BullShooter Magazine April 2018 Number 4 Volume 35 | Page 17

ing, “It’s not that easy Doctor. I play professional darts and I have to have that finger.” He just kind of shook his head and went to look at my chart. He was gone for about 45 minutes. I was thinking man, he must be digging up a surgeon to come and cut my finger off. Then he came back in and told me he’d been on the telephone with some doctors from overseas. He said I can’t save your finger, but I can prolong the finger. I can slow the disease down. Pacer: Just how have things gone since then? Dennis: Well, I almost feel like I am playing on borrowed time. I want to play every tournament I possibly can. Of course, because of the cost, I have to work first and make enough money to travel to tournaments. But I really enjoy every chance I get to compete. Pacer: Dennis, do you still feel that you can still play at a high level? Dennis: Well, for about the first year I struggled. I had to get used to my hand. I have no feeling from my knuckle to the tip of my finger so I had to learn how to grip and throw all over again. If I make sure my grip is right and my finger doesn’t decide to get lazy on me, I can still compete. Of course, that doesn’t mean I’ll win. I took 4th in the Singles Cricket on the TOC’s Super Saturday and shot over 6.0 the last match and lost. I guess I can’t blame that on my finger (both laughing)! Pacer: This is really an amazing story. How did it all get started? Dennis: Back in 2001 a guy I worked with asked me to shoot on a dart team. I told him man you’re asking the wrong guy, I’m no dart player. Well, about every hour or so he would ask me again. Finally about 2:30 I said, “Bill I’ll tell you what, if you give me a set of darts to shoot with and buy my wife a few drinks to keep her happy, I’ll give it a try. I expected him to laugh at me, but he just said that’s no problem at all. So I remember playing that first night in Collinsville, Illinois, and people he plays a remote league with his son, Keith. He told me, “My son has been playing a couple years and is really becoming a good player. I plan on playing as long as my hand lets me and then I’ll go root for my boy.” were complaining that Bill had picked up a ringer. I can remember driving home with my wife and saying you know, I think I could get pretty good at this game. Pacer: Well, I would have to say that you were pretty prophetic that night. It’s been an amazing journey. Dennis: Tom, I would like to say that guys like Jeff Wright and Danny Jones taught me how to actually play the game. Jeff played me for $5 a game and he said Dennis, if we play for money you’ll get better faster. And he was right! It doesn’t take long to get tired of losing those $5 games! Also, I want to say that my wife, Kim, has been with me every step since that first night. She goes everywhere with me and if she doesn’t make a tournament I feel like something is missing. Her and my mom, who is watching from heaven, are my biggest fans. Pacer: Dennis Sanden is one of the many dart players who have battled injury or illness and just plain didn’t want to give up competing in a game that has become such a big part of their lives. Now Dennis plays a remote league on Thursday night and on Sunday night 17 Pacer