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As Published February 07, 2004
DOVER - Imagine living down the street from Michael Jordan, Wayne Gretzky or Dan Marino. Each is a superstar who excelled at his sport, setting the standard for future generations. And they all live thousands of miles away, in ritzy mansions nestled in upper class neighborhoods. But few people realize that there is a sports champion residing in the capital of the First State.
 William Cross Jr., 39, is the American Darters Association's national champion, and has the highest point per dart average in America. Sure, you may not see him on a box of Wheaties or on the cover of Sports Illustrated, but he's still No. 1 at his game. And Delaware is proud to call him its own.
"He's the best in the state and the nation," said Tina Dean, co-owner and manager of the ADA of Dela-ware. "You just have to watch him to see how good he is. The level of competitiveness he brings to the sport is amazing. It makes the people around him even better."
A master of English darts, Mr. Cross has been perfecting his craft for nearly three decades. He started playing the sport on a whim, when his father needed another member on his dart team.
Mr. Cross' favorite dart game is cricket, and he competes in both soft- and steel-tip
tournaments. "I love the competition and the camaraderie with other shooters," he said. "Over the years, I've made a lot of great friends through darts."
In addition to the ADA, he also competes in the National Dart Association and the American Darts Organization.
Inside Mr. Cross' cozy Dover home, there are oodles of trophies, medals and plaques
honoring his many achievements. He spends four hours a day throwing darts at a bristle board, which is mounted on the wall in his master bedroom.
Mr. Cross knows he must work hard to remain the national champion. "When you're No. 1, it seems like everybody's after you," he said. "You always need to be on
your game. It doesn't matter if you're shooting in a local league, at a tournament or just for fun - if someone beats you, they're going to tell everyone."
He also practices at Irish Mike's on Loockerman Street in Dover and competes regularly at Muddy Wings in Newark. And, when he can, Mr. Cross participates in regional and national tournaments. But the busy accountant and father of seven said he doesn't have the time or money to travel to all major competitions. Fortunately, that could change within the next few days.
Mr. Cross is awaiting word from Laser Darts, a national dart company, regarding a
sponsorship. The company is considering covering Mr. Cross' travel expenses and contest entry fees, as well as paying him to practice. "Not many American shooters get a sponsorship," he said. Still, he is hopeful that his impressive resume will lead to at least a partial sponsorship. This could result in more name recognition for Mr. Cross, and an increased interest in darts throughout Delaware.
Mrs. Dean admits that darts is not very popular locally, but she hopes that will soon change. "We're working on it," she said. "We just have to get the word out. "I think (Mr. Cross) is great for the sport in Delaware. We're a small state, yet we still have the
top player." And Mr. Cross is willing to take aspiring dart players under his wing. Anyone interested in playing darts can contact him at firststatedarter@hotmail.com.
In the future, he hopes to compete regularly with the ADO and eventually travel to England for the chance at a world championship title. He said he wants to continue playing the sport for the rest of his life. "I can't imagine life without darts," he said. "I would definitely have to find something else to get into. Next to my family, darts is my passion."
Staff writer Jenny Kania can be reached at 741-8233 or jkania@newszap.com.
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