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Dai

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Great final, really exciting and much better darts than during most of the tournament.

 

However... the BDO has never felt less star-studded in many respects, and I'm sure Kist will disappear straight on to the PDC, as Klassen did a few years ago, probably with similar success...

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Great final, really exciting and much better darts than during most of the tournament.

 

The tournament did get better over time but i'm not sure whether that was because we were getting used to it after the 180 fest that was the PDC a few weeks earlier.

No, those first couple of rounds were 90% shit. The semi's and final were very good though. The PDC has much more depth and delivers quality matches from the off.

 

Loki is right, the BDO feels less and less star studded. Kist was a worthy champion but I'm sure he'll be off.

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Good read from the Stars of Darts forum

 

I admit, because of my age, I haven't grown up with the traditions and the legend that is the Lakeside BDO World Professional Darts Championship; however remember vividly the classic finals involving Barney, Fordham et al in the past, I've grown to respect the history and always follow the tournament progress. However, this tournament is without doubt the most shambolic darts competition I've ever seen on TV. The so called "greatest show on planet darts", as marketed on the BDO website.

 

Lets start day one, tuning into the red button coverage of the first match of the tournament - Ron Meulenkamp, one of the rising Benelux entries versus Scotland's Gary Stone. The first game and therefore your initial reaction is important. Tune in and errr.... where is it? "Every dart shown live" - err... no it isn't! An absolute disgrace and deeply disrespectful to the two players involved who had to play in front of no TV audience, therefore annoying their sponsors who supported them to get to this position.

 

Didn't see much of the first day, but switched on to watch ESPN's opening coverage, to see an interview with the figurehead of the organisation - Martin Adams, absolutely pissed out of his head, doing a great favour to the casual fans and the sport's knockers. A director, who was voted on with a mandate for change, showed it certainly hasn't.

 

Some decent darts thrown during the week with Alan Norris almost hitting the coveted 9-darter. With Rab "Check" Butler, the most senior ref overseeing each game, who continues to be employed by an organisation, eventhough he can't count. If you can't even count to 40, seriously, why are you there? The other callers, thankfully, have done an excellent job. The TV screens displaying the scores, doing their best to help the players also by freezing on several occasions, albeit not as much as last year.

 

The coverage of the Women's World Championship was also controversial. We have all been agreement that this field of 8 players was actually the "great field ever assembled" in the ladies game! Yet the BBC and ESPN choose not to show it, until people power got an excellent final televised at the last minute. The build up to this game an absolute disgrace; probably the worst thing I've seen by a sporting organisation when its comes to players. The article after Ana's win over Golden Girl Trina Gulliver was unpleasant and vile and not something you should do if you want to remain any sort of credibility.

 

Many rumours in the last week about possible switches to the PDC; this afternoon we almost didn't have a semi final, after Ted Hankey threatened to pull out of the tournament after he said he wanted to move to the rival organisation. Contractural issues and court dates certainly would've bankrupted the BDO, so they had no real leg to stand on. We've had too cracking semi finals each going 6-5, however each game was affected with the latest darts craze - wind on stage. Obviously this isn't anything new, however, after all that's happened, could you really put it past someone to put the air conditioning on, on purpose?

 

I don't envy Barry Gilbey one bit. He has got one hell of a struggle to maintain any sort of credibility or ounce of professionalism in the BDO. The cracks have been showing for many years; many thought ousting Olly Croft would've signalled positive change. If anything, the organisation has got worst and has imploded this week.

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I managed to get my missus' twelve year old nephew into the arrows over the Christmas period. And it turns out a few of his pals did too so it was all the chat in the playground (or facebook probably nowadays) with them all getting right into it particularly the semi-finals and then Lewis/Hamilton.

 

Then straight faced and 100% serious he turned round on Saturday and asked me "Is it just the winner who qualifies for the one on SKY?"..........so such is the level of the BDO whether it be production values, ability (or lack of) or just the general B show vibe it gives off compared to the PDC it had given off the first impression to him and his pals that it is some sort of qualifying school for the PDC. I think that says a lot tbh.

Edited by Stylin_and_Profilin
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One thing to remember about Hankey. The PDC crowds will slaughter him, yes, but even if he went out early doors in the TV tournaments, he will more than likely make more money on the PDC circuit without coming close to the late stages of the majors than he would in the BDO.

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Damning evidence as regards the decline in the standard of play in the BDO.

 

Lakeside 2002

Last 32: 86.15 - doubles:34%

Last 16: 92.25 - doubles 34%

Quarters: 96.21

Semis: 95.78

Final: 91.62

 

Lakeside 2012

Last 32: 85.82 - doubles: 31%

Last 16: 88.00 - doubles: 31%

Quarters: 89.14

Semis: 87.70

Final: 88.89

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Thing with Hankey though Keith is he could revel in that. Ted's anger always drives him. He'll be a pretty big draw that first tournament he plays. I'm personally looking forward to him in it, Ted's a capable player when on form.

Oh, he certainly is decent, I think he will do well on the circuit. The crowd will be waiting for him at the big ones. If the crowd get under his skin it affects his game, he plays up to the crowd when he wants to but he can't have it both ways.

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