James Wade has apologised.
But the thing is, James Wade had the chance to apologise on Thursday night after he'd done what had everyone thinking he was going to apologise for then.
But instead of apologising then, he doubled, trebled down on his aggressive, unsporting behaviour from moments earlier and made everybody despair again.
All of this started after Wade's second set win over his Japanese opponent Seigo Asada in the last game of the night.
Buoyed by the win and perhaps under pressure by the inspired darts being thrown by the Japanese, the hyped up Englishman fist-pumped in front of the crowd before, as if to mark his territory and as if to unnerve his opponent, getting in Asada's face with a loud roar and another aggressive fist-pump.
Asada looked around him as if to ask what is wrong with this lad. So did the whole world.
https://twitter.com/SkySportsDarts/status/1075523653213798400?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1075523653213798400&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.sportsjoe.ie%2Fworld-of-sport%2Fjames-wade-criticised-bully-behaviour-bizarre-post-match-interview-188284
Let's not forget, Asada was the underdog here, he was playing out of his skin. He wasn't fancied but he was playing the darts of his life and all the way through it, he was quiet, humble and unassuming.
This all didn't look good on Wade, but most would be prepared to overlook that as a man getting carried away with the emotion of it all. After all, darts is his game and doing well in the World Championships is his dream.
You might not be as concerned about it on one condition though - that being that, with the battle over, he sees the error of his ways.
But then, after going on to win the match 3-2, Wade had the perfect opportunity, an open goal to apologise for crossing the line, to admit that he'd been overcome by the moment when interviewed on Sky Sports.
But what he came out with made it all ten times worse.
"I kept giving it to him, I wanted to hurt him, I wanted to really hurt him in his face," a grinning Wade said.
"It wasn't a great game but I wanted to hurt him and I wanted to progress. That's for my son, and also for the UK."
https://twitter.com/SkySportsDarts/status/1075535441611366400?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1075535441611366400&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.sportsjoe.ie%2Fworld-of-sport%2Fjames-wade-criticised-bully-behaviour-bizarre-post-match-interview-188284
Wade also just rather crassly spoke about his surprise at Asada actually being able to compete with him.
And, now he morning after the night before and like a man with the fear after a heavy session, he has come to see the error of his ways. He claims that he was
"fighting a battle with himself" before even getting on stage, "due to a hypo-mania episode."
"No-one is more upset than I am," he continued.
https://twitter.com/JamesWade180/status/1075704213718614016
Better than nothing at all but many aren't buying it.
https://twitter.com/CasualSmarty/status/1075705197152923655
https://twitter.com/finderz4/status/1075707300248199168
