# Yes, I'm Dumb, But What Is This Sport? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [February 24, 2006, 3:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yes-im-dumb-but-what-is-this-sport/345877 "2006-02-24T03:09:13Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Sir\_Rhosis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d9b06d/32.png) [@Sir\_Rhosis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sir_Rhosis)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2006, 3:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yes-im-dumb-but-what-is-this-sport/345877/1 "2006-02-24T03:09:13Z")
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 ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2006, 3:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yes-im-dumb-but-what-is-this-sport/345877/2 "2006-02-24T03:11:30Z")
You, my friend, have just watched curling. ---
**Author:** ![MadPansy64](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/dc4da7/32.png) [@MadPansy64](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MadPansy64)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2006, 3:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yes-im-dumb-but-what-is-this-sport/345877/3 "2006-02-24T03:11:45Z")
Curling. ---
**Author:** ![Ludy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/d6d6ee/32.png) [@Ludy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludy)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2006, 3:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yes-im-dumb-but-what-is-this-sport/345877/4 "2006-02-24T03:12:55Z")
It sounds like curling, but the glass is normally stone. ---
**Author:** ![Sir\_Rhosis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d9b06d/32.png) [@Sir\_Rhosis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sir_Rhosis)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2006, 3:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yes-im-dumb-but-what-is-this-sport/345877/5 "2006-02-24T03:13:01Z")
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 ---
**Author:** ![Omniscient](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omniscient/32/3290_2.png) [@Omniscient](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omniscient)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2006, 3:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yes-im-dumb-but-what-is-this-sport/345877/6 "2006-02-24T03:14:31Z")
Just to put a little bow on this thread [http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=359895&highlight=curling](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=359895&highlight=curling) ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2006, 3:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yes-im-dumb-but-what-is-this-sport/345877/7 "2006-02-24T03:15:15Z")
Sweeping can affect the speed, direction, and curve of the stone to achieve maximum scroing. ---
**Author:** ![Omniscient](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omniscient/32/3290_2.png) [@Omniscient](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omniscient)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2006, 3:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yes-im-dumb-but-what-is-this-sport/345877/8 "2006-02-24T03:15:41Z")
> [@Sir Rhosis](#): > > 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 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. ---
**Author:** ![MadPansy64](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/dc4da7/32.png) [@MadPansy64](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MadPansy64)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2006, 3:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yes-im-dumb-but-what-is-this-sport/345877/9 "2006-02-24T03:16:28Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![Zabali\_Clawbane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/ecd19e/32.png) [@Zabali\_Clawbane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zabali_Clawbane)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2006, 3:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yes-im-dumb-but-what-is-this-sport/345877/10 "2006-02-24T03:21:36Z")
[Here](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Curling) is a Wikipedia article on curling. ---
**Author:** ![Sir\_Rhosis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d9b06d/32.png) [@Sir\_Rhosis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sir_Rhosis)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2006, 3:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yes-im-dumb-but-what-is-this-sport/345877/11 "2006-02-24T03:23:39Z")
Than you, all, again. At the SDMB, you truly can learn something new every day! Good night. Sir Rhosis ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d26b3c/32.png) [@Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Blue_Sky)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2006, 3:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yes-im-dumb-but-what-is-this-sport/345877/12 "2006-02-24T03:39:17Z")
> [@silenus](#): > > …maximum scroing. Yes, you always want to get the biggest scro possible. ---
**Author:** ![Skammer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skammer/32/143_2.png) [@Skammer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skammer)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2006, 4:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yes-im-dumb-but-what-is-this-sport/345877/13 "2006-02-24T04:37:07Z")
> [@Mr. Blue Sky](#): > > Yes, you always want to get the biggest scro possible. Dammit, now I have to clean the cola off my monitor. Go USA! ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2006, 4:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yes-im-dumb-but-what-is-this-sport/345877/14 "2006-02-24T04:38:14Z")
See also: [The World of Curling Skip Calls](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=359393) [Becoming an Olympian by Means of the (New) Equadorian Curling Team](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=359012) [Questions About Curling](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=359081) [Curling Statistics](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=359097) ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2006, 4:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yes-im-dumb-but-what-is-this-sport/345877/15 "2006-02-24T04:44:06Z")
> [@Sir Rhosis](#): > > 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 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. > [@MadPansy64](#): > > BTW – the big glass things are polished hunks of granite. Special Scottish granite, IIRC. Yup - and they weigh just over 40 lbs. ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2006, 4:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yes-im-dumb-but-what-is-this-sport/345877/16 "2006-02-24T04:53:55Z")
Ah, so that’s what curling is. Here I was thinking it was people doing stomach crunches, and I was like, da’hell? ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2006, 5:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yes-im-dumb-but-what-is-this-sport/345877/17 "2006-02-24T05:06:32Z")
> [@Skammer](#): > > Go USA! 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](http://www.cbc.ca/olympics/sports/curling/stories/index.shtml?/story/olympics/national/2006/02/23/Sports/gushue-curling060223.html). School’s out tomorrow in Newfoundland & Labrador - the Minister of Education gave all the kids the day off to watch the gold medal game. ---
**Author:** ![Freddy\_the\_Pig](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/a587f6/32.png) [@Freddy\_the\_Pig](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freddy_the_Pig)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2006, 2:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yes-im-dumb-but-what-is-this-sport/345877/18 "2006-02-24T14:54:39Z")
> [@Northern Piper](#): > > School’s out tomorrow in Newfoundland & Labrador - the Minister of Education gave all the kids the day off to watch the gold medal game. Those wacky Newfies. You gotta love 'em! ---
**Author:** ![AncientHumanoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ancienthumanoid/32/278_2.png) [@AncientHumanoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AncientHumanoid)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2006, 3:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yes-im-dumb-but-what-is-this-sport/345877/19 "2006-02-24T15:24:15Z")
[Pssst… It’s sexy.](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=358885) ---
**Author:** ![The\_Big\_Cheese](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8baadc/32.png) [@The\_Big\_Cheese](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Big_Cheese)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2006, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yes-im-dumb-but-what-is-this-sport/345877/20 "2006-02-24T17:04:57Z")
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? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yes-im-dumb-but-what-is-this-sport/345877.md?page=2)