There are athletes like Robert Lewandowski and Cristiano Ronaldo. Great body, not an ounce of fat, fit. Perfectly staged on Instagram.
And then there are athletes like Gabriel Clemens (37). Various kilos too much, a tummy. On his Instagram page competitions of a car dealership instead of body swank.
And yet (or precisely because of it?) Millions of people cheer the darts professional. When he failed on Tuesday in the round of 16 of the World Cup in London against Poland’s Krzysztof Ratajski, more than 2.2 million people tuned into Sport1 at the top. At the same time, the game was transferred to DAZN.
Why are so many enthusiastic about the duel between two men who so little correspond to the original ideal of a top athlete – and that despite an (Corona-related) empty hall? And whose athletic achievement consists in throwing arrows at a target?
BamS asked experts.
The expert
DAZN commentator Elmar Paulke (50): “The darts hype has various factors. It is the fascination that such a simple game is lifted onto a world stage. And I think the guy’s stories touch people. You have so many different characters who have different life stories. They touch. The World Cup changes lives with the prize money. And that’s a great story for sport. “
The psychotherapist
Dr. Christian Lüdke (60) from Terapon GmbH: “The Darts World Cup comes at a time when there isn’t much sport on offer. Many say that they’d rather turn on the TV than watch nothing at all. Then the presentation of the event inspires. When the players walk in, they are presented like Klitschko or Tyson at their prime. But above all, these players are the classic anti-heroes. Without management, mostly from simple backgrounds. We can therefore identify with them very well. With pub sports to be a millionaire, as Phil Taylor did, that’s a great story. “
The broadcaster boss
Olaf Schröder (49), CEO of Sport1 Medien AG: “The overall darts package is unique. It is a fast sport that is easy to understand thanks to simple rules and with which one can identify well. The PDC has found a very good solution with the atmospheric overlay, the camera setup and the stage design. Basically, the Darts World Cup has a good slot with little competition on television between the years. “
BamS says: The crazy professionals on stage are popular. Because they are real. There is hardly anyone who is not granted success. And that is what distinguishes darts from the sports of athletes who have the better body.
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