General Curling Thread

[Derek Sutton]

Originally Posted by transplant99

I think both the Skrlik Alberta team and the Brown team out of BC are in the upper tier of ladies curling already. There is not a shot that Skrlik wont try and often makes. She also has one Scotties to lean on for experience and if things remain linear, looks to be a big name in curling for the next decade.

Einarson seems to have lost that "it" factor ever since the bizarre suspension of her lead a few hours before last years championship tourney. Whatever led to all that nonsense, it still looks to me like its lingering on that team.

Homan is Homan....and that means she is really really good still. Maybe the most solid team top to bottom the ladies game has seen. No one can touch the front end IMO and Fleury is a rock star as her 3rd. Tough to beat but there are teams that can do it.

I think Canadian womens curling is in pretty good shape myself.

Nope, we've taken a step back compared to the rest of the world. Sadly the women have to start forming super teams like the men have been doing. Einarson and Homan both did this and have not looked back since. Skrlik really should be making changes, her sister and her third have really played some crummy games this week. Would like to see Kayla with Taylor Mcdonald at 2nd and Kate Cameron at 3rd. We will have to wait and see what next year brings for Brown and her team with her pregnancy.

[GirlySports]

Big game right now, Inglis could knock Einarson out and clinch a top 2 place in the group herself.

[transplant99]

Originally Posted by GirlySports

Big game right now, Inglis could knock Einarson out and clinch a top 2 place in the group herself.

But, of course, didnt. I wasnt able to watch this morning but looking at the results it appears it was entertaining at the very least.

Pool B is complete chaos with 1 draw left.

[Dan02]

Originally Posted by transplant99

But, of course, didnt. I wasnt able to watch this morning but looking at the results it appears it was entertaining at the very least.

Pool B is complete chaos with 1 draw left.

It's basically win and you're in for the 3 5-2 teams, it's only if they lose it becomes a mess. 6 way tie if all 3 lose.

[KelVarnsen]

Homan wins!

[GirlySports]

Going to be tough to beat Homan and Fleury. Playing 100%. They are so determined to right past failures.

[transplant99]

So much better than the rest of the field.

They just dont miss very often and jump on teams that do.

Impressive as hell.

[kipperiggy]

Dang Vic is the Montage Master

[KelVarnsen]

Pool B is resulting in incredibly lopsided scores

[KelVarnsen]

It’s time to retire Vic. He’s mixing up players or calling them by the wrong name a lot

[Derek Sutton]

Curling Canada has to revamp the current format. 1/3 of the teams have no business playing in this field. Jacobs put up TWENTY points Sunday night. Jacobs won their first 3 games by a combined score of 40-8. We’ve seen scores of 14-2, 13-2, 9-1; This is not good for the game nor is it growing the game.

Take the field back to 12 teams, 10 are already entered in the main brier which would begin the Sunday night and have a qualification round start Friday to determine the other 2 teams. The qualification round would include the bottom 6 teams. 2 go on to play in the main field and and the other 4 can go home. The tried this a number of years ago and it was not too highly thought of, however something needs to be done to pair down think playing field, way too much disparity in skill level.

[GirlySports]

You can't have 4 teams play a qualification round and go home. Those places would quit curling.

Yukon have won twice, that's pretty cool.

[Strange Brew]

I see no compelling reason to change the format. I'm not sure that a few blowouts are damaging the game or turning people off. After all, they are playing what, 12 games a day? That is kind of like saying that every time someone at the Masters shoots 80 they're hurting the game of golf.

Eventually the best teams play each other and we get a deserving national champion.

[Derek Sutton]

And Mcewen puts a 14 on the board, 14-2 against N last night. There is no legitimate reason for these games to be happening. And these types of games are not good no matter what end of it you are in. Jacobs’ first three games were no type of preparation for what is to come Friday when the real Brier actually starts.

You shoot 80 at the Masters you are cut after 2 days.

[Dan02]

Originally Posted by Derek Sutton

Curling Canada has to revamp the current format. 1/3 of the teams have no business playing in this field. Jacobs put up TWENTY points Sunday night. Jacobs won their first 3 games by a combined score of 40-8. We’ve seen scores of 14-2, 13-2, 9-1; This is not good for the game nor is it growing the game.

Take the field back to 12 teams, 10 are already entered in the main brier which would begin the Sunday night and have a qualification round start Friday to determine the other 2 teams. The qualification round would include the bottom 6 teams. 2 go on to play in the main field and and the other 4 can go home. The tried this a number of years ago and it was not too highly thought of, however something needs to be done to pair down think playing field, way too much disparity in skill level.

Naw, the representation of the small provinces and territories is one of the cool things at the Brier, who cares if a non-televised game is a blowout. It adds an amazing storyline when one of the underdog teams manages to knock off one of the top teams for their only win. Yes Jacobs drew all the weaker teams early on, so what.

You seem to forget the expansion of the Brier increased the number of top tier teams that are there, it didn't add at the bottom end. Previously if a top ranked team didn't win their province they were out, now if 3 of the top teams are playing in the same province they are still all out there competing increasing the level of competition.

[Derek Sutton]

Originally Posted by Dan02

Naw, the representation of the small provinces and territories is one of the cool things at the Brier, who cares if a non-televised game is a blowout. It adds an amazing storyline when one of the underdog teams manages to knock off one of the top teams for their only win. Yes Jacobs drew all the weaker teams early on, so what.

You seem to forget the expansion of the Brier increased the number of top tier teams that are there, it didn't add at the bottom end. Previously if a top ranked team didn't win their province they were out, now if 3 of the top teams are playing in the same province they are still all out there competing increasing the level of competition.

Actually I didn’t forget anything. The Yukon and NWT, only sent one team combined (they had to playoff to see who got to go to the Brier) and NU didn’t send anyone (nor did they exist). So they have added two teams to the bottom end as well. More top end teams is a good thing when trying to keep up with the rest of the world.

[GirlySports]

There was an issue back in the day, Yukon would not attend a "territories" playoff because they could not get from Whitehorse to Yellowknife easily.

There's curling in the Arctic Games (including Alaska and Greenland!) but that's every other year. Each winner gets to go to two Briers?

Canada is just too big and these teams are paying their own way. They're not going anywhere far for a couple of games. Even now, only 2 or 3 teams enter each of the Yukon, NWT and Nunavut playdowns.

[Strange Brew]

Originally Posted by Derek Sutton

And Mcewen puts a 14 on the board, 14-2 against N last night. There is no legitimate reason for these games to be happening. And these types of games are not good no matter what end of it you are in. Jacobs’ first three games were no type of preparation for what is to come Friday when the real Brier actually starts.

You shoot 80 at the Masters you are cut after 2 days.

These teams get cut as well, it doesn't seem so different.

I just don't really see the issue in a few blowout games since it gives the event true national representation. No one is watching these blowouts and they are not taking anything away from the better games being played.

[Dan02]

Originally Posted by Derek Sutton

Actually I didn’t forget anything. The Yukon and NWT, only sent one team combined (they had to playoff to see who got to go to the Brier) and NU didn’t send anyone (nor did they exist). So they have added two teams to the bottom end as well. More top end teams is a good thing when trying to keep up with the rest of the world.

Sure in 2014 before they started increasing the field only 1 of the top 5 ranked teams were at the Brier. It was pretty typical only half of the top 10 ranked teams were there in any given year. There weren't as many blowouts because lots of top teams were missing.

This year 9 of the top 10 teams are at the Brier. The result is some of the weaker teams get blown off the sheets more often, so what. The Brier is more competitive then ever.

Let's also remember just last year one of these "weak" teams from the territories managed to make the championship round.

The brier/scotties are about more then just crowning the national champion, its celebrating curling across the entire country.

If you want to see the best on best curling action good news the curling trials are only 262 days away and you won't be burdened by having to suffer through the occasional game where the best teams in the world win in a walk.

[Derek Sutton]

Well it certainly look like I’m in the minority on this. I do agree it is cool that every province and territory* is represented however some of them just do not belong on the ice with the elites of the game. Another idea I had was that they divide the two pools by ranking, the top 9 in one pool with 5 qualifying for the playoffs and the bottom 9 in another pool with one team qualifying for the playoffs. This would create much more parity throughout the week and still give every team a chance to win the Breir.

Overall Brier attendance is nothing what it use to be and not trending well. I know there are layers as to why, but the competition level has to be examined as one. The other biggie is that Curling Canada is staying away from large venues/ cities.