The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune (From Bradford Telegraph and Argus)

The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune

4:45pm Thursday 15th March 2007

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A quick question. When is a sport not a sport? Answer: When it is pigeon racing, cribbage, chess, dominoes or darts.

There can be no disputing the first four on the list but I can imagine a few eyebrows will have been raised on seeing the inclusion of darts.

The pro-arrows brigade will argue that darts deserves its place in the sporting spotlight, pointing to this year's two world darts finals as reason enough to plaster the reports all over the sports pages.

True enough, the PDC World Championship finale between Raymond van Barneveld and Phil 'The Power' Taylor was one of the most gripping contests on Sky Sports for many a year. Spellbinding stuff that climaxed with Barneveld beating The Power in sudden death in the 13th set.

The inferior BDO Lakeside World Championship final, covered on the BBC and won by Martin Adams, was another beauty that left viewers transfixed from start to finish.

There is no doubting darts can be a captivating spectacle, full of thrills and spills, and it merits its place on the sports pages, regardless of its label.

A sport, though? We asked 100 people if darts should be classed as a sport. You said, 'yes', our survey said… uh-uhh!

You will find coverage of some or all of the aforementioned past-times in the sports pages of regional and national newspapers up and down the country.

Clearly, dominoes and chess are not sports, but where else would you put the local club results?

My personal view is that, to elevate a game to that next level, you need a decent mix of the following: Agility, stamina, skill, strength, technique, guile, speed of thought, speed of reflexes, but most importantly, it should comprise some form of physical exercise.

Darts just doesn't tick enough of the boxes. Okay, it might be as much of a sport as snooker, you could argue, but it's still only a game and nothing more.

'Hang on a minute, rewind a bit, did I read that right. Snooker not a sport…?'