Why darts is everything, but certainly not a sport – sport

03.01.2021

Foto: Kieran Cleeves, dpa
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There were more unpleasant appointments for young professionals. Every now and then budding newspaper editors were sent to the window, and there was always someone in front of them who lectured that the sport had to emancipate itself from its pub image in order to grow. They talked: in a bar.

Years later, darts has still not emancipated itself from the pub, but has developed into a modern Christmas tradition for all those who have accepted that fitness studio operators alone benefit from the resolution to finally do sports. Raclette, beer, chips (for electrolytes), liquid herbs (for digestion), plus Hully Gully in Ally Pally. Sometimes that’s great – but it’s still a long way from being a sport because it is broadcast on a sports channel.

Read the contrary opinion here: Why darts is a sport for everyone

When asked what defines sport, everyone has their own answer. Mine agreed, among other things, movement, devotion, aesthetics. I don’t see any of this in the task of throwing steel arrows at a target from a distance of 2.37 meters.

In 2020, the Ally Pally sobered up. Without yelling, without “Hey, Baby”, white, overweight men and their (hopefully) self-deprecating nicknames and the connection to sofa athletes who are allowed to convince themselves that they are a short throw away from big sport are left behind.

Is that polemical, offensive? Might be. But I find it difficult to accept that a pub game is given more space than some competitive sport.

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