General Curling Thread

[metallicat]

What a tremendous tournament. So good.

[Slava]

Is the capacity of Winsport only 3000? Seems like this would have been at the dome pre-Covid and had larger crowds?

[AndyM]

Originally Posted by Slava

Is the capacity of Winsport only 3000? Seems like this would have been at the dome pre-Covid and had larger crowds?

There's no way you'd be able to find 10 days without Flames, Hitmen, Wranglers and Roughnecks.

[kipperiggy]

Originally Posted by EldrickOnIce

You might think that after all the years of hosting that he'd have picked up a bit. But he hasn't

I think it’s gotta be an act to keep the casual fans interested.

But I have definitely said the same thing as you before.

[Slava]

Originally Posted by AndyM

There's no way you'd be able to find 10 days without Flames, Hitmen, Wranglers and Roughnecks.

I think in the past they've made these things work though. I went to the Brier at the dome years ago, and I think the Flames just have a road trip during that stretch.

[Kidder]

Originally Posted by Slava

Is the capacity of Winsport only 3000? Seems like this would have been at the dome pre-Covid and had larger crowds?

I actually went through Scotties attendance last night because I was curious.

Calgary had an attendance of 63,971 this tournament, which is the second most of any host city in the last decade, next to Moose Jaw in 2015 with just over 70,000.

64K seems well above the median. Only two cities eclipsed 100,000 this century and the record appears to be 154,668 in Regina in 1998.

Calgary also hosted the Scotties in 1995, held at Max Bell that year and the total attendance was 52,202.

That was in the early days of increased popularity and crowds, as prior to the 90s a lot of years were 4 digit total crowds.

Winsport actually seems like the perfect venue. It’s a beautiful arena with the wood roof architecture. Packed the house for the playoffs, but intimate enough that it doesn’t look barren during the round Robin. And they host the patch in the same building just one rink over.

Considering the articles I came across from 2023 talking curling attendance being way down across all events, this seems like a massive success.

[EldrickOnIce]

Not sure I have ever seen that kind of precision in the women's game. Homan is a machine

[Arsenal14]

Originally Posted by Slava

Is the capacity of Winsport only 3000? Seems like this would have been at the dome pre-Covid and had larger crowds?

The Scotties has never really been in the big arenas. Before WinSport it would be in something like the Corral/Max Bell size venues. There was a stretch in the 90s and early 2000s where the Brier basically bounced between Calgary/Edmonton/Winnipeg/Brandon/Regina/Saskatoon and played in hockey arenas but now even that has moved to smaller venues in smaller cities (i.e. Lethbridge).

[kipperiggy]

Originally Posted by EldrickOnIce

Not sure I have ever seen that kind of precision in the women's game. Homan is a machine

I’d rather watch the women’s game than continuous blanks from some of the men.

[Strange Brew]

Pretty sure Vic’s lack of knowledge is nothing but an act. To be honest, I like him. Watching the Scottie’s and Brier is like coming home for a couple of weeks for me.

And yes to enjoying the women’s game more. More personality and the game is a touch more unpredictable.

Really hope Homan brings it home on the world stage and keeps up this level for the Olympics.

[Slava]

I like Rauter, and I like the curling broadcasts overall.

As far as the women’s vs men’s, I like the women’s game a little more in some ways. Sometimes the men turn it into hitting and more hitting. The women’s games seem to have more going on at times.

[ben voyonsdonc]

Originally Posted by Strange Brew

Pretty sure Vic’s lack of knowledge is nothing but an act. To be honest, I like him. Watching the Scottie’s and Brier is like coming home for a couple of weeks for me.

And yes to enjoying the women’s game more. More personality and the game is a touch more unpredictable.

Really hope Homan brings it home on the world stage and keeps up this level for the Olympics.

Rauter’s at his best in two situations: big moments when he can call game changing shots (he has one of the best voices in sports commentary) and when he asks questions to the professionals to give some colour to the strategy behind decisions made by the teams on the ice. When he acts as the voice of the viewer, he’s very good.

He sucks when he tries to talk strategy himself or on those shots that aren’t clear whether they are good for the shot maker or not. He blows a lot of those calls and it is awkward when his colleague has to dial things back for him.

[GirlySports]

a lot of women's sports are more entertaining than the men's because of less power and unpredictability. Curling, tennis, volleyball.

[Strange Brew]

Originally Posted by ben voyonsdonc

Rauter’s at his best in two situations: big moments when he can call game changing shots (he has one of the best voices in sports commentary) and when he asks questions to the professionals to give some colour to the strategy behind decisions made by the teams on the ice. When he acts as the voice of the viewer, he’s very good.

He sucks when he tries to talk strategy himself or on those shots that aren’t clear whether they are good for the shot maker or not. He blows a lot of those calls and it is awkward when his colleague has to dial things back for him.

Yeah sometimes he gets all excited for the result of a shot when in fact, it was not what they wanted.

[KelVarnsen]

Vic is the old school type of announcer. LOUD, and trying to add drama. Same with the "pretending dumb".

Just call the game.

[kipperiggy]

Originally Posted by ben voyonsdonc

Rauter’s at his best in two situations: big moments when he can call game changing shots (he has one of the best voices in sports commentary) and when he asks questions to the professionals to give some colour to the strategy behind decisions made by the teams on the ice. When he acts as the voice of the viewer, he’s very good.

He sucks when he tries to talk strategy himself or on those shots that aren’t clear whether they are good for the shot maker or not. He blows a lot of those calls and it is awkward when his colleague has to dial things back for him.

Can you print this and mail it to TSN so they give him the feedback?

LOL OR I guess email is a thing. What year is it??

[KelVarnsen]

Montana’s Brier just sounds wrong

[KelVarnsen]

No sound on TSN. It’s glorious.

[Slava]

What was happening with that guy who was thrown out? I kind of missed it and just a see that he was doing something and then asked to leave.

[KelVarnsen]

Sounds like they were throwing stuff and/or yelling as curlers were throwing