2015 Brier, in Calgary

[Senator Clay Davis]

Wow Koe with the amazing triple to sit three down two in the 10th.

[Derek Sutton]

Originally Posted by Resolute 14

Tomorrow morning might be the only draw I can fit in if I choose to go. Rather impressed at how many seats are already sold for an 8:30 AM start.

Sunday morning should be a good draw with AB vs Nont (Koe vs Jaocbs) and Nfld vs Can (Gushue vs Morris). These four teams are the early favorites for the play off round.

[Frequitude]

Can't beleve Koe almost won after how horridly he played. That one flash missed by an entire rock. Great shot by Cotter to win though.

[Mickey76]

Since moving out of province I haven't been to the dome in years. Was going to buy my parents a surprise ticket pack to the last 6 draws on final weekend. When I type in best seats etc on ticketmaster I am given section 211 row 23. Wondering what watching curling is like from those seats.

[Arsenal14]

Originally Posted by Mickey76

Since moving out of province I haven't been to the dome in years. Was going to buy my parents a surprise ticket pack to the last 6 draws on final weekend. When I type in best seats etc on ticketmaster I am given section 211 row 23. Wondering what watching curling is like from those seats.

It's not bad. The section itself is pretty good as it's about lined up with the hogline of the home end (so even ends are more or less in front of you but you still have a pretty good view of the whole game). It will be pretty high up though. I have tickets to the full event in that section in row two which is a great view and watched one of the earlier games from row 14 which was definitely more removed from the action. From row 2 I can hear the sweepers and skip communicating during shots, from row 23 that isn't likely to happen.

[GirlySports]

Team Canada can't make anything.

[Mango]

Team Alberta vs Team Canada tonight. Anyone checking it out? Both rinks have been really flat coming out of the gates at the tournament.

[Arsenal14]

Alberta has picked it up after their struggles in the first couple of games. Canada has been terrible so far. Really though it's so even across the field that even Canada could turn it around. Only Jacobs is pulling away from the pack and the Territories and New Brunswick are falling behind with everyone else bunched up.

[The Familia]

What is attendance like for this type of event and how has it been so far?

[Mango]

Originally Posted by The Familia

What is attendance like for this type of event and how has it been so far?

Close to 10,000 for tonight's playoff between Gushue and Jacobs, which was fantastic.

Total for the tournament thus far is 113,507.

[Dion]

Originally Posted by Mango

Close to 10,000 for tonight's playoff between Gushue and Jacobs, which was fantastic.

Total for the tournament thus far is 113,507.

How does our overall attendance so far compare to other cities?

I've heard weekday numbers were disappointing.

[Mango]

Originally Posted by Dion

How does our overall attendance so far compare to other cities?

I've heard weekday numbers were disappointing.

It's been pretty average. I think hosting the Continental Cup just a few months ago may have worn some people out, plus the fact that TSN carried every match, regardless of sheet, may have kept people at home. That's just speculation. TSN really upped their game with coverage though; the addition of both Cheryl Bernard and David Nedohin has been fantastic.

While we won't be seeing any records set, this weekend will likely make up for for the weekday draws, especially with Morris and Team Canada still in it.

Edmonton set the record back in 2005 with 281,985. However, when Calgary last hosted in 2009, we finished with 246,126, which is good for third overall in the Brier attendance record.

[Senator Clay Davis]

Really good final so far, Canada up 2 going to 10 after getting 3 in the 9th.

[Skaloper]

Team Canada looking good going into the 11th with the Hammer just need to execute

[Senator Clay Davis]

To the pin for the win. Hell of a final.

[Dion]

The looks on the faces of Northern Ontario was priceless. The players had the look of being sucker punched.

[Mango]

John Morris has really grown up. His switch to third this week and making Pat Simmons the skip was brilliant and the tournament's turning point. Morris from a few years ago likely wouldn't have made that switch. The camaraderie they showed tonight was pretty special.

[Arsenal14]

I haven't seen final attendance numbers for the week but it should be somewhere around 140,000 or about half of what it was in 2009 (and double what it was last year in Kamloops). Mango is right that TSN and the Continental Cup are both large factors. While I attended 18 out of the 22 draws this time I doubt I'd buy tickets next time it comes. Now that TSN is covering two games each draw there are just too many advantages to watching on TV. You still get to see multiple games but now there is the ability to hear the player conversations and expert commentary as opposed to the clueless idiots in the seats around you. I may still go to a game or two just to enjoy the experience but it's a hard sell.

I think the future of the Brier is going to look a lot more like the Grand Slam events where the live attendance is quite low, the venues are often smaller, and the TV revenue drives everything. I doubt Calgary will host again in the Saddledome (or the hockey arena that replaces it). Next time it comes it will probably be at Winsport or the Corral.

[Derek Sutton]

Originally Posted by Arsenal14

I haven't seen final attendance numbers for the week but it should be somewhere around 140,000 or about half of what it was in 2009 (and double what it was last year in Kamloops). Mango is right that TSN and the Continental Cup are both large factors. While I attended 18 out of the 22 draws this time I doubt I'd buy tickets next time it comes. Now that TSN is covering two games each draw there are just too many advantages to watching on TV. You still get to see multiple games but now there is the ability to hear the player conversations and expert commentary as opposed to the clueless idiots in the seats around you. I may still go to a game or two just to enjoy the experience but it's a hard sell.

I think the future of the Brier is going to look a lot more like the Grand Slam events where the live attendance is quite low, the venues are often smaller, and the TV revenue drives everything. I doubt Calgary will host again in the Saddledome (or the hockey arena that replaces it). Next time it comes it will probably be at Winsport or the Corral.

Although I think Curling Canada will be disappointed with the attendance overall, they will not move the Brier to a second class buliding. There are many cities all over the counrty bidding for a Brier every year, if Calagary will not promise the Saddledome, the Brier will not be comming back here. The Brier is a first class event and will be in held in the best available facility, Red Deer or Medicine Hat (new building) will get it before the Corral, the ability to control the atmosphere of the building plays as much a part as jumbotron, vendors, washrooms etc... The Scottties last year is a prime example, the event was a huge failure (old dumpy building, poor concesions, awful ice) attendance wise and they will not make that mistake again. Having dealt with the CCA twice in the last little while, they are very demanding and hosting the Continental Cup (which outside of Las Vegas is a typically a money losing event because they demand arena ice) would have been forced upon the Brier committee in order to host the Brier. They will award "the big one" hinging on hosting one or two smaller events that many clubs typically would not come forward to host.

As for Team Canada and John Morris, people tend to forget that Morris wants to win, and if you have to check your ego to do so, so be it. He went from skip to third to win with Kevin Martin and he did it again here with Simmons, for all the hype over Morris, he still puts winning over and above anything personal, and it obviously works. He seems to be a little to firey to throw fourth at the highest level and for himslef and the team to recognize that and make the adjusments says a lot about those four guys.

I'm pretty torn about Team Canada winning, they are essentialy a part time thst captured lightning in a jar on the week end and went on to win it all. I hope thay can continue their success at Worlds but I'm not so sure. The Jacobs and Gushue teams are as close you get to full time curlers and they are two of the teams (along with Koe, Mcewen etc...) that have committed themsleves for the next three years in hopes of competing in the next Olympics, and IMO are better suited to represent Canada on the international level. This was not their year however but we will see them a lot in the comming years.

[InglewoodFan]

I've always enjoyed watching curling, but don't follow it terribly closely outside the Brier etc. One thing that struck me about Team Canada in the late round robin and playoff rounds is that they seemed very tense with each other. Especially Morrison and Simmonds. They often communicated poorly and their body language looked like they weren't getting along too well. Is this a case of the team being thrown together at the last minute or just friction between two "win at all costs" personalities?