Darren Appleton - Part 5 (The Fight of His Life—Hall of Fame, Cardiac Arrest and a New Purpose)

Mike Gonzalez 0:13

What about One Pocket? You wish you had a chance to play more One Pocket?

Darren Appleton 0:17

Yeah, well when I lived when I when I moved to America I I I moved to America in 2010. So uh I got introduced more to One Pocket then and I started going to the Derby City Classic. I thought, oh, I really like this game. So then I I started playing against good players, like local players who are good players that everyone can play. There's a lot of good local players that play one pocket all over the country, you know what I mean? So there's these guys 80 years old, 70 years old, they're unbelievable at one pocket, but they just can't make the balls. But they learn you so much, you know what I mean? With a moving. So I learned the game in in Pennsylvania. Uh, and then I started going to the Derby, started doing really well. I finished third a couple of times, finished second in the US uh one pocket straight pool when it was like every everybody was in it. Uh so I had a lot of close calls. I won a couple of tournaments, not major tournaments, but I won a couple of tournaments one pocket. And then uh around then I around 2015-16 I uh I didn't start I started playing less and less, and then 2017 is when I stopped playing one pocket because I ended up moving back from America to the UK. So I didn't and then I I've probably played twice since 2017. But I did actually finish third in the Derby City about three years ago. So that that's that so that's the last time I I played it, so it's disappointing because I would like to play a lot more. Uh I think maybe in the future, when I when I moved back to America, I think I'll probably play a lot more one pocket.

Mike Gonzalez 1:41

Well, I guess it was about the time you you moved back to the UK then that uh you were inducted into the BCA Hall of Fame.

Darren Appleton 1:47

Yep, 2017. It was like um a crazy year because uh my mother got diagnosed with terminal cancer, that was in April, and then I broke up with my wife in June, and then I got inducted to the Hall of Fame in uh in well, the ceremony was in December 2017 in Las Vegas at the Mandalay Bay, so it was like a crazy year, really. Yeah. It was very very emotional to finish it that way. Just a shame that that uh I had a lot of personal things going on at the time, and I wasn't able to get my mother and father there, which was a bit disappointing, but but at least they could see it. They they they got to see it on the uh because it was streamed and everything. So okay. Well, I probably like the ultimate it's the uh what do you call it? It's like the cherry on the cake, innit, on your career. Uh didn't expect it so soon because I was only 40 years old. You you need to have a 10-year career, and you've got to be 40 years old minimum. So and I did it in those two things. I had a 10-year career and did it at the first attempt at 40 years old, so it was uh a bit surreal, really. But I was lucky because it was the 50th anniversary. So everybody was there. It was at the Mosconi.

Allison Fisher 2:52

It's very entertaining, and you were roasting everyone.

Darren Appleton 2:54

No, I I had a few glasses of wine before Ank, so I was I was really nervous. Yeah, it was crazy. Uh uh, so I I had a speech written out, but by the time I got there, I it went went, it went out the window. It was an amazing, uh, amazing experience. Uh just to be I mean, there was all there. Like Ed Kelly was there, Dallas West, Allison, Johnny Archer. It was a great turnout, wasn't it? And uh Mike Siegel was uh there was all there, it was unbelievable because it was the 50th anniversary, so it was very special. Uh and yeah, I had a few glasses of wine that night.

Mike Gonzalez 3:29

And probably no surprise by now to our listeners, you were introduced by uh Chris Mellon, yeah.

Darren Appleton 3:35

Chris Mellon introduced me, so he's obviously told the story about a few things and uh introduced me, and then and then I went on one dinner. I was like I was talking about the Hall of Famers more than more than more than myself. And I was telling I think I told the story that uh I think Alison had Alison had the best button pull.

Allison Fisher 3:53

You remember that, Alison? Oh, I I yeah, it was a ro he went round the whole tables of players and was roasting everyone. It was yeah, in a nice way. Uh yeah, thank you.

Darren Appleton 4:04

And uh Jeanette Lee, I told her that uh I think she was with somebody at the time, but I says that if you're single, I'd be having you, you know what I mean. You were on a roll. Is she single at the moment? And it might be. Back in the day, I mean she was she was unbelievable, wasn't she? She had that unbelievable presence. Uh so yeah, it was it was fun, wasn't it? I mean, uh yeah, it was good. I mean, I I brought a br a bit of British sense of humour to the speech where yeah, I mean sometimes you go to these ceremonies and a bit I don't know, uh I like I like a bit of personality, so it was good fun.

Allison Fisher 4:38

Bit benter.

Darren Appleton 4:39

I was a bit intimidator, it's weird, isn't it? It's weird because you you don't really see you don't really feel like I should be there, you know what I mean? So uh because you got all those great players around you, you're just thinking like, what am I doing here? You know what I mean? So You're one of them. I know, but you don't really uh for me anyway, I just don't. I just uh it was something I didn't grow up thinking I was gonna happen because I didn't get into American pool till later.

Allison Fisher 5:01

So yeah, it's just Yeah, it's quite an honour, isn't it, when you take on a sport, go to another country, and then really do well at that sport, and uh and then that happened.

Darren Appleton 5:10

Yeah, it's crazy. I didn't know about the BC Hall of Fame until like maybe two years into my career, 2008, nine. And then you're thinking, oh maybe one day I could get there, but you're thinking, well, I've no chance really. But then as you start winning these world championships, you're thinking, oh, I'll I'll I'll probably get there. It's yeah, it's definitely the uh the pinnacle, I think. I think it's the uh ultimate goal. I think I think if if you get in there, you've done something good. Yeah.

Mike Gonzalez 5:37

Yeah, no question, no question. Well, congratulations on that. So uh bridge the gap for us, then, because it's been almost 10 years now since your induction. Talk a little bit about uh what competitive life has been like as you've gotten, as you would say, a little bit past your prime in terms of age-wise. And then uh let's talk a little bit about the health setback that you experienced back in 2022, which I'm sure was life-changing for you.

Darren Appleton 6:00

Oh yeah, big time. Yeah, so 17 was a a bit of a rough year when my mother got internally ill. She she she was given three to six months uh to live, but she went for two years. So so but that during that two years I'd moved back to the UK. I was going through personal problems myself. I ended up selling my house in America, coming back to England. Uh, so that was messy. And then my mother, I I was basically a carer, really, for like two years, and then uh sadly she passed away in 2019. And then uh so then I was sort I was a part-time player for those two years. I was playing like some tournaments but not much. And then I started playing again in 2019 after she passed away. Uh and I started getting my game back. I thought I'm playing alright, and then 2020 come. I thought, right, I'm ready, I'm I'm ready for the year. I I felt as if I was close back to my best. I was do it playing a lot of pool, and then COVID hit, and then that just ruined everything for everybody, really. Uh, but luckily I had this room where I am now, so I've got my own private room, so I was able to practice, do my YouTube videos. Uh so that's what I did for the next six months, 12 months, just do a lot of uh own pool, did a lot of online gambling where you play against the ghost against someone else, play against the ghost. It's like crazy times, really. So yeah, I was ready, I was playing good. 2021 come, things start to open up a little bit. But pools, we're unlucky because pool's obviously a small sport compared to let's say soccer or American football or basketball, where they golf, where those sports could still continue to compete, uh, because they had the uh finances to do it, where pool, we basically didn't have anything for 12 months, really. So when things start to slowly open back up again, what 21, there wasn't that many tournaments about, but there was a few, and I was doing alright, I was playing pretty well, and then especially 22, 22 come, and I was playing really well. Early 22, I was playing really well, and then uh got to the quarterfinal of the world championships, last 16 of the world championships. I got second in a big tournament in Philadelphia, so I thought my game's really close, and then uh and then not obviously December, December 2022 come and uh just out the blue. I had a massive cardiac arrest. And uh yeah, it's a miracle that I'm alive, really. It came from nowhere. I was in the Philippines a week prior, so I was very lucky that I wasn't in the Philippines when it happened. Uh, but I was lucky that at the time my manager was with me, a girl called Kinga, she's a pool player also from Poland, but she lives in Sheffield, which is close to where I live. So she was my manager at the time. I'd just started my business up Dynamite Billiards. I was putting these shelves up behind me here, and then I just said to her, Oh, my chest has got a bit tight. Uh I think might be having an heart attack, but she thought I was joking, which because I do joke a lot about stuff, so uh but then I said, Look, I'm going outside for some fresh air, come back in, uh, come back in from outside. I said, No, I think I'm uh I need to go to the hospital. So then she took it serious. But I'm I don't I don't remember any of this. I'm just going about what by what she's said. Uh so I said, Yeah, I need to go to the hospital. So then she took it serious. So what's but as soon as I got in her car, that was it, I'd gone. You know, when you start getting the spasms and shaking, I'd just completely gone.

Allison Fisher 9:04

Wow.

Darren Appleton 9:05

And then uh but luckily the hospital's only like two minute drive from here, from from where I am now, in in this same room. So she managed to get me to the hospital, they dragged me out of the car, got working on me for 45 minutes, so it took them 45 minutes to find a pulse. Uh so usually after 20 minutes they would stop, but because of my my age and I didn't have any previous health issues, they kept going until which is a bit silly because I was at an hospital, but they they they kept going because they was waiting for the ambulance to arrive. Because they were gonna transfer me to the main hospital in Leeds, which is about 15 miles away. So uh they managed to find a small pulse, got me in the ambulance, transferred me to Leeds, uh, and they just told my brother says, Look, if you're a praying man, you've got to pray very hard, he's probably got 5% chance of living. Uh so uh my main archer was blocked, so they had to put a stent in there. Then I was in an induced coma for like 10 days. Uh I had pneumonia, lost about 25 pounds of weight. I had to have a blood, uh, a blood transfusion, so it was crazy, really. So I have no memory. I have no memory about a week prior and about three weeks after. So yeah, so when I come round and everything else, uh they thought I'd have permanent brain damage. But I'd it it turns out I just have uh short-term memory loss. Uh but when I come round and and they told me that, I said, well, because I've been playing pool for 30 years, I I probably already have brain damage, so they give me a pass. So that was that real. So at least I didn't lose my sense of humour. That would have been the end. But after that, it was just about recovering, really. But now I I have a I have a defibrill, I have a wire coming here and a wire coming here. So that works as a pacemaker NA defibrillar. So yeah, they they give me 5% chance of living, and uh That's crazy. Somehow uh I got I re well say recovered. My heart only works at 29% now, so I have to be on medication for the rest of my life. But just to be here is a miracle, it's what three and a half years now. I I I live a normal life, really. I've just got to be careful what I do and uh all that stuff, but besides that, just lucky to be alive. That's why I I my perspective changed, and obviously since that happened uh I can't really play to my ability anymore, which is frustrating. So yeah, I was a bit unlucky because prior to the heart attack I feel like I was coming back to my best, and then obviously now it's more like I get tired a bit too easy, I can't keep my I can't keep the stamina long enough. So yeah, I'm I might beat Josh Rafilla one game, but then the problem is that you've got to beat the next Josh Rafilla, and then you've got to beat Fedor, then you've got to beat Shane, and then you've got to beat Carlo Biado. So it's just too hard. Well, I can beat one of those guys in one tournament, but you've got to beat three or four of them. So I've just decided the last two years just to focus more on the coaching, focus more on staying healthy, really, and not travelling as much. And uh just take each day as a time, really, and focus on my I've got a business as well, it's just steady away, dynamite billiards. So I like sell queues and all that stuff. So yeah, it's lucky to be alive, really, just happy to be alive, and uh just uh luckily I've done well in for myself where I don't have to 100% rely on pool. Yeah, that's good.

Mike Gonzalez 12:15

Well, good. You you kind of alluded to the fact earlier that maybe you return to the States at some point.

Darren Appleton 12:20

Yeah, definitely. I think I've got two little dogs. I don't have any kids, you see, so the dogs are my babies, they're like 13 years old now. So but I think they're too old for me to bring them back to America because I did bring the dogs with me from America to England, so they're my babies. I have a Maltese and a Yorkey poo. So I think once they've gone, hopefully it's a long time until that happens, but realistically, you know, dogs if they get to 15, it'll be amazing. So I think once they've gone, then I'll probably move back to America. Uh, just because of the coaching side of the game, it's an easier lifestyle. If you're involved in pool, living in the UK is probably the worst place to live, regardless of how. American pool's dead in this country, so yeah, I just do things like online or I obviously have to travel, or people travel to me. Sometimes I have I have people travel from all over the world to get coaching off me. I'm thinking like crazy, really. But uh but obviously I still travel a little bit, do my coaching. Uh when I come to America, I'll do my coaching. Uh got my business, so it's okay. So yeah, I don't need to play tournaments to make a living, but uh I still play the odd tournament just to stay relevant, really, and see what's going on.

Mike Gonzalez 13:30

Yeah, you're doing a little bit of ultimate pool?

Darren Appleton 13:32

Ultimate pool, yeah. It's it it is it is tempting because it's on a bar table and it's eight ball. So really I can still compete with anybody on that table, especially playing eight ball. So I am tempted. I'm just waiting in the I'm waiting in the background, just watching what they're doing. Because the prize is still not great. It's still it's okay, but it's only ten thousand I wouldn't say on it, but it's ten thousand dollars for the winner. But uh if you can get to twenty to thirty thousand dollars for the winner, then uh you start your your eyebrows are gonna rise raise and then you you're gonna see everybody play then. Because then obviously people like Shane, Joshua Filler will start playing, you know what I mean? So at the moment I'm just an observer, but I am thinking about playing a few of their events next year, just because I know I I've got a chance of winning them. Well, I know I'm I'm gonna play the US Open next month, but I know I've no chance of winning, you know what I mean? Which is uh so I'm just going there really just to because I'm a previous champion. Maybe I can have a good run, get to the final sixteen, something like that, but realistically there's no chance of me winning the US Open. So it'd be nice to play some tournaments where I think I've got a chance of winning.

Mike Gonzalez 14:36

Well, as as you look back over a great career, who are some of the names that come to the forefront as you think back to people that you've appreciated, you've learned from, you've uh you just like to say thank you to?

Darren Appleton 14:49

Well, probably my brothers are the big ones, Shane and Andy, Appleton, my cousins, they were a big influence, big help in my early career. And then obviously so that they'd be my English pool people. And then American pool, uh Ephraim Reyes, really. Uh I mean the stuff I learned of him and uh how much he inspires you. And uh yeah, it's difficult to get too excited about somebody playing pool, but when you watch him play, you just ooh, it's just different. It's just different. It's hard to explain. Mark knows, Alison knows, because to play the game at the ice level, but they do he does things different to what no one else can do. And then he'll play a shot and you think, oh wow, that makes sense. And you you didn't see it, and you're a bit frustrated because you didn't see it. You think why don't I see that shot? Where I I I like to think I'm quite knowledgeable about about the game, but then you've got someone like Efren, Busta Mante, Alex Bagaline. Their knowledge of the game is just incredible, you know what I mean? So I I love that side of the game, and then obviously the new generation, I love watching Joshua Filler play just because of his confidence, his his shot making ability, and he's so good under pressure. So, yeah, probably those two are the two guys what I probably look up to the most in uh let's say two generations. I think you got Ephraim and now you got Joshua. But that's just me. I mean, there's amazing players out there, aren't there? Buster Mante, Alex Bagalion. For for different reasons, you know what I mean? And then uh Johnny Archer back in the day, I really liked Johnny Archer with a nine ball. Nick Varner, because he's the perfect all-round player. Plays all the games great, you know what I mean? So I learned like I spent two weeks with Nick Varner on the road, I learned so much it was unbelievable. But and he probably don't know it, you know what I mean? But bank pool and stuff like that, his knowledge is just amazing. So you know he's picking something off someone. But Efren and I think Efren and Josh Waffiller, for me, uh probably the best two players I've ever seen.

Mike Gonzalez 16:37

Yeah.

Darren Appleton 16:38

Are you optimistic about the future of the game? I am, yeah. I think uh the only thing that worries me is the politics in the game, like between WPA, WNT, even the Pro Billiard series. I like what the Pro Billiards series are doing. I really enjoy their tournaments. Uh so I'm very intrigued to see what's going to happen with them. The WNT is a bit of a worry because it's it's all gone a bit backwards this year, uh, a little bit. Uh so it'd be interesting to see what's going to happen there. I feel like things are not going the way they would want. So it'd be interesting to see what happens there. Uh, it's a shame that like what I like about the Pro Billy series is that they're doing something for everybody, not just the men. They're doing the ladies, the the juniors. So I like I really like what they're doing. I like their venues, I like that there's loads of room between each table. Uh, where there's some tourments where the tables are so close together it sort of irritates me. You can't really play your natural game. Uh so yeah, I think I think pool's got potential, hasn't it, to be massive. It's such a massive market. I mean, you go to Asia, it's just unbelievably big. But it's still not organised properly. Even in Asia, there's politics with uh with Abor Joy, CBSA, Star, uh, which is Xing Pao. All the the the they all dislike each other, don't they? It's just um unbelievable. And uh American pools are same, English pools are the same. So we've got these problems in every discipline, which just blows my mind. When when you look at golf and tennis and soccer and all these sports, they're all under the same umbrella. And that's why they're so successful and they're massive, because they all work together and they all play to the same rules. But pull, it's like everyone wants a piece of the pie, they all want to stab each other in the back, and they're just hurting the sport, aren't they? I mean, pull should be absolutely massive. I mean, no respect to Snooker, Ali, but pull should be a lot bigger than Snooker, you know what I mean?

Allison Fisher 18:21

Yeah, I I don't disagree with you. It's surprising, isn't it?

Darren Appleton 18:24

Yeah. It's got to be one of the biggest sports in the world.

Allison Fisher 18:28

Yeah. Regardless.

Darren Appleton 18:29

I think you're right, absolutely. But it's just so badly organised, it's just unbelievable. The only thing I would say is that the WPA is improving. It looks like it is.

Allison Fisher 18:39

It looks like it's got better leadership and everyone's coming together now.

Darren Appleton 18:43

Yeah, there is there is good steps going in the right direction, finally.

Allison Fisher 18:46

We know who who you know who was to blame for that years ago who ruled it for a long time.

Darren Appleton 18:52

I know, and it's such such a shame because it was su such a nice guy though. Like off away from it all, it wasn't for me anyway, it was a nice guy, but you just you you've got to get the right people involved in the game. It's like no respect to WNT, uh, but I don't know. It's like they should be massive, you know what I mean?

Allison Fisher 19:09

But yeah.

Darren Appleton 19:10

You've got gotta be careful what you say, really, aren't you? But yeah, I mean, look, it's got so much potential, you just you just hope one day, obviously it might not benefit me, but you want it to benefit the new generation what's coming through, like Savannah Heaston, for example, and uh Sophia Mast. I mean, incredible players, you know what I mean? Like these girls went in another five, ten years' time, they should be millionaires, you know what I mean? They probably will be at this rate. Boys coming along like there's so many young players coming through, but I don't want those to be like grafting and scraping around just to go to a tournament in ten years' time. It's sad, you know what I mean?

Allison Fisher 19:45

Yeah.

Darren Appleton 19:46

But luckily, the social media is very powerful now. So they'll probably make more money on social media than they do at the on the table.

Mike Gonzalez 19:53

Yeah, nothing wrong with that. All right, Darren, been a real pleasure having you today. And before we let you go, and before we get to our final three questions, we've added a relatively new segment of the show that we call Allie's Rapid Rack with the accent on rapid. Our earlier ones haven't been so rapid, have they, Allie?

Allison Fisher 20:13

No, not at all. But hopefully today it'll be a little bit better. Right, you ready?

Mike Gonzalez 20:17

Yep.

Allison Fisher 20:18

English eight ball or American eight ball. English eight ball. Best pure shot maker.

Darren Appleton 20:27

Joshua Feller.

Allison Fisher 20:28

Best safety player. Ever toughest opponent Hill Hill.

Darren Appleton 20:36

Joshua Feller.

Allison Fisher 20:38

One title you would love to relive.

Darren Appleton 20:41

Will deny more.

Allison Fisher 20:44

One pool rule you would change tomorrow.

Darren Appleton 20:49

One pool would change tomorrow.

Allison Fisher 21:16

That's interesting that you're thinking about that. Okay. One shot. Amateurs should practice more.

Darren Appleton 21:29

Long stroke shot.

Allison Fisher 21:31

Toughest opponent to outthink.

Darren Appleton 21:36

Epherin. Probably stroke Ralph's okay. I don't know. Ephren for rest of the world Ralph for Europe.

Allison Fisher 21:44

And then the last one would be best cue ball control you ever saw.

Darren Appleton 21:48

Best cue ball control ever saw. Well, uh as a spectator, probably buddy all. As a player, probably best cue ball control. I'd probably say two effort. And Calabiado.

Allison Fisher 22:02

Lovely. Very good. Thank you.

Mike Gonzalez 22:05

That was the best one we've had, Ali, don't you think? Very good. You've improved, Allie.

Allison Fisher 22:12

Yeah, thanks. Practice.

Mike Gonzalez 22:15

Maybe it's down to the question delivery or something.

Allison Fisher 22:18

I don't know. Yeah, maybe.

Mark Wilson 22:19

Yeah. Hey Darren. Whenever I watch your YouTube channel, you do the hardest exercises at your uh drills that you set up. And it's just amazing. I I enjoy it. Sometimes I watch the same one that I just watched you do two or three times, just like all good. Yeah. Yeah.

Darren Appleton 22:39

Yeah. I try and keep them a bit simpler these days. Because I think when I first did the drills, I was doing all the hard ones. But I I wasn't really thinking about other people, you know what I mean? Where now I try and do I try and do drills where everyone can attempt, you know what I mean?

Mark Wilson 22:53

Yeah.

Darren Appleton 22:54

Yeah. Yeah.

Mark Wilson 22:55

Plus I'm not as good as I used to be. They were just incredibly difficult.

Darren Appleton 22:59

Oh, some of them when I was playing well, I was like sometimes take four, five, six hours. Some but it was good because it's good it it makes you practice. Yeah.

Mike Gonzalez 23:10

Mm-hmm. Yeah. Well, let's finish up with our final three questions. We asked now probably 25 guests during these same three questions, so it's rather insightful to look back at the responses we've gotten. And I'm gonna give the first question to Mr. Wilson. Okay, Darren.

Mark Wilson 23:27

If you knew when you were 20 what you know now, what would you have done differently?

Darren Appleton 23:35

Uh what would I do now? Not much really. The only thing I would have probably liked to have done different is probably try and improve the game more. Yeah. I think that's the big thing really for me. Is that the game like we spoke before, the game should be bigger than what it is.

Allison Fisher 24:00

So yeah, that's hard to do that as a player, isn't it though, as well. When you're wearing your player hat.

Darren Appleton 24:06

When you get older, you think maybe I could have done more, I don't know. But yeah. Yeah, we'll never know, will we? That's a good answer. I like that. I like that. Yeah.

Mark Wilson 24:16

Now's the time. Me and you can still do it.

Mike Gonzalez 24:18

So Yep. Yep, you're still plenty young.

Darren Appleton 24:21

Yeah, maybe. We'll see.

Mike Gonzalez 24:22

Alright, question question number two. We're gonna give you one career mulligan, one shot to do over somewhere where it might have been really meaningful. Where would it be?

Darren Appleton 24:32

It would be 2013 Champion of Champions final on ESPN against Torsen Ollman in the final sudden death rack, when I snook myself behind the seven ball. So that's the one shot I would like to have back. If I get position on the six ball, I've won. And it was like back then it was 25,000 when it takes all, and you get nothing for seconds. So and it was on the ESPN, uh, so that was sick. And if I won it, it'll I'll have done the free peat. I'll I'll have been the first player to do a free peat, I think. So that yeah, that was that was my biggest disappointment at the yeah, probably my biggest disappointment in my career though.

Mike Gonzalez 25:10

Did you two notice how long it took him to come up with that one? Yeah, two seconds.

Allison Fisher 25:15

Seconds. No no time at all. I always remember the bad shots. That's a that's the thing we always do. So the third question is how would you like to be remembered?

Darren Appleton 25:26

Probably for being honest, really. I think I'm pretty honest. I tell I tell people the way I think it is. Uh so I think people rather like me or they don't for it. But yeah, I have got myself in trouble with organizers and stuff like that because of that reason. But I just think, well, what's the point in lying? You know what I mean? So yeah, I just just I think the biggest thing is just be true to yourself and everything else falls into place.

Allison Fisher 25:51

That sounds perfect. Thank you very much. Thank you for joining us today. We it's a pleasure having you on.

Darren Appleton 25:56

It's a pleasure to be on, and thanks for having me on.

Allison Fisher 25:59

Absolutely, anytime.

Mike Gonzalez 26:01

Yeah, Mark, I'm sure it was enjoyable to hear from a fellow Moscone Cup player.

Mark Wilson 26:06

Oh, yeah. Uh a player that I look up to and uh really admire technique-wise. So for anybody listening in, go back and check out the way Darren delivers his cue to the cue ball, and then you go practice that and you'll be a better player.

Mike Gonzalez 26:22

Darren, a real privilege to add your story to all the greats we've had here on Legends of the Q. Thank you so very much for being with us.

Darren Appleton 26:29

Yeah, thank you, and uh well done with all you're doing. It looks great. And I look forward to your future podcast with your other well, proper great people, players. Proper great.

Allison Fisher 26:40

Don't be silly. Thanks for joining us, Darren. Thank you for listening to another episode of Legends of the Cube. If you like what you hear, wherever you listen to your podcast, including Apple and Spotify, please follow, subscribe, and spread the word. Give our podcast a five-star rating and share your thoughts. Visit our website and support our four history projects. Until our next golden break with more Legends of the Cube, so long, everybody.