Another top athlete suspended: Darts champion James Wade

Just when you think controversy in sports would subside comes disturbing news that another top-level athlete in his sport has been suspended.
James Wade has been suspended for four tournaments by the Darts Regulation Authority after violating their disciplinary code.

Wade, who is ranked No. 4 in the world in darts, “acted in a manner which may reasonably be considered to injure or discredit the DRA or bring the game into disrepute� the DRA said in a news release. There was no specific incident or incidents listed as the cause of his suspension.

“As a result of a series of referrals to the Darts Regulation Authority relating to the behaviour of James Wade at PDC Tour events, James Wade was found to be in breach of rule 4.1 of the DRA rules: ‘No player or member shall act in a manner which may reasonably be considered to injure or discredit the DRA or bring the game of darts into disrepute’.

“The DRA do not routinely publish the outcomes of hearings, but in this case it related to a senior player not being able to enter high-profile tournaments and it was important to clarify the reason for this.�

Apparently, darts is a big deal in Europe. Here in the U.S., we think of it as it should be: A game you play while drinking at a bar, and James Wade is best known here as the duo that led the Miami Heat to consecutive NBA titles.

However, for you darts fans out there, we have taken the liberty of embedding a video of the 2012 World Matchplay Final, featuring Wade. Enjoy!

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