Top-ranked dart player finds relative anonymity outside profession

Steve Brown, the top-ranked dart player in the U.S. in 2009 and 2010, takes aim on Sunday during the 35th annual St. Patrick's Day Dart Tournament in Jefferson City. The three-day tournament at Truman Hotel drew competitors from more than a half-dozen other states.
Steve Brown, the top-ranked dart player in the U.S. in 2009 and 2010, takes aim on Sunday during the 35th annual St. Patrick's Day Dart Tournament in Jefferson City. The three-day tournament at Truman Hotel drew competitors from more than a half-dozen other states.

Befitting to his common name, Steve Brown blended in with the other 150 or so competitors at a downstairs ballroom at Truman Hotel in Jefferson City over the weekend.

No cheerleaders, fans or television cameras were present Sunday at the 35th annual St. Patrick's Dart Tournament, hosted by the Central Missouri Dart Association. Landing an interview with the No. 1 dart player in the country was as easy as getting a quote from a politician seeking re-election.

For Brown, being the top-ranked dart player in the United States allowed him to quit his day job and eke out a living, but it's certainly not glamorous.