Tonight, I Celebrate...
..or perhaps I shouldn't...
My first blog of 2011 focuses on a situation that seems to be causing friction these days. I'm tired of hearing how unnecessary and "unsporting" it is to show even a little emotion after hitting a big shot. Why?
Not only do we expect celebrations when watching other sports, we positively embrace some of the ridiculously ostentatious gestures and routines! More than that, we love watching game shows where everybody goes crazy because someone wins a car. So, what is wrong with enjoying a brief moment of happiness after hitting a 180, a 7-count, or a winning double?
More than most other sports, darts is very much a game of emotion - spontaneous emotion. This can be elation, despair, disappointment, or even simple relief. The reason for this spontaneity is that we don't have a clue what is going to happen until the dart hits the board. The outcome of the match, or even the momentum, is decided in a split-second - and so are the emotions of the combatants.
Don't worry, I'm not talking about these idiots who prance around all over the oche, arms flapping like a demented albatross, and yelling, "Who's your daddy???" for ten minutes, solely because they hit a triple. That is a no-no. Besides, that's hardly spontaneous, is it? I'm talking about a sudden, "Come on!", "Yesssssss!", or a couple of quick fist-pumps. When being vocal (as a result of elation or despair), it is good to remember that other games may be going on around you, and I admit that I have sometimes been a little too loud!
Basically, there is one unwritten rule as far as darting celebrations go; you do not direct it AT your opponent. Turning round at the line, staring at your opponent, and yelling "Get in there!" is usually good for only one thing - a trip to the local emergency room to have a boot removed from your throat!
Darts is - or should be - about emotion. If you experience emotion, then it proves that the game actually means something to you. Sure, the main reason that we engage in sporting activity is recreation and enjoyment, but in any competitive sport, much of this enjoyment is derived from the emotion of competition. That isn't just the competition against others either, but from the desire to perform well.
If you genuinely don't feel that emotion when you hit a big shot or winning double, that's fine. We are all different, and you should react accordingly. However, if do feel it, it can actually be unhealthy to stifle your feelings; it's a kind of pressure relief, like steam escaping from a boiling kettle, and all due to adrenaline.
A word of warning, though - it is not wise to get too excited, as this can affect you detrimentally for a few minutes after the event, and there are two ways in which this can happen. Firstly, you can feel totally flat and drained, and it can be difficult to raise yourself for subsequent matches. Secondly, you can get too worked up, and will feel very uptight and shaky for a while.
Back to the original point though, and there is absolutely no reason NOT to show your pleasure. After all, that is why we play the game, isn't it?