17 million Americans play darts: so where are the world-class stars?
(The Guardian Sports News)

Despite an estimated 17m people playing darts in the United States, there are no Americans currently among the top 183 players in PDC´s World Rankings. Where are all the stars?When Peter Wright plays darts, he is escorted to and from the stage by security. The image of a snake, to match his Snakebite Wright nickname, or similar patterns are painted on the side of his head by his wife, who also dyes his hair bright colors for each competition. The crowd cheers, and if the competition happens to be the Professional Darts Corporation World Championships, the 49-year-old Scot could be playing live in front of nearly 70,000 fans in the span of a fortnight. He´s been recognized in such far-reaching places as Japan.Such over-the-top showmanship and culture of celebrity is common in the UK and Europe, where unique personalities have boosted what was once an accessory to a few pints into a spectacle that today nets seven-figure viewerships for World Championship Finals broadcasts and elicits comparisons to professional wrestling. Continue reading...