Barry Hearn on the BDO

[PVDarts180]

Yet, the PDC’s success in transforming these self-confessed unremarkable men into global stars has led to bitter acrimony with the BDO, whose stubborn refusal to change has seen them completely left behind.

Hearn acknowledges his role in fuelling and increasing the rupture between new and old, but is unapologetic.

“My job was to hold out the hand of friendship to them when I first took over. I said to Olly Croft, who was head of the BDO: ‘Look, I’m not party to this history. Shall we sit down and talk and see where we are?’ And he wrote me back a line and just said ‘I see no point for a meeting.’ I wrote back and said to him: ‘In that case, I will f*ck you within every inch of your life.’ And I have.

“I didn’t destroy them but I don’t want to destroy them because they do a job. But they’re not professional and they don’t run the sport in the way that they thought they ran the sport. Sport is run by excellence.

Full article: https://sportsgazette.co.uk/i-have-to-a ... oric-rise/

[Little Lonely Garry]

Yet, the PDC’s success in transforming these self-confessed unremarkable men into global stars has led to bitter acrimony with the BDO, whose stubborn refusal to change has seen them completely left behind.

Hearn acknowledges his role in fuelling and increasing the rupture between new and old, but is unapologetic.

“My job was to hold out the hand of friendship to them when I first took over. I said to Olly Croft, who was head of the BDO: ‘Look, I’m not party to this history. Shall we sit down and talk and see where we are?’ And he wrote me back a line and just said ‘I see no point for a meeting.’ I wrote back and said to him: ‘In that case, I will fek you within every inch of your life.’ And I have.

“I didn’t destroy them but I don’t want to destroy them because they do a job. But they’re not professional and they don’t run the sport in the way that they thought they ran the sport. Sport is run by excellence.

Full article: https://sportsgazette.co.uk/i-have-to-a ... oric-rise/

200 pages

[Murphio]

Yep, the BDO needs to stop trying to be all things to all people. They do indeed 'do a job' - it is that job they need to concentrate on.

[Mgt]

Rout's favourite quote making an appearance again.

[ifm]

Good article that, the whole feud thing obviously added in by the writer though.
You can see the obvious difference in approach too, he is looking to build, expand where the BDO is just providing comps for their existing players.

[ifm]

Rout's favourite quote making an appearance again.

Yeah, not a good quote is it?

[Wubbalubbadubdub]

[Mgt]

Rout's favourite quote making an appearance again.

Yeah, not a good quote is it?

Why not? Realism and ambition have never hurt anybody and no sport/game is going to thrive without money.

[ifm]

Rout's favourite quote making an appearance again.

Yeah, not a good quote is it?

Why not? Realism and ambition have never hurt anybody and no sport/game is going to thrive without money.

Oh, i thought you meant second only to football on sky lol

[Mgt]

Rout's favourite quote making an appearance again.

Yeah, not a good quote is it?

Why not? Realism and ambition have never hurt anybody and no sport/game is going to thrive without money.

Oh, i thought you meant second only to football on sky lol

Tsk tsk Ian, how could you not immediately recall the "I can smell the money" quote. Didn't he have it as his signature for a while?

[craigmc]

Given how things have turned out Hearns offer should have been snapped up at that time.

[ifm]

Rout's favourite quote making an appearance again.

Yeah, not a good quote is it?

Why not? Realism and ambition have never hurt anybody and no sport/game is going to thrive without money.

Oh, i thought you meant second only to football on sky lol

Tsk tsk Ian, how could you not immediately recall the "I can smell the money" quote. Didn't he have it as his signature for a while?

Not had sigs on for donkeys.

[Zeyes]

Given how things have turned out Hearns offer should have been snapped up at that time.

No, considering how lucrative darts has become since 2001, surely the BDO is worth even more than £2 million now.

[oche balboa]

Really good interview that. BDO themselves have fucked it all over. However you could argue 100k for a WC for "Amateurs" is still good money, Even if its needs improving

However, credit to Hearn he knows how to run a business

[Little Lonely Garry]

Given how things have turned out Hearns offer should have been snapped up at that time.

No, considering how lucrative darts has become since 2001, surely the BDO is worth even more than £2 million now.

[Zeyes]

Really good interview that. BDO themselves have fekked it all over. However you could argue 100k for a WC for "Amateurs" is still good money, Even if its needs improving

The problem is that the Lakeside winner's prize sits atop a very shaky house of cards now. Anyone winning those 100k nowadays is profiting off what the BDO was, not what the BDO is.

[ifm]

Zzzzzedds has really gone back to full on bdo hater.

[Murphio]

Really good interview that. BDO themselves have fekked it all over. However you could argue 100k for a WC for "Amateurs" is still good money, Even if its needs improving

The problem is that the Lakeside winner's prize sits atop a very shaky house of cards now. Anyone winning those 100k nowadays is profiting off what the BDO was, not what the BDO is.

Totally agree. It's ability to offer up that prize is becoming more doubtful as time goes on.

[devosteve]

Read that article earlier (couldn't paste it from my phone). Folks need to read all of it not just the bit posted.

lot of good stuff in there. But that quote above shows hearn doesn't like to be rebuffed. A bit strong. Though saying that he did seek to buy out the bdo later (taking his 1st approach was soon after taking on the pdc)

[Paddy McGinty]

“If you look at the winning average when I took over, the World Championship was won on an average of high 80s. Today, if you’re not averaging 110 you’ve got no chance.”

What a load of bollocks..........