When Alexander of Macedonia was 33, he cried salt tears...
January 3, 2024 6:16 AM Subscribe
... because there were no more worlds to conquer … Luke Littler is only 16. Global sporting fans will have found it impossible to miss that the World Darts Championship reaches its final day today at London's Ally Pally.
The breakout star is undoubtedly England's WC debutant Luke Littler, a finalist at only 16 years old, crushing two previous world champions on the way. Big things have been expected of Littler after his early move from junior to adult tournaments, but perhaps not this big, this soon.
The final begins at 8.15pm (GMT) tonight. You can likely catch minute by minute reporting on the Guardian site if you can't get it on local TV.
For anyone interested, the post title bastardises a line of commentary from Sid Waddell, the doyen of darts commentary, and the man for whom the world championship trophy is named, examples of his greatest lines. A replica trophy can be purchased here.
The breakout star is undoubtedly England's WC debutant Luke Littler, a finalist at only 16 years old, crushing two previous world champions on the way. Big things have been expected of Littler after his early move from junior to adult tournaments, but perhaps not this big, this soon.
The final begins at 8.15pm (GMT) tonight. You can likely catch minute by minute reporting on the Guardian site if you can't get it on local TV.
For anyone interested, the post title bastardises a line of commentary from Sid Waddell, the doyen of darts commentary, and the man for whom the world championship trophy is named, examples of his greatest lines. A replica trophy can be purchased here.
Teenager Luke Littler to face Luke Humphries in PDC world darts final
My bet's on Luke!
posted by chavenet at 6:34 AM on January 3 [2 favorites]
My bet's on Luke!
posted by chavenet at 6:34 AM on January 3 [2 favorites]
While I do not play darts or understand its jargon, I do enjoy this writing:
Afterwards, he was just a 16-year-old kid again. He gave light, diffident answers to the same light, diffident questions he has been facing all tournament. And frankly, why not? Perhaps the last person capable of putting this achievement into any kind of perspective is Littler himself, for whom 105-plus averages and otherworldly excellence are simply the norm. If you want to measure the strength of a storm, you check the historical record, you survey the destruction and levelled buildings it leaves in its wake. You don’t thrust a microphone into the breeze and ask it to explain itself.posted by Songdog at 6:47 AM on January 3 [8 favorites]
He's the most 30 something looking 16 year old I have ever seen.
As my wife said, "he's so good at darts because he hasn't been carded at a bar since he was 8."
posted by jedicus at 7:12 AM on January 3 [24 favorites]
As my wife said, "he's so good at darts because he hasn't been carded at a bar since he was 8."
posted by jedicus at 7:12 AM on January 3 [24 favorites]
I discovered that darts fan go full cosplay to attend this event and that is amazing!
I live a short walk (up a steep hill) away from the venue and I can not stress how seeing everyone come up the elevator at the local tube station in full costume is a complete joy on an otherwise miserable return-to-work commute.
posted by bebrogued at 7:35 AM on January 3 [8 favorites]
I live a short walk (up a steep hill) away from the venue and I can not stress how seeing everyone come up the elevator at the local tube station in full costume is a complete joy on an otherwise miserable return-to-work commute.
posted by bebrogued at 7:35 AM on January 3 [8 favorites]
I discovered that darts fan go full cosplay to attend this event and that is amazing!
Thanks jacquilynne, I meant to add this extended article on Ally Pally dress up to the FPP but totally forgot.
posted by biffa at 8:00 AM on January 3 [1 favorite]
Thanks jacquilynne, I meant to add this extended article on Ally Pally dress up to the FPP but totally forgot.
posted by biffa at 8:00 AM on January 3 [1 favorite]
Holy cow, this line from the story in the first link. This is exhibit one in why British sportswriters are the best:
".... throwing with the menace and relish of a kid who just knows, down to his very bones, that his darts can cash every cheque his hubris writes."
BOOM
(oh, man, the next paragraph has a line just as good. I won't quote it, to give you incentive to click the link, because it deserves all the clicks.)
posted by martin q blank at 8:01 AM on January 3 [2 favorites]
".... throwing with the menace and relish of a kid who just knows, down to his very bones, that his darts can cash every cheque his hubris writes."
BOOM
(oh, man, the next paragraph has a line just as good. I won't quote it, to give you incentive to click the link, because it deserves all the clicks.)
posted by martin q blank at 8:01 AM on January 3 [2 favorites]
It's Jonathan Liew - he is quite possibly the best sportswriter in the UK.
posted by Cardinal Fang at 8:39 AM on January 3 [4 favorites]
posted by Cardinal Fang at 8:39 AM on January 3 [4 favorites]
Finals at 3pm Eastern Time today. DAZN has US rights but is $20.00/month but there may be a free trial. You may be able to watch a live stream here though. A live stream from the venue is on now.
posted by Grumpy old geek at 8:55 AM on January 3 [1 favorite]
posted by Grumpy old geek at 8:55 AM on January 3 [1 favorite]
He apparently enjoys Kebabs and has been offered free kebabs for life if he wins. That's the dream...
posted by inflatablekiwi at 10:38 AM on January 3 [2 favorites]
posted by inflatablekiwi at 10:38 AM on January 3 [2 favorites]
Teenager Luke Littler to face Luke Humphries in PDC world darts final The most specific case of nominative determinism I've ever seen.
posted by condour75 at 11:19 AM on January 3
posted by condour75 at 11:19 AM on January 3
I've been watching this tournament since the beginning. Littler has been a machine, simply dispatching his competitors, while Humphries has struggled at times with his form, but has been clutch in the big moments.
Humphries has just ascended to #1 in the world, as he's been the best across the whole season, so it's set up to be a cracking final.
If you do watch, pay attention to the iconic voice of the match referee Russ Bray. He's retiring after the match, and his gravelly calls of "One Hundred and Ayyyytee" will be missed.
posted by OHenryPacey at 12:01 PM on January 3
Humphries has just ascended to #1 in the world, as he's been the best across the whole season, so it's set up to be a cracking final.
If you do watch, pay attention to the iconic voice of the match referee Russ Bray. He's retiring after the match, and his gravelly calls of "One Hundred and Ayyyytee" will be missed.
posted by OHenryPacey at 12:01 PM on January 3
Humphries is cruising and the kid seems to be getting rattled.
posted by Rock Steady at 12:29 PM on January 3
posted by Rock Steady at 12:29 PM on January 3
As soon as I posted that, Littler turns it around immediately to even it up.
posted by Rock Steady at 12:32 PM on January 3 [1 favorite]
posted by Rock Steady at 12:32 PM on January 3 [1 favorite]
The quick math is honestly as impressive as the throwing.
posted by Rock Steady at 12:48 PM on January 3 [1 favorite]
posted by Rock Steady at 12:48 PM on January 3 [1 favorite]
Is it just me, or are we looking at The Best of All Time, not only in darts, but in all sorts of avenues of life? Music, science, sports, business, etc.
posted by Cobalt at 12:55 PM on January 3
posted by Cobalt at 12:55 PM on January 3
You've got a long way to go to challenge the GOAT in darts Phil "the Power" Taylor who retired in 2018.
posted by OHenryPacey at 12:58 PM on January 3
posted by OHenryPacey at 12:58 PM on January 3
There’s something hypnotic about a sport where it’s exactly the same skill over and over again, and it’s just a question of whether you can do it better than the other guy on the big occasion.
posted by Bloxworth Snout at 1:15 PM on January 3 [1 favorite]
posted by Bloxworth Snout at 1:15 PM on January 3 [1 favorite]
Also, that crowd!
posted by biffa at 1:25 PM on January 3 [1 favorite]
posted by biffa at 1:25 PM on January 3 [1 favorite]
There’s something hypnotic about a sport where it’s exactly the same skill over and over again, and it’s just a question of whether you can do it better than the other guy on the big occasion.
See also: professional bowling
posted by jacquilynne at 1:37 PM on January 3
See also: professional bowling
posted by jacquilynne at 1:37 PM on January 3
Dude has a beard at an age when I was just starting to shave, like, once a week.
posted by Saxon Kane at 1:50 PM on January 3
posted by Saxon Kane at 1:50 PM on January 3
See also: professional bowling
But for bowling doesn't the oil on the lane change with each throw so the conditions are always slightly different? So they aren't making the same shot each time.
posted by any portmanteau in a storm at 6:13 PM on January 3
But for bowling doesn't the oil on the lane change with each throw so the conditions are always slightly different? So they aren't making the same shot each time.
posted by any portmanteau in a storm at 6:13 PM on January 3
Luke wins!
The other older Luke though. Not the younger "free kebabs for life" Luke.
posted by inflatablekiwi at 5:58 AM on January 4
The other older Luke though. Not the younger "free kebabs for life" Luke.
posted by inflatablekiwi at 5:58 AM on January 4
An aside and unrelated, but maybe mildly interesting. The popular version of Alexander crying is in fact the exact opposite of the original story (in Plutarch), where a philosopher explains to Alexander the idea of multiple worlds, and Alexander weeps because there is an infinite number of worlds, and he hasn't conquered even a single one.
posted by Pyrogenesis at 7:20 AM on January 4 [1 favorite]
posted by Pyrogenesis at 7:20 AM on January 4 [1 favorite]
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On the other hand, in my quest to figure out how darts works so I could understand the links in this post, I discovered that darts fan go full cosplay to attend this event and that is amazing!
posted by jacquilynne at 6:29 AM on January 3 [6 favorites]