PDC World Championships 2013

addyb

Yeah forgot to post in here but I really enjoyed the match myself. Wasnt really bothered who won. MVG had a great tourney.

YNWA1892

Some great games this year, much better than the crap currently on BBC2

CAS FAN

Yeah it's certainly a different level.  I do still enjoy the BDO one though and you do get some good talent coming through.

MC Stewpid

The talent comes through the bdo then they progress to the pdc when they are talented enough to well hopefully when they are as that's where the money is.

Sure you can slate the bdo all you like but I'm glad they are there sure the talent isn't as high but its a good way to get the talent to cone through.

Apsilon

Yes. I noticed the real decline in the standard of the BDO players for the first time a few years ago.

Up to that point it was still a reasonable competition. There were still a few decent players sticking with it but, now they have left, it's just the raw talent coming through and the older stalwarts like Adams and O'Shea who stay because they know they have a good chance of winning this one whereas they wouldn't have a cat in hells chance of winning the PDC.

When the likes of Steve Beaton, Kevin Painter and Ted Hankey etc, who are all no great shakes with no chance of winning the PDC moved across, I think most fans would have agreed that the BDO was a second fiddle event.

That said, I still enjoy watching it and the standard from the QF's onwards does rise to a decent level, though I still wince at the amount of darts  these guys need to get to a finsh and then for the amount they need on the double.

I mean, take Martin Adams yesterday. He had 12 darts on a double in a good few legs.... The likes of Taylor, Gerwen, Lewis, RVB, Wade et al, would eat him and the rest of these guys alive with darts like that and this kind of level cannot be good for Adams who is actually a decent player. Mind you, I think Adams has only won it 3 times due to the exodus of competition in the BDO. When Barney was still plying his trade on there, Adams was the biggest bottler at the oche and almost spunked it before his maiden win.

The only way the BDO could possibly compete with the PDC is to invest in it. Raise the winners cheque and create more tournaments. The only trouble is the PDC have already done this and established themselves as the defacto darts organisation with the Premeir league and countless other major tournaments.

I'm not entirely sure the BDO World Championship will last much longer because as it doesn't attract the major players, it can not really be considered to be a World Title event. I think the only way forward for the event at Lakeside is for the powers that be to broker some form of deal that would allow all players to compete in both events without having to pick one or the other.

CAS FAN

I guess we've had the likes of Scott Waites winning the masters a couple of years back so there is still the talent there, but to be honest the cream will always be attracted by the PDC money.  I guess the players who stick around the BDO are (as mentioned above) those who are making a living from it and don't feel that they are good enough to compete with the likes of Taylor, Barney, Wade, van Gerwen, Anderson, Newton etc.  The PDC is getting tougher and tougher each year and it will get to the stage where the top 50 or so players are all in the PDC with the rest in the BDO.  I wonder if we'll start to see some players swap back to the BDO if they are finding it too tough to earn a living in the PDC.

Apsilon

I thought Waites played very well last night. Hit some big scores and if he ups his averages on the doubles and he'll be well in with a shout.

I agree that with the PDC saturating the darts with events and big money, not all the players competing in the PDC will be successful because the lions share will be spread amongst the top few who consistently win and are too good for the rest. So the second tier will more than likely have to drop back into the BDO at some point to win trophies and money.

CAS FAN

Yeah Waites has been strong all tournament and personally I think he will beat O'Shea in the final.  He's paying superbly against Ritchie George this afternoon and I wouldn't be surprised to see him win 6-0.

tomsoyer

6-0 to Waites, what do you know about darts (kidding) Waites did go off the boil for a set didn't he but he took George apart in that match didn't he.

Apsilon

Your looking good with your prediction. O'Shea is getting completely annihilated here. Waites is just far too strong.

I think George went two rounds further than he should have done in making the semi's. Very scrappy thrower and just about got through because of some dire throwing of his opponents. His game against Waites was always going to be a rude awakening.

I wouldn't be surprised if Waites defects to PDC after this. On this form he's way too good for the BDC. It would be nice to see him stay and defend his title but, can't really blame him if he does one on this showing.