Curling - that ridiculous Olympic "sport"

[Demon-Xanth]

It's kinda hard to define what is a sport and what isn't. People say racing is just guys driving around in circles, but what does that make bobsledding, luge, and skeleton? Racecar drivers get pummeled by forces in various direction for hours on end in cramped hot boxes as they wrench the wheel back and forth by just the right amount the whole time to the point that they are worn out and dehydrated when the race is over.

Skill sports seem to take a back seat to typical "brute force" sports. Hell, there's alot of sports that I would consider sports before baseball, 45% of the time in baseball you're sitting on a bench, and unless you're the pitcher or catcher, add another 30+% (depending on the position) of the time waiting for something to happen. Figure skating involves more skill and stamina than baseball. Scoring with your girlfriend takes more skill and stamina than baseball. Yet rarely is baseball questioned as a sport. If baseball's a sport then so is dwarf tossing.

 

[McPhreak]

<<

<< I think we should put chess into the summer Olympics. What do you think? >>

No When a 350 lb man who hasn't done a lick of excercise in years can win at chess I think I can safely say that chess is NOT a sport! Video Deathmatching is far more a sport than that. >>



I don't think curling requires that much more physical exterion than chess. And don't tell me that sweeping requires all that much effort....please... At least chess players sweat when they're playing the game from having to think so much.

 

[GSOYF]

Gayest "sport" ever

 

[ys]

It is "2002 Winter Olympic Games"

not Olympic Sports. Stop arguing.

 

[TremblingFool]

<< personally, i could care less if curling is a sport or not, prolly tons of faithful practicers and fans of the event, but it doesn't belong in the Olympics. no matter how tainted the Olympics are by sponsors and politics, the fact remains every sport I can think of (summer or winter) involves a high level of athleticism. the variety of sports all depend on the most pure forms of athleticism--running, jumping, and throwing. >>



What about Archery, Equestrian, Sailing, and Shooting in the Summer Olympics?



<< Skill sports seem to take a back seat to typical "brute force" sports. Hell, there's alot of sports that I would consider sports before baseball, 45% of the time in baseball you're sitting on a bench, and unless you're the pitcher or catcher, add another 30+% (depending on the position) of the time waiting for something to happen. Figure skating involves more skill and stamina than baseball. Scoring with your girlfriend takes more skill and stamina than baseball. Yet rarely is baseball questioned as a sport. If baseball's a sport then so is dwarf tossing. >>



You don't know very much about baseball.

-Erik

(BTW, this is my first post to ATOT, yay for me!)

 

[Jzero]

<< What about Archery, Equestrian, Sailing, and Shooting in the Summer Olympics? >>


If you think those sports don't require physical strength, stamina and coordination, you're quite mistaken.

 

[TremblingFool]

<< If you think those sports don't require physical strength, stamina and coordination, you're quite mistaken. >>



I never said they didn't.

I'd like to point out I was referring to this comment,

<< ...the fact remains every sport I can think of (summer or winter) involves a high level of athleticism. the variety of sports all depend on the most pure forms of athleticism--running, jumping, and throwing. >>




If skeet shooting needs more athelicism than curling, then you are correct, I am quite mistaken.

-Erik

 

[Jzero]

<<

<< If you think those sports don't require physical strength, stamina and coordination, you're quite mistaken. >>



I never said they didn't.

I'd like to point out I was referring to this comment,

<< ...the fact remains every sport I can think of (summer or winter) involves a high level of athleticism. the variety of sports all depend on the most pure forms of athleticism--running, jumping, and throwing. >>

>>


So was your statement a claim that equestrian, sailing, archery and shooting were or were not legitimate athletic events?



<< If skeet shooting needs more athelicism than curling, then you are correct, I am quite mistaken. >>


It requires athleticism just the same. If you consider baseball to require a more athleticism than curling, than you should understand. The difference is simply in the skills required. Skeet shooting doesn't require insane brute force, but it does involve amazing amounts of skill and self-control. We're talking about a game where your heartbeat can throw your shot off enough to miss.

 

[Demon-Xanth]

<<


<< Skill sports seem to take a back seat to typical "brute force" sports. Hell, there's alot of sports that I would consider sports before baseball, 45% of the time in baseball you're sitting on a bench, and unless you're the pitcher or catcher, add another 30+% (depending on the position) of the time waiting for something to happen. Figure skating involves more skill and stamina than baseball. Scoring with your girlfriend takes more skill and stamina than baseball. Yet rarely is baseball questioned as a sport. If baseball's a sport then so is dwarf tossing. >>



You don't know very much about baseball.

-Erik
>>



Just breaking it down to the same level

 

[kami]

<< I bet the only thing you do that can be construed as athletic is maybe the keyboard punch, the PCI card shuffle, or maybe the one eyed wonder monitor salute! >>


LOL, so true!

X591, you're a clueless moron.

 

[TremblingFool]

<< So was your statement a claim that equestrian, sailing, archery and shooting were or were not legitimate athletic events? >>



No, it wasn't. My statement was a claim that curling is just as legitimate as those events.



<< It requires athleticism just the same. If you consider baseball to require a more athleticism than curling, than you should understand. The difference is simply in the skills required. Skeet shooting doesn't require insane brute force, but it does involve amazing amounts of skill and self-control. We're talking about a game where your heartbeat can throw your shot off enough to miss. >>



I agree 100%

-Erik

 

[Jzero]

<< I agree 100% >>

Hahaha! I just couldn't decide if we were arguing about nothing

 

[Kev]

<<

<< I bet the only thing you do that can be construed as athletic is maybe the keyboard punch, the PCI card shuffle, or maybe the one eyed wonder monitor salute! >>


LOL, so true!

X591, you're a clueless moron. >>


How insightful.

If you must know, I play a sport that requires ATHLETIC ABILITY. It's called basketball.

 

[BuckleDownBen]

X9282-
Why do you knock a sport you've never tried? Jockeys don't seem to be doing anything but they are some of the fittest athletes anywhere. I have never curled, but I bet that the curlers in the Olymplics are all in great shape. You don't see any curlers with huge guts or anything. I'd say curling is on par athletically with an event like luge. Also, I thnk people understimate the ability to concentrate for long periods of time, which is critical for any event, but especially so for curling where one bad shot can lose the whole match.

As an aside, why are people that play basketball so arrogant about their sport? I am slow and out of shape, but I'm still effective when I go to my gym, because I can shoot and have good fundamentals.

 

[Jzero]

<< If you must know, I play a sport that requires ATHLETIC ABILITY. It's called basketball. >>


Basketball in a nutshell:
We run back and forth across the court exchanging points.
First team to miss one loses.

You may think curling requires no athletic ability, but you'd think wrong. I'll tell you one thing, and I've never played before but:
one curling stone weighs 42 pounds. You might not have to lift it, but you still got to fling it 138 feet while standing on ice.

Both basketball and curling are legitimate and very challenging sports that require different sets of strengths and skills.

 

[eakers]

this thread offends me.
i love curling.
i love curling and i love watching curling.

HARD HARD HARD HARD

it takes SKILL.

im glad to see that there are americans here that agree.


*kat. <-- likes to yell "HARD. HARD. HARD." in a newfie accent at the tv when watching curling

 

[BuckleDownBen]

Eakers-

What are they trying to accomplish when they yell "HARD"? Are they trying to get it to curl more or less?

 

[pyonir]

i laughed when i started watching curling last night. granted i have no clue what was going on, but i still enjoyed it. i can see where the skill and ability comes into play. i ended up watching it till the end and saw the women defeat sweden with an AWESOME throw (is that what you call it?). i'll probably watch it again...i thought it was pretty cool. i would have to agree with the other post in here that said it was the Olympic GAMES not Olympic sports.

 

[Alex]

<< Have any of you seen this waste of an Olympic Event?

If you don't know what it is, it's basically shuffleboard on ice. I can't believe they made a sport out of this.

Can't wait till the 2006 Olympics when we see championship snowball fighting. I hope the USA wins the gold in that. >>



LMAO!!

 

[eakers]

<< Eakers-

What are they trying to accomplish when they yell "HARD"? Are they trying to get it to curl more or less? >>


i honestly dont know.
ive only been curling recreationally with my friends and none of us really know.
its just really fun to say in a newfie accent.

good question though.

*kat. <--

 

[JellyBaby]

What I see in this thread are people who don't know anything about the sport in question, questioning its validity.

Curling is weird. I watched some if it and I don't understand anything about it. Without understanding how can I judge whether or not it's legit? It's in the Olympics so I'll give 'em the benefit of the doubt. If it's legit it will remain there and attract more fans. To each his own, eh?

 

[chansen]

<< Eakers-

What are they trying to accomplish when they yell "HARD"? Are they trying to get it to curl more or less? >>



They're calling the sweepers to sweep hard.

The most important concept in curling: Sweeping causes a rock to travel farther AND curl (bend) less.

OK, here's what's happening:

The skip (leader and person who throws last) puts the broom down on a spot at the end of the ice. This is a target for the person throwing, but it is not where the stone is supposed to end up, only the direction the rock should be initially thrown. The skip will call the weight, for example:

guard weight = in front of, and guarding the rings
draw weight = to a specific point (e.g. a "draw to the button")
hack weight = for a hit and roll usually. If it misses, it's going through the house (rings) to the opposing hack (very end of ice)
takeout weight = motoring
...and many others. A 'freeze' is a draw that attempts to have the rock stop as close to another as possible, thus making the rock difficult to remove in one shot.

The skip will also hold a left or right arm out. That tells the thrower what direction the spin should be. The direction of the spin dictates the direction of the curl.

The rock is thrown. There are many variations of the technique, each designed to prevent you from falling on your ass. None of them work for me.

So, the rock is moving.

The thrower and the skip are at opposite ends of the rink. The other two are sweepers. The skip (and the thrower) are reponsible for the line of travel the rock takes. If the skip (or the thrower) wants the rock to curl more, they'll yell, "NO" or, "OFF". If they want it to curl less, they'll yell, "HURRY! HARD!".

Now, you can't judge how fast the rock is moving, or how far it will go from the ends of the rink. So the sweepers are in charge of the weight. If it looks to them like the rock is thrown light, they'll sweep of their own accord. If it's heavy, they'll leave it.

The inevitable problems arise when the rock is thrown too hard AND curling too much, or when the rock is thrown lightly but is not curling enough. In those cases, the sweepers and the skip are at odds, and fights often erupt.

And THAT'S why it's an Olympic sport.

Regards,
Craig

 

[pyonir]

wow chansen...thanks for the explaination! can you explain the scoring? i suppose i could look it up but hey...i'm lazy! good job though!

 

[chansen]

Do I get 'Elite' status for that dissertation, explaining curling to the masses?

How about 'Excellent'?

'Not Bad' status?

'Profoundly Average'?

Anything?

 

[chansen]

<< wow chansen...thanks for the explaination! can you explain the scoring? i suppose i could look it up but hey...i'm lazy! good job though! >>



Without going into strategy...

At the completion of the 'end' (like an inning, only there are 10 ends) you count the number of rocks in or touching the rings closer to the button (centre of the rings) than the nearest opponent's stone.

A crude graphical representation, if you will:

BUTTON

BLUE STONE
BLUE STONE
RED STONE
BLUE STONE
RED STONE

Blue counts 2.

Regards,
Craig