Who is the biggest underachiever in the current top 32?

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Who is the biggest underachiever in the current top 32?

Peter Wright
2
7%
Michael Smith
2
7%
Ian White
1
3%
Simon Whitlock
2
7%
Dave Chinsnall
3
10%
Joe Cullen
8
27%
Stephen Bunting
2
7%
Mervyn King
1
3%
Adrian Lewis
9
30%
 
Total votes: 30

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The Thorn
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Re: Who is the biggest underachiever in the current top 32?

Post by The Thorn » Sun Jun 30, 2019 10:26 am

Rogg wrote: Sun Jun 30, 2019 9:50 am
skweezit wrote: Sat Jun 29, 2019 10:14 pm hard to think of them being underachievers after making it into the top 32
You'll find almost total resistance around here to the idea that being in the world's elite is even an achievement. The attitude can be pointlessly negative but totally preferable to the kind of unconditional cult grade reverence that caused a bearded 63 year-old to consider himself an idol to Beckham and a farmer to think he's Madonna. That's just fucking dangerous.
It is our job to be harsh, Rogg.

From the outside looking in, even getting a tour card is a huge achievement. Heck, even playing at Lakeside is, considering how many thousands of fuckers will never play there. We, as proud forum users though, shouldn't let out standards sink that low.

Why would I particularly give a fuck or praise a player who managed to scrape the top 32, when many others managed to get into the top 16? There are quite a few top 32 players I couldn't give a fuck about, Wilson, Jamie Lewis, Barneveld, Wattimena, couldn't care less.

We are celebrating when a fresh face like Dimi or Dobey makes it, but in the big picture that's still not what we really care for. We only applaud them as it's a step towards bigger honours. Ultimately, it's the top 10, the PL player status, winning majors or at least reaching finals. That's where it's at.
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Re: Who is the biggest underachiever in the current top 32?

Post by Rogg » Sun Jun 30, 2019 11:18 am

Randall wrote: Sun Jun 30, 2019 7:40 am Lewis has won 2 worlds and 1 UK open.
For someone of his ability that's underachieving.
Yes he is still relatively young but he looks like winning shit all else.
Complete TV titles:

PDC World Championship 2011, 2012
UK Open 2014
European Championship 2013
World Cup of Darts 2012, 2013, 2015, 2016
Auckland Darts Masters 2015



Should he ever even lose a darts match? The really sickening thing - if so inclined - is that if Lewis does play MVG in Round 2 at Blackpool it wouldn't be especially surprising if he lashed in a 105 and bummed him. Like he was brilliant against JdZ in Blackpool last year. Suddenly, there he was. One match in a million will tickle his fancy to such an extent that he'll play. He could hardly be any less like Taylor in that regard.
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Re: Who is the biggest underachiever in the current top 32?

Post by Randall » Sun Jun 30, 2019 11:50 am

Rogg wrote: Sun Jun 30, 2019 11:18 am
Randall wrote: Sun Jun 30, 2019 7:40 am Lewis has won 2 worlds and 1 UK open.
For someone of his ability that's underachieving.
Yes he is still relatively young but he looks like winning shit all else.
Complete TV titles:

PDC World Championship 2011, 2012
UK Open 2014
European Championship 2013
World Cup of Darts 2012, 2013, 2015, 2016
Auckland Darts Masters 2015



Should he ever even lose a darts match? The really sickening thing - if so inclined - is that if Lewis does play MVG in Round 2 at Blackpool it wouldn't be especially surprising if he lashed in a 105 and bummed him. Like he was brilliant against JdZ in Blackpool last year. Suddenly, there he was. One match in a million will tickle his fancy to such an extent that he'll play. He could hardly be any less like Taylor in that regard.
That's a really desperate return for someone of his talent.
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Re: Who is the biggest underachiever in the current top 32?

Post by StevieBoy » Sun Jun 30, 2019 11:53 am

After careful deliberation my vote goes to Joe Cullen. A player who talks a better game of darts than his game suggests!

At the start of the year it would of been Ian white but 2 Euro wins this year changed my mind. The one against MVG in a last leg decider in front of Dutch crowd was pretty impressive.

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Re: Who is the biggest underachiever in the current top 32?

Post by sennafan24 » Sun Jun 30, 2019 12:22 pm

Was Cullen ever really hyped though?

Smith was hyped as a future world champion. Lewis was hyped as Taylor's heir. Both have massively underachieved relative to expectations. What was expected of Cullen?
HalloweenJack wrote: Sat Oct 17, 2020 7:09 pm
Randall wrote: Sat Oct 17, 2020 7:05 pm Dulla has never faced anything like Taylor in top gear.
Maybe he could have dragged Taylor down, we will never know.

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Re: Who is the biggest underachiever in the current top 32?

Post by StevieBoy » Sun Jun 30, 2019 12:38 pm

sennafan24 wrote: Sun Jun 30, 2019 12:22 pm Was Cullen ever really hyped though?

Smith was hyped as a future world champion. Lewis was hyped as Taylor's heir. Both have massively underachieved relative to expectations. What was expected of Cullen?
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Re: Who is the biggest underachiever in the current top 32?

Post by Emulsfier » Sun Jun 30, 2019 12:39 pm

sennafan24 wrote: Sun Jun 30, 2019 12:22 pm Was Cullen ever really hyped though?

Smith was hyped as a future world champion. Lewis was hyped as Taylor's heir. Both have massively underachieved relative to expectations. What was expected of Cullen?
I think the number of times coms have said something along the lines of "just you wait, Joe will win somthing soon!" has been ingrained in our minds that it builds a lot of resentment against him.

I am surprised Smith isnt fighting Cullen in the race for the player who has genuinely achieved nothing at all, allthough I think a WC final is giving him some sympathy points.

Lewis way out in front for the player who had bags of talent and went and fucked it up the wall. I expect him to win the overall race to the bottom.
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Re: Who is the biggest underachiever in the current top 32?

Post by JH01 » Sun Jun 30, 2019 1:24 pm

Emulsfier wrote: Sun Jun 30, 2019 12:39 pm
I think the number of times coms have said something along the lines of "just you wait, Joe will win somthing soon!" has been ingrained in our minds that it builds a lot of resentment against him.

I am surprised Smith isnt fighting Cullen in the race for the player who has genuinely achieved nothing at all, allthough I think a WC final is giving him some sympathy points.

Lewis way out in front for the player who had bags of talent and went and fucked it up the wall. I expect him to win the overall race to the bottom.
I can't remember a commentator ever saying that or something similar about Cullen. He was a complete jobber for about 5 years, Started to make ground in 2016-2017 but I think he's reached his peak in and around the top 16, but I could be wrong. I wouldn't call him an underachiever.

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Re: Who is the biggest underachiever in the current top 32?

Post by cannibal » Sun Jun 30, 2019 2:24 pm

Not sure why the top 32 seems to be used as the magic cut off. Been alot of rubbish in the top 32 over the years. A little better now that the field in the PDC is deeper in talent, but lets be honest there is still only a couple players who really have what it takes to win the big events. And there still is a big gap between the top 6-8 players in consistency and getting the results. Standard gap is closing but still there.

As far as the biggest under achiever, I went King. Was a bit of a struggle for me between Cullen and King. But King actually got to plenty of finals over the years so I would argue the hype was real (unlike Cullen who is "fake news"). As a sports fan I don't set the bar so low as skweezshit who seems to think making it to the top 32 is an achievement in itself. To me if your not winning when you should be your a fucking under achiever. Is that negative well yes, but pull up your big boy pants or go for a cry in the bog.

King as had some major pants messing in finals of the big ones and with his experience there was no reason for it. The PDC was made for a player like King and King was made for the PDC. As hard as he works at his game and as long as he was a top 16 player (2009-2016) he should have at least one major under his belt and a couple ET's. King was capable of a good standard but he ain't getting any younger and he doesn't have the standard or the back to win a Major. Like Jenkins he will retire without every having a snog with a major trophy.
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Re: Who is the biggest underachiever in the current top 32?

Post by Rogg » Sun Jun 30, 2019 3:05 pm

I'm afraid my big boy pants are mottled quite beyond use

/a good think is due. King is an interesting shout. Not that getting to TV finals is easy but he lost them in sometimes catastrophic fashion to Nicho, a wobbling MVG and spotty versions of Wade. He must have started as favourite in some of those finals, something which Chizzy and Wright (and Jenkins) possibly never have. Generally those three were stopped in finals by real excellence if not true greatness.

But Merv did at least win the proper darts masters, a notable achievement at the time (2004).
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Re: Who is the biggest underachiever in the current top 32?

Post by M H » Sun Jun 30, 2019 4:32 pm

Double World Champion Lewis for me as well. Was a time a lot of us thought the next rivalry would be Lewis and MvG, sadly for whatever reasons was not to be
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Re: Who is the biggest underachiever in the current top 32?

Post by sennafan24 » Mon Jul 01, 2019 11:54 am

Merv is an overachiever in some regards.

He's been in the PDC for over a decade and remained in their top 32. That's impressive, considering his ever-present "injuries". By contrast, the likes of Jenkins, Mardle, Burnett, Part, Hamilton, Newton and Webster have all fallen out of contention.

I agree he should have won a PDC TV event though. He really should have beaten Wade in the final of that ITV event.
HalloweenJack wrote: Sat Oct 17, 2020 7:09 pm
Randall wrote: Sat Oct 17, 2020 7:05 pm Dulla has never faced anything like Taylor in top gear.
Maybe he could have dragged Taylor down, we will never know.

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Re: Who is the biggest underachiever in the current top 32?

Post by The Thorn » Mon Jul 01, 2019 12:08 pm

sennafan24 wrote: Mon Jul 01, 2019 11:54 am Merv is an overachiever in some regards.

He's been in the PDC for over a decade and remained in their top 32. That's impressive, considering his ever-present "injuries". By contrast, the likes of Jenkins, Mardle, Burnett, Part, Hamilton, Newton and Webster have all fallen out of contention.

I agree he should have won a PDC TV event though. He really should have beaten Wade in the final of that ITV event.
That's another dimension to it, yes. The likes of King or Beaton are without a doubt very impressive with their longevity. Or you could say they are mediocre cloggers who never really were good enough to win anything. Is it better to be like that, or to have your moment in the limelight and completely disappear? (e.g. Shepherd or Nicho) I'm not sure to be honest.
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Re: Who is the biggest underachiever in the current top 32?

Post by StevieBoy » Mon Jul 01, 2019 1:15 pm

King did have an impressive record in the BDO maybe could of switched sooner, played pretty well in the beginning and did push Taylor!

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Re: Who is the biggest underachiever in the current top 32?

Post by Randall » Mon Jul 01, 2019 1:19 pm

StevieBoy wrote: Mon Jul 01, 2019 1:15 pm King did have an impressive record in the BDO maybe could of switched sooner, played pretty well in the beginning and did push Taylor!
Did he not beat Taylor in a pl semi final or did I dream that? Certainly played him in a couple of world semis.
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Re: Who is the biggest underachiever in the current top 32?

Post by bojeru » Mon Jul 01, 2019 1:28 pm

Randall wrote: Mon Jul 01, 2019 1:19 pm
StevieBoy wrote: Mon Jul 01, 2019 1:15 pm King did have an impressive record in the BDO maybe could of switched sooner, played pretty well in the beginning and did push Taylor!
Did he not beat Taylor in a pl semi final or did I dream that? Certainly played him in a couple of world semis.
2009 I think. When he lost the final to Wade.

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Re: Who is the biggest underachiever in the current top 32?

Post by sennafan24 » Mon Jul 01, 2019 1:54 pm

The Thorn wrote: Mon Jul 01, 2019 12:08 pm
sennafan24 wrote: Mon Jul 01, 2019 11:54 am Merv is an overachiever in some regards.

He's been in the PDC for over a decade and remained in their top 32. That's impressive, considering his ever-present "injuries". By contrast, the likes of Jenkins, Mardle, Burnett, Part, Hamilton, Newton and Webster have all fallen out of contention.

I agree he should have won a PDC TV event though. He really should have beaten Wade in the final of that ITV event.
That's another dimension to it, yes. The likes of King or Beaton are without a doubt very impressive with their longevity. Or you could say they are mediocre cloggers who never really were good enough to win anything. Is it better to be like that, or to have your moment in the limelight and completely disappear? (e.g. Shepherd or Nicho) I'm not sure to be honest.
I'd rather have King's career than Nicho or Shepherd's. The latter two were flashes in the pan. King's career winnings dwarf those two's earnings as well.

I'd only rather be the flash in the pan if they won a World title or a few majors before falling off a cliff. One tournament wonders, especially those who cropped up before prize money really increased, didn't get as much out of the game as King.
HalloweenJack wrote: Sat Oct 17, 2020 7:09 pm
Randall wrote: Sat Oct 17, 2020 7:05 pm Dulla has never faced anything like Taylor in top gear.
Maybe he could have dragged Taylor down, we will never know.

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Re: Who is the biggest underachiever in the current top 32?

Post by The Thorn » Mon Jul 01, 2019 1:57 pm

sennafan24 wrote: Mon Jul 01, 2019 1:54 pm
The Thorn wrote: Mon Jul 01, 2019 12:08 pm
sennafan24 wrote: Mon Jul 01, 2019 11:54 am Merv is an overachiever in some regards.

He's been in the PDC for over a decade and remained in their top 32. That's impressive, considering his ever-present "injuries". By contrast, the likes of Jenkins, Mardle, Burnett, Part, Hamilton, Newton and Webster have all fallen out of contention.

I agree he should have won a PDC TV event though. He really should have beaten Wade in the final of that ITV event.
That's another dimension to it, yes. The likes of King or Beaton are without a doubt very impressive with their longevity. Or you could say they are mediocre cloggers who never really were good enough to win anything. Is it better to be like that, or to have your moment in the limelight and completely disappear? (e.g. Shepherd or Nicho) I'm not sure to be honest.
I'd rather have King's career than Nicho or Shepherd's. The latter two were flashes in the pan. King's career winnings dwarf those two's earnings as well.

I'd only rather be the flash in the pan if they won a World title or a few majors before falling off a cliff. One tournament wonders, especially those who cropped up before prize money really increased, didn't get as much out of the game as King.
Yeah, I agree with that. King still had his fair share of success and has been a real elite player for a long time.

Perhaps the examples aren't direcly comparable. Nicho vs Beaton (maybe without the Lakeside win) is maybe a better comparison.
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Re: Who is the biggest underachiever in the current top 32?

Post by sennafan24 » Mon Jul 01, 2019 2:03 pm

The Thorn wrote: Mon Jul 01, 2019 1:57 pm Perhaps the examples aren't direcly comparable. Nicho vs Beaton (maybe without the Lakeshite win) is maybe a better comparison.
That's a tough one. Beaton has earned almost double what Nicho has earned. But Beaton was around for a lot longer. So if you judge it on earnings per year, they might be identical.

I would probably still go with Beaton. Just because he's still about when it's easier to earn money in the game. Although, if you discount his Lakeside victory, it is a difficult choice. I can imagine Beaton got a ton of exbo work off winning Lakeside. It's easier to market a "former World Champion".
HalloweenJack wrote: Sat Oct 17, 2020 7:09 pm
Randall wrote: Sat Oct 17, 2020 7:05 pm Dulla has never faced anything like Taylor in top gear.
Maybe he could have dragged Taylor down, we will never know.

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Re: Who is the biggest underachiever in the current top 32?

Post by Randall » Mon Jul 01, 2019 2:28 pm

bojeru wrote: Mon Jul 01, 2019 1:28 pm
Randall wrote: Mon Jul 01, 2019 1:19 pm
StevieBoy wrote: Mon Jul 01, 2019 1:15 pm King did have an impressive record in the BDO maybe could of switched sooner, played pretty well in the beginning and did push Taylor!
Did he not beat Taylor in a pl semi final or did I dream that? Certainly played him in a couple of world semis.
2009 I think. When he lost the final to Wade.
A decade ago.
Good grief
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