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It’s funny that someone should mention Usain Bolt cos he’s the human example that the BHA use on their ‘Guide To Handicapping’
Lots of good and valid opinions here, thanks.
I remained strangely unmoved by Kauto Star at Kempton. Sorry but there it is. Why? I think in my final analysis that was because it was closer to showjumping than racing.
As far as jumps go, I prefer the second division meetings, where there is more *sport* and better value, and they have been wiped out by the weather mostly.Graeme, we already know Usain Bolt is the fastest man in the world. Ho hum. End of conversation on the train. What else is there to say? Phil Taylor is the best darts player in the world, ever. End of conversation on the bus. Nothing left to say. Schumacher’s F1 reign halved viewing figures for pap-pap racing in Europe. Unpredictablity gets people talking and watching.
Our country doesn’t need to stage a ruinously expensive narcissistic, post-imperial, corinthian vanity project to prove that, once again, Bolt is the ultimate pigeon catcher. We already know – what’s left to prove and anyway, who cares? I’m already stockpiling crack to keep myself awake in the summer of 2012.
Yet stick a three kg weight in Bolt’s Batman-style utility belt and let the people bet on the outcome and you’ve got something worth getting excited about. Bolt would probably be even money giving 3kg to the field but that has got to be better than threes on.
I do appreciate your opinion Maxilon, because you do make valid and respectful points to people. I just think that in certain cases, such as Usain Bolt, a handicapping system is a way of opressing and punishing someones natural talent. Why should he miss out on sponsorship deals and big prizes just because he has natural ability, and may have even trained harder than his opponents ? plus how do you operate such systems in todays sporting arena when so many people allegedly take performance enhancing drugs in various sports ?
How would Tiger Woods be handicapped ? without mentioning cars and trees, would he be banned from using certain golf balls that are high in control. Would the RSPCA say, "look Tiger, you’re doing too well so you’re going to be given a plastic Top Flite" ?
Perhaps these folks with a special talent should just be enjoyed whilst they’re around, because there may not be many of them around in our lifetime ? I struggle to enjoy a lot of sports because i lost interest when growing up, plus money just takes over and ruins things from my view point, just about all top sports are ruined by greed in my opinion. However, i don’t think sports can be ruined by those who dominate, because their domination will always end at some point.
If you implement your handicapping system in all sports, then you’re in danger of never having any great sportsmen or woman.
In the days before Tiger handicapped himself, I would have prevented him using certain clubs (or give him a plastic Top Flite!), to reach the green. Or use a draconian variant of the current handicapping system whenever he played – like the Arkle system (Himself was so good, there was a different weight scale used whenever he ran after 1964)
Graeme, I’m actually only half kidding here. I remember holding court during the South Korean games about handicapping athletes, particularly swimmers.
It’s the greater good, the common good. Case in point:
"However, I don’t think sports can be ruined by those who dominate, because their domination will always end at some point".
Do you like darts, Graeme? I’m totally riveted to the mugfest of BDO but (Sky considerations aside), avoid watching the other federation like the plague despite the presence of Taylor and Barneveld. Its like watching "The Usual Suspects" the second time round. When is Taylor’s domination going to end exactly?
Did you watch Wagner vs Woods last night? I’ve seen technically superior darts in the Dog and Duck yet it was one of the most exciting sporting events I’ve seen in ages.
New faces. People as ordinary as you and me going at it hammer and tong. The common man in the spotlight for once.
Isn’t that as exciting as seeing the same brilliant faces under the lights all the time? Doesn’t it give you a tiny bit of hope too?
"If you implement your handicapping system in all sports, then you’re in danger of never having any great sportsmen or woman."
I disagree, but that’s another story.
I don’t really watch darts to be honest with you. It’s weird, because i watch very few sports now, yet watched them all when i was younger. Jeez oh, i even remember me and my brother putting mattresses in the living room, so we could stay up late and watch Rugby World Cup sevens, now i probably wouldn’t even watch the final if they were playing in my back garden. It’s the same with darts, i remember being inspired to buy a dart board after watching some good games, now it’s on Sky i rarely bother. I don’t know how much can be attributed to age, and how much can be attributed to me just losing interest.
The thing with darts is though, there are a whole load of matches that can entertain you without watching the best player, as you rightly point out. People like John Part are always going to provide value, but might not necessarily even reach the final.
You have pretty much given the answer that doesn’t involve any radical shake ups, just pick and chose what you watch at any stage, and remember that it isn’t always the winning that counts. Entertainment is in the eye of the beholder !
"You have pretty much given the answer that doesn’t involve any radical shake ups, just pick and chose what you watch at any stage, and remember that it isn’t always the winning that counts. Entertainment is in the eye of the beholder!"
Exactly, Graeme. My opinions on this go against the flow and I only got involved because the OP (who is a big boy and capable of looking after himself),was given some stick. Yet, I felt the same as him. I watched the KG on a screen at Nottingham dogs all the way to the point where Kauto loomed up behind the Tom George rabbit. And that was game over for me – I was halfway to the bar. Kauto proved he’s the best steeplechaser in the world and another two hundred large went to people who don’t really need the money. Nothing left to say – for me that is.
Did you watch Wagner vs Woods last night? I’ve seen technically superior darts in the Dog and Duck yet it was one of the most exciting sporting events I’ve seen in ages.
That was compelling entertainment, for sure – Woods’ 132 checkout and the bullseye response form Wagner on match-dart down in particular were eye-popping stuff. The BDO tournament has its knockers (and I don’t mean the moobs of the more amply-proportioned participants
), but matches like that last night definitely reward preseverance with it.gc
Jeremy Grayson. Son of immigrant. Adoptive father of two. Metadata librarian. Freelance point-to-point / horse racing writer, analyst and commentator wonk. Loves music, buses, cats, the BBC Micro, ale. Advocate of CBT, PACE and therapeutic parenting. Aspergers.
I saw the game featuring the big Aussie bloke yesterday. It was embarrasing. He was hitting 26’s and 41’s non-stop, was into the second leg before he hit a treble, and never got anywhere near a maximum.
The BDO is the All-Weather of darts. You might get the occassional close finish, but it’s bloody awful to watch.
No wonder Max loves it.
Did you watch Wagner vs Woods last night? I’ve seen technically superior darts in the Dog and Duck yet it was one of the most exciting sporting events I’ve seen in ages.
That was compelling entertainment, for sure – Woods’ 132 checkout and the bullseye response form Wagner on match-dart down in particular were eye-popping stuff. The BDO tournament has its knockers (and I don’t mean the moobs of the more amply-proportioned participants
), but matches like that last night definitely reward preseverance with it.gc
I think this years BDO line up is the worst one I’ve ever seen. I haven’t thrown a dart for a couple of years but give me a fortnights practice and I reckon I could beat some of the folk that have been on. The majority of the best players now play in the PDC version and its no surprise that once they have established themselves in the BDO they can’t resist the temptation of going and joining the big boys in the PDC and in particular to have a crack at Phil Taylor and for some it proves worthwhile with Dennis Priestley,John Part & Raymond Barneveld proving they were worthy BDO champions. The money on offer at the PDO now helps as well
LOL Grass, it’s just like watcbing those all-Banded meetings from two years ago. Now I could get seriously nostalgic for those!
What other televised sport could provide a favourite who looks like a doley, has ti ts like Jordan, wears a cape and thinks he’s the Prince of Darkness. You can keep your proper darters…
GC, that’s the great thing about BDO: The refreshing lack of meaning…I keep expecting Keith Talent to appear. (Mind you, I had my suspicions about Pecker…
)I saw the game featuring the big Aussie bloke yesterday. It was embarrasing. He was hitting 26’s and 41’s non-stop, was into the second leg before he hit a treble, and never got anywhere near a maximum.
By common consent, and even allowing for the less consistent quality of the BDO tournament, he absolutely lost the plot on a scarely precedented scale. At least Paul Hanvidge the other night had the excuse of an ongoing battle with dartitis.
gc
Jeremy Grayson. Son of immigrant. Adoptive father of two. Metadata librarian. Freelance point-to-point / horse racing writer, analyst and commentator wonk. Loves music, buses, cats, the BBC Micro, ale. Advocate of CBT, PACE and therapeutic parenting. Aspergers.
I think one way to handicap athletes, footballers, golfers and darts players for "socialist sports" would be to introduce straightjackets
These could be donated (temporarily) by the advocates of this complete bonkers idea
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No sport, other than horseracing, depends on betting-generated income, Max, so why should the likes of Usain Bolt and Michael Phelps be handicapped? On occasion – a number of occasions in fact, given the presence of the aforementioned Jamaican – the outstanding can be every bit as exciting as the competitive.
As for the BDO, it’s place in the darting world was sadly summed up when Barry Hearn offered to buy the entire organisation for £1,000,000 – the prize fund for this year’s PDC World Championship. Their three biggest talents – Mark Webster, Gary Anderson and Simon Whitlock – all opted to switch to the lucrative world of the PDC during 2009, leaving the likes of Ted Hankey, Tony O’Shea and Martin Adams (who haven’t made the move because they know they’re not even remotely up to scratch) to battle it out with hapless no-hopers.
That said, Scott Waites is potentially good enough to step up in to the big boys’ league. Well, he can’t be any worse than Colin Monk.
Media, that’s a fair point. Concede.
In my defence, I’m completely uninterested in any other sports apart from horse racing, dog racing, football and darts – occasionally cricket, when the cricketers don’t go on about "the guys" and all that blackboard scraping Goochspeak – and I came up with the handicapping idea to help me become interested in athletics.
In the end, I’ll never be interested in the pastime purely because I hated my PE teacher, you can’t bet on it and the participants are a bit uninteresting.
However If darters and javelin players swapped for a day, we’d have Ted "the Count" Hankey throwing the javelin wearing a cape. I’d love to see that. How would you price up a darter javelin tournament?
4/5 Wagner
9/4 Monk
5/2 O Shea
4/1 Hankey
20/1 barYou’d pay good money to see that!
Clive, wait till you hear my idea for collectivising horse ownership. You’ll be eating your own wrists with excitement!
), but matches like that last night definitely reward preseverance with it.
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