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
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