curling (1 Viewer)

[Ryan L B]

could somebody please explain this sport simce when it was on MSNBC, I had no idea what was going on.

 

[McPaul]

Very simple, until you get into the 4 rock rule. Try to get as many rocks of yours closest to the center.

 

[MikeAlletto]

Its just shuffle board...on ice...yawn

 

[Marvin]

It reminds me of the Beatles' movie "Help".

 

[MickeS]

I love watching curling. It's very suspenseful and easy to understand (well, to understand enough to enjoy it at least).
Yeah, it's like shuffleboard on ice.
/Mike

 

[Michael Warner]

I for one appreciate any sport in which many of the greatest players are in worse physical shape than I am. Gives me an outside hope of making it to the Olympics some day.

Seriously though, curling is a lot of fun but, much like billiards, I still can't quite see it as a real sport.

 

[DaveF]

I can appreciate any sport in which beer drinking is or could be allowable.

Actually, my definition of a sport is an activity in which you *can't* drink a beer while playing. So Curling can't be a sport (it's a game)
I think the object of Curling is to get the least Olympic sport into the Olympics. The next "curling" could be Bridge.

 

[Steve Owen]

I hadn't given curling much thought until this olympics, but after watching that USA/Sweden match, I'm hooked. I was absolutely rivited to the TV (my wife thinks I'm nuts). The rules are fairly simple, but the strategy is very complex and executing the strategy is exceptionally difficult.

Now figure skating... there's a "sport" that bores me silly. I guess I just don't like sports where the results are based on someones subjective analysis of the participants (I like ski jumping, but I wish they'd get rid of the judges "opinions" of the landing... my idea would be to go as far as you can and don't fall down on the landing... if you fall, 20m penalty).

-Steve

 

[MikeAlletto]

Bridge??? Are they insane? Whats next...go fish? war? blackjack? poker? Hell the IOC might as well just open up a casino so noone feels left out.

 

[Graeme Clark]

Curling is great to watch once you get a handle on the rules and some of the strategy. Just like any sport, you do have to watch it a bit usually before you start to understand it.

The basics is to of course, get your stones closest to the center (or button) ring. You get 1 point for every stone that is close than 1 of your opponents. Each team has 4 members, each of which throw 2 rocks. The last person to throw is the skip, who makes the decisions on what shots to make, and usually has to make the tough point winning (or saving) shorts at the end of the end.

The other 3 sweep, which can affect the speed and curl of the stones, and they also have other duties such as timing shots so that they can figure out how hard shots need to be thrown.

The team with the last shot of the end have the "hammer" if the team with the hammer scores a point, then the other team gets the hammer next end. If no points are scored, or the team without the hammer steals a point, then the hammer stays with that team.

And end usually plays out with the first players setting up guards near the front of the rings (under some rules, these cannot be removed by the other team until a certain point in the end. They can be moved, but not removed). The others then try to set up rocks in the rings, behind these guards by curling the rocks around them. The position behind the rock, and distance from it can make a huge difference on if it will be able to be removed later, which makes acurate shots important.

A big part of the game is figuring out what type of shot to make, such as a freeze (where it stops right in front of another so they cannot both be removed), a draw (where you just place it where you need it without hitting anything), tap back, run back, tap and roll (where you hit one stone and then roll left or right so that it is behind a guard) and just blasting them out of there.

And it's not like it's easy to be a good curler. Not only do you have to understand the strategy and look ahead, but making those shots isn't exactly simple.

Curling takes a lot of flak, but it's really a pretty fun sport to watch, and one nice thing about is the sportsmanship. Everyone seems to just be out there having fun, talk to each other, no arguing, no fighting, and in most TV broadcasts, the players are wired so that you can listen in on their strategy discussions.

If you get a chance, check out of game with Canada's Kevin Martin. He like to throw em fast and hard whenever he can. It gets him in trouble from time to time, but when he makes his shots, its pretty amazing.

 

[Ron Eastman]

Now figure skating... there's a "sport" that bores me silly. I guess I just don't like sports where the results are based on someones subjective analysis of the participants (I like ski jumping, but I wish they'd get rid of the judges "opinions" of the landing... my idea would be to go as far as you can and don't fall down on the landing... if you fall, 20m penalty).

I'm with you on this one Steve. I will confess to a mild enjoyment of watching figure skating but sports which depend on a judgment of an "impartial" panel leave the result suspect in my book. I have the same sentiment for the GenX sports like moguls skiing and snowboarding, though both can be great fun to watch.

Curling has a pretty big following in the Omaha area and there has been a curling club in residence here for many years. I've tried the "sport" on a couple of occasions and it's actually quite fun. But then again, I enjoy many games that out-of-shape people can play while drinking a beer such as pool, darts and especially golf.

 

[RicP]

Graeme,
Wonderful post! I too am a curling fan and am enjoying the coverage here in the US on CNBC along with the great hockey.
How about Germany eh?

 

[Philip Hamm]

I'm wondering if team horeshoes will be allowed in the Summer games. It sounds vaguely similar to Curling in many ways. And also, a beer is almost required in horseshoes.

 

[Michael*K]

Thoroughly enjoyed the late coverage last night of the women's curling match between the US and Sweden. I'm not sure I could call it "scintilating" but it's obvious that there's definite strategy involved. Looking forward to the match today against Canada.
And two of the women's team members come from the Chicago area. So I guess we're a hotbed of curling development.

 

[andrew markworthy]

I can only assume that you guys have never seen bowls (a popular game in the UK). Imagine curling, then turn down the excitement by a factor of oh, let's say 10.

However, my award for most pathetic winter 'sport' has got to be that half-assed skiing event where the competitors go down a bumpy course and occasionally do pathetic-looking jumps in the air ('ooh look at that - he tilted his head from side to side - that's called a cheeseburger flip and is worth 100000000000 points'). I don't care how skilful it is, it's like synchronised swimming: it may be difficult to do, but it is NOT, repeat NOT worth the effort.

 

[Ryan L B]

If you hate the skiing event, well get a load of the luge. Has anyone heard the Jerry Seinfeld joke on the luge that is on the CD.

Also, what is that little stick that looks like a sweeper supposed to do?

 

[BrianB]

Ryan, the guy sweeping is smoothing the ice to alter the direction/speed of the curl as it moves towards the target.

 

[Ralph Summa]

Great story in the Hartford Courant yesterday morning. To make a short story long, the US Curling team played two matches against the two best teams in the field and ended up winning their early match and losing their later match. The US captain said something like "We played with a lot of emotion in the morning and we were really spent for the second match." PHEW! I CAN JUST IMAGINE! Good thing the Olympics only come around every four years. Plenty of time to rest up! It is funny to watch those sweepers though.... after a few beers that is.

 

[LarryDavenport]

If you lived in an area with Canadian TV you'd have known about curling before. I've watched it for the past 30+ years on the CBC (The Silver Broom and the Briar Cup). I even played itonce at a curling club in Seattle (it's not that easy to push a 40 pound block of polished granite down the ice).

If you like shuffle board you'll like curling.

And yes, George Harrison and the Beatles were curling in Help!