Reverse snob

Was thinking about writing something about the quality of TV recently, with all these crappy Weakest Link/Big Brother/celeb obsessed hybrid shows (Essex Wives, Bad Girls, Wife Swapping and Celeb Weakest Link). I am absolutely fed up of all this shit, but instead of watching the Annie Proulx (author of Shipping News, with a new book: That Old Ace in the Hole) program on BBC1 last night, I ended up watching Bloody Women (a show about women's periods) and the darts.

I have no-one to blame, but myself....

Sport of Kings and Monks

I was watched a Tony O'Shea versus Colin Monk classic darts match last night. Darts, like anything tete a tete, can be really exciting. Last night's game had two balanced players matching each other dart for dart, 180 for 180. Monk, a shaven head lean thrower against O'Shea, a deadeye daddycool, behind his glasses and goatee beard. The deciding leg went down to the wire, with a "sudden death" situation because neither could win two in a row (and when Monk did break O'Shea's throw, O'Shea broke right back.)


Steve Beaton

I've always watched darts. I remember watching when I was young, often after work. It was still on late at night, a mysterious world of fat men in bad clothes, drinking beer and smoking in dark rooms. A place where physical shape is no barrier for you to become a sport star. In no other sport could you see so many differently shaped people competing on a level playing field. My favourite all time player is Steve Beaton, the living symbol of how detached the world of darts is. With his permed, big haired mullet, wide open hairy chest, porn moustache, gold chains and earrings, the Bronze Adonis looks great, is irony free and doesn't give a shit. I've seen him in interviews and he's a nice guy too.

So they continued with the final leg. They had to hit bull to see which player would throw first. After hitting 25 four times, Monk finally hit bull and O'Shea hit the wire on the green side. Monk held his nerve and won through, hitting a double 16 to seal the match. Next for Monk is a quarter final with Mervyn King, and a mouth watering contest against Raymond Barneveld also looms...