Yes, I'm Dumb, But What Is This Sport?

Cafe Society
1

Today, at the Y, I’m pounding out my three miles on the treadmill, only half watching the silent TVs going and there’s a competition wherein people slide what looks like big round glass containers across the ice and someone runs along side them with a stick or broom or something scrubbing the hell out of the thing’s pathway until it stops or hits another glass pot.

Or something like that. As I was running along at a good clip, and my eyes aren’t what they used to be, I couldn’t really read any of the captions.

What the fuck kind of game is this?

Sir Rhosis

2

You, my friend, have just watched curling.

3

Curling.

4

It sounds like curling, but the glass is normally stone.

5

Thank you, both. I’ve heard the name. Will go look it up. Was the “scrubbing” to somehow deflate the thing’s moemntum?

Sir Rhosis

6

Just to put a little bow on this thread

http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=359895&highlight=curling

7

Sweeping can affect the speed, direction, and curve of the stone to achieve maximum scroing.

8

Actually it speeds it up. The ice is pebbled and the brooms serve to create slightly less friction allowing the rock to move a few feet further on it’s own momentum.

9

Didn’t mean to sound curt. Stoopid hamsters.

There are a couple of threads (MPSIMS, I think) going right now, by posters who understand the sport.

BTW – the big glass things are polished hunks of granite. Special Scottish granite, IIRC.

10

Here is a Wikipedia article on curling.

11

Than you, all, again. At the SDMB, you truly can learn something new every day!

Good night.

Sir Rhosis

12

Yes, you always want to get the biggest scro possible.

13

Dammit, now I have to clean the cola off my monitor.

Go USA!

14

See also:

The World of Curling Skip Calls

Becoming an Olympian by Means of the (New) Equadorian Curling Team

Questions About Curling

Curling Statistics

15

In addition to helping it go farther, as Omniscient mentioned, it also keeps the rock moving in a straight line, because it doesn’t lose speed. Once it starts to slow down, it will start to curl either to the right or the left, depending on the turn that the shooter gave to it on release.

So if you want it to curl (f’r instance, to hide it behind another stone), you won’t sweep it towards the end.

Yup - and they weigh just over 40 lbs.

16

Ah, so that’s what curling is. Here I was thinking it was people doing stomach crunches, and I was like, da’hell?

17

Too late. The Gushue rink of Newfoundland & Labrador sent the Muricans to the bronze medal round earlier today (where they’ll play Great Britain), by a score of 11-5.

School’s out tomorrow in Newfoundland & Labrador - the Minister of Education gave all the kids the day off to watch the gold medal game.

18

Those wacky Newfies. You gotta love 'em!

19

Pssst… It’s sexy.

20

I watched about 45 minutes this morning on the exercise bike. It ws good for a while. I don’t think I can watch more than 45 minutes though. Did US beat the Brits? or is it still going on?