North vs. South Civil Rivalry Cup a real challenge

By Ty Hughes

To say that the first ever North vs. South Civil Rivalry Cup got off to a rough start would be a gross understatement.

Widely considered to be a fantastic promotion among dart enthusiasts, the details of the challenge were yet unclear as the qualifiers were underway. Apparently we failed to communicate the minutia effectively pertaining to the North vs. South challenge, leaving everyone a bit perplexed by the concept. Most participating locations failed to promote from within, recruiting players for their in-house Singles Qualifier.

Those that really pushed for players, got a few more, but still not enough. In fact, some of the Singles Qualifiers tanked completely, drawing just one or two players per rating division.

There were several division qualifiers that attracted 8-10 players and had an excellent day of fun. Thanks to those hardcore supporters like Bobby from the Pied Piper, who took a couple carloads of 3’s up to the Home Plate to help make it a great success! He did the same for several flights, wholeheartedly getting behind his players. As a result, many of the qualifiers came out of the Pied Piper.

Liz from Wayne’s World, who also believes that the North vs. South Cup could be huge, had a big influence on the event. She loves the idea, and was excited to be drawn to host the Perfect Parity Finals event on Saturday, October 22, 2011.

Even after being eliminated, most of the Southend 3’s hung around pretty much to the end, buying shots and partying! I’m so proud of my fellow 3’s for keeping with the spirit.

Mustard Seed had eight 8’s and had a great day as well. Several other Qualifiers had similar success, though measured.

Thanks also to Miles, who promoted tirelessly via Facebook and word of mouth, only to get two players at his qualifying event at Stars.

Here’s the thing, we expected a ‘learning curve’ to some degree, but could not have predicted the sheer lack of interest in such a great dart promotion. And rather than continue to pollute the air with speculation, we would ask you, the player, to offer your constructive feedback and suggest any necessary changes for the next North vs. South Challenge set for this coming March. Once everyone understands the concept, this North vs. South Challenge could become a signature annual event and really bring some widespread excitement to the game overall.

Regardless of it’s slow start, we forged ahead. First and second place in every division, 1-12 ratings, were invited to attend the Free Entry $500 Added 6-Team Round Robin Finals event on Saturday, October 22, 2011. All of the northend 1st Place Qualifiers traveled to Wayne’s World to compete against the southend 1st Place Qualifiers for cash and a trophy, but most of all for bragging rights over the other.

Meanwhile, at the exact same time, all twenty-four 2nd Place Qualifiers, both north and south, showed up at Flights Pub for the same exciting 6-team Round Robin.

At each location, the Southend players paired up with their corresponding Qualifier to total a 13 point team. The Northend players did the same, hence the Perfect Parity Doubles. Twelve/One, eleven/two, ten/three, etc. to form six teams on each side. The two sides battled it out in a 6-bracket Round Robin that stretched out through the entire afternoon. Wins and losses for each round were tallied and posted. The North took an early lead and never even looked back. The final score at Wayne’s World was North: 67 wins, and South: 41 wins. At Flights the final score was North: 67 wins, and the South: 34 wins. The cumulative total from both locations ended up being: North had 134 wins to the South’s 75.

All 24 of the northend players were handed $100, and the All-New North vs. South Civil Rivalry Challenge Cup was officially presented to the northend house that hosted the finals. Way to go North!

“What a fantastic day of darts at Wayne’s World for the North vs. South Finals,” Liz Bowers, Wayne’s World Owner, commented. “People representing 16 different bars around the Northwest gathered together for an afternoon of fun, camaraderie and competition. It was all about who was the best – North or South!”

Liz continued, “I would like to thank everyone that came to play, spectate, or just stopped by to see what the heck was going on. Mary Jo kept the jukebox rockin’ all through the event and did a fantastic job of selecting songs! Special thanks to Randy for his help with the score-keeping, the ladder and fan floorshow, and his enthusiasm while trying to rally the south. And thanks to all for the Fireball shots. I’ll host you guys anytime, if you keep the shots coming!”

The Medallion, proud to be an official sponsor, would also like to thank Steve “Stinky” Roth for his help organizing the southend locations, Gary Tinder in the northend, and of course the Master Designer of the North vs. South Cup, Lucky Pence, who sadly was in the hospital when his whole brainstorm began and again when it finished! Poor guy, all laid up, phone ringing off the hook.

Certainly there will be plenty of changes for the next North vs. South event in March, but it WILL come again, so please watch for this unique promotion and jump in with both feet. We could sure use your support, whether you’re a Medalist 1, a Medalist 12, or somewhere in between.

Please send your comments, questions, and/or suggestions by email to Editor@TheMedallion.net.