Share Your Controversial Darts Opinions

[vizIIsto]

96 Players at the World's is too many.

Virtually half of the TC holders qualify, often more than that. That's too many.

[vizIIsto]

Not controversial but hey ho

1) Darts isnt as good as it was 10-15 years ago

2) Challenge Tour should be Q School (More cards)

3) Players with Tourcards shouldnt play in the World Youth, And that should be under 21

4) Darts missing Phil Taylor more then people realise/admit

Quite a lot of people are anti the current Q School system, whilst it would make more sense to do it over a longer period of time like the Challenge Tour, as previously pointed out a large amount of non UK players wouldn’t commit to that over the course of a whole year, where as they can more realistically commit to 4 days, and if they do get a card then they can reassess

I also think if you’re good enough for PDC level there’s no excuse to not win one anyway, if you blame shitty draws than you wasn’t good enough in the first place, Q School is exciting how it is, there’s no way Barry Hearn will adapt such a good money spinner either way

Disagree especially with the second part of that. I don't see how 4 days are enough. Durrant should have been on his way home had his opponent not missed match darts, that alone could tell you why the current system is flawed. It's basically a longer weekend to determine the fate of 2 years. You win an event that's slightly harder to win than a regular Challenge Tour and you get a card for 2 years. Even doing it in 2 stages (e.g. 2 times 4 day stages) would greatly increase the reliability of the results. It's not just about hard and easy draws, there is standard variation in every players' game and I really don't think 4 days with short format games is enough to sort that out.

My take: Keep Q-School but decrease the number of cards. Hold it in 2 stages or in any other way that's significantly longer than 4 days. Increase tour cards given to Challenge and Development Tours. This all somewhat tilts the balance in the favour of European, and especially UK players, so you could offer tour cards to the winners of the regional tours, with the condition that they have to actually play in the majority of the tour events.

[SuperSwede]

Not controversial but hey ho

1) Darts isnt as good as it was 10-15 years ago

2) Challenge Tour should be Q School (More cards)

3) Players with Tourcards shouldnt play in the World Youth, And that should be under 21

4) Darts missing Phil Taylor more then people realise/admit

1. You're right it's better. Just you are getting old and don't want to admit it's you that's jaded so easier to say "the game isn't the same". This happens with everything from football to music.

2. Never in a million years. Q school is the ticket to a dream and darts being open to everyone is a huge selling factor of the game. Plus the goal is always to grow the game as much as possible and not everyone especially those from outside of England can afford or would want to or be able to take time off work to travel for multiple weekends in a year. One period of 4-5 days to shoot for the dream is doable for most and clearly works looking at numbers.

3. U-21 at start of calendar year but don't see any reason to exclude tour card holders

4. NO

Very interesting. I know that can only like sarcasm on here but it's not.

1 or 2 you mean?

1+4 are great.

The only bit I strongly disagree with is changing the age criteria for the World Youth Champs. Its name may be odd (some responses to it are ridiculously tiresome) but I think the function of that system is development, and so its shape works well. Having relatively older (but still very young in darts terms), more experienced players at the top end to be mingled with and shot at is good. There's always the JDC for anyone needing a more definite 'Youth' title.

Agree it is about development and I don't agree when people say TC holders shouldn't play the Dev Tour events etc, they are there for that very reason and we might not have had the version of MVG we have enjoyed had he not had those to build himself and his confidence back up when he couldn't get it done on stage and on the main tour.

I don't even mind it as it is, the U-21 is just a prospective middle ground if there was enough opposition to how it is now rather than making it U-18 or whatever, darts isn't like football where the special talents are ready to compete at the highest level when they are 17/18.

[Rogg]

Who and how many worthy of a mention have fallen through the cracks of Q school to the detriment of the tour?

This was an interesting question. I don't think anyone attempted to provide names?

[Randall]

Who and how many worthy of a mention have fallen through the cracks of Q school to the detriment of the tour?

This was an interesting question. I don't think anyone attempted to provide names?

I dont remember it being asked

[The Thorn]

I can't be arsed to actually look through all the years but Hughes comes to mind

[Tommo]

Who and how many worthy of a mention have fallen through the cracks of Q school to the detriment of the tour?

This was an interesting question. I don't think anyone attempted to provide names?

I dont remember it being asked

[Randall]

Too much hair

[Rogg]

I can't be arsed to actually look through all the years but Hughes comes to mind

He blitzed Q-School the second time around. I remember him saying that a year on the Challenge Tour improved his game and made him ready for a proper go at it. I don't think we can say he fell through the cracks. He may have actively benefited from failing once.

[SuperSwede]

I can't be arsed to actually look through all the years but Hughes comes to mind

He's the only one I could think of which I think proves my point, the system works as well as you could ask for. No need to boil your water twice.

[HalloweenJack]

Paul Nicholson is actually a good pundit who has a good knowledge of the game.

[sennafan24]

Paul Nicholson is actually a good pundit who has a good knowledge of the game.

"Richie Burnett was the best in the world"

[tungsten tossers]

Paul Nicholson is actually a good pundit who has a good knowledge of the game.

Wtf... he prattles on just about about everything except darts

[HalloweenJack]

Paul Nicholson is actually a good pundit who has a good knowledge of the game.

Wtf... he prattles on just about about everything except darts

I know but sometimes it’s more entertaining than the game he is commentating on.

[HalloweenJack]

Rod Harrington looked ridiculous in his stage attire.

[TheMalteseDart]

Dan Dawson is a huge benefit to darts commentary. Probably the only commentator who actually has knowledge about players on the tour outside of the top 20 rather than the rest of the commentators who just come out with cliche shite. He’s genuinely passionate about the sport and I’d rather him every time rather than Sky choosing someone who normally commentates on the football or cricket

[TheMalteseDart]

Paul Nicholson is actually a good pundit who has a good knowledge of the game.

This is true, he knows more about darts than 99% of people but he does tend to be a bit cringe and make strange irrelevant comments.

Either way though like I said about Dawson, better to have someone who takes a genuine interest in darts as a whole rather than just the top 8. I look at someone like Nigel Pearson as someone who’s doing it as a job rather than a genuine passion

[SuperSwede]

Paul Nicholson is actually a good pundit who has a good knowledge of the game.

He's only done punditry once to my recollection, for BBC at the Champions League, and yes he was largely good. He is an awful commentator, like Mason, because both are narcissists. They are there to be heard and to find ways to direct any topic to a tale or anecdote about themselves, the darts in front of them are little more than a distraction to them.

[The Thorn]

Dan Dawson is a huge benefit to darts commentary. Probably the only commentator who actually has knowledge about players on the tour outside of the top 20 rather than the rest of the commentators who just come out with cliche shite. He’s genuinely passionate about the sport and I’d rather him every time rather than Sky choosing someone who normally commentates on the football or cricket

Spot on. He actually cares, or at least he's really good at pretending he does lol. And he's the only one who can be funny at times.

[sennafan24]

Dan Dawson is shite.

Paul Nicholson is shite.

Randall is right.