How good is Curling???

[Craig]

I think it is a fine sport.

 

[CanadianSteve]

http://www.saskatoonbrier2004.com/

There's a report on the recently played Brier tournament, Canada's annual curling championship.

 

[Wests is Best]

My mate told me I can buy authentic Curling shirts, as worn by the players, at Lowes. Is this true?

 

[xXSANDYXx]

u'd hav 2 b pretty sad 2 buy 1 :roll: curlings cool, esp wen the UK of GB & NI wen it

 

[JVinAZ]

Curling was the surprise daytime ratings winner of the Salt Lake Winter Olympics. NBC is now counting on Badminton to be the 2004 Summer Games equivalant.

 

[Mong]

I saw a curling world titles (i think) on ESPN and it was such a cool game to watch, would love to give it a go

 

[Wiljoy00]

I reckon I would be good at curling,I am anexpert with a broom,just ask my wife.seriously,I think it is a c**p sport,cannot start ANY adrenalin flowing,bit like watching paint dry!!!

 

[bucko]

you got it all wrong mate, it's one of the great sports of the modern era...

 

[CanadianSteve]

Big news in the Canadian curling world:

Edmonton, AB - Tim Hortons, the largest quick service restaurant chain in Canada, specializing in always fresh coffee, baked goods and homestyle lunches, will become the title sponsor of the Brier (Canadian men’s curling championship), beginning with the 2005 event in Edmonton

The three-year sponsorship agreement, with a three-year option, also grants to Tim Hortons, which has been an ‘official supplier’ to curling’s Season of Champions since 1995, title sponsorship of the 2005 Tim Hortons Canadian Curling Trials in Halifax.

“This is tremendous news for the Brier, the Trials, for curling and its millions of fans across Canada,” said CCA President Barry Greenberg. “Over the past 10 years, the CCA and host organizing committees have enjoyed an excellent relationship with Tim Hortons during its involvement with our national curling championships. We are extremely pleased to now welcome Tim Hortons in its new role as title sponsor of both the Brier and Canadian Curling Trials and are thrilled to be able to continue our relationship with such a highly-respected, loyal, people-friendly company for, hopefully, many years to come.”

The extensive agreement allows the CCA to complete the ‘player cresting program’, proposed last year, which already provided $75,000 to Brier participants in exchange for wearing the title sponsor crest. Now, an additional $130,000 will be made available to the four playoff teams at the Brier, with the amount for each team determined by the marketing and television exposure value of the cresting position.

In addition, the CCA will create, in the near future, a national ‘Timbits Little Rock Program’ for very young curlers. As well, a replica Brier Tankard will be commissioned, which will allow numerous Brier promotional activities to take place across the country throughout the year.

“Tim Hortons has been a strong supporter of Canadian curling for over a decade, so this sponsorship agreement is a natural extension of the chain’s support to the development of sports in Canada,” said Bill Moir, Executive Vice President, Marketing, Tim Hortons. “The sport of curling, similar to the Tim Hortons brand, has a unique Canadian identity and community appeal. Becoming the title sponsor of the Tim Hortons Brier and the Tim Hortons Canadian Curling Trials was a great fit for us.”

The 2005 Tim Hortons Brier will be played at Rexall Place in Edmonton, March 5-13 while the 2005 Tim Hortons Canadian Curling Trials, which will select the men’s and women’s teams that will earn the right to represent Canada at the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin, Italy, is slated for December 3-11, 2005 at the Metro Centre in Halifax.

Tim Hortons becomes only the fourth title sponsor of the Canadian men’s curling championship since it began in 1927 in Toronto. Macdonald Tobacco sponsored the Brier for the first 50 years, until Labatt Brewing Company took over in 1980. Nokia then replaced Labatt’s as title sponsor from 2001-2004.

During the past 25 years, the Brier has grown tremendously in popularity, both as an attended event and as a television attraction. The average minute audience for the Brier final has averaged approximately 1.2 million viewers during the past two years. In addition, record crowds in recent years have pushed the Brier to new levels. The attendance record of 248,793 was set in 2000 in Saskatoon, followed by Calgary’s 245,296 in 2002 and Edmonton’s 242,887 in 1999.

In 2005, more than 70 hours of live Brier coverage and/or repeat programming on CBC-TV and Country Canada, its digital channel, will be aired across the country. Local organizers are hoping to smash the existing attendance mark, cautiously optimistic that the championship will attract more than 250,000 fans for the nine-day event.

The winner of the 2005 Tim Hortons Brier, which will be presented, once again, by Sheraton Hotels & Resorts for the seventh consecutive year, will still be handed the Brier Tankard, the original solid silver trophy created for the Macdonald Brier from 1927 through 1979. When Labatt’s came on board in 1980, the famous Labatt Tankard was designed and presented to the Canadian championship-winning team. When Nokia took over, the CCA refurbished the ‘original trophy’ for presentation again, beginning in 2001.

Founded in 1964, Tim Hortons now has more than 2,350 stores across Canada and 231 locations in key markets in the United States.

The 2006 Tim Hortons Brier will be contested in Regina, March 11-19.

 

[Tupac Shakur]

Curling is so shit.

 

[CanadianSteve]

A comprehensive curling website for those looking to learn about the game:

http://www.curling.com/

 

[DJ Raida]

its terrible

 

[CanadianSteve]

its terrible

The game or the site?

 

[canberra_raiders2k2]

Best.Sport.Ever


well not really its crap..its like watching Janitors compete to see who the best sweeper is.

 

[CanadianSteve]

Well, I don't like it, I prefer my sports to involve a little more fitness. And I find it boring to watch. But to be fair, though I've tried it only once, there is a lot of skill involved.

 

[CanadianSteve]

The Canadian men's championship, called the Brier, just concluded. Here'a report in case it wasn't televised down under:

Ferbey regains Brier title on home ice

Canadian Press

3/13/2005

EDMONTON (CP) - Farewell to Nova Scotia at the 2005 Tim Hortons Brier - Randy Ferbey of Alberta has regained the Canadian men's curling championship.

The powerhouse Edmonton rink beat Shawn Adams 5-4 in Sunday's final on Dave Nedohin's 10th end draw, avenging a loss to Nova Scotia's Mark Dacey in last year's title match.

"It is satisfaction after last year," said Nedohin, named the tournament most valuable player and winner of the shot of the week award. "It's not that we lost last year but it's how we lost.

"When we were walking down the ice there after we won - I'd been dreaming about that walk for quite a while to redo it again. This is by far the most exciting win we've ever had in our careers."

It was the fourth Brier title in five years for Ferbey, Nedohin, the third who throws skip rocks, Marcel Rocque and Scott Pfifer.

"It's unbelievable, this team amazes me to be honest with you," said Ferbey. "All the accomplishments we've done and how difficult it is to get back here.

"To get back here to the Brier in our hometown, I can't say enough about the three guys I play with."

Adams tied the match 4-4 in the eighth end with a draw to the four-foot and Ferbey passed on taking a chance to score two in the ninth by blanking the end to retain the hammer for the 10th.

It was a decision open to second guessing but with Nova Scotia lying one the edge of the four in the final end, Nedohin made a perfect draw to the button on his last rock to give Ferbey a record sixth men's championship.

"It worked, didn't it?" said Ferbey. "I knew they were ready to play and they didn't disappoint me at all."

"I think our experience again helped a little bit but they play high percentages. Coming into the 10th end I said to Dave I'll get him the four-foot and again he came through."

Neither team was able to dominate in the first half of the game.

Alberta was held to a single point in the first end. In the second, Nedohin was only able to remove two of three Nova Scotia stones in the rings. Adams then drew for a deuce.

Alberta pulled even in the third when Nedohin drew for a single point. Nova Scotia picked up a single in the fourth to take a 3-2 lead.

Adams executed a perfect hit and roll and deprived Alberta of a chance to score two in the fifth. Nedohin had to draw for a single point and the teams were tied 3-3 after five ends.

Nova Scotia's first serious miscue occurred in the sixth end. Adams was attempting to score one with a hit and roll but the shot was wide. It allowed Alberta a steal of one for a 4-3 lead.

"I think our team curled really well, it was just the one steal in six that was sort of the turning point in the game," said Adams. "We were fighting for that control point the whole game and then David made a nice one with his last rock to win.

"What else can you do?"

The Nova Scotia skip was able to blank the seventh after he made a nifty raised double take out to retain the hammer going into the eighth.

Alberta was deserving of the win, said Adams but he had pictured a different outcome.

"It'd be a little bit nice to have the shoe on the other foot with me drawing to win but he made a beautiful one and the guys curled well all week," said Adams.

It was another milestone for Ferbey. The 45-year-old skip won Brier championships playing third for Alberta's Pat Ryan in 1988 and 1989 as well.



"This one's very, very special but most importantly we won four as a team," Ferbey said. "The six is kind of cool but the most important thing is we won four with this squad."



Ferbey's team is the first to have won four Briers after being the only squad to win three in a row. Ferbey tied Regina's Ernie Richardson as the only four-time Brier-winning skips.



"One Brier's a dream," Nedohin said. "I don't know about four, that's just unreal.

"To be considered in the same company with the greats like the Richardsons is just phenomenal."

The only blemish on the Alberta foursome's record was an inexplicable 10th end meltdown against Dacey last year.

It's the 22nd Brier win for Alberta, leaving it second overall behind Manitoba, which has won the event 26 times.

Ferbey will now represent Canada at the Ford World men's curling championship, which will be held in Victoria from April 2-10.

Go Ferbey and Canada at the Worlds.

 

[CanadianSteve]

The World Championship is taking place in Victoria, British Columbia now. Australia and NZ are both in it. See the "Canada beat Australia" thread for more details.

Last week I played the game for the 2nd time in my life. It's very difficult to learn in a short time. I don't really like it that much, but since playing recently I have taken time to watch the Worlds a few times recently.

Aus and NZ each have one Canadian ex-pat in their rinks (4 man teams).

 

[CanadianSteve]

Just to follow up the last post, Canada did win the worlds last May.

And the new season has started up here recently.

 

[CanadianSteve]

Canada won gold in men's Olympic curing, confirming our rightful place as best in the world.