# 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:** 2
**Author:** ![js\_africanus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/87869e/32.png) [@js\_africanus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/js_africanus)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2006, 7:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yes-im-dumb-but-what-is-this-sport/345877/21 "2006-02-24T19:03:19Z")
> [@The Big Cheese](#): > > I don’t think I can watch more than 45 minutes though. :dubious: It’s just about the only interesting sport in the winter olympics. I’m surprised so few had ever heard of it: they show it every olympics. ---
**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, 7:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yes-im-dumb-but-what-is-this-sport/345877/22 "2006-02-24T19:22:45Z")
I don’t think NBC prime time shows it every Olympics. I caught it today at 6am on one of the cable stations, which I only see if I’m at the gym. I think it’s interesting, but I couldn’t watch a whole game, if that’s what it’s called. I have heard of it, my co-worker has license plates that read ‘T LINE’, and a woman I know is trying to get a bunch of us to go play with her at a rink near here. I think the woman team last time was all from Madison here, Erika Brown’s team. But when you compare it to watching downhill skiing, or snowboarding, skating or some of the other ones, I don’t think it really hold the average persons attention as well. ---
**Author:** ![js\_africanus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/87869e/32.png) [@js\_africanus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/js_africanus)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2006, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yes-im-dumb-but-what-is-this-sport/345877/23 "2006-02-24T19:28:18Z")
> [@The Big Cheese](#): > > I don’t think NBC prime time shows it every Olympics. I caught it today at 6am on one of the cable stations, which I only see if I’m at the gym. I’m pretty sure I’ve seen curling in the olympics since I was a little kid. It’s not like it gets televised at any other time. ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2006, 7:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yes-im-dumb-but-what-is-this-sport/345877/24 "2006-02-24T19:44:43Z")
You’re either very young or very old. Curling was in the 1924 Winter Olympics (Chamonix), then not included again until 1998 (Nagano). ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2006, 7:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yes-im-dumb-but-what-is-this-sport/345877/25 "2006-02-24T19:48:46Z")
Well, my mistake, slightly; curling was a demonstration sport in 1932 (Lake Placid), 1988 (Calgary) and 1992 (Albertville). ---
**Author:** ![aruvqan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aruvqan/32/2891_2.png) [@aruvqan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aruvqan)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2006, 7:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yes-im-dumb-but-what-is-this-sport/345877/26 "2006-02-24T19:53:32Z")
who knew, bocce on ice :smack: ---
**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, 7:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yes-im-dumb-but-what-is-this-sport/345877/27 "2006-02-24T19:56:44Z")
> [@aruvqan](#): > > who knew, bocce on ice :smack: I like Baileys over crushed ice. ---
**Author:** ![Gorsnak](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gorsnak/32/7587_2.png) [@Gorsnak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gorsnak)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2006, 8:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yes-im-dumb-but-what-is-this-sport/345877/28 "2006-02-24T20:10:12Z")
It’s party time on the Rock. Gushue just won gold, blowing the game open in the 6th end after missing an open draw(!) for seven(!!!) and having to “settle” for six points. The Fins conceded the game after the 8th end with the score at 10-4. ---
**Author:** ![elmwood](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmwood/32/3060_2.png) [@elmwood](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elmwood)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2006, 8:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yes-im-dumb-but-what-is-this-sport/345877/29 "2006-02-24T20:22:19Z")
> [@js\_africanus](#): > > I’m pretty sure I’ve seen curling in the olympics since I was a little kid. It’s not like it gets televised at any other time. Might have seen it on the CBC. Growing up, we used to get Toronto channels on cable, and curling aired frequently on CBC on Saturday afternoons during the winter. It seemed like there was less shouting from the skips 20 years ago. ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2006, 8:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yes-im-dumb-but-what-is-this-sport/345877/30 "2006-02-24T20:31:24Z")
> [@Gorsnak](#): > > It’s party time on the Rock. Gushue just won gold, blowing the game open in the 6th end after missing an open draw(!) for seven(!!!) and having to “settle” for six points. The Fins conceded the game after the 8th end with the score at 10-4. Damn. I’ve never curled (although a local club is having an open house this weekend, so I might go to that) but I’ve seen it enough to kind of know how it goes. How on earth do you get six rocks (and nearly seven) without the other team getting one closer or taking some out? I just can’t picture how the end would play out to give one team so many points, especially at that level of competition. ---
**Author:** ![elmwood](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmwood/32/3060_2.png) [@elmwood](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elmwood)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2006, 8:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yes-im-dumb-but-what-is-this-sport/345877/31 "2006-02-24T20:38:56Z")
> [@js\_africanus](#): > > I’m pretty sure I’ve seen curling in the olympics since I was a little kid. It’s not like it gets televised at any other time. Might have seen it on the CBC. Growing up, we used to get Toronto channels on cable, and curling aired frequently on CBC on Saturday afternoons during the winter. It seemed like there was less shouting from the skips 20 years ago. ---
**Author:** ![Gorsnak](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gorsnak/32/7587_2.png) [@Gorsnak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gorsnak)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2006, 8:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yes-im-dumb-but-what-is-this-sport/345877/32 "2006-02-24T20:51:32Z")
> [@Robot Arm](#): > > Damn. I’ve never curled (although a local club is having an open house this weekend, so I might go to that) but I’ve seen it enough to kind of know how it goes. How on earth do you get six rocks (and nearly seven) without the other team getting one closer or taking some out? I just can’t picture how the end would play out to give one team so many points, especially at that level of competition. The other team misses a lot of shots. It’s not quite as ridiculous as it might seem on its face. Sure, if the Finnish skip had thought after 4-5 rocks that the end was going seriously pearshaped he could have pulled out the big weight and made a few doubles and held Canada to a couple points. Probably. But at that point he wasn’t trying to hold Canada to 2 or 3. He was still trying to hold Canada to 1, and maybe even steal one - and right up until he blew his last shot (wrecked on a guard attempting a delicate hit and roll), he could have done exactly that. Throughout the game the Fins chose to make shots that had very bad downsides. So long as they made shots, they did okay, but whenever they missed a couple, things went very badly. Canada stole a point in both the 3rd and 4th, for example. One of the keys to curling strategy is to attempt shots that have good results if you make them, but that aren’t disasters if you miss. Evidently the Fins didn’t get that memo, as they attempted some really ridiculously dangerous shots and didn’t pull them off. ---
**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, 9:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yes-im-dumb-but-what-is-this-sport/345877/33 "2006-02-24T21:21:49Z")
> [@Gorsnak](#): > > But at that point he wasn’t trying to hold Canada to 2 or 3. He was still trying to hold Canada to 1, and maybe even steal one - and right up until he blew his last shot (wrecked on a guard attempting a delicate hit and roll), he could have done exactly that. That’s the part I have trouble explaining to people. “I saw Team X score five points in one end,” they’ll say. “So why did Team Y concede when they were five points behind with one end to go?” Well yeah, you saw Team X scored 5, but only because their opponents were desperate to steal a point. If you go into an end where your _only goal_ is to hold the opposition to less than 5, it’s easy as pie, and makes for very dull curling. ---
**Author:** ![Gorsnak](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gorsnak/32/7587_2.png) [@Gorsnak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gorsnak)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2006, 9:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yes-im-dumb-but-what-is-this-sport/345877/34 "2006-02-24T21:38:39Z")
> [@Freddy the Pig](#): > > That’s the part I have trouble explaining to people. “I saw Team X score five points in one end,” they’ll say. “So why did Team Y concede when they were five points behind with one end to go?” > > Well yeah, you saw Team X scored 5, but only because their opponents were desperate to steal a point. If you go into an end where your _only goal_ is to hold the opposition to less than 5, it’s easy as pie, and makes for very dull curling. Exactly. Case in point being the 7th and 8th ends in this game when Gushue had the 10-3 lead. Heave the first two rocks though the house and then peel away. ---
**Author:** ![Cervaise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cervaise/32/16693_2.png) [@Cervaise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cervaise)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2006, 12:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yes-im-dumb-but-what-is-this-sport/345877/35 "2006-02-25T00:01:06Z")
> [@The Big Cheese](#): > > I don’t think NBC prime time shows it every Olympics. That’s why we in the northern US prefer Canada’s coverage. 🆒 ---
**Author:** ![The\_Controvert](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/dec6dc/32.png) [@The\_Controvert](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Controvert)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2006, 12:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yes-im-dumb-but-what-is-this-sport/345877/36 "2006-02-25T00:10:27Z")
Play virtual curling here (requires Flash): [http://www.mousebreaker.com/games/virtualcurling/play.php](http://www.mousebreaker.com/games/virtualcurling/play.php) ---
**Author:** ![ISiddiqui](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/97f17d/32.png) [@ISiddiqui](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ISiddiqui)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2006, 12:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yes-im-dumb-but-what-is-this-sport/345877/37 "2006-02-25T00:13:42Z")
I’m jealous of Canada’s coverage :(. ---
**Author:** ![Rysdad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/7cd45c/32.png) [@Rysdad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rysdad)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2006, 12:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yes-im-dumb-but-what-is-this-sport/345877/38 "2006-02-25T00:29:09Z")
So, Team Minnesota, uh, I mean Team USA took the bronze. Bemidji must be rockin’ (heh) tonight. ---
**Author:** ![Rysto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ecccb3/32.png) [@Rysto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rysto)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2006, 3:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yes-im-dumb-but-what-is-this-sport/345877/39 "2006-02-25T03:57:59Z")
Has anyone ever curled a better game than Mark Nichols did today? He shot an astounding 97%, making an incredible number of difficult freezes and doubles. Just an awesome performance, ---
**Author:** ![JonScribe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/3be4f8/32.png) [@JonScribe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JonScribe)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2006, 4:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yes-im-dumb-but-what-is-this-sport/345877/40 "2006-02-25T04:35:51Z")
Can I just say: Swedish Women’s Curling Team? Babes. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yes-im-dumb-but-what-is-this-sport/345877.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yes-im-dumb-but-what-is-this-sport/345877.md?page=3)