bar.

We were lucky enough to land at Blackstone's to finish out the season, but somehow we all felt like we were destined for someplace else. So, we put together a committee, made a plan, and looked for a new place to call home.

Last night we found our new home in Society Billiards + Bar, at 10 East 21st Street. For many reasons, we are psyched to be playing here. First and foremost, it is not a typical "darts bar," but a classic and classy pool hall. There is a darts section that we will use which is very cool. A little nook that is ideally set up for our weekly game. Plus, there are TV's everywhere, a stocked bar, and a menu full of paninis. Not to mention that it is right around the corner for Fred, Turner and Braley.

So, thanks to Doug the owner, for hooking us up. I haven't been this excited about a new darts season for a long time.

BBC Sport - Phil Taylor wins 12th World Matchplay title

2011-07-25T14:29:00.001-04:00

Congratulations to Phil Taylor on his 12th World Matchplay title.

Is This a Real Sponsor?

2011-06-15T21:27:00.002-04:00

Remember to stay stupid loose.

Optimistic Bias

2011-06-15T21:20:00.002-04:00

I'm totally guilty of ignoring the misses and focusing on the hits.

Second City, Second to Last

2011-06-14T20:02:00.000-04:00

The last week of the season, and The Ship needs a big week to make the playoffs. Can we do it? Will Rich eat ten Chicago dogs? Find out here.

Monkey!

2011-06-12T14:24:00.001-04:00

Back in the UES

2011-05-31T22:04:00.001-04:00

Nowhere better to wash away the sins of last week than the cleansing waters of the UES. Watch us cleanse our souls right here.

Art Thou Bored?

2011-05-20T14:33:00.001-04:00

Tip a forty of Slim Jims to the Macho Man today.

Blogging the Last Game Before the Apocalypse

2011-05-17T20:16:00.002-04:00

If you haven't heard, the world is supposed to end in Saturday. This, of course raises many questions. Who will be saved? How will the rapture go down? If the darts season is aborted, do the stats still count?

Join us for one last match before we all go up in flames.

Shipwreck Fever!

2011-04-28T13:03:00.000-04:00

Live Blogging Live Scoring

2011-04-27T10:36:00.002-04:00

OK, so the truth is that this isn't "live blogged". The first night of live scoring can unequivocally go down as a moderate to neutral pseudo-success. The "live-scoring" piece went OK, although it was tough to do truly live on the Android. This did not stop Rich from being on the phone all night.

The bigger issue is that it is potentially impossible to do both live scoring and live blogging. Perhaps when we are on the road, but when you mix in needing to keep score for reals, as well as actually playing darts, it is a little much.

The good news is that Fred picked up the slack, both by throwing a Ton 74, but also by Facebooking it real-time.

The best news is that The Ship / Outs finally posted a win this season, so there were no ill effects of all this technology.

Stay tuned for more...

Fred's Ton-74

2011-04-27T10:32:00.000-04:00

We are collecting Ton-74's this season:

Passover Darts

2011-04-19T11:07:00.001-04:00

While you are drinking four cups of wine tonight, ask yourself this: "Why is this night different from all other nights?" Answer: On all other nights, only one Levin plays darts, but tonight we have two Levins.

Watch The Ship drop some plagues on the competition tonight, right here.

Objets D'Art

2011-04-16T13:37:00.002-04:00

New team name?

Back In Black

2011-04-12T21:23:00.007-04:00

And we're BAAAACK!

Welcome to the first night of the rest of your dart lives. The Ship (news on the name coming soon) is playing its first game at our new bar, Blackstone's.

See how the new confines treat us right here.

Coming Soon - A New Website

2011-04-11T22:51:00.002-04:00

In a season of change, the web presence of The Team Formerly Known as Full of Ship will also continue to change.
In the near future, the blog will be incorporated into a new team website. Unlike the old site, this one will be easier to update, more dynamic, and more flexible. Plus, the blog will be an integral part, so updates will continue to be on the blog, but team statistics and data will live through the website. My hope is that the two will co-exist completely seamlessly.

Ship is The New Black

2011-04-06T21:03:00.000-04:00

What is in a name? I don't pretend to know, but I do know that we had a good brainstorm on Tuesday kicking around possible new names for The Ship and The Shipwrecks.

So, let's put it to a vote. I have compiled a the leading candidates from last night in a poll over there on the left (<--). Vote for your favorite, or put any new ideas in the comments section.

Looking forward to what all you 'Stoners think.

The Bull Starts Here

2011-04-05T20:02:00.004-04:00

While not a home game, tonight was the first night of the rest of our darts lives. What would our new team name be, now that we are no longer at Ship of Fools? What would it be like to play at a new bar after all this time? What would we name our groupies? How could we get more people to donate to our worthy cause?

All good questions, and all of the answers will come in time. But tonight, we play darts. And a tremendous amount of Legs.

The Ship Has Set Sail

2011-04-01T23:39:00.003-04:00

A Sad Night Indeed

Glenn Addressing His Legions of Fans

A Toast To Ship of Fools

There's No Crying In Baseball!

Ship Of Fools Was Cool

Closing The Book

Blogging the Last Night at Ship of Fools

2011-03-29T20:39:00.002-04:00

It was a hard night for The Ship, as it was the last time we entered Ship of Fools for our weekly match. Always ready for some stiff competition, we will do our best to stuck one in the Hootie (or two in the Blowfish). Follow all the action here, and see if we come out ahead.

Official Farewell to SOF

2011-03-25T15:54:00.001-04:00

Spring 2011 Season - Bon Voyage

2011-03-14T21:00:00.005-04:00

The Ship has seen a lot of things in the ten years we have been at this. There have been weddings and a baby boom. People have moved away, and many have switched jobs. We have traveled, gotten sick, changed apartments, gained weight, lost weight, and all other manner of life events.
But the one constant in (almost) all that time has been Ship of Fools. Every Tuesday home game, we knew we'd be in the back room at Ship. Sometimes we were the only people in the bar, and sometimes it was completely packed. We have played on the front board, when there were two other games going on, and we have played in the back room in our own private space. We've had people bumping in to us while shooting pool, UES Democrats running around during games, softball players, beer pong players, and any number of people wandering into our game looking for the bathroom.
We've gone through an uncountable number of waitresses who have put up with us, learned our drink orders, and brought us burritos an quesadillas, jalepeño poppers and grappa, large glasses with small amounts of bourbon, small glasses with large amounts of bourbon, burgers, beers, and the holy of holies - the buffalo chicken salad with the "green dressing" on the side.
Every home game we check the board, get the score table ready, make sure we have seats on "our side" of the room, and we spread out. We make ourselves at home. And just like home, there may be little things that bug us, like the temperature, but we still love it. Surrounded by a room full of friends, more TVs than a Best Buy, eating and drinking and playing a goofy game all night, it is about as comfortable a place as I've ever lived.
So it will be very strange to see it go this season. We will only have two more home games, and after the March 29 match we will be heading to a new place every Tuesday. I'm sure we will be able to find a place that will be happy to have our team, and a place where we will enjoy to play. Of course everything else about our Tuesdays will still be great. But it will never be home.
Bon Voyage, Ship of Fools. We will miss you.

Live Blogging Awards Night

2011-02-28T21:18:00.004-05:00

Ladies and gentlemen! Your Fall 2010, Division C NYDO Doubles Runners Up!

Turner's Ton-80

2011-02-13T17:08:00.002-05:00

What started as just another Ship practice session at Bleecker Street Bar turned momentous today. Even Phil Taylor's game-used darts were powerless, as Turner tossed a Ton-80 en-route to housing Rich in a game of 501.

Turner was on fire all day, throwing Tons left and right, and dominating the Legs cash game.

The Power In The House

2011-02-05T14:53:00.001-05:00

Live Blogging the Playoffs: Round 1

2011-01-14T07:43:00.001-05:00

Yes, I"m talkin' PLAYOFFS! Once again, The Ship sailed into the post-season, looking to take home a title. Round 1 is at SOF, so come out sand cheer us on, or follow all the action right here.

Live Blogging Week 13

2011-01-11T11:11:00.001-05:00

Welcome to the final week of the Fall 2010 regular season. Hopefully the impending storm won't knock The Ship off course from its goal of reaching the post-season yet again. While a fourth-place finish looks like it is locked up, we will play the top team in the division tonight, so nothing is certain. So stay warm, bundle up, and follow all the hot action right here.

Live Blogging Week 12

2011-01-04T12:36:00.000-05:00

Happy New Year and welcome back! The last two weeks of the regular season are upon us. The Ship is currently sitting in fourth place, but can they hold on to their playoff spot? Find out here, as they play their final home game of the regular season, tonight.

Live Blogging Week 11

2010-12-14T16:44:00.002-05:00

Tonight is the last match of 2010. With only three weeks to go in the season, things are looking good for the squad. But, we still need wins.

Can The Ship kick some ass, marching band style? Follow all the action right here, and see for yourself!

Live Blogging Week 10

2010-11-30T19:04:00.003-05:00

All I want for Hanukkah is a win for The Ship. Will my wish come true? Find out here, live, on the blog!

Live Blogging Week 9

2010-11-22T13:48:00.000-05:00

Nothing like a week where we celebrate a turkey. Oh, and it's Thanksgiving, too! (Is there such a thing as a triple-entendre? That joke just works on every level!)

Follow all the candle-blowing, cake-eating, dart-throwing action right here.

Live Blogging Week 8

2010-11-16T19:07:00.003-05:00

The second half begins! See what awaits The Ship! Follow our upcoming extended road trip! See if we can hold on to a playoff spot, and battle for the title! Find out what the New Year will bring.

All the action will be here, on The Blog!!

Live Blogging Week 7

2010-11-07T22:25:00.003-05:00

Fun times in Cleveland for Rich! Who knows, I may even see this guy (or a drifter)!

Looking forward to following all the Ship on the blog, which is much easier than having to call you on a payphone.

I Dart NY

2010-10-28T14:49:00.003-04:00

Really, Power?

2010-10-27T14:41:00.000-04:00

A 14-year-old boy has become an overnight darts sensation – after beating legendary world champion Phil ‘The Power’ Taylor. Talented Josh McCarthy claimed the scalp of the world number one in a shock victory in front of 300 cheering fans.

The plucky youngster threw a 15-dart leg to secure a win over his hero, out-pointing the current world champ with scores of 118, 100 and 140. He finished off the 15-time world champion with a ‘double 2′ for the leg and match.

I guess it's true that Twos Can't Lose. Even for a little whippersnapper, upstart, against the Legend. For the record, Josh McCarthy can apply to play for The Ship any day. Drop me a line, Josh, and we'll put you on our waiting list.

Live Blogging Week 6

2010-10-26T20:06:00.002-04:00

Whew! What a week of darts. Not only did we have a full week, followed by legs, but we had more of The Ship attend the NYDO Singles / Doubles tournament than ever before. And, with The Ship bringing home a piece of the title, that meant a lot of darts were thrown this week. See how we respond by following all the action here.

Live Blogging the Tourney

2010-10-23T13:52:00.002-04:00

It is a beautiful Saturday, as The Ship pulls in to a dark, dingy bar for the day. Follow all the action here, while we sit inside Flannery's.

Live Blogging Week 5

2010-10-19T19:09:00.004-04:00

Let me discuss, for a moment, the concept of "home field advantage". In most sports, home field advantage is consistently cited as a real benefit, despite the fact that it is rarely show to exist. As Hoosiers so aptly depicted, the benefit in basketball should be minimal, since the court dimensions are exactly the same (and there are no weather effects). Football fields are also the same dimensions, and both sides are subject to whatever the weather is. Of course baseball fields differ in each stadium, as does grass length, but even then it is certainly not a given that the home team can overcome a disparity in talent.

And then there's darts. It would seem unlikely that a home field could offer an advantage. Standard board height, standard distance for the oche, usually similar noise in all bars, no weather effects, etc. In fact, for the NYDO, it is a huge benefit to be on the road, because you don't need to do all the score-keeping.

But every once in a while, there is a night like last night. Where the dart gods smile on the home team. Where the board is just friendly enough with its bounces to make us happy, and where the lighting is just right. Where the friendly confines of Ship of Fools play to our strengths and frustrate the hell out of our opponents.

I won't go in to it too deeply, except to say that if you want to hit a bull on OUR board, you better man up and stick one in the Hootie, or our board will shove it right back in your Blowfish.

Twos Can't Lose!

2010-10-11T17:05:00.000-04:00

Going into the BYE week, The Ship holds onto a share of second place. With a restful week, we should be ready to tear it up next week.

Live Blogging the Wedding

2010-10-09T16:32:00.004-04:00

A beautiful day in Tahoe as we prepare for Jen and Turner's big day. Follow all the festivities here.

Sunset Over Lake Tahoe
(Dock / Paddle Boat)

Mr. and Mrs. Turner

The First Dance

Sunset over Lake Tahoe

Live Blogging Week 3

2010-10-05T12:39:00.001-04:00

Dah Dum De-Dum. Dah Dum De-Duuuum.

Welcome to Week 3, where both love and darts are in the air. Although Turner is out this week, we don't look at it like we are missing a player, but more like we are gaining a ShipWreck.

As always, follow all the action right here, while you are getting action.

Ship Slides In to Second Place

2010-10-03T15:42:00.000-04:00

With a solid outing, The Ship slides up in to second place after Week 2. Looking forward to continuing the move next week. We need arms, as Braley will be making bank in AC, and Turner will be packin' up his game and headin' out West.

Live Blogging Week 2

2010-09-28T11:16:00.000-04:00

Following a Week 1 split, The Ship returns home to face the Cork Suckers. Look for a strong outing from the Ship as we aim to take break up the logjam in the division and takeover first place. Follow all the action here on the blog, and remember, cork soakers are born, not made.

Saigon Dart League

2010-09-23T14:47:00.005-04:00

Congratulations to John for taking The Ship international and bringing home the first Ship victory in Asia! The battle raged at Ice Blue in Saigon, and from the looks of it, John took home the Bottle o' Gold label, and perhaps a little extra. Our registration is currently in process for the next season of the SIDL.

Live Blogging Week 1

2010-09-19T09:51:00.002-04:00

Who says you can't teach old darts new tricks? The Ship may be 20 seasons old, but that doesn't mean we can't keep up with the kids nowadays. We've got the latest in darts technology, and a cutting-edge site on the World Wide Interweb.

This week we will have a first for The Ship - a live update, as the match happens. Follow the action live. All the great throws, all the big outs, all the bulls, and all the smack. Right here, in the comments. Bring it!

Screw It. Let's Do It

2010-01-05T23:59:00.002-05:00

Happy New Year! As 2010 opens its arms to The Ship, things are looking bright. There is change afoot for the entire Ship family, the team is sailing into the playoffs, and we are playing free-and-easy and having fun each week. So, like a good NFL team that has locked up a spot in the playoffs, these last few weeks are a chance to tune up for the big games.

Rich posted two wins to start the night, as we came back from the long vacation with a rusty, but positive start. Michael dropped two games in a bit of a shocker, as did Andrew. But Steve came back and earned a split to put us down 5-3 after S501.

Rich / Andrew opened up Cricket with a desire to put last week's drubbing behind them, and two wins helped to that end. Michael / Darian dropped two games leaving Michael a bit speechless and the Ship down 7-5.

John / Steve worked out some kinks to start D501, but dropped both games. And the night ended with Rich / Andrew continuing to bounce back from last week with a sweep in D501. The final score was a 7-9 loss for the Ship, but an easy-breezy casual night for all. Next week is the last week of the regular season, and then it is off to the playoffs. I will see you there, or I will see you on another time.

Props:
Rich - Six wins, totally. Totes McGoates.

Screwed The Pooch

2009-12-29T00:13:00.004-05:00

Sometimes, if you need to deliver bad news, at least you can present it in a nice package. That is exactly my strategy this week, given our recent performance. It was ugly, but I'm hoping you will be distracted by the shiny new website.

Heading in to the week's action, The Ship was in first place by a seemingly comfortable six points. Although we were facing the second-place team, anything better than an 11-5 loss would keep us atop the league. But, before we could say "Upper East Side Democratic Party," The Ship was in deep trouble, dropping six of the eight S501 games. Only Andrew helped stave off defeat, winning both of his games.

But, just like the Democrats' new healthcare bill, things got much, much worse in Cricket. Rich / Andrew dropped both in the opener, despite leading by a mile in game two. John / Darian also dropped two, and suddenly things were looking very bad for The Ship's lead.

The final, punishing blows were delivered in D501, as The Ship was once again swept away. The 14-2 loss was a doozy, and left The Ship six points out of first place. But, we have two weeks to make it back up before we head to the playoffs.

Props:
Andrew - The only wins of the night.

Scroooged

2009-12-08T23:59:00.002-05:00

I was a captain of industry, feared by men, adored by women.

ADORED? C'mon, let's be honest, Lew. You PAID for the women.

(OK, technically this is a continuation of last week's recap.)

No game this week.

Screwed Over

2009-12-01T23:59:00.002-05:00

Let it never be said that The Ship's updates are not topical. And since everyone else is talking about Mr. Woods' recent troubles, why shouldn't we? Plus, given the fact that one of the ladies in the Tiger's Den will soon appear in a movie entitled "Screwed Over," it magically fits the theme. So let's dedicate this one to Tiger and Holly Sampson. Sometimes, these updates just write themselves...

We hopped on our carts, grabbed our caddies and teed off this week at The Edge. But The Ship had a bit of trouble backing out of the driveway to start the night. Rich threw up an eagle in the first round, winning both games. Andrew, John and Dave all cashed in birdies with splits across the board. So, lightly loaded on Ambien, The Ship had a few dings in its SUV, but escaped leading 5-3. But the other team was hot on our tail, ready to crack our heads with a golf club if we weren't careful.

We approached the turn, and suddenly the wins started to accumulate like Tiger's list. Rich / Andrew dropped the first game of Cricket, as the other team holed out on the 18th with a double-bull comeback. But we bounced back with a win in game two. Michael / Steve took home a set of green jackets with a sweep, putting The Ship up 8-4 and on the way to matching Jack Nicklaus' career major record.

Rich / Andrew knocked it stiff in the D501 opener with two wins. Michael / John tapped it for a win in the final game, giving The Ship an 11-5 win for the night. Take your name off your phone....

Props:
Steve - Two wins in his triumphant return.

Screw Up

2009-11-23T23:56:00.001-05:00

I really do appreciate, the fact you're playing darts on Monday. This week, many people accommodated my personal need to move our usual Tuesday match, so I could attend a Jimmy Buffett concert. And, to paraphrase Jimmy, the bar maid brought a pitcher, another round of brew. And honey, we sure did get drunk and I screwed us.

Despite playing at Bleecker Street, a favorite of The Ship, it was an uncomfortable Monday. First off, we were all confused by the day, and as Turner said, this was supposed to be our "throw day," not a game night. Plus, we were cramped in a corner because there were two matches being played. The discomfort showed early, as both Rich and Andrew dropped two S501 games. Dave got us off the schneid with a win, and John made us feel a little better with two wins. But The Ship was in a weird position, down 5-3, and the plan to play on Monday was not looking good.

Cricket was equally disconcerting, as Rich / Andrew split, despite playing heads and tails above their opponents. John / Fred also split, and The Ship was down 7-5 after Cricket.

John / Dave ran into a Monday buzzsaw to start D501 and dropped both games. Rich / Andrew salvaged a little bit of the night with two wins to end the evening Overall, though, it was a rough night, as The Ship lost its first match of the season. I just bought a water bed, it's filled up for me and you... can dunk me in it.

Props:
Andrew - Dominating the AS points with 415.

Screw You Guys, We're Going Home

2009-11-17T23:42:00.002-05:00

There is no place like home. With home field advantage, home cookin', and homeboys, it is guaranteed to deliver that down home feeling. After nearly a month away, it was good to be back home at SOF in front of cheering fans, and as always, home treated us well.

Rich rolled out the welcome mat with two wins to start. Turner drew the short straw in the blind lineup contest and was swept in two games. Michael came back with two wins, and Darian played homemaker with a split in the final two games. The 5-3 lead was comforting, and the home crowd was warming up to the action.

Rich / Andrew met some home wreckers in the first game of Cricket, but they came back to clean house in game two. Michael / John hit a home run on both ends of their Cricket match, putting The Ship up 8-4.

It was home sweet home all the way in D501. John / Dave led off with a sweep, including some strong double outs. Rich / Andrew kept the crowd around for a while, as the final game came down to an endless battle for double-one. But two wins meant a sweep of all four D501 games, a 12-4 Ship victory, and a happy ride home for the fans.

Props:
Chris & Dan - For coming out for RINYC.

Andrew - For the theme.

Screw Cap

2009-11-10T23:39:00.001-05:00

There is nothing like popping the top off a cold stout. Smooth, refreshing, and just hits the spot... just like The Ship hit the spot on this night at Stout.

We popped the top on the night and unleashed a stream of wins. Both Rich and Michael swept their S501 games. But, after Dave was swept in his two games, Andrew swept his round. With three sweeps in our favor, The Ship leapt out to a 6-2 lead.

The matchups in Cricket were a bit of a twist(off), as Rich / Dave started things off and were only able to earn a split. John / Fred uncorked a win in their first game, and earned a split as well and The Ship held on to an 8-4 lead.

It was time to pop the champagne cork after D501. Michael / John took the second of their two games, both of which were thrillers. Rich / Andrew swept both games, nearly tossing a midget in the process. With three wins, the final score was a lid lifting 11-5 Ship win.

Props:
Andrew - Undefeated, and a master of the double-out.

Screwed, Blued and Tattooed

2009-10-27T23:57:00.001-04:00

This is a season in which the (first place) Ship is going to surprise a lot of people. And with Michael added back to the roster, the already powerful squad got even better this week. So don't turn your back on The Ship, or we might leave you screwed, blued and tattooed.

This week started out as a brawl, with each team trading heavyweight punches in the first round. Rich lost the first game in a close on, and snuck out a win in the second to get things going. Turner was chivalrous in his games, dropping both. But John came back with a split and Michael returned to action with a sweep, and Round 1 was ruled a 4-4 draw.

Rich / Andrew dropped the first game of Cricket, and our opponents might have thought they were in the clear. But then - just like that - The Ship dropped the hammer. Rich / Andrew won their second game, and Michael / John swept both of their rounds, including a C3 finish from Michael. After two rounds, The Ship was out to a 7-5 lead.

Michael / John went right back out for D501 and earned a split. Rich / Andrew finished the night with a sweep, on the strength of two double-outs from Turner. Bang! Just lkie that The Ship scored a TKO with a 10-6 win.

Props:
Michael - Five wins in a triumphant return.
Rich - The current Division C All-Star points leader.

Screw Loose

2009-10-20T23:54:00.003-04:00

It has been said that you need to have a screw loose to play darts every week. It is safe to say that we have seen some funky characters in this league, and we are clearly a little looney for doing this for nine years. This was another crazy, unpredictable week for The Ship.

Rich opened the night continuing a recent S501 run with two wins against an old foe, in a game that featured 335 AS points. Andrew split two tough games, and John was swept in round three. The birthday girl wrapped up the first round with a split, and it was looking like an even match at 4-4 after S501.

For the first time all season, The Ship hit a rough spot during Cricket. Rich / Andrew dropped the first game and barely salvaged a split in the opener. When John / Darian dropped both ends of their round, suddenly the night was not looking so even, with The Ship trailing 7-5.

But Andrew / John but The Ship back on track with a supremely impressive start to D501, as they delivered a good-old-fashioned midget tossing in game one. Their split put The Ship in position to salvage a tie for the night, if Rich / Darian could deliver a sweep. And deliver they did, with Darian delivering the final dart of the night. So The Ship had come back to get a hard-fought split for the night, and maintained a hold on first-place overall.

Props:
Andrew / John - It's been a while since we've seen a tossing.

Scrooge McDuck

2009-10-13T23:52:00.001-04:00

Bah humbug. No game this week.

Screwy

2009-10-06T23:59:00.002-04:00

Darts is nothing if not a screwy game. Some nights you have it, some nights you don't. Some nights you can play well and lose, and some nights, even if you don't have it, you can win. On this night, most everything fell in place for The Ship and we reaped the benefits.

Rich started out with two quick wins, including a Ton-40 and a Ton-20. Andrew followed with a split, and then John swept his round. Steve dropped both games, but The Ship still held a 5-3 lead after S501.

In what has become a new trend, The Ship dominated Cricket. Andrew / John split the first round, but Rich / Dave swept both games in the finishing round, to extend The Ship's lead to 8-4.

In D501, we did just enough to hold our lead for the night, as Dave / Steve were swept in the opener, but Rich / Andrew took both ends to finish the night, on the strength of Andrew's doubles. The final score was a screwy 10-6 Ship win, but we will gladly take it.

Props:
Rich - A clean sweep in six games.

Screwed

2009-09-29T23:59:00.001-04:00

Some nights, you know you're screwed. If you bring a knife to a gun fight? Screwed. If you come home with lipstick on your shirt collar? Screwed. And if you bring two players to a darts match? Screwed. And so it was this week for our opponents.

Despite the favorable odds, Rich split the first two games of the night. But Andrew swept two games, followed by two rounds of forfeits. And just like that, The Ship was up 7-1.

Cricket was quick and painless, as John / Steve swept both of their games. And with another forfeit win, The Ship was out to an 11-1 lead.

Rich / Andrew played D501, and split their games, making Rich responsible for both losses on the night. With the final forfeit, the night ended with The Ship delivering a 14-2 shellacking.

Props:
Steve - For an undefeated (wind-aided) night, plus his first-ever All Star points.

Turn of the Screw

2009-09-22T23:55:00.001-04:00

Here we are, on the road again. Here we are, up on the stage. There we go, playin' darts again, there we go, turn the page.

It's always good to be back, and this season is no different. It's also good to welcome new players to the squad, and to see the wily old veterans of the team. This week, the old and the new came together, and we played as though we'd never been away.

Rich started the season off with a win right out of the box, and a split in the first match-up. Despite claims of being "not sharp," Andrew followed up with a sweep in his two games, as did Fred. Dave dropped two tough games, but The Ship was off and running in the Fall 2009 season with a 5-3 lead.

Steve made his inaugural outing, joining Rich in the first round of Cricket and earning a split. Dave / Andrew played two very close games, and also earned a split, making the score 7-5 after two rounds.

Already warmed-up and throwing well, Dave / Andrew went back out to start D501, and promptly swept both games they played. Rich / Steve wrapped up the night with a split, in front of a sparse crowd. The strong outing for The Ship ended with a 10-6 win and good prospects for the rest of the season.

Props:
Andrew - For putting the screws to the opposition right off the bat.
Steve - For hitting .500 in his rookie outing.

Only A Fool Trusts Either Of Them

2009-06-02T23:58:00.001-04:00

"A little government and a little luck are necessary in life, but only a fool trusts either of them." -- P J O'Rourke

The golden rule is that it's better to be lucky than good. Well, The Ship could use a little luck, and it wouldn't help to get a little good thrown in, as well. But win or lose, you must trust The Ship, because only a fool would not.

The Ship pulled out the pick-axes this week and panned for a few wins. But Rich started out finding only rocks in the first two games. Andrew came up with a gem in his round, though. Then Mindy came up dry in two game, but Darian pulled out a diamond in the rough to give The Ship two wins.

Rich / Andrew scraped up some dust for a one win to start Cricket. And Darian / Mindy played a noble round to pull out a win and give The Ship another two wins.

Darian / Mindy started out D501 dropping two games, before Darian hit the road to karaoke. But Rich / Andrew hit the mother lode in the last round and pulled out two wins, making the final score a 10-6 loss for The Ship

Props:
Andrew - For digging up three wins.

A Foolish Consistency

2009-05-26T23:59:00.002-04:00

"A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds, adored by little statesmen and philosophers and divines. With consistency a great soul has simply nothing to do. He may as well concern himself with his shadow on the wall. Speak what you think now in hard words, and tomorrow speak what tomorrow thinks in hard words again, though it contradict every thing you said to-day. 'Ah, so you shall be sure to be misunderstood.' Is it so bad, then, to be misunderstood? Pythagoras was misunderstood, and Socrates, and Jesus, and Luther, and Copernicus, and Galileo, and Newton, and every pure and wise spirit that ever took flesh. To be great is to be misunderstood." -- Ralph Waldo Emerson

A Fool At Least Once a Month

2009-05-19T23:59:00.005-04:00

"The cleverest of all, in my opinion, is the man who calls himself a fool at least once a month." -- Fyodor Dostoevsky

In my opinion, The Ship is the cleverest of all, because we throw darts at least once a week. Unfortunately, we have only been winning matches about once a month. It seems like it's been a year since I have written, but hopefully this write-up will let you see The Ship more clearly, love The Ship more dearly, and follow The Ship more nearly, day by day by day.

In an instant, things got started on a good note, as Rich won the first game of the night. But, like sands through the hourglass, the games ticked away and The Ship could not find another win in S501.

After what seemed like eons, The Ship scored a win in the opener of Cricket from Fred / Mindy. But Rich / John were unable to post a win, and The Ship had fallen hours behind in the race that is darts, down a 10-2 hole.

Rich / Mindy only took a minute to win the first game of D501. Fred / John ended the long night with a win, but the night ended at four to twelve for The Ship.

Props:
Mindy - For tracking the Shippy, and taking the lead.

A Fool at Forty

2009-05-12T23:59:00.002-04:00

"Be wise with speed; a fool at forty is a fool indeed." -- Edward Young

As the wise old masters of the NYDO, The Ship has seen it all when it comes to darts. As we approach forty, we happily pass along the accumulated wisdom of the ages to other darters. Whether it is a quick tip on simple math, or the genesis of dart terms, or the best double-out option, we are quick to help out. But just when we think we've seen it all, along comes something new, like a one-armed player, which even we are not sure how to handle.

Rich got us out of the blocks slowly with a split, but Andrew and John both quickly picked up speed with two sweeps. Dave pulled the One-Armed Bandit in the final game, and got unlucky as he dropped both. But, The Ship had sprinted out to an early 5-3 lead.

When it comes to Cricket, even the wisdom of Mitch Cumstein cannot help out The Ship. Rich / Andrew only managed a split in the opener, despite leading both games early on. But Dave / John were again framed by the one-armed man, and they dropped both games, and the match was now tied 6-6.

Dave / John went back out to start D501, and finally defeated One Arm Joe. Rich / Andrew also split their final two games, and The Ship ended a long night with an 8-8 tie. Which is lucky, in Haiti. How 'bout a Fresca?

Props:
Fred - Not yet a fool, but only a year away.

You Must Not Fool Yourself

2009-05-05T23:59:00.001-04:00

"The first principle is that you must not fool yourself - and you are the easiest person to fool." -- Richard Feynman

When in doubt, go back to first principles. Try as they might, teams can't fool The Ship. And The Ship doesn't fool itself. If nothing else, Full of Ship has never been full of ship. Anyway, let me give you the full gist of fullness that was The Ship, to the fullest.

John started the night this week, and pulled a split to start. Rich followed with two wins, but he was just fooling himself, as we'll see later. Andrew began his onslaught of AS points with 225 in his games, plus a split. Darian gave The Ship another split, and we were off to a 5-3 lead after S501.

The Ship can't fool anyone in Cricket, and this week was more of the same. Andrew / John split the first two games, and Rich / Darian split the second two, as the wheels inexplicable fell off in the second game. Still, The Ship was up 7-5 after Cricket.

Rich / Darian continued their slide into D501, dropping both games to start things off. But John / Andrew came through with a sweep of the last two games, giving The Ship a 9-7 win for the night.

Props:
Andrew - Four wins, and all of the Ship's AS points for the night (350).

A Fool And a Thief

2009-04-28T23:59:00.002-04:00

"In every bet, there is a fool and a thief." -- Anonymous

I have no idea how that quote is anonymous, since I'm pretty sure everyone who goes to Vegas has said the same thing. Well, if I was gambling man, I would have pegged this week as a sure thing for The Ship. Coming off a good night last week, with nearly the whole squad on board, in a bar that provides about as much of a home field advantage as you can get without being at SOF... all things pointed to taking The Ship and laying the points. But look out, you never know when a long shot is going to pull an upset.

Fred started things off in a game that was circled by the Book, earning a split to start the night. In bowling, a split hurts, but in darts it's not so bad. Andrew followed up with another split, and in the hot game of the night Mindy also had a split for a third push for The Ship. In the last round, Rich failed to cover, dropping both games and leaving The Ship down 5-3 after S501.

The Ship is typically a dog in Cricket, and the opening line reflected it. When Rich / Dave dropped the first two games and Andrew / Mindy dropped the second two, the wrong bettors who went against The Ship were paid off in spades. With The Ship down 9-3 after Cricket, there were gamblers ripping up their tickets all over the place.

Heading in to D501, we were more than 15 lengths back and needed a miracle comeback to just make things close. Darian / Mindy jumped out to a huge lead in their first game, but couldn't close the door. When they dropped game two, it looked like The Ship was down for the count. But Rich / Andrew won the first game taking out a 69 (triple-19, double-6) and game two with a good old fashioned 32-out. The two win parley helped offset some of the losses, but only earned The Ship an 11-5 loss for the night. If you took The Ship and 5.5 points... you lost!

Props:
Andrew - A thief, with three wins.
Rich - A fool, with 530 AS points.
Kris - Good luck on the move!!

And Another Woman Makes A Fool Of Him

2009-04-21T23:58:00.001-04:00

"A mother takes twenty years to make a man of her boy, and another woman makes a fool of him in twenty minutes." -- Robert Frost

Some players spend years honing their darts skills...and it takes Mindy twenty minutes to make fools of them. With a brand new board and anew year of The Shippy, it was a new start for The Ship, as we put our years of experience to work and played our wild tarot card.

The Ship started out strong, with a split from Rich followed by a sweep from Andrew. But the match quickly tightened up at 4-4 as John split and Mindy dropped two games. But, Mindy's Ton-33 was a sign of what was to come, and secured her the high AS score for the round.

Rich / Andrew opened Cricket with a split, and John / Mindy split their two games, as well. But once again, Mindy threw the high As for the round with an R6.

Mindy / John came back to start D501, and Mindy made fools of the competition by putting up two wins, and throwing another 92 As points in for good measure. Rich / Andrew closed out the night with a split, and The Ship wound up with a 9-7 win. The first step in turning this season around, and making some fools.

Props:
Mindy - 345 AS points, 20 Shippys, three wins and a dominating performance.
Dave - Birthday props.

And A Fool If He Doesn't Afterward

2009-04-14T23:59:00.002-04:00

"A man is a fool if he drinks before he reaches the age of 50, and a fool if he doesn't afterward." -- Frank Lloyd Wright

I'd like to amend the above quote to say that The Ship is a fool if it drinks before Cricket, and a fool if it doesn't drink when it is down 11-1 afterward. To be fair, at the age of 50, Frank Lloyd Wright had a servant burn his house down and kill seven people with an axe, got divorced, re-married a morphine addict, got divorced again, got re-married, had his house burn down again, was charged with human trafficking under the Mann Act, and eventually died. But in comparison, I'd say this week's match for The Ship was about equal.

Despite the cozy environs of the Crowe's Nest, things started off a little tenuous as Rich dropped the first game in an old-fashioned C-league double-one desperation match. Rich came back with a win in game two, but pretty quickly The Ship dug itself a hole deeper than the Second Avenue subway being built right outside. Andrew threw a heap of AS points in his games, but dropped both. John followed by getting swept, and Darian also dropped two in her inaugural game of the season. The Ship was quickly down 7-1 and looking for a bracer.

When Cricket came around, we needed a whole bunch of Grasshoppers, and possibly a few tequila worms. Rich / Darian were swept in the first round, and John / Andrew were swept in the second round. Suddenly it was a dark and stormy night, and we were looking for a few Dark and Stormies.

Even having the entire Levin household on hand couldn't clear our heads, although it helped a little. Rich / Dave managed a win in the first game of D501 before losing the second. Andrew / John ended the night dropping the last two, and making the final score a 14-2 Ship loss. Ugh. I need a drink.

Props:
Andrew - For the last 340 AS points those darts will ever see.

And Fool Reform

2009-04-04T23:59:00.002-04:00

"Tomorrow is the day when idlers work, and fool reform, and mortal men lay hold on heaven." -- Andrew Young

BYE week. See below for next update.

An Ordinary Fool

2009-03-31T23:59:00.001-04:00

"Whatever talents I possess may suddenly diminish or suddenly increase. I can with ease become an ordinary fool. I may be one now. But it doesn't do to upset one's own vanity." -- Dylan Thomas

There is nothing like a game of darts to upset one's own vanity. One minute you are on the top of your game and the bullseye is as big as a saucer, and the next minute you can't hit a double to save your life. Jet lag, karma, rust, or bad lighting. Who knows why, but some nights the darts are falling, and some nights the darts are not. Unfortunately for The Ship, this was one of those nights.

We knew it would be a long night early on. Rich started out with a runaway win, and then jumped out to a big lead in game two. But, unable to close it out, he dropped the second game. Andrew turned things around briefly for The Ship, by pulling off a sweep. Fred and John followed with splits to round out S501 and put The Ship up 5-3 early. But, maybe it was the elves, but things just didn't seem right.

Rich / Mindy started out Cricket with a come back win, despite having held a sizeable lead to start things out. And right about this point on the night... The Ship's talents suddenly diminished. There was bad strategy which led to a loss in game two for Rich / Mindy, despite out playing and out bulling the competition. There were tough losses, as Fred / Andrew were swept in two close games to end Cricket, making the score 6-6 after the second round.

And then there was complete misfortune. John / Fred were swept in the start of D501. And in the second round, needing two Ship wins to just tie the night, Rich / Andrew dropped both games. Ugh. So, we ended with a 10-6 loss. But, it doesn't do to upset one's vanity. So we will be back next time, and I look forward to our talents will suddenly increasing.

Props:
Magnús Skarphéðinsson - For his dedication to education.

The Fool Has Learned The Game

2009-03-24T23:59:00.004-04:00

"By the time the fool has learned the game, the players have dispersed." -- African Proverb

Welcome back, Ship, for another go 'round on this crazy darts ride. This season we are kickin' it old school, with a roster that harkens back to some of our very first seasons. So, with eight years and 15 seasons under our belts, it's time to see how much of this game we have learned.

The night took a little while to kick into gear, but we had to pity the opponent, because they only had three players. This would prove to be a big advantage for The Ship. Rich started things off right with a sweep, and Andrew and Mindy followed with splits. John took two forfeit wins in the last game, and The Ship was off and running with a 6-2 lead.

Andrew / John opened Cricket with a split, and Mindy / Rich capitalized on their Canadian match with a sweep. D501 played out similarly, with Mindy / Andrew winning their Canadian match-up and Rich / John earning a split. Overall, a solid 12-4 "wind-aided" win for The Ship. Still too early to tell, but maybe we have learned this game after all....

Props:
John - For the theme, and 4 wins while downing half of Idaho.
Andrew - For 4 wins with new darts.
Mindy - For 5 wins while updating Facebook.
Rich - For 5 wins, while accepting last season's Shippy Award. (more on this season's contest to follow...)

Really??!?!

2008-12-09T11:59:00.001-05:00

So Ship, you play darts every week, and you're surprised you end up in seedy, sketchy bars? Really??!? That's like stopping off at a crack house and being surprised it's in a bad neighborhood. Really.

And you play darts one day a week, every other week, and you are surprised you are getting beat by people that play every day? Really??!? That's like challenging Paula Abdul to a crazy contest. You do it once, she does it EVERY day. You have no chance. Really.

OK, mine suck, but enjoy the SNL ones. (and one more, just for Dave. Really!??!)

Rich split the opener, but John kicked of his big night with two wins. Really!!?! Darian also earned a split, but Fred dropped both games in his round. Really? He gave up a room full of sugar-daddy bankers for this?? After all was said and done, though, The Ship was holding close at 4-4.

Do we really need to play Cricket every week? Really??!? Just for kicks, Rich / Fred played the first round, and lost all three games. And to balance things out, Darian / John dropped all three in the second round. It's possible that The Ship was improperly weighted due to an abundance of fries and wraps, but really, we might just be really bad at Cricket.

D501 gave us a chance to get back in the match, and Fred / John took one of two to get us started. Rich / Darian ended the night with a split, as well, and The Ship walked away with 6 points for the night.

Props:
John - Really!!! A monster night, winning three and dominating the Shippy.

Weekly Shippy Points (YTD Standings)

Player	Points	Notes
John	36	36 points in S501*, 0 points in Cricket, 12 points in D501
Fred	21	12 points in S501, 0 points in Cricket, 21 points in D501*
Darian	12	12 points in S501, 0 points in Cricket, 9 points in D501
Rich	12	12 points in S501, 12 points in Cricket*, 12 points in D501
* High Throw in Round

The Writing On The Wall

2008-12-02T23:59:00.003-05:00

As we have already established, I've been at this re-cap writing for some time. So I hope you will trust me when I say that this week's match was, quite literally, nothing to write home about. As dart matches go, there wasn't too much of interest. It was a fairly run-of-the-mill match. As a team, we threw good darts, but it was definitely one of those nights where things just didn't fall our way.

Rich won the first game of the night, but his opponent acted like a prima donna and complained about the scoring, the atmosphere, the lights, the shadows, etc, setting the tone for the night. The Ship then dropped the next seven games in a row, and we were down 7-1 after S501.

Mindy / Darian delivered a win in their second game of Cricket, as they piled on points and steamrolled to victory in one of their three games. But Rich / John were swept to finish Cricket. And, with sweeps in both games of D501, Mindy / Darian's Cricket win ended up being our final point of the night, and the match ended in a 16-2 loss for The Ship.

For me, darts has never been about the opponents we play. In general, I consider the other teams a necessary evil that I need to put up with, in exchange for a weekly night out with The Ship. Let's hope the annoying drunks, preening punks, whining boozers and big losers don't make that tradeoff unmanageable.

Props:
Mindy - For half of the points on the night, and for putting up with more than she should have had to.

Weekly Shippy Points (YTD Standings)

Player	Points	Notes
Darian	16	12 points in S501, 16 points in Cricket, 3 points in D501
Mindy	15	0 points in S501, 8 points in Cricket, 15 points in D501*
Rich	12	12 points in S501, 12 points in Cricket*, 3 points in D501
John	3	0 points in S501, 0 points in Cricket, 3 points in D501
* High Throw in Round

Tap That Ass

2008-11-25T23:28:00.000-05:00

Rich is writing the update.

Michael is back in NYC and playing darts.

Darian refuses to join Facebook.

John is inventing Assbook.

Welcome to the jungle. This week's match was all scrambled up, as The Ship played a make-up of a long-delayed match. Michel was back in the mob, and led things off with two wins. It was as though he had never been away at all. Rich followed up by twirling a split. Some other people you may know are John, who dropped his two games, and Darian, who won both of her games. After S501, The Ship had 5 wins.

Michael / John helped fight global warming by earning one win to open Cricket. Rich / Darian had a complicated round, but they managed to take one game. After Cricket, The Ship had 7 wins.

Rich / Darian were completely super-poked to start D501, as they lost both games. In the final round, John / Michael posted two wins to end the night. After D501, The Ship had 9 wins.

Props:
Michael - For to reconnecting with your darts game.

Weekly Shippy Points (YTD Standings)

Player	Points	Notes
Darian	24	24 points in S501, 8 points in Cricket, 0 points in D501
Michael	24	24 points in S501, 20 points in Cricket*, 21 points in D501
Rich	24	24 points in S501, 16 points in Cricket, 6 points in D501
John	16	0 points in S501, 16 points in Cricket*, 15 points in D501
* High Throw in Round

Full of Ship and The Case of The Missing Points

2008-11-18T23:59:00.003-05:00

A bar full of darts players...

A pile of nachos...

Missing bullseyes...

A bucket of nails...

And an eyewitness who's legally blind!

There was more to the Bullpen Bar in Idaville than meets the eye. To passersby, it looks like a normal bar, with TV sets, piles of nachos and bar stools. But this bar had a secret. As The Ship hunted around inside The Tigers clubhouse for a win this week, a strange mystery arose. Who had taken The Ship's points, and why?

The curious events unfolded early, as Rich and John both were completely puzzled at their complete lack of points in their opening games. However, in a twist to the case, Fred was able to uncover a single point, as was the newly-added-to-the-roster Leroy "Darian" Levin. The Ship had two wins, but was on the lookout for its other missing four points.

Things looked bad, as Fred / John were conned out of all of their points in the opener of Cricket by the formidable team of Bugs Meany / Wilford Wiggins. Rich / EB closed their eyes and thought deeply, in order to crack the case of the Tricky Cricket, and capture a single point. But it was going to take a lot of sleuthing for The Ship to come back from its 11-3 deficit.

Not even Sally Kimball could have saved The Ship in D501, as Fred / EB dropped the first two games, followed by Rich / John completely dropping the case. But suddenly, as the night was coming to an end, Encyclopedia stood up. "I don't think The Ship should go just yet. They did not lose this match 15-3!" WHAT DID ENCYCLOPEDIA KNOW THAT WOULD HAVE CHANGED THE SCORE?"

For the answer to this story, turn to page 76.

Props:
Darian - For dominating in darts (2 wins, leader in Shippy points), as well as demonstrating her EB-ness, all in her first week back.
Rich / John / Fred - For dominating the nachos.

Weekly Shippy Points (YTD Standings)

Player	Points	Notes
Darian	24	24 points in S501*, 8 points in Cricket, 6 points in D501
Fred	18	12 points in S501, 0 points in Cricket, 3 points in D501 + 6 points for ending up "In"
Rich	10	0 points in S501, 4 points in Cricket, 0 points in D501 + 6 points for ending up "In"
John	3	0 points in S501, 0 points in Cricket, 3 points in D501
* High Throw in Round

Bye Week Blatherings

2008-11-11T23:11:00.001-05:00

I have to say, I just don't get Dancin' With The Stars. I mean, it's not like watching professional dancing is popular, so why is this? Is it just that we will literally watch "stars" do anything? If so, why not Napping With The Stars, or Carpet Installation With The Stars, or Grocery Shopping With The Stars? I have to believe that any of those would be equally as entertaining. Plus, shouldn't there be some level of stardom in order to qualify? And what the heck is the scoring system?
Anyway, despite the above, I've never actually watched the show. But I am damn sure setting my TiVo as soon as they launch Cage Fighting With The Stars.

So, What's New?

2008-10-28T23:59:00.001-04:00

It's only been a few weeks since we last spoke. Let's take a look at a quick recap of what has happened since our last game. Well, the last time The Ship played, the United States had never elected an African American President. The last time we played, a TARP was just something to cover a baseball field in the rain. The last time we played, American Express was not a bank. The last time we played, the New York Jets were not in first place. So, not much news, I guess. Let's get on with the recap.

We started late this week, but things looked just peachy at the outset. Rich locked-in two wins right off the bat. Then Mindy posted a win in her first game, and notched a Ton-40, which would hold up as the high throw of the round. But Mindy dropped game two, and then John and Dave both got swept, leaving The Ship down 5-3 after S501.

We've covered that there has been quite some change in the world over the past few weeks. But it is somewhat comforting to know that some things don't ever change. Those simple things that you can always go back to, the constants in life that center us, give us a sense of calm in the heart of the swirling storm. For me, the fact that The Ship consistently gets spanked in Cricket is as comforting as an old pair of jeans. Rich / Dave played their guts out in the first round, and still only managed to take one game out of three. Mindy / John also threw tremendous games, but they too were limited to one win, and The Ship was facing a Dolly Parton down 9-5.

Although it's been a long time, I have to admit I still can't freakin' believe that Rich / Dave lost both games to start D501. I mean, I just know we played better than that. Well, I guess it has been a week of tough defeats. Anyway, Mindy / John stepped up and won their first game before dropping the finale. At the end of the night, The Ship has only managed 6 electoral votes to 12 for Biddy's, handing a bitter defeat to the incumbents. Luckily, we don't need to wait another four years before we get a chance to redeem ourselves.

Props:
Mindy - Leading the team in Shippy points, and in on 3 of our 6 wins.

Weekly Shippy Points (YTD Standings)

Player	Points	Notes
Mindy	24	24 points in S501*, 4 points in Cricket, 12 points in D501
Rich	24	24 points in S501, 4 points in Cricket, 6 points in D501
John	20	0 points in S501, 20 points in Cricket*, 9 points in D501
Dave	8	0 points in S501, 8 points in Cricket, 0 points in D501
* High Throw in Round

What is Past is Pologe

2008-10-20T23:59:00.002-04:00

No game this week, as Pologe (whatever the heck that means), dropped out of the league. Instead, some Pologe-inspired quotes:

Courtship is to marriage, as a very witty prologue to a very dull play. {William Congreve}

A popular government without popular information or the means of acquiring it, is but a prologue to a farce, or a tragedy, or perhaps both. {James Madison}

We all were sea-swallow'd, though some cast again, And by that destiny to perform an act Whereof what's past is prologue, what to come In yours and my discharge. {William Shakespeare, The Tempest: Act II, Scene 1}

Let's hope the season to date is prologue to the glory that will come in the second half.

Bullseye, Narcissus, and Self-Reflection: The Modernist Myth of Darts

2008-10-14T23:59:00.002-04:00

Hello readers, welcome to the update. By my count, this is the 192nd darts update I've written. Nearly two hundred updates covering 14-plus seasons. Over one hundred and ninety different ways to describe what is essentially the same sequence of events each week. Don't get me wrong, this is not a complaint. In fact, I enjoy the doing write-ups, both the challenge and the fun of highlighting each week's get together. But maybe it's that it has been nearly nine years since we started, or maybe it's because I just had a high school reunion and I'm getting a little nostalgic, but suddenly I'm reflecting on the process of writing these weekly ditties.

They mostly start the same, hopefully with a jaunty little theme. Maybe some sort of riff on pop culture (and more recently a funny little picture right up there in the upper right-hand corner, just like a real newspaper), maybe a reference to a particularly funny part of the night, or maybe just some random connective tissue I have selected to bring the season together. We've reminisced about one hit wonders and enjoyed Oscar-winning movies. We've toured countries of the world and explored the music of the Beatles. Pictures, poems, limericks, and even the occasional anagram have been used to set the stage. As an example, this week I may have latched on to the ALCS game that was played last night between Boston and Tampa Bay as a suitable theme. If so, this section might perhaps tie our team's match (NB: while formally named Full of Ship, the team is most often referred to by the colloquial reference "The Ship") to the futility shown by Tim Wakefield and the Boston Red Sox in this game, such as "The Ship brought out a squad of wily veterans this night, looking to recapture some past glory, and teach a lesson to their upstart opponents."

After the pithy (snarky?) little intro, we then head into the description of the match itself, starting with Singles 501. S501 is always a fun section to write, because I get to use a lot of heavy-handed references to the aforementioned theme. I throw in a bunch of puns, hopefully a few hyperlinks to some hilarious and random internet content, and off we go. Plus, I love this section because I get to highlight the great games that we play individually. I know it's a team sport, but somehow the singles event seems to turn out the wild games, or ridiculously crazy throws or other unbelievable plays each week. Of course, sometimes nothing happens in S501. To continue on with our hypothetical example, this week's description might have read "Unfortunately, in S501, The Ship was slapped around like Wakefield's knuckler, as our opponents slapped two grand slams and left us on the short end of an 8-0 score after one round."

Next comes the always unheralded Cricket section. It is the poor second act of the write-up. The "middle child," if you will. The often overlooked Jan to the recap's Brady Bunch. By the time it arrives, all the good jokes have been taken by the S501 section. It doesn't have the resolution or dénouement of the D501 section. Plus, let's be honest, we kinda suck at Cricket, so it usually entails a lot of coverage of us losing, which is not that fun to write about. But I gamely give Cricket its due, and try not to mail it in too much, to get out the good things we deliver. So this week, it may have read: "Like Big Papi miraculously delivering a triple with the Red Sox hopelessly behind, Dave / Rich managed to pull one win out of the Cricket hat, to pull The Ship within twelve points after two rounds."

And finally we come to Doubles 501, which is invariably the most exciting part of the night. In the past, the games were worth two points, which really upped the excitement, because it usually meant that the winner of this round would win the night. Of course, it is the round that gave us the midget toss, so it will always hold a special place in my heart. But inherently it is thrilling because its got that awesome rhythm of double-in / double-out, where anything can happen (and often does). I always like to try and build up the tension in this part, creating a mystery around how the match turned out. And there is almost always some turn of events that tips the night one way or the other, which I get to wrap back to the theme to round out the update. And really, on the rare times they happen, there is nothing more satisfying than a smooth finish to the recap. To finish our example for the week, it may have ended like this: "The Ship picked up one more win from Rich / Dave in D501, but like the Red Sox they were unable to make the final score respectable, finishing with a 16-2 loss."

And that's it, really. I've never officially counted, but they probably average about 350 words a week. If I was really good, I might even be able to tell the full story in just three or four sentences. (as Blaise Pascal said, "I have made this letter longer than usual, only because I have not had the time to make it shorter.") As daunting as it seems each week, it's never as painful as I build it up to be. Somehow, there is always another way to tell the story, another phrase to turn, another participle to dangle. I almost always make the "deadline" for publication (i.e. the day before the next week's match). Have I repeated myself? Probably. Do I contradict myself? Yes (I am large, I contain multitudes.)

Oh yeah, there is one other piece to the update. Probably the most anticipated, most discussed, and easily the most lobbied for section - the Props. I'm not even sure what precipitated the creation of Props and the need to call out a weekly winner (as I said, it's a team game), but I think it's fair to say that the recap would have been dead long ago without this little gem. It is The Simpsons to the recap's Tracey Ullman Show, if you will, probably deserving of its own spin-off which would likely outlast its predecessor in fortune and glory. I probably take a perverse pleasure in handing out props, but always with an eye to spreading the wealth while acknowledging all manner of great performances. There is almost always something to celebrate, a random dart, a dominant performance, an upset win, and countless random acts. Of course, some nights I can be strapped and go completely off the board, and this week would probably have been one of those where I awarded: "Props - Carl Crawford / Willy Aybar, for knocking the Red Sox to the brink of elimination."

For anyone that made it this far, thanks for indulging me. Now, and 191 other times.

Weekly Shippy Points (YTD Standings)

Player	Points	Notes
Rich	20	0 points in S501, 20 points in Cricket*, 15 points in D501
Dave	12	12 points in S501*, 4 points in Cricket, 6 points in D501
* High Throw in Round

Race To The Finish

2008-10-07T23:59:00.002-04:00

This week, the race was on. The Ship was out in full force, and was ready to count all night long. With a healthy combination of darts competition, vigorous debate and meat sandwiches, it was a good night to play.

Rich started the race in a strong way, posting two wins, a first-dart-out, and a win in twelve rounds. The twelve rounds set the bar for the night, and gave The Ship something to shoot for. Fred followed with two strong games, including a high throw for the round of 133, but somehow did not score a win. Dave also dropped two games against the buzz saw that is Gloria. Michael rounded things out with a split (and a twelve rounder to tie the low for the night), and The Ship found itself down 5-3 after S501.

Rich / Fred battled to open Cricket. Game one yielded a win for The Ship, but Rich / Fred found themselves behind on points early in games two and three, and they were unable to surmount the obstacles. The season's top pairing to date, Michael / Mindy, also played well and earned one win. At this point, The Ship was well fed, but down 9-5.

Dave / Mindy kicked off D501 with a split, and Rich / Michael followed up with the same, making the final score an 11-7 loss for The Ship.

Props:
Rich - Four wins and enough Shippy points to tie Michael.

Weekly Shippy Points (YTD Standings)

Player	Points	Notes
Rich	36	24 points in S501, 16 points in Cricket*, 12 points in D501 + 6 points for First Dart Out and 6 points for Race to The Basement
Michael	27	12 points in S501, 4 points in Cricket, 21 points in D501* + 6 points for Race to The Basement
Mindy	15	4 points in Cricket, 15 points in D501
Fred	12	12 points in S501*, 4 points in Cricket
Dave	0	0 points in S501, 6 points in D501
Andrew	0	DNP
John	0	DNP
Darian	0	DNP
* High Throw in Round

Last Man Standing

2008-10-01T23:59:00.003-04:00

Eliminator. It is an event that is not for the faint of heart. It is an event so ruthless and unforgiving that only the strongest can survive. It is an event that has been known to make the strongest players crumble in its wake. Just the thought of Eliminator can bring grown men and women to their knees. And tonight, The Ship faced down the Eliminator in a showdown for the ages.

Rich started the night off strong, mowing through two S501 wins with almost no problems. But S501 is a cakewalk compared to Eliminator, and it showed, as Rich's breakfast tossed him from the competition early. Andrew followed with two losses, including a throw under 10 points, as Eliminator claimed another victim. Michael split his games, and slid through without getting eliminated. Fred posted two wins and advanced on, as well. The Ship ended S501 with a 5-3 lead and three players still eligible for the bonus points.

Michael / Mindy continued their dominant run in Cricket, with two wins out of the box. But Mindy was not able to escape the treacherous clutches, and she was eliminated. Rich / Andrew played an uninspired round and dropped all three games, which dropped The Ship back in to a 7-7 tie for the night.

Andrew / Fred dropped both ends of the D501 opener, which also included Fred's elimination. So, the night came down to the final match, with Rich / Michael needing two wins to secure a tie for The Ship. And Michael was looking to deliver his own birthday present of 10 Shippy bonus points, if he could continue to escape the jaws of the Eliminator. Michael made it through the first game unscathed, as The Ship got the first win. The second game was a little more shaky, but both teams were in in right down to the wire. But, on his last throw of the night, Michael threw a five / one / bounce out for six points and an elimination. Rich / Michael went on to drop the game, making the final score a 108-8 loss for The Ship. So, Eliminator claimed five victims on this night, and no bonus points were awarded.

Props:
Fred - Two wins and strong play in his season debut.
Darian & Michael - Happy Birthday!

Weekly Shippy Points (YTD Standings)

Player	Points	Notes
Michael	24	24 points in S501, 24 points in Cricket, 30 points in D501*
Rich	24	24 points in S501, 12 points in Cricket*, 15 points in D501
Fred	24	24 points in S501, 3 points in D501
Mindy	12	12 points in Cricket
Andrew	3	0 points in S501, 0 points in Cricket, 3 points in D501 (D-In)
John	0	DNP
Dave	0	DNP
Darian	0	DNP
* High Throw in Round (Rich & Michael tied for high AS in Cricket with R5s)

And They're Off...

2008-09-23T23:59:00.003-04:00

After a leisurely practice session during the off week, the season finally got underway. With the The Spar At The Bar trophy in the house, The Ship was doubly excited to get things going. And to start our 16th season, we hit the ground running.

Rich kicked off the season against a tough player in what was hyped as a potential point-fest. Rich earned a split, and managed a Ton-05, which would hold up and deliver 12 Shippy points as the top throw of the round. Michael and Andrew also earned splits, but the big round went to Mindy, who won both games, giving her a Shippy round of 24 points. Out to an early 5-3 lead, The Ship was feeling strong in its return to play.

The new off-season training regimen for The Ship was proven effective in Cricket. Last season, Cricket struggled through Cricket, winning less than 40% of their games. But this week, Michael / Mindy started things off by taking two of three rounds. Rich / John followed up by also winning two of three. Two wins meant everyone earned 12 Shippy points, and Michael's C4 put him over the top with 24 points. With four wins, The Ship found itself up 9-5 after Cricket.

Michael / John kept the momentum going in D501 with a sweep in two games. They each split the double-ins, and Michael had both double-outs. Rich / Andrew split their games, with Rich getting in twice and out once. The three wins gave The Ship a 12-6 win, which is very nice for the first week back.

Props:
Andrew - For special achievement in award innovation and sound editing.

Weekly Shippy Points (YTD Standings)

Player	Points	Notes
Michael	33	12 points in S501, 24 points in Cricket, 30 points in D501
Mindy	24	24 points in S501, 12 points in Cricket
Rich	24	24 points in S501*, 12 points in Cricket, 15 points in D501
John	15	12 points in Cricket, 15 points in D501
Andrew	12	12 points in S501, 6 points in D501
Fred	0	DNP
Dave	0	DNP
Darian	0	DNP
* High Throw in Round

Let's Get Ready to Rumble...

2008-09-16T23:59:00.002-04:00

Welcome back, Ship. It's good to be back at The Ship, and good to be back on Tuesdays.

The big news for the year is the launch of "The Spar At The Bar" aka "The Jockey at The Oche" aka "The Bizzle for the Crystal".

Yes, this season we launch the competition for "The Shippy". Join us each week for updates, breaking news, announcements all all of the action.

And for the record, this was a Bye week. See you for Week 2.

It Ain't Over Til...

2008-06-30T23:59:00.001-04:00

Freddy Sez:

Well, OK, it is in fact over. But before I get to the season-ending awards, I would be remiss if I didn't acknowledge the outstanding effort The Ship put up in the final week of the season. First off, the turnout was outstanding, as everyone made it to the match (except Michael, who was out of town). The Ship put up five points in S501, including some crazy wins from Rich (calling his shot in both games with first-dart outs), Andrew, Dave and John. We pulled out two more points in Cricket and another in D501, giving us eight points against the third-place Point Whores, which is nothing to sneeze at. Roll on, Ship, Roll On! (Click to continue...)

Stand Clear of the Closing Doors

2008-06-23T23:55:00.000-04:00

Freddy Sez:

Nothing draws the attention of NYC as much as a good old-fashioned Subway Series. So, as The Ship rolls towards its final stop and the long season nears its end, we pile on board one more time and commute to SOF for another exciting matchup. (Click to continue...)

A-Job

2008-06-16T23:53:00.000-04:00

Freddy Sez:

Twelve weeks into the season, the NYDO schedule can take a toll on a team. Especially a team stepping up to a higher division, facing tough competition each match. In fact, if we aren't careful, this little hobby / pastime of ours can sometimes feel like a job. And then, sometimes, a week comes by that makes things fun again, where we get a chance to remember why we play every Tuesday. (Click to continue...)

Clipped!

2008-06-09T23:49:00.000-04:00

Freddy Sez:

Where have you gone, Ship? Our nation turns its lonely darts to you. Yes, The Ship's game has left and gone away, or at least out for a cup of Mr. Coffee (with donuts dunked in it). (Click to continue...)

Duck!

2008-06-02T23:58:00.000-04:00

Freddy Sez:

With some tough matches behind us, The Ship came into this week looking to put some much-needed points on their season totals. As long as we didn't catch a sudden case of Steve Blass Disease, it looked like we were all set to fatten up our totals. Well, let's just say it was a good thing Keith Olbermann's mother was not in attendance at the Ship this week. (Click to continue...)

A Bad Break

2008-05-19T23:59:00.000-04:00

Freddy Sez:

For the past few weeks, you have been reading about the bad breaks The Ship has got. But today, we consider ourselves the luckiest Ship on the face of the earth. We have been playing darts for fifteen seasons, and we have never received anything but kindness and support from you, the fans of The Ship. (Click to continue...)

BYE Week

2008-05-12T23:59:00.001-04:00

Freddy Sez:

No update this week, just a link to this, for your enjoyment.

Let's see The Ship do some damage in the second half.

(Click to continue...)

The Pride of The Ship

2008-05-05T23:59:00.001-04:00

Freddy Sez:

Coming off a rough week, The Ship was looking to take advantage of a return to its home bar. With a workmanlike performance and a concentration on sound fundamentals, the squad would turn in a solid performance. (Click to continue...)

Swatted

2008-04-28T23:59:00.001-04:00

Freddy Sez:

To try to capture The Ship with a mere update would be like trying to keep up with The Ship on a night out. It simply cannot be done. Yet, as always, I will once again take on this Ruthian task, for your enjoyment. (Click to continue...)