OPINION: Darts lived up to its reputation this weekend by providing the perfect mix of sporting heroics and a party-like atmosphere at the Auckland Masters.
The fourth edition of the Professional Darts Corporation (PDC) event was the best yet, providing high-quality sport to go along with the rock-concert vibe.
When you mix the two, you get the best entertainment sport has to offer.
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Having watched darts for years, it was a dream come true to be at the venue to witness eight of the world's best come down-under to compete against local qualifiers from Australia and New Zealand.
Dutchman Michael van Gerwen won the tournament without breaking a sweat - it was like watching a perfect All Blacks Bledisloe Cup performance - even though the two-time world champion admitted he was only performing at "92 percent".
It was hard not to be in awe of the world number one throwing his tungsten arrows with such precision during his four games on the Trusts Arena stage, hitting 180 after 180, and hitting a ton of big finishes, including a 170.
The Dutchman has previously compared himself to Argentinian football star Lionel Messi in the way he can control the ball as if it was on a piece of string.
Just as exciting as the on-stage action were the fans. Going to the darts gives them the chance to dress up as their favourite superheroes or movie stars.
My pick was a group dressed as the Australian cricket team. They were wearing white shirts with names like Smith, Warner and Bancroft on the back while wearing hats made out of sandpaper.
Darts might never be in your top-10 list of best sports, but if we're going off atmosphere and entertainment, it must be near number one.
The noise was so loud on Saturday night, it felt like being in the front row of an ACDC concert, with fans singing and dancing, as Peter Wright boogied across the stage to 'Don't Stop the Party', while chants of 'Michael van Gerwen' to the tune of the White Stripes 'Seven Nation Army' continually reverberated around the arena.
Let's not forget hearing the dulcet tones of Russ Bray and George Noble calling "ONE-HUNDRED-AND-EIGHTY" sending fans into a frenzy. It was like they were celebrating Beauden Barrett's try against Australia in the World Cup final.
Funnily enough, younger brother Jordie attended on Sunday night. He dressed up as himself though.
The opening night was also exceptional as a record seven Kiwis fronted up against some of the game's best. Regardless of what they are competing in, New Zealanders will always get behind a fellow countryman.
Although only one Kiwi was victorious, it was pleasing to hear the top players praising the young New Zealanders, as many came close to upsetting their opponents.
Even though there were cheers for all the pro players, they were twice as loud when the local players walked up to the big-stage oche for the first time.
Unless you're at the front, you can't see too much of what is happening on the stage, but that's why there are plenty of big screens to watch it on.
The lack of visibility didn't seem to bother the large crowd, which was happy just to get a glimpse of the superstars - or drink a pint or five as a part of a good night out.
All those aspects combined to make it an enthralling spectacle.
The PDC World Series now moves off to Melbourne and then Brisbane before returning to the UK, where preparations will slowly begin for the world championships in December.
In summary, stand up if you love the darts, as they say.
Also, thanks to Van Gerwen for the game-worn TAB sticker.
Ben Francis is a Newshub online sports producer.
