General Curling Thread - Page 6 - Calgarypuck Forums - The Unofficial Calgary Flames Fan Community

Strange Brew · 03-14-2022, 10:33 AM

I was just able to watch the finals last night on delay. My two cents:

Has to be bitterly disappointing for the Koe rink, as he even said they thought it was theirs to lose going in.
I mentioned it earlier in the week but Neufeld was the key and he didn't have a good game. When your third slides through the house while their second is making perfect freezes with one sweeper, you're at a huge disadvantage.
All that said, the9th end was key. If Koe is able to get the blank, I like his chances of scoring 2 in 10 for the W.

Finally it's a bad look for the sport when you can win a championship playing short by 25%. It's kind of ridiculous really.

GirlySports · 03-14-2022, 10:44 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by speede5

The money would have to be significant wouldn't it? Right now there are maybe 3-4 teams in each M/W that would qualify as pro stacked teams? To keep the top tournaments interesting you would need 8-10 competitive pro teams? If the money isn't there now would it be sustainable at all?

Yes, I think that is because of provincial restrictions. Removing those you would get more than 3-4 super teams. Einarson did it with her 4-skips coming together to be a team but that's rare. It's almost unheard of a premier skip like Val Sweeting to come down to be a third.

But we could see more of that. Say Quebec has an awesome skip but he can't get a good Quebec team together, because of resources or skill level, he could go next door and be Epping's third or something like that.

Strange Brew · 03-14-2022, 11:33 AM

It comes down to how much we value Olympic medals in curling. IMO the current system makes for great competition and viewing.

But it in no way is designed to develop elite athletes and teams.

Derek Sutton · 03-14-2022, 01:04 PM

I believe moving the Olympic qualifiers way up would help solve a couple of problems, the biggest being timing. Determine olympic reps in the spring, say April 2025 for next 2026 Olympics. This would give the olympic teams 9 months of preparation for the games, it would allow them time to decompress from the qualifier and prepare to peak again for the Olympics. Right now the teams have to focus on peaking for the qualifier and within 6 weeks are off to the Olympics, exhausting process. Funding could also be in place during this time to allow for LOA for work and let the players focus on the Olympics ahead.

The Olympics, the professional aspect and the Brier/ Scotties are all different topics for curling in Canada. I already spoke about what I think about the Olympics, as for professional curling, the Grand Slam of Curling was designed to bring money to the players. The GSoC is owned by Sportsnet, their answer to get some if the TV ratings pie TSN had all for themselves. I believe the GSoC has been increased to 10 events, of course the last 2 years this has not happened, but going forward this is the plan. Not near enough money at stake to make a living but they do pay out good money. Now not being Curling Canada events, the GSoC often has top quality international teams, will tinker with the rules of curling from time to time and are not rigid with residency rules.

The Brier/ Scottie themselves are do for a format change which I have previously written about. They could easily eliminate some of the provinces/ territories, or go back to a qualifier, add more competitive teams, or move to a two tiered event of some sort.

GirlySports · 03-14-2022, 01:46 PM

One suggestion for the Brier/Scotties is to determine the wildcards first.

Say you have an 18 team tournament, no team Canada. The top 4 ranked teams are the wildcards and they don't have to play in provincials. What's the point of Kevin Koe playing in provincials where if he loses he's in anyways? That's just taking up a spot. Say Koe and Bottcher are both wildcards, now the Alberta Provincials are open to someone new. There's a sense that old guys are blocking young guys in provincials.

This may also means that you could have teams that never play in provincials because they are mixed residencies. They just play the grand slams, go for one of those 4 wildcard spots and go to Olympic trials.

Roughneck · 03-14-2022, 10:40 PM

https://twitter.com/user/status/1503526404067102720

End of an era. Interested to see what moves happen with this.

KelVarnsen · 03-16-2022, 12:45 PM

Both Team Fleury and Team Koe breaking up

https://twitter.com/user/status/1504159989006409728

https://twitter.com/user/status/1504160321124147200

KelVarnsen · 03-16-2022, 05:14 PM

Add Team Jacobs to the list of teams breaking up. Jacobs himself is taking time off.

https://twitter.com/user/status/1504185356723359749

DoubleK · 03-17-2022, 12:07 AM

So who's going where?

Are there any rumours? All I've been able to learn is the Koe, Kennedy, Walker Hebert team is not a thing.

Roughneck · 03-17-2022, 07:40 AM

I would have guessed Walker-Gallant-Kennedy-Koe but don’t know what to think anymore.

If I were to guess others (not based on rumours, all just gut feel and guesses)

Kaitlyn Lawes Skipping old Team Fleury

Weagle back to Team Homan

Peterman to Team Walker bumping ?.

No idea on Fleury, Neufeld, Hebert or the Hardens.

KelVarnsen · 03-17-2022, 10:51 AM

Jones joins Team Zacharias

https://oneelevenmg.com/jennifer-jon...laying-career/

Roughneck · 03-17-2022, 02:24 PM

Team Walker breaking up

https://twitter.com/user/status/1504529910446055430

Just disband all teams and have a draft or something, this is getting kind of crazy.

squiggs96 · 03-17-2022, 08:01 PM

In February I heard Tyler Tardi was joining Koe's team. Ryan Fry and/or Geoff Walker are rumoured to be the other two.

ben voyonsdonc · 03-17-2022, 11:33 PM

Jennifer Jones is joining Team Zacharias. Will be skipping the team.

Derek Sutton · 03-18-2022, 09:59 AM

Team Gushue is taking EJ Harnden as thier 5th to worlds, glad they are taking an alternate. One can speculate from this given that team Jacobs and team Gushue are both in for changes next year. We are likely to see some temporary moves for the next year as teams settle into the next quadrennial and move through the Olympic qualification process.

EDIT: And today Team Bottcher announcing their parting of the ways.

Mazrim · 03-18-2022, 11:45 AM

I'm slow catching up on the Brier and this thread, but thanks Derek Sutton for all the insightful posts about the behind the scenes stuff! It's really cool to hear about how it all comes together and some of the team dynamic stuff.

Hard to believe the ice makers are volunteers. They deserve something for those efforts.

GirlySports · 03-18-2022, 12:20 PM

That makes the Moulding ousting so much worse. They were breaking up anyways, couldn't have played the Brier together? I can't see elite players lining up to playing with Bottcher.

squiggs96 · 03-18-2022, 02:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by squiggs96

In February I heard Tyler Tardi was joining Koe's team. Ryan Fry and/or Geoff Walker are rumoured to be the other two.

Tardi to Koe, but it's with Thiessen and Martin at front end. That's a great team.

Bottcher, Kennedy, Gallant, and Hebert is confirmed, and has been floated for a while.

I super excited about Lawes, Njeogvan, Peterman, MacCuish.

Walker is staying with Gushue and Nichols. EJ is joining them at second. He's also going with them to worlds.

Dunstone, BJ, Lott, and Ryan Harnden has been announced and they will play out of Manitoba.

Homan might be playing with Pooks and Fergie. I would have guessed Miskew was with her, but it hasn't been announced. I like that team a lot if it happens.

Derek Sutton · 03-18-2022, 04:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mazrim

I'm slow catching up on the Brier and this thread, but thanks Derek Sutton for all the insightful posts about the behind the scenes stuff! It's really cool to hear about how it all comes together and some of the team dynamic stuff.

Hard to believe the ice makers are volunteers. They deserve something for those efforts.

Just to clarify on this. The ice maker (Greg Ewasko)is on contract to Curling Canada, and he had two paid assistants. They had 12 or so volunteers working under them, about 1/2 of which were ice technicians of some level who were there for their own knowledge. Some have traveled to many events in the past helping with ice paying their own way, hotels etc.. here in Lethbridge there were two guys from Calgary, one from Okotoks and one from Victoria and local ice makers.

GirlySports · 03-18-2022, 04:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by squiggs96

Tardi to Koe, but it's with Thiessen and Martin at front end. That's a great team.

Bottcher, Kennedy, Gallant, and Hebert is confirmed, and has been floated for a while.

I super excited about Lawes, Njeogvan, Peterman, MacCuish.

Walker is staying with Gushue and Nichols. EJ is joining them at second. He's also going with them to worlds.

Dunstone, BJ, Lott, and Ryan Harnden has been announced and they will play out of Manitoba.

Homan might be playing with Pooks and Fergie. I would have guessed Miskew was with her, but it hasn't been announced. I like that team a lot if it happens.

The Harnden Brothers are splitting up? Hebert and Martin just flip teams? Homan out of Alberta? Lots of big changes.