How much......

[The Thorn]

White has secretly been one of the best players in the world but 50% doesn't know that because he's shit on TV and the other 50% doesn't want to admit it because he's shit on TV

This year he's been shit though. The past few years he's been one of the best players if we look at strictly Pro Tour results. Most rational people, including myself would say you need to perform to a certain level on TV to be in that discussion though.

[Randall]

White has secretly been one of the best players in the world but 50% doesn't know that because he's shit on TV and the other 50% doesn't want to admit it because he's shit on TV

No he hasn't

[Rogg]

It's not that long since we had a UK Open behind closed doors. Did anything funny happen?

[The Thorn]

It's not that long since we had a UK Open behind closed doors. Did anything funny happen?

Cadby in the final, Owen and Pallett in the semis, Part having a run too. Qualifies as funny if you're a masochist I guess.

[Randall]

It's not that long since we had a UK Open behind closed doors. Did anything funny happen?

I have no memory of it but thorns summary suggests so

[Rogg]

It's not that long since we had a UK Open behind closed doors. Did anything funny happen?

Cadby in the final, Owen and Pallett in the semis, Part having a run too. Qualifies as funny if you're a masochist I guess.

ah so that was that one. MVG lost to JdZ in his opening game.
Maybe it did turn out a bit more wacky than usual without crowds as everyone felt a bit weird or whatever. Very hard to say.

[Randall]

It absolutely has some impact
Maybe massive impact
I suspect so

[Mabbsy]

When I saw the thread title I thought we'd be discussing the Lakeside food prices.

[Randall]

When I saw the thread title I thought we'd be discussing the Lakeside food prices.

Burgers £2
Chips £2
Burger and chips £5
Hot dogs free

[tungsten tossers]

When I saw the thread title I thought we'd be discussing the Lakeside food prices.

Burgers £2
Chips £2
Burger and chips £5
Hot dogends free

Fixed

[The Thorn]

Water £2
Beer £5

(they are nearly the same)

[HalloweenJack]

Will there be astericks next to a world championship played in an empty room in Coventry though?
I suspect there will if hendo etc wins.
Please god let it happen.

Not in my opinion. Certainly can't judge based on who wins. So if it's one of the favourites then it's a regular event, but if not then it's suddenly less valid? That would be very unfair.

Exceptional circumstances happen all the time. This might be the first time for a darts WC but hardly the first in the history of sports. The players have to adapt and if Hendo does that the best then he will be world champ. Just as much of a world champ as Wright or Cross.

I suspect in the future the issues surrounding the events are certain to be involved in the discussion of the outcome.

Honestly I dont think dimi would have won in blackpool nor durrant the pl

But we will never know.

I don’t agree with you, certainly regarding Duzza. He actually did better when there were crowds. One of his big strengths is the mental side of his game. I could argue he may have scored more points in the league phase with crowds. DVDB is someone who seems to thrive off a crowd also.

[Randall]

Will there be astericks next to a world championship played in an empty room in Coventry though?
I suspect there will if hendo etc wins.
Please god let it happen.

Not in my opinion. Certainly can't judge based on who wins. So if it's one of the favourites then it's a regular event, but if not then it's suddenly less valid? That would be very unfair.

Exceptional circumstances happen all the time. This might be the first time for a darts WC but hardly the first in the history of sports. The players have to adapt and if Hendo does that the best then he will be world champ. Just as much of a world champ as Wright or Cross.

I suspect in the future the issues surrounding the events are certain to be involved in the discussion of the outcome.

Honestly I dont think dimi would have won in blackpool nor durrant the pl

But we will never know.

I don’t agree with you, certainly regarding Duzza. He actually did better when there were crowds. One of his big strengths is the mental side of his game. I could argue he may have scored more points in the league phase with crowds. DVDB is someone who seems to thrive off a crowd also.

I didn't expect you too

[SuperSwede]

Much bigger than most think I suspect and the body of evidence keeps growing. It would be a strange coincidence for all of Dimitri winning the Matchplay, Durrant winning the PL and the two of the best players in the world not even making the PL playoffs to happen this year and those occurances be independant of the freak circumstances.

[Randall]

Much bigger than most think I suspect and the body of evidence keeps growing. It would be a strange coincidence for all of Dimitri winning the Matchplay, Durrant winning the PL and the two of the best players in the world not even making the PL playoffs to happen this year and those occurances be independant of the freak circumstances.

Very well put

[thegentle]

Will there be astericks next to a world championship played in an empty room in Coventry though?
I suspect there will if hendo etc wins.
Please god let it happen.

Not in my opinion. Certainly can't judge based on who wins. So if it's one of the favourites then it's a regular event, but if not then it's suddenly less valid? That would be very unfair.

Exceptional circumstances happen all the time. This might be the first time for a darts WC but hardly the first in the history of sports. The players have to adapt and if Hendo does that the best then he will be world champ. Just as much of a world champ as Wright or Cross.

Exactly, weird results happen, Aspinall won the UK Open last year averaging under 90 in the final, he'd have been a dark horse for sure, but no more. Dimi played well in his Matchplay run, you wouldn't say there were any massively strange results there (apart from possibly the final, but, you know, Gando is prone to the odd stinker these days). MvG hasn't been on form, but in truth he wasn't really on top form before lockdown (UK Open aside), had a shocker at MK, but fair fucks to Whitlock who went toe to toe with him the other day and came out better

[thegentle]

Much bigger than most think I suspect and the body of evidence keeps growing. It would be a strange coincidence for all of Dimitri winning the Matchplay, Durrant winning the PL and the two of the best players in the world not even making the PL playoffs to happen this year and those occurances be independant of the freak circumstances.

OK, it was a huge shock that MvG was eliminated, but it wasn't a shock that Price didn't qualify for the finals. He wasn't exactly in pole position to qualify before the pause, and while he's been one of the best players in the world for a while now, that was before his recent purple patch. Let it not be forgotten that he's yet to qualify for a finals night!

[sennafan24]

The biggest change this year has been the decline of the PDC's top players. If MVG was still firing on all-cylinders, he'd have won the PL with ease and perhaps the Matchplay as well, but he's not been close to his best since he changed his darts earlier in the year. Gando is too inconsistent at this stage of his career, and this was an issue for him before Covid. Cross has been struggling since he won the European Championship last year, again before Covid became a thing.

Price had a bit of a blip over the summer, but has now thankfully regained form and is clearly the best in the world. Yet, the average he won the Grand Prix final with was the lowest of any winner since MVG in 2012.

The likes of Dimi, Duzza, Dirk, etc, have all been very fortunate, and would not have been as successful in any other period. The fields are more open than ever.

[vizIIsto]

The biggest change this year has been the decline of the PDC's top players. If MVG was still firing on all-cylinders, he'd have won the PL with ease and perhaps the Matchplay as well, but he's not been close to his best since he changed his darts earlier in the year. Gando is too inconsistent at this stage of his career, and this was an issue for him before Covid. Cross has been struggling since he won the European Championship last year, again before Covid became a thing.

Price had a bit of a blip over the summer, but has now thankfully regained form and is clearly the best in the world. Yet, the average he won the Grand Prix final with was the lowest of any winner since MVG in 2012.

The likes of Dimi, Duzza, Dirk, etc, have all been very fortunate, and would not have been as successful in any other period. The fields are more open than ever.

Duzza was fortunate. The rest.. maybe.

[HalloweenJack]

So much nonsense in some of these posts. Only if TDF
To even suggest Duzza wouldn’t have won the PL if there were crowds is pure fantasy. He was top of the league pre lockdown remember. Is anybody suggesting he wouldn’t have been top 4 if the crowds were there?
Nothing fortunate about his or DVDB success. They won because they deserved to. In the case of Duzza,he has been close on several occasions of getting to a final when there were crowds, so it was a hardly a surprise he got to a final.
It’s not like they played in total silence, there was piped crowd noise, I’m sure the fact MVG didn’t here the yaya/Kolo you’re song has made him play worse.