Darts is far from the most fashionable sport in the world. To the uninitiated, theres nothing duller than watching two people throw sharp pieces of metal at a circular board while hundreds of people clap and cheer as if theres actually something important happening. To darts devotes, however, this is the sport to end all sports, a true riot of rock n roll abandon, not only a great night out but a chance to dress up, get drunk and absorb yourself in a form of recreation both hugely crude and ludicrously entertaining. In a world where sport is becoming ever more commercialised and ever more boring as a result, darts offers a refreshing lack of rules and regulations. The spirit of chaos reigns supreme, with players and crowd members keen to outdo each other. From debauched drinking antics to wild costumes to nicknames that border on the insane, darts is a television editors worst nightmare. Here, then, is a passionate defence of the one sport that still values enthusiasm, madness and plain old good fun above any of that serious stuff like winning. Ladies and gentlemen, take your place at the oche and - all together now - "Let's! Play! Darts!".
10. Drinking Is Liberally Encouraged
Everyone at the darts is drunk: the crowd, the commentators and often the players. There's so much alcohol sloshing around that it's not uncommon to get momentarily stuck to the floor, and when a prized 180 pops into the board, the place becomes a volcano of froth erupting from plastic pint glasses as the followers leap to their feet in excitement. To stress the extent of darts' love affair with liquor, when a leg of the Winmau World Masters was recently staged at Hull City Hall, concerned counsellors banned booze from the venue. Such was the strength of outrage from punters, promoters and even staff members that the fallout brought Britain closer to revolution than at any point in the last 300 years. Respect.
