Darts Betting and discussion

[The Camel]

Get John Gwynne back on

Gawd no.

He was even worse.

Reincarnation of Sid is the only hope.

[engy]

Get John Gwynne back on

Gawd no.

He was even worse.

Reincarnation of Sid is the only hope.

+1 don't think they will ever get anyone to replace sid, he made the darts 100 times better to watch

[redarmi]

They were all appalling tonight.  So much of what they say is just wrong especially when it comes to stuff like "x is a favourite from here"

[The Camel]

John Part is just about ok.

Thank God he can hardly throw a dart straight these days, means less of Harrington and Bristow in the studio.

Harrington is absolutely the worst. Completely clueless.

A party from Star Lzard had a hospitality night at the darts and Harrington was there to give them betting advice. You could not make it up.

[Tal]

John Part is just about ok.

Thank God he can hardly throw a dart straight these days, means less of Harrington and Bristow in the studio.

Harrington is absolutely the worst. Completely clueless.

A party from Star Lzard had a hospitality night at the darts and Harrington was there to give them betting advice. You could not make it up.

Ha!!

[horseplayer]

The itv boys are quite good

Harrington describing both players odds as "good value" is always a belter

[Tal]

Darts is, IMO, probably the most difficult sport to commentate on

- People know the first 6-12 darts are aimed at 60, 57 and 54
- People can hear the caller do the arithmetic for them (the louder and longer the better)
- When it comes to a checkout, the series appears in the bottom right, so people can follow that)
- The camera generally focuses on the bit they're aiming at, so, like golf, it's either in or out
- Unlike golf, there are no conditions to tell us about that we can't see
- It's quickly repetitive, so, twenty legs into the night, saying things that are new is tricky
- In the PDC era especially, there is a pressure to fill the silences with hugely enthusiastic noises (if you've ever been to watch the darts - sober - it's really quite boring as you get very little of the above, can't see anything and there's no one telling you what's going on so you end up watching on a telly without the commentary and standing up for the ad break song). It's not like in, say, tennis or snooker, where you can allow the audience to enjoy the sport for a bit. It's bright lights, blaring music, skimpily clad, overly made-up walk-on girls, big, sweaty blokes in massive, flowery shirts and a fancy-dressed audience absolutely off their faces on lager. The commentators have to follow suit.

Sid Waddell was unique, but, as he was in pool, he had a wingman to fill in with the more on-message stuff. I like Mardle, personally, and whilst I'm not a huge fan of the rest particularly, I do have some sympathy for them. I think they're in a difficult position, where the ghost of a great still walks the halls. I'm pleased none of them has tried to fill the gap and that's what Mardle does pretty well: it's a Mardle Korma to the Waddell Phaal, that's designed to taste like a curry but is obviously designed to be different, too.

Out of interest, if you could take any commentator from any sport and train them in the technical aspects of darts, who would you have on sky tonight?

[horseplayer]

Andy townsend

As it would mean he would be unavailable for itv football

[tikay]

Darts is, IMO, probably the most difficult sport to commentate on

- People know the first 6-12 darts are aimed at 60, 57 and 54
- People can hear the caller do the arithmetic for them (the louder and longer the better)
- When it comes to a checkout, the series appears in the bottom right, so people can follow that)
- The camera generally focuses on the bit they're aiming at, so, like golf, it's either in or out
- Unlike golf, there are no conditions to tell us about that we can't see
- It's quickly repetitive, so, twenty legs into the night, saying things that are new is tricky
- In the PDC era especially, there is a pressure to fill the silences with hugely enthusiastic noises (if you've ever been to watch the darts - sober - it's really quite boring as you get very little of the above, can't see anything and there's no one telling you what's going on so you end up watching on a telly without the commentary and standing up for the ad break song). It's not like in, say, tennis or snooker, where you can allow the audience to enjoy the sport for a bit. It's bright lights, blaring music, skimpily clad, overly made-up walk-on girls, big, sweaty blokes in massive, flowery shirts and a fancy-dressed audience absolutely off their faces on lager. The commentators have to follow suit.

Sid Waddell was unique, but, as he was in pool, he had a wingman to fill in with the more on-message stuff. I like Mardle, personally, and whilst I'm not a huge fan of the rest particularly, I do have some sympathy for them. I think they're in a difficult position, where the ghost of a great still walks the halls. I'm pleased none of them has tried to fill the gap and that's what Mardle does pretty well: it's a Mardle Korma to the Waddell Phaal, that's designed to taste like a curry but is obviously designed to be different, too.

Out of interest, if you could take any commentator from any sport and train them in the technical aspects of darts, who would you have on sky tonight?

That's a great Post, Tal.

Everyone was moaning about everyone last night.

We really are a difficult audience to please, as we sit at home in our comfy armchairs, complete with rear-view mirrors, telling all & sundry how shite they are.

[tikay]

Andy townsend

As it would mean he would be unavailable for itv football

John!

I should not have laughed, I've got a right mardy on this morning, but I did.

[Omm]

Darts is, IMO, probably the most difficult sport to commentate on

- People know the first 6-12 darts are aimed at 60, 57 and 54
- People can hear the caller do the arithmetic for them (the louder and longer the better)
- When it comes to a checkout, the series appears in the bottom right, so people can follow that)
- The camera generally focuses on the bit they're aiming at, so, like golf, it's either in or out
- Unlike golf, there are no conditions to tell us about that we can't see
- It's quickly repetitive, so, twenty legs into the night, saying things that are new is tricky
- In the PDC era especially, there is a pressure to fill the silences with hugely enthusiastic noises (if you've ever been to watch the darts - sober - it's really quite boring as you get very little of the above, can't see anything and there's no one telling you what's going on so you end up watching on a telly without the commentary and standing up for the ad break song). It's not like in, say, tennis or snooker, where you can allow the audience to enjoy the sport for a bit. It's bright lights, blaring music, skimpily clad, overly made-up walk-on girls, big, sweaty blokes in massive, flowery shirts and a fancy-dressed audience absolutely off their faces on lager. The commentators have to follow suit.

Sid Waddell was unique, but, as he was in pool, he had a wingman to fill in with the more on-message stuff. I like Mardle, personally, and whilst I'm not a huge fan of the rest particularly, I do have some sympathy for them. I think they're in a difficult position, where the ghost of a great still walks the halls. I'm pleased none of them has tried to fill the gap and that's what Mardle does pretty well: it's a Mardle Korma to the Waddell Phaal, that's designed to taste like a curry but is obviously designed to be different, too.

Out of interest, if you could take any commentator from any sport and train them in the technical aspects of darts, who would you have on sky tonight?

That's a great Post, Tal.

Everyone was moaning about everyone last night.

We really are a difficult audience to please, as we sit at home in our comfy armchairs, complete with rear-view mirrors, telling all & sundry how shite they are.

Ditto, great post Tal. Grandpa has obviously got the hump, maybe it's close to the mark for what he has to put up with when doing his show, with Orford or course!

Probably is a tough gig, as you say, quite repetitive and goes at lightning speed. However someone mentioned it the other day about football, we can obviously see what's going on and certainly do not need to be told that a nine darter is on, however surely they could bring a different aspect to the show, using their experience as a player to enhance our experience not just tell us what we can see.

 Don't know, maybe it's all part of the experience and as ever if we didn't have something to moan about we wouldn't be happy. Still great to watch, how many "Sports" has a man mammoth like John Part as a three time work champ, although I'm sure he was thinner when he won.

[buzzharvey22]

Thank god the commentators have stopped banging on about how its a younger mans sport and darts players are now fit and highly tuned athletes like they were circa the mid 2000's. Glad its back to being a fat lager swilling man's sport where the bigger the kite the better the arra chucker.

[tikay]

Darts is, IMO, probably the most difficult sport to commentate on

- People know the first 6-12 darts are aimed at 60, 57 and 54
- People can hear the caller do the arithmetic for them (the louder and longer the better)
- When it comes to a checkout, the series appears in the bottom right, so people can follow that)
- The camera generally focuses on the bit they're aiming at, so, like golf, it's either in or out
- Unlike golf, there are no conditions to tell us about that we can't see
- It's quickly repetitive, so, twenty legs into the night, saying things that are new is tricky
- In the PDC era especially, there is a pressure to fill the silences with hugely enthusiastic noises (if you've ever been to watch the darts - sober - it's really quite boring as you get very little of the above, can't see anything and there's no one telling you what's going on so you end up watching on a telly without the commentary and standing up for the ad break song). It's not like in, say, tennis or snooker, where you can allow the audience to enjoy the sport for a bit. It's bright lights, blaring music, skimpily clad, overly made-up walk-on girls, big, sweaty blokes in massive, flowery shirts and a fancy-dressed audience absolutely off their faces on lager. The commentators have to follow suit.

Sid Waddell was unique, but, as he was in pool, he had a wingman to fill in with the more on-message stuff. I like Mardle, personally, and whilst I'm not a huge fan of the rest particularly, I do have some sympathy for them. I think they're in a difficult position, where the ghost of a great still walks the halls. I'm pleased none of them has tried to fill the gap and that's what Mardle does pretty well: it's a Mardle Korma to the Waddell Phaal, that's designed to taste like a curry but is obviously designed to be different, too.

Out of interest, if you could take any commentator from any sport and train them in the technical aspects of darts, who would you have on sky tonight?

That's a great Post, Tal.

Everyone was moaning about everyone last night.

We really are a difficult audience to please, as we sit at home in our comfy armchairs, complete with rear-view mirrors, telling all & sundry how shite they are.

Ditto, great post Tal. Grandpa has obviously got the hump, maybe it's close to the mark for what he has to put up with when doing his show, with Orford or course!

Probably is a tough gig, as you say, quite repetitive and goes at lightning speed. However someone mentioned it the other day about football, we can obviously see what's going on and certainly do not need to be told that a nine darter is on, however surely they could bring a different aspect to the show, using their experience as a player to enhance our experience not just tell us what we can see.

 Don't know, maybe it's all part of the experience and as ever if we didn't have something to moan about we wouldn't be happy. Still great to watch, how many "Sports" has a man mammoth like John Part as a three time work champ, although I'm sure he was thinner when he won.

Ha, yeah, I'm always suffering from an adrenelin hangover after a Show, maybe I should stay off the Forum those days.

But it IS a tough gig to please everyone, more especially hardened punters.

Football, horse racing, greyhounds, Darts, & so on, it seems we dislike the commentators & pundits in all of them, & we think we could do better. But we could not.

We do have the option to turn the sound down, too, if we know everything & don't want or like the added "colour".

Personally, I'd prefer FAR less talk from commentators, in all sports, just let the pictures do the talking.

These 2 guys were absolute masters at that.









In fact, I'd far rather they commentate even than Sid Waddell, who always seemed a bit ott to me. He was a lovely man, but his ott style really grated with me.

Guess I'm an oddbod, & a grumpy one at that.

[horseplayer]

Think there are plenty of excellent commentators

The current darts mob on Sky are not in that group though

[redarmi]

Darts is, IMO, probably the most difficult sport to commentate on

- People know the first 6-12 darts are aimed at 60, 57 and 54
- People can hear the caller do the arithmetic for them (the louder and longer the better)
- When it comes to a checkout, the series appears in the bottom right, so people can follow that)
- The camera generally focuses on the bit they're aiming at, so, like golf, it's either in or out
- Unlike golf, there are no conditions to tell us about that we can't see
- It's quickly repetitive, so, twenty legs into the night, saying things that are new is tricky
- In the PDC era especially, there is a pressure to fill the silences with hugely enthusiastic noises (if you've ever been to watch the darts - sober - it's really quite boring as you get very little of the above, can't see anything and there's no one telling you what's going on so you end up watching on a telly without the commentary and standing up for the ad break song). It's not like in, say, tennis or snooker, where you can allow the audience to enjoy the sport for a bit. It's bright lights, blaring music, skimpily clad, overly made-up walk-on girls, big, sweaty blokes in massive, flowery shirts and a fancy-dressed audience absolutely off their faces on lager. The commentators have to follow suit.

Sid Waddell was unique, but, as he was in pool, he had a wingman to fill in with the more on-message stuff. I like Mardle, personally, and whilst I'm not a huge fan of the rest particularly, I do have some sympathy for them. I think they're in a difficult position, where the ghost of a great still walks the halls. I'm pleased none of them has tried to fill the gap and that's what Mardle does pretty well: it's a Mardle Korma to the Waddell Phaal, that's designed to taste like a curry but is obviously designed to be different, too.

Out of interest, if you could take any commentator from any sport and train them in the technical aspects of darts, who would you have on sky tonight?

Agree with most of that and we have obviously been spoilt over the years with Waddell who was a unique talent but what irritates me is how often they say stuff that is just wrong.  When Part came back to 2-2 last night Bristow said "John is the favourite now" which, given the other fella was a 1/3 favourite and had the throw was just wrong.  They obviously have access to the prices as another commentator referred to them later in running so it is just laziness.  In at least three of the games last night they banged on about momentum which is just claptrap and on other occasions they are just patronising.  All that said I am easily irritated!!!!

On another note what do they feed the Dutch players in their twenties.  Klaasen must have put on five stone since he  won the BDO and looking at the pics of MVG in hhis early days he is unrecognisable against what he is now.