Darts world championship.

[Nev]

I can't watch that shit on the BBC - as much for the fact that Colin Murray's on it as for the pub-level darts.

I've managed to avoid Murray who has been (w)anchoring the Beebs afternoon coverage. It's on BT Sport of an evening with Ray Stubbs, who might be a bit dull but doesn't try to be oh so fucking clever and beam a smugness that could cut through steel.

[Dave Cooper please]

I've managed to avoid Murray who has been (w)anchoring the Beebs afternoon coverage. It's on BT Sport of an evening with Ray Stubbs, who might be a bit dull but doesn't try to be oh so fucking clever and beam a smugness that could cut through steel.

I like Colin Murray, so there.

[Chico Hamilton III]

I've managed to avoid Murray who has been (w)anchoring the Beebs afternoon coverage. It's on BT Sport of an evening with Ray Stubbs, who might be a bit dull but doesn't try to be oh so fucking clever and beam a smugness that could cut through steel.

I like Colin Murray, so there.

I think the only thing that stopped him getting regularly punched in the face by strangers was because he wore glasses. All bets are off now.

[DaveD]

PDC v BDO

https://www.facebook.com/mickywilliams1210/videos/1752736131621179/

[peter w]

just watching Hughes in the semi of the BDO thing. In the leg I've just watched he has hit 30, 23, and 43. He's 'world' ranked number 4.

To answer PWS, PDC doesn't have youths as the BDO is a feeder into the PDC. PDC couldn't work without players that come through BDOand to be fair there are one or two who can make it and do. BDO runs darts from county level upwards - as in players come through there into the BDO set-up - but as being said although the quality between the two is huge to call the winner of the tournament a 'World champion' is a bit silly. It took a while before the beeb website even recognised the PDC world tournament on its page which is even more silly.

[peter w]

Another thing I've noticed is that there have been a few miscounts from the scorer. the youth final saw someone score 12 amd it was called 13. I saw another one in another game and just watching the repeat of the semi and a treble 20, two treble 19s was called as 177 instead of 174. It's basic.

[PeterWithesShin]

And how was the standard in that one? I'd bet anything if i'd watched the PDC this year i'd see players having awful legs, or even games as the nerves and pressure gets to them as they seemed to with Hughes.

[peter w]

The difference being the lay-ups and the finishing. of course nerves comes into it but with the PDC you very rarely get 20+ legs whereas you will see them quite regularly in the BDO. Also, you won't have legs where 9 darts don't even add up to 100. Nerves or not that really is very poor quality for someone ranked number 100 never mind number 4.

[PeterWithesShin]

And the BDO isn't a feeder to the PDC as that makes it sound like the pyramid system in football, it's just that a splinter organisation backed by Sky money poaches players and doesn't really give a toss about the game apart from the big money glamour of the 'top' players. Which sounds rather familiar with Sky.

[PeterWithesShin]

And no one has said the standard isn't higher in the PDC, of course it is they basically buy the best players by luring them with more money, but I don't agree with the way the BDO is being put down on here.

[peter w]

Hearn, I think it was, stated that the PDC needed the BDO as its where they got their players from and it feeder as a feeder to the PDC. Not sure why that is seen as a negative as its the reality. To make it in darts, to be professional and earn money, you need to be in the PDC. That's not a bad thing because the BDO cannot or could not before the split  afford to offer the prize money that the PDC can.  BDO does a good job in bringing players through but shouldn't be hosting a tournament and calling it a world championship as it clearly isn't. BDO players coming through hope to join the PDC and the winner of the youth tournament said that he wanted to go to the PDC qualifying school (I think it's called) and eventually turn professional.

If they want to keep themselves separate then fair enough but I'm not really sure why they want to do it.

[DaveD]

I think it started out like that in the early days PWS, but you look at the venues the PDC plays now and the tickets they sell, and it's a quantum leap forward from where it was, and not all the money comes from Sky any more.

The BDO is what it is, it's the grassroots of the game, but it's like the days not so long ago when the FA or the RFU were run by the old farts in blazers - the sharp end of the game has to move on.

[PeterWithesShin]

I don't see why they should change the name of the tournament they'd been having for 20 years or however long it was, just because the PDC came along. Besides, you could make the same claim as to why does the PDC call itself the World Championship when it doesn't have every best players in the world competing in it. It may have most of them but it doesn't have all of them.

[PeterWithesShin]

I think it started out like that in the early days PWS, but you look at the venues the PDC plays now and the tickets they sell, and it's a quantum leap forward from where it was, and not all the money comes from Sky any more.

The BDO is what it is, it's the grassroots of the game, but it's like the days not so long ago when the FA or the RFU were run by the old farts in blazers - the sharp end of the game has to move on.

The PDC started in 1992 and the first TV events were all Sky. Without knowing Sky would back them early on I doubt the split would have happened. What else did Sky pump money into in 1992 after it split from it's founders? And now it's just like the PL imo. All money and glamour for the top level but only a token effort to do anything at a  lower level.

I'll also add that the BDO have to take a large amount of blame for the split as they let the game drop in late 80s/early 90s with TV and sponsorship, and were too slow or set in their ways to change things.

[ACVilla]

Just flicked the BDO on for the first time tonight.

Everything about it smacks Aston Villa.