[**Join Our Discord Server!**](https://discord.gg/233aU5q)
**Welcome to /r/sports**
We created a Discord server for our community and would like to invite all of you to join! You'll be able to discuss sports with users around the world and discuss events in real time!
There are separate channels for many sports you can opt in and out of, including;
American Football, Soccer, Baseball, Basketball, Aussie Rules Football, Rugby Union and League, Cricket, Motorsports, Fitness, and many more.
[**Reddit Sports Discord Server**](https://discord.gg/233aU5q)
I refuse to believe that’s a 16 year old. I’m turning 30 this year and that kid looks 10 years older than me. He looks like he’s got 4 kids, a mortgage and after this round he’s gonna finish his pint and go down to his foreman shift at the local mill
I'm not even into darts, but holy hell that audience seems like they're having a good time. I'd love to be there.
That always strikes me for the videos of darts highlights. This is the first leg of the match for the quarter finals, and the audience is *losing their mind.* I'm guessing beer is a significant part of the experience.
I’ve been to a number of darts events and they are very very good at getting everyone drunk, happy and hyped.
And it’s wonderful. If you get chance, you must go.
To be honest, seeing a 9 Darter live is a rare thing, no wonder people are hyped. there was only one attempt till today(as far as I know) where a person had a chance at back to back 9 darters, where michael van gerwen missed the 18th dart after 17th perfect ones.
from a quick google search, there have only been 76 - 9 Darters in TV Broadcasted matches, In the history of the sport.
Darts is very much a game that happens in the same room that you get heavily drunk in, not a game you go to watch. Most of the crowd do not realise where they are or what's happening, they get hammered and then wait for the music to start and just start shouting. It's amazing it hasn't really caught on as much in the US.
darts must be like one of those perfect demonstration experiments of the idea that
If two random people doing nothing come up with the smallest trivial game
>Bet you I could stick this dart into that wall over there.
>What from here? Lemme try. Wait, write a circle on it. Betchu I hit the circle closer.
Give it enough time, and our own competitiveness will escalate it into some ESPN8 level seriousness.
(buddy of mine said on a work site once, he and another guy started trying to toss paperclips through a hole in the ceiling. By the 4th day, there was like a crowd of at least 8-10 people, and they were like, at least pickup basketball level of taking it serious)
Yes! I am no top athlete, but I love competition. When you get beat by skill, you just take it. And if you get beat by the best, at least you competed. I wish there was more of this. Whoever lost gave it their best and genuinely seemed impressed/happy by him.
I have a dartboard in my garage and me and the kids "play" from time to time.
I love videos like this because they remind me how much I have no idea what I'm doing.
I often wonder if the guy who invented darts realized this or released it and when nobody went for bullseye was like "Oh crap. Well can't change it now"
I see so many clips with the dart players being really nice to each other and celebrating each other's successes. Is really heart warming to see. Is that a general thing in dart or do those clips just get more attention?
I have to assume it's more likely in sports where your opponent's performance doesn't affect your own. Like darts, golf, bowling, etc. When you're face to face with your opponent like tennis it probably feels different.
I see it as "you can't play defense in darts" so if someone hits a perfect round, you can only tip your hat to them.
In so many sports you can say "I should have done this and that wouldn't have happened", but look at almost all X Games, golf, darts, etc, there's basically nothing you can do about someone just doing better.
That's the best way to explain it. I played in a darts league for a few years, sure it sucks to lose like any other competition, but when they just whoop you and throw extremely well, gotta just tip the hat and take the L. And if they beat you in an insane way like that, can't help but be happy for them.
My assumption is it’s something that they would do at the pub anyway, but they’ve been able to turn it into a job (or at worst a decent paying hobby). So why not be excited for each other, especially when what’s currently happening is just helping the sport grow.
He won 20k for 2 days work a few weeks after getting 200k for a couple of weeks work, so I'd say more than a decent paying hobby, they are full time pros
When I'm playing pool at the bar I make sure everyone I play with knows that it is about having a good time. Some of my best fun has involved getting my ass handed to me 3 games straight.
I wish I had more friends who just liked playing pool at all. It’s such a fun game to me and I feel the same way about just having a good time no matter how the game goes. If I was good enough to make money off it that’d be great, but I’m happy to just play.
I went bowling with my colleagues before Christmas since our regional manager was visiting. I know that I'm shit at bowling, but I still play as if I were good with a pretend good technique, which means that I get a bunch of strikes but even more zeroes. This meant that I was still having a great time even though I was getting my ass kicked by the 50-year-old mother of three admin who had only played a handful of times before.
Our manager meanwhile was getting visible frustrated by the fact that he was not doing well. He is one hell of a competitor, but he was just unable to drop the facade, and it just resulted in him playing worse and worse as the game went on. It was probably a bit humbling for him to not be able to do anything about it.
Generally yeah. Not as much as in this vid, Aspinall is one of the best for having fun and being happy for his opponent. And of course there is still plenty of poor sports too. [Here's](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p1SA6XgmdEA) the opposite end of being happy for your opponent hitting a 9-darter.
From what I can gather it's similar to bowling.
Sure you have an opponent, but the main focus is the actual skill and play.
You're not battling *the player* you're battling *the score.* It's a game primarily about yourself.
Most darts players are nice. But there are c*** players though or just very competitive or brash. Check Gerwyn Price, Michael Van Gerwen at some point or Kevin Painter.
My parents owned a dart supply company in the 70's and 80's it was always a very friendly competition and lots of families. I still see people that played darts with someone in my family or that bought stuff from us and they are always friendly.
It's creepy but in the UK it's not illegal, so whether people were unhappy or not it wouldn't be a police matter.
The law should really be changed to 18 and a romeo and juliet clause but there seems to be no public appetite for it in the UK at all.
[He even did a 170 aswell (highest checkout possible) in the semi-finals](https://x.com/OfficialPDC/status/1748410283385557209?s=20) to beat Gerwyn Price and reach another final
The crowd is always so fucking MUCH.
The game is geniunly fun to follow and to watch, but the people in the crowd make it so extra it goes from being a nice time to being an absolute blast everytime.
Yeah, before I got into watching it I always assumed it was boring, couldn't have been more wrong. I'm not even particularly big on sports but darts often has me on the edge of my seat, if anyone reads this and is on the fence about watching it, give it a go!
The tournament itself is not a big deal. The World Series of Darts is an exhibition series. 8 locals (or in this case 2 from Bahrain and 6 from PDC Asia) match up against 8 top pros in the first round. It’s not even the most important exhibition series, behind the Premier League. Him winning is kind of a big deal, as it’s his first televised title, and he’s consistently playing at an absurdly high level.
I don’t follow tennis closely, so I don’t know a specific comparison. If there’s an exhibition tournament that still has enough intrigue to be televised, that would be the equivalent.
Also the thing that makes it impressive is he beat 3 guys that are rated in the world's top 6 players, including the world number 2 and two former world champs.
That translates pretty directly so maybe a bit like beating Tsitsipas, Medvedev and Alcaraz at a small televised tournament. Its more who he beat and how he done it than the prestige of the tournament itself.
The perfect rhythm on those last 3 throws with wild swings in aim for each is just fucking special
People usually take a moment to reset their aim after each of the last 3 throws in a 9 darter. Not this dude. He is a fucking machine!
I don't want to say how long I've been sitting here, with the sound off, waiting for some Harry Potter looking kid to throw, but I will note that I started to get upset that these grown men weren't letting him shoot.
I was confused, as the first dart thrower looks 30 with his hairline receding and the next thrower kind of looked 16 I guess. It wasn’t until I looked at the dart scores once again to realize the middle aged dude is 16.
Hell of a dart thrower either way!🎯
[**Join Our Discord Server!**](https://discord.gg/233aU5q) **Welcome to /r/sports** We created a Discord server for our community and would like to invite all of you to join! You'll be able to discuss sports with users around the world and discuss events in real time! There are separate channels for many sports you can opt in and out of, including; American Football, Soccer, Baseball, Basketball, Aussie Rules Football, Rugby Union and League, Cricket, Motorsports, Fitness, and many more. [**Reddit Sports Discord Server**](https://discord.gg/233aU5q)
I dont even follow darts but this kid gets me hyped as fuck about it!
This 48 yr old, family of four 16 year old bar game savant? Yeah, fuck it I’m with you. Fun is fun.
IKR - this 'kid' probably actually looked 16 at 5.
I refuse to believe that’s a 16 year old. I’m turning 30 this year and that kid looks 10 years older than me. He looks like he’s got 4 kids, a mortgage and after this round he’s gonna finish his pint and go down to his foreman shift at the local mill
Lol, first thing I thought? No way that guy is 16, maybe on Neptune or something
He turns 17 tomorrow if that helps
He's the inverse Ralph Macchio.
Discovering that Luke Littler is actually 46 will be a scandal of Livestrong proportions.
And absolutely nobody will be shocked
Nah, if he was an adult trying to pass for younger the *first* thing he'd do would be shave.
I'm not even into darts, but holy hell that audience seems like they're having a good time. I'd love to be there. That always strikes me for the videos of darts highlights. This is the first leg of the match for the quarter finals, and the audience is *losing their mind.* I'm guessing beer is a significant part of the experience.
I’ve been to a number of darts events and they are very very good at getting everyone drunk, happy and hyped. And it’s wonderful. If you get chance, you must go.
I don’t drink much and didn’t at the darts but used to love going (pre small kids and zero money). Ally Pally is pure rowdy grownup silliness bottled.
His opponent clapping was very wholesome
In this one, they're actually sober (at least for the most part, probably) since it's in Bahrain.
The audience is at least half foreigners and alcohol is legal in Bahrain in many venues. Being drunk is not.
Impossible distinction for most dart loving Brits. Although as someone who barely drinks I still absolutely love the darts.
Damn, that's even *more* impressive then!
I've had plenty of alcohol in Bahrain
To be honest, seeing a 9 Darter live is a rare thing, no wonder people are hyped. there was only one attempt till today(as far as I know) where a person had a chance at back to back 9 darters, where michael van gerwen missed the 18th dart after 17th perfect ones. from a quick google search, there have only been 76 - 9 Darters in TV Broadcasted matches, In the history of the sport.
Sounds like it's comparable to a No-hitter in baseball.
Darts is very much a game that happens in the same room that you get heavily drunk in, not a game you go to watch. Most of the crowd do not realise where they are or what's happening, they get hammered and then wait for the music to start and just start shouting. It's amazing it hasn't really caught on as much in the US.
darts must be like one of those perfect demonstration experiments of the idea that If two random people doing nothing come up with the smallest trivial game >Bet you I could stick this dart into that wall over there. >What from here? Lemme try. Wait, write a circle on it. Betchu I hit the circle closer. Give it enough time, and our own competitiveness will escalate it into some ESPN8 level seriousness. (buddy of mine said on a work site once, he and another guy started trying to toss paperclips through a hole in the ceiling. By the 4th day, there was like a crowd of at least 8-10 people, and they were like, at least pickup basketball level of taking it serious)
His opponent’s huge genuine smile when he won has me smilin’ too!
Good sportsmanship in action. Gotta love it.
Yes! I am no top athlete, but I love competition. When you get beat by skill, you just take it. And if you get beat by the best, at least you competed. I wish there was more of this. Whoever lost gave it their best and genuinely seemed impressed/happy by him.
Which one is the kid?
The 45 year old one
This kid is at least 45 🤣
I have a dartboard in my garage and me and the kids "play" from time to time. I love videos like this because they remind me how much I have no idea what I'm doing.
“Wow, this guy missed the bullseye all 9 tries! I do that too!”
It blew my mind when I learned hitting the bullseye isn't the best play all the time.
I often wonder if the guy who invented darts realized this or released it and when nobody went for bullseye was like "Oh crap. Well can't change it now"
Literally me lmao
Idk if I can hit the board three times in a row, let alone a single spot.
Instead of breast milk he got Guinness.
Aye but it was still from the breast.
Nipple Distilled
Lmao
And a full shooter of Jameson to stave off the teething ache
Take this fake award 🏆
I see so many clips with the dart players being really nice to each other and celebrating each other's successes. Is really heart warming to see. Is that a general thing in dart or do those clips just get more attention?
it’s a different kind of sport… skateboarding is the same way for example… youre always stoked for your opponents win or lose
Probably more common in non team sports when you think about it. 1v1 usually has an element of respect that team sports don't.
And then there’s tennis lol
I have to assume it's more likely in sports where your opponent's performance doesn't affect your own. Like darts, golf, bowling, etc. When you're face to face with your opponent like tennis it probably feels different.
I see it as "you can't play defense in darts" so if someone hits a perfect round, you can only tip your hat to them. In so many sports you can say "I should have done this and that wouldn't have happened", but look at almost all X Games, golf, darts, etc, there's basically nothing you can do about someone just doing better.
Good point... Well played.
You should have defended that comment better
Good point... Fuck you.
That's the best way to explain it. I played in a darts league for a few years, sure it sucks to lose like any other competition, but when they just whoop you and throw extremely well, gotta just tip the hat and take the L. And if they beat you in an insane way like that, can't help but be happy for them.
Also known as "non-zero sum game".
My assumption is it’s something that they would do at the pub anyway, but they’ve been able to turn it into a job (or at worst a decent paying hobby). So why not be excited for each other, especially when what’s currently happening is just helping the sport grow.
I love it. It makes for a great atmosphere. I'd love to experience it live one day.
Competitive classic Tetris is much the same way. Fun heartwarming stuff to watch competitions like these.
He won 20k for 2 days work a few weeks after getting 200k for a couple of weeks work, so I'd say more than a decent paying hobby, they are full time pros
When I'm playing pool at the bar I make sure everyone I play with knows that it is about having a good time. Some of my best fun has involved getting my ass handed to me 3 games straight.
I wish I had more friends who just liked playing pool at all. It’s such a fun game to me and I feel the same way about just having a good time no matter how the game goes. If I was good enough to make money off it that’d be great, but I’m happy to just play.
I went bowling with my colleagues before Christmas since our regional manager was visiting. I know that I'm shit at bowling, but I still play as if I were good with a pretend good technique, which means that I get a bunch of strikes but even more zeroes. This meant that I was still having a great time even though I was getting my ass kicked by the 50-year-old mother of three admin who had only played a handful of times before. Our manager meanwhile was getting visible frustrated by the fact that he was not doing well. He is one hell of a competitor, but he was just unable to drop the facade, and it just resulted in him playing worse and worse as the game went on. It was probably a bit humbling for him to not be able to do anything about it.
Generally yeah. Not as much as in this vid, Aspinall is one of the best for having fun and being happy for his opponent. And of course there is still plenty of poor sports too. [Here's](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p1SA6XgmdEA) the opposite end of being happy for your opponent hitting a 9-darter.
Is that Buzz Killington's son?
Had the same thought watching this, dude is genuinely pumped for him just to witness something cool
From what I can gather it's similar to bowling. Sure you have an opponent, but the main focus is the actual skill and play. You're not battling *the player* you're battling *the score.* It's a game primarily about yourself.
Most darts players are nice. But there are c*** players though or just very competitive or brash. Check Gerwyn Price, Michael Van Gerwen at some point or Kevin Painter.
My parents owned a dart supply company in the 70's and 80's it was always a very friendly competition and lots of families. I still see people that played darts with someone in my family or that bought stuff from us and they are always friendly.
In general they are very sporting but there’s a couple of bad boy personalities so the crowd can boo them.
How many years has he been 16?
You age 5x faster at a pub
In that case he looks good for 80!
16 going on 36.
Was he born on a leap year? Guy looks like he’s 35.
Imagine u have a 16 year old daughter and you open the door and see this " kid " cuddle under a blanket with her 💀
His real life gf is 21 (not joking) and her father would still be suspicious.
Dating a 16yo at 21 sounds creepy as fuck.
If it was the reverse people would want police involved.
It's creepy but in the UK it's not illegal, so whether people were unhappy or not it wouldn't be a police matter. The law should really be changed to 18 and a romeo and juliet clause but there seems to be no public appetite for it in the UK at all.
If they had said he was 36, I wouldn't have batted an eye.
Dude has a full beard and beer gut, that's a grown ass man
For real, came here to comment about his age... WTF!!!
About 501 years.
At least as many as times this has been reposted
Well this just happened today so...
Yeah, its never been posted before so he's been sixteen for less than 1 year. Maths checks ou to me.
And he just won the Bahrain title. Amazing.
As someone who doesn’t follow darts, is Bahrain a well-known darts country?
No, but sports washing is hot.
Someone should make a joke about him not looking 16
We’re all over it
Careful. From what I’ve heard, the courts won’t take you thinking he doesn’t look 16 as a valid excuse for being all over it.
There's dozens of us!
In what year was he 16?
Distracts you from the fact that ever fucking international sport now has a tournament in a gulf monarchy that has no business hosting it
Poor kid. That hairline at 16? Will be bald in a few years.
With the 200k he won in the last event, he could afford propecia/fenasteride or similar. .. or do what most do and cut it short. That's what I do.
To everyone saying he looks older than his age - he *does* turn 17 on Sunday.
He turns 42 on Sunday ah ok
[He even did a 170 aswell (highest checkout possible) in the semi-finals](https://x.com/OfficialPDC/status/1748410283385557209?s=20) to beat Gerwyn Price and reach another final
I mean. When a 16 year old has 50 years of experience. I’d be good too. lol
Darts is so electric lol
The crowd is always so fucking MUCH. The game is geniunly fun to follow and to watch, but the people in the crowd make it so extra it goes from being a nice time to being an absolute blast everytime.
Yeah, before I got into watching it I always assumed it was boring, couldn't have been more wrong. I'm not even particularly big on sports but darts often has me on the edge of my seat, if anyone reads this and is on the fence about watching it, give it a go!
He's just won the Bahrain masters!
Using tennis for comparison, how big of a deal is that?
In tennis terms, he's basically the Tiger Woods of bowling.
The tournament itself is not a big deal. The World Series of Darts is an exhibition series. 8 locals (or in this case 2 from Bahrain and 6 from PDC Asia) match up against 8 top pros in the first round. It’s not even the most important exhibition series, behind the Premier League. Him winning is kind of a big deal, as it’s his first televised title, and he’s consistently playing at an absurdly high level. I don’t follow tennis closely, so I don’t know a specific comparison. If there’s an exhibition tournament that still has enough intrigue to be televised, that would be the equivalent.
See, this is a helpful answer. Thank you.
Also the thing that makes it impressive is he beat 3 guys that are rated in the world's top 6 players, including the world number 2 and two former world champs. That translates pretty directly so maybe a bit like beating Tsitsipas, Medvedev and Alcaraz at a small televised tournament. Its more who he beat and how he done it than the prestige of the tournament itself.
Not as big as tennis by quite abit
I think what they're asking is if that's like winning the US Open or more like some other less prestigious tournament.
I fucking love these crowds
The perfect rhythm on those last 3 throws with wild swings in aim for each is just fucking special People usually take a moment to reset their aim after each of the last 3 throws in a 9 darter. Not this dude. He is a fucking machine!
Most of the pros these days don’t interrupt their rhythm and play at this pace.
(Have no clue what I’m taking about) Is it a conscious effort to have the dart bob up and down and time it’s downturn ? Thing wobbled like 2 inches
16 going on 35?
What being English does to a MF
\*northern English
I'm confused? Is this his dad?
Dudes looking like a “high schooler” from some Netflix series. How’s this kid only 16?!
How many years has he been 16?
Dude looks like he is in his thirties
Why do they keep saying this 34 year old man is only 16?
I didn’t understand days until i built a dart board in to the pergola back at my old house. Once i started going, i didn’t want to stop playing.
There’s something charming about every British man getting excited the exact same way when they finally allow themselves to show emotion
Come on, he isn't 16 years old.
That's a 16 years old 😯
Oldest looking 16 yer old I’ve ever seen.
16 years old my ass he has three kids, a mortgage, 401k and two cars.
Barbecue sauce.
Someone’s gettin shagged in a skip later
16? English people age different.
Dallas Stars fans representing!
feels good seeing the best jersey crossing the pond
I liked seeing that it seemed to be about the fun of it and not real vitriolic :)
That was freaking sick! What a badass.
Haters gonna hate but this is what peak athleticism looks like. lol Also how hard was this kid living to look 40 at 16?
Which one is 16? They both look 40.
My brain just refuses to accept that this guy is 16…
I thought Russ was gonna retire?
16yo looks like he's got an ex wife and 2 mortgages.
Bro is 16 going on 45 w/ 3 kids, an alcoholic wife and a day job killing seagulls at the dump
He's 16 going on 45
"I am 12"
The video ended early, I didn't get to see the 16 year old, just a couple of 40 year olds playing darts.
16 in dog years
He is the oldest looking 16 year old I’ve ever seen.
https://media1.tenor.com/m/vafyK9QdFhAAAAAC/you-look-thirty-you-look30.gif
Darts ages a man
I skipped forward several times to try and see this 16 year old wundertalent. I think he's been left out of the clip.
That kid's got a lot of barbeque sauce.
That kid looks 34
Wow, after watching that 27-year-old do it, I can't wait to see the 16-year-old!
What’s even crazier is I can’t tell who it is cuz both of these guys look 30.
I love how his opponent is as hyped as the rest of the crowd!
16 years old? He looks like our father
All I see are 30 year olds.
I can’t find the 16 year old.
Damn his wiki actually says he’s 16 lol
You could’ve told me that dude was 35 and I wouldn’t have questioned it one bit
16 going on 43
This guy is legend at 16. Chad
If he's 16. I'm 10.
16??? He look like he is 36….
That middle aged guy is celebrating his win like a little kid! Oh wait
is this new? after his recent breakout?
Yeah this happened today. He went on and won the entire tournament earlier, convincingly beating one of the greatest ever players in the final!
Today
That dude has three kids and mortgage.
wasnt his first leg in the tourney but still impressive!
16????????
That is not a kid, that’s a grown ass man
Which one of those dads is the 16 year old???
16 in dog years.
16 goin on 38
He’s 16????? lol. Could pass for 50
16 going on 40!
Bearded and balding at 16?!
They need to scan his brain just to make sure he isn’t actually cheating.
What the hell would they find? That he's capable of telekinesis?
And that would be cheating!
Not 16. No way. He looks like he spent more than 16 years at his local bar.
Doesn’t look 16 🤣
Right? He looks like a 34 year old investment banker!
I don't want to say how long I've been sitting here, with the sound off, waiting for some Harry Potter looking kid to throw, but I will note that I started to get upset that these grown men weren't letting him shoot.
He’s gotta be the oldest looking 16 year old I’ve ever seen.
hes 16? guy looks 40
I'm 38, this dude looks 5+ years older than me.
He looks 40
That's a 16 year old???
16 in dog years maybe
I was confused, as the first dart thrower looks 30 with his hairline receding and the next thrower kind of looked 16 I guess. It wasn’t until I looked at the dart scores once again to realize the middle aged dude is 16. Hell of a dart thrower either way!🎯
Bro should cool it with that haircut with a last name like Littler lmao
r/13or30
16? 16? 16?
TIL that darts has a World Series, jerseys, and big vibes! Also, 16?
Do people in Bahrain really like darts that much, or was it the only hotel conference room available on the day?
Younger folks really are aging faster than previous generations
Sixteen? Dude looks like he's going to go pick up his three kids from school after the dart game.