March Madness 2007By Ty Hughes To heck with basketball, the 2007 version of the extremely successful March Madness for darts is finally in the books. Spanning three complete weekends in March, sixty-four teams were whittled down to the Final Four who gathered at Seattle 's Wayne 's World for the final battle on Saturday, April 7. Wayne 's World was pleased to be named the host location for the Final Four this go around and proved to be an outstanding venue for the finals. These teams and their faithful supporters convened on Wayne 's World for a day of darts that they would remember for a long time to come. The action was quickly underway after a few words of welcome from each player. First up, it was GT's South Huskies vs. Grand Peking Lumber Jills and at the opposite end; Jimmy Jack's Jackals vs. 13th Ave Pub Gamecocks. In a race to ten points, each team played Cricket and 501 games in doubles, each worth a half a point. By the time they reached the halfway point, Grand Peking led GT's by a full point, 3.5 to 2.5 and 13th Ave coveted a full point over Jimmy Jacks, 3.5 to 2.5. The second half was a full team effort as the teams played stacked 901 and Cricket, each win worth a full point. Grand Peking continued their winning ways against GT's, pulling out to a three point lead, 7.5 to 4.5, before giving up a comfortable lead. Soon, the match was tied at 7.5 points each. They traded wins all the way to the end, when GT's pulled off the final win, beating Grand Peking by half a point, 10.5 to 9.5. Grand Peking licked their wounds after an exciting, but devastating loss. They collected their trophies and cash and settled on a third place ranking. Not bad considering they made it all the way to the Final Four out of 64 original contenders. Meanwhile, on the other side of the room, 13th Ave Pub was nursing a full points lead over Jimmy Jack's as they launched into the team 901 and Cricket games. From that point forward, their wins were few and far between, giving up four games in a row putting Jimmy Jacks in the lead, 6.5 to 3.5. Though they managed to put together three wins in a row, bringing them to within one game of Jimmy Jacks, that would be all they'd get for the day. Jimmy Jacks pulled away, winning the match 10.5 to 6.5. Team 13th Ave Gamecocks would be forced to settle on a 3rd place finish and were happy be part of the Final Four teams left standing after a three-week endeavor. So, alas, the platform was set for the last two teams in contention to go at it! Liz, owner of Wayne 's World, was busy behind the bar, tending to the requests of a full house, while the players and their supporters frequented the outdoor beer garden to get some fresh air. The house was full of active dart players from all over the Puget Sound area. Wayne 's World staff went above and beyond to cater to the needs of the players and their friends. In the final match, the pinnacle of this event, three weeks since the first dart was thrown, GT's South Huskies would be pitted against a formidable Jimmy Jacks Jackals team. Though GT's hopes were high, Jimmy Jacks darts were even better. They rolled over the competition, beating them handily, 10 to 2. March Madness 2007 was complete. GT's, though disappointed, savored their 2nd place finish, remembering what it took to get as far as they did. Jimmy Jacks celebrated a dominant victory, naming them Champions for 2007. They were ecstatic and pocketed a crapload of cash and nestled up to their gigantic trophy. Congratulations to Jimmy Jack's on their victorious culmination and thanks to all the teams that provided a tough field of competitors. We anxiously look forward to next year's event and hope that you'll be an active participant in March Madness 2008. The 2007 March Madness Final Four teams were: GT's South Huskies Grand Peking Lumber Jills Jimmy Jack's Jackals 13th Ave Pub Gamecocks
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