HOW fitting that in these dark December days we should be reminded of Dott, Ding and darts as we abandon outdoor pursuits and raise a glass to the green baize, the oche and Sid Waddell.

Graeme Dott seemed as likely as anyone to challenge 19-year-old Ding Junhui for his UK title in York this week, but despite being world champion he did not loom large among the contenders for BBC Sports Personality of the Year.

Phil Taylor did earn a mention somewhere deep in Zara Phillips' slipstream, but as he will be attempting to win his 14th world darts title at Purfleet next week it's not unreasonable for Waddell to argue that the man known as The Power belongs in the pantheon of sporting gods.

"He's right up there with Babe Ruth, Jesse Owens and Don Bradman," said the Alnwick-born Cambridge graduate, who has found fame from such commentating gems as "this lad has more check-outs than Tescos."

For all Waddell's sparkle, darts' self-inflicted wounds saw it lose its popularity as a TV sport years ago, but snooker still has decent viewing figures, so the fact that its participants no longer poll votes must mean they are perceived to lack personality.

Not that the government will shed any tears over that. As they continue to remind us that almost half the adult population fail to take any exercise, it is unlikely that Dott and Taylor are the sort of role models they have in mind.

AUDLEY Comes Of Age, said the headlines after the risible Mr Harrison's swift demolition of Danny Williams, who took the fight at a week's notice and provided all the reminders Audley should need that, at 35, he's already at the age after which experience tends to be overtaken by physical decline.

So ponderous has been Audley's progress to this point that only the impoverished state of the heavyweight cupboard provides any point to his existence, other than making easy money, of course.

He threw a couple of impressive punches but, as he was very keen to emphasise, they don't give away Olympic gold medals so we always knew there was some talent lurking there somewhere. If it really is finally starting to blossom he has no time to waste, and he still has to convince us that he has the bottle to mix it with one of those Russian grizzly bears.

ROB Andrew's restrained response to Clive Woodward following the knighted one's vitriolic attack this week could be seen either as a mature and mellow offering or confirmation that Woodward was right.

Sir Clive claimed that, as Newcastle's Director of Rugby, Andrew had wound up all the club owners and thereby fanned the flames of the club v country issue, which he now has to resolve from the other side.

Woodward said he found it "absolutely staggering" that Andrew was given the elite director's job, but as Sir Clive was the other contender we can take it there's a hint of bitterness here from a man whose shambolic supervision of the 2005 Lions tour stripped him of most of his credibility.

However, there appears to be some substance to his assertion that Andrew is something of a chameleon, changing his tune now that he has swapped sides. As boss of the Falcons, Andrew was forthright, outspoken and not afraid to ruffle feathers. His words this week have smacked of management speak, and while he is doubtless still finding his feet in his new role he has not, as yet, provided any clear picture of his vision for the future.

WHILE there's currently a lot of hype surrounding Martin Johnson because he's suddenly perceived to be the man who won the World Cup, similarly there's a lot of nonsense surrounding Michael Vaughan because he was the man who won the Ashes.

To play him in the two-day match against Western Australia then demote him down the order so he didn't get a bat was indicative of the lop-sided thinking which confirms that he is needed back at the helm, if only to stand up to Duncan Fletcher.

Vaughan apparently took his demotion badly, and it will not have helped his bid to prove he can still play a part in the Ashes. The management insist they are not looking to play him in a competitive game any earlier than the one-day series, which is very odd considering that his one-day record is lamentable.

BEATEN by Germany in a shoot-out - it sounds familiar, but not for poor old Colin Montgomerie. After his various agonies in the majors, failing to hole a five-foot putt to win golf's World Cup for Scotland was too much for Monty and he left it to his young partner, Marc Warren, to face the media following the play-off defeat by Bernhard Langer and Marcel Siem.

It's a cruel life when all it takes is one missed putt to ruin what should have been a triumphant end to an idyllic few days in Barbados.

THE other Monty didn't do too badly. But rather than get carried away by young Panesar's performance I'll reserve judgement until I see whether Mr Warne has topped it overnight.