I think Tony Greene (on BBC back in the day) once or twice said “What an athlete!”
I don’t mind that lots of them couldn’t run to catch a bus - it’s a pastime more so than a sport. It makes a great spectacle at times and I myself would rather throw darts at a board for 60-90 minutes than play snooker or 10 pin bowling. But being great darts players doesn’t make them sportsmen, for me.
Jocky Wilson and was it not the great Sid Waddell that said it ?
Possibly, I have it in my mind that it was Greene, though - I think Waddell was bright enough to know that athletes they weren’t.
Yeah but it would be something Sid would say with tounge firmly planted in cheek
Ah in fairness though he was quite fit when he was at Spurs
Id not view them as athletes , but certainly would view them as sportsmen
Who said they were athletes? It’s a roaring success though. The viewing figures and money in the game prove that.
Come on Mayoman its only discussed and mentioned what commentator said it SIX posts back
Interesting conversation re whether its a sport or not… prob impossible to have all agree but i looked up a definition…
“an activity involving physical exertion and skill in which an individual or team competes against another or others for entertainment.”
FWIW, I’d deffo say its a sport but they’re definitely not athletes… either way, great final last night… the 9 dart leg was unreal…
Is sports competition “for entertainment”, by definition? I wouldn’t have said so. That’s just a by-product. It’s for the sake of competition, and striving to win, or do better than others, to help one’s team, and/or one’s own best or better performance.
I don’t have time to read all the posts….my hopes for a quiet new year are been severely dashed 
Was back in Ireland over xmas and got to watch a lot of the games. Was really looking forward to the final so organised to meet the brother and a few mates. First pub, always shows the darts, closed, they never open on Tuesdays apparently. Second pub, multiple screens, asked the barman, who I know fairly well, where they showing the darts, he snorted and said no, Arsenal. Feck it anyway. I said once it’s not a hammering, we will get most of it when the game is over. Decided to stick it on my phone at half time in the Arsenal match, what timing, just as MVG threw his first 3 for that leg. Unreal stuff, the rest of the match was brilliant too. I was delighted for Smith, he seems like a really nice lad and has come close so many times.
PDC Q school started this morning. Best of luck to all the Irish players.
MVG unstoppable tonight. He has just hammered Price 11-5 in the Premier League Final.
Mad the way he blows hot and cold these days. Still. He was something else this evening.
Price was far from his best in the final. MVG though when he’s on it is still the best out there.