The Power is the greatest

Phi Taylor made it world title No. 15 when taking care of young pretender Simon Whitlock at the Alexandra Palace and the man with the moniker of The Power shows no signs of slowing down despite being in his 50th year.

We have had Roger Federer dominating tennis through the, forgive me for using the term, the noughties and a similar statement applies to a certain Tiger Woods and Lance Armstrong. But none had a vice-like grip on their chosen profession like Taylor. Taylor’s first world crown came way back in 1990, when Manchester United superstar Wayne Rooney was five, and he has added a staggering 14 titles since.

There have been great sporting talents from the past, Don Bradman averaged 99.94 in Test cricket, squash player Heather McKay dominated through the 1960s and 1970s, but Taylor’s record stands up to the closest scrutiny. Stoke’s famous son won every world title bar one from 1995 to 2006. He was toppled by Raymond van Barneveld in 2007 and did not make it past the quarter-final stage in 2008.

Was The Power on the wane? Possibly. What was his response? To redouble his efforts, seek out a new set of darts and take his sport by the scruff of the neck once again. Taylor’s domination of the game in 2009 was quite staggering: World Championship, World Matchplay, World Grand Prix, Las Vegas Desert Classic, UK Open, European Championship and Players Championship titles all came his way.

There are those that deride Taylor’s achievements, ‘darts is not a sport’ come the calls. But how do you define a sport? Some would argue Formula One is not a sport. Some would say it takes no effort to drive around a track. I disagree and again I disagree with those who question the merits of darts being classed as a sport.

The naysayers suggest darts is played by overweight, beer-drinking louts, but while Taylor may not have the physique of Cristiano Ronaldo, he possesses the same talent in his chosen field. Taylor will never receive the plaudits of a Muhammad Ali or a Jack Nicklaus, but darts is on the way up, The Power is the driving force and should be lauded for his achievements.

As Ricky Hatton says: “His work ethic is incredible. With his dedication he's one of the greatest sportsmen alive.” The Hitman may be carrying a bit of added timber at the moment, but i’m not prepared to argue with his viewpoint.