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Winnipeg Free Press
22-05-2025
- Sport
- Winnipeg Free Press
In the Rings: Highlights and lowlights from a curling season to remember
Curling made some strides over the 2024-25 campaign yet also remained behind the times in other areas, leaving the Roaring Game in a peculiar spot entering the all-important Olympic season. Equipment issues have been a concern in recent months and the sport's archaic rule structure and lack of video review have sparked controversy. The new-look Grand Slam of Curling series had some hits and misses under new ownership. Here's a look at some highlights and lowlights from the previous season with a look ahead at what's to come. BURNING ISSUE The handling of a situation involving an apparent burned rock in a China-Norway playoff game at the world men's championship sparked heated online comments from many top players. It also showed just how far behind curling is compared to other sports. Video footage appeared to show the Chinese sweeper hit the rock with his broom just before it entered the house. Put in a tough position as the non-offending team, Norway's Magnus Ramsfjell felt the stone was burned but agreed to let it remain rather than have it removed. Umpire involvement was minimal since the players decided to play on. 'If we're not going to have umpires or officials there that are actually going to officiate and umpire the game, they shouldn't be there in my opinion,' veteran skip Brad Gushue said in a recent interview. 'And if that's the case and we have cameras, we have streaming services on just about every game now played at the top level, why not utilize that?' A World Curling spokesman noted Norway didn't make a complaint after continuing play. Chinese coach Weidong Tan, who served as interpreter for skip Xiaoming Xu, said the team didn't feel the broom made contact with the rock. World Curling director Jill Officer was made available for an interview at the event but a communications staffer shut down questions on the subject. HOMAN DOMINANT Rachel Homan's Ottawa-based team became the first Canadian women's rink to repeat as world champions since Sandra Schmirler's side did it in 1994. The top-ranked Homan finished with a remarkable 75-9 record over a season that included a fifth career Scotties Tournament of Hearts title along with Grand Slam crowns at the Kioti National and Co-op Canadian Open. Top-ranked Bruce Mouat of Scotland won the men's world title. Italy's Amos Mosaner and Stefania Constantini took the world mixed doubles crown. HITS AND MISSES The Curling Group tried some new things over its five-event calendar after purchasing the Grand Slam of Curling series last spring. Some things worked and others didn't. More changes — including a new pro league — are on the way next season. A big hit was the decision to provide live streaming of all games at Slam competitions. Curler walkouts — or slideouts in some cases — also proved popular. Misses included the dizziness-inducing 'hat-cam' live camera and a GSOC playoff draft where skips selected pool opponents. The draft's start was delayed, players didn't have their own microphones and graphics weren't used. CLEAN SWEEP Call it what you will — Foamgate or Broomgate 2.0 — but broomhead foam density was a hot topic among athletes in recent months. Many teams believe firmer foam products allow sweepers to have too much control on the ice. World Curling and Goldline Curling mutually agreed to suspend the approval of Goldline's Pursuer foam from competitive play last February. Curlers, manufacturers, federations, the athlete commission and officials have had discussions about equipment in recent months but it's unclear when there might be clarity on the subject. 'The athletes need to know by the beginning of August what sort of broom they're going to have (in) their hand for next (season),' Officer said. 'And I plan (to) keep trying to push that timeline.' HOG-LINE VIOLATIONS In the wake of repeated electronic sensor issues with curling stones, the honour system has been in place for hog-line violations over the last few seasons. Thursdays Keep up to date on sports with Mike McIntyre's weekly newsletter. The setup has generally worked although many curlers do not release the rocks in time. Opponent apathy may be to blame. 'There's a line there that has to be abided by and it has to be enforced,' said World Curling Hall of Famer Warren Hansen. 'And to ignore it, to me, is just ridiculous.' A first-hand look from ice level at the recent world men's championship revealed several uncalled violations. A player can still request an umpire to watch the line if desired. This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 22, 2025.
Yahoo
06-02-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Cuss Fuss: Grand Slam boss says he has no intention of banning on-ice swearing
The rather genteel world of curling can sometimes be jolted by the odd swear word that makes it on bonspiel broadcasts via player microphones. It's something that The Curling Group CEO Nic Sulsky says comes with the territory of elite competition. "I don't promote it, but at the same time, sports are fun and sports are emotional," he said. "It's 2025." The subject of potty-mouthed athletes has been a talking point of late in Formula One circles. Under new rules, drivers could be suspended or lose championship points for swearing or making political statements. The measures, published by the governing body FIA, apply to misconduct, which has a wide definition that includes offensive language. The subject of swearing in the Roaring Game — one of the few sports where athletes are mic'd — was renewed when Sulsky posted a link on X, the website formerly known as Twitter, to a story that detailed the F1 developments. "I'd like to alleviate the concern of players in @grandslamcurl that @thecurlinggroup has NO intention of banning swearing," Sulsky said in the post, which included curling stone, middle finger and laughing face emojis. Team Mike McEwen vice Colton Flasch, a regular on the Grand Slam circuit that's owned by The Curling Group, was quick to reply. "LFG!!!!!," Flasch posted. Mic'd-up curlers provide viewers with unparalleled insight into the game, strategy and thought processes. But since broadcasts are live, curse words can make it to air at events like the Grand Slams or national and world championships. "Sports, especially competitive sports, are high stakes. People have lots of investment of time and self-worth in the outcome of those events," said Ben Bergen, the author of "What the F: What Swearing Reveals About Our Language, Our Brains, and Ourselves." "Those sorts of highly emotional situations are exactly the types of places that we tend to see people feeling the most prone to swear." However, for a generally staid curling audience that skews heavily on the older side — some spectators bring their knitting to the arena — a cuss word can be as jarring as a big-weight takeout. "I will never be angry with a curler who happens to drop an F-bomb or (swears) if they personally screw up," Sulsky said from Toronto. "Like, if it's about them, that's where most of the swearing goes down. If a curler wants to look at a curler and say something derogatory or a swear word in their direction, which is clearly different intent, that's a different story altogether. "I'm not cool with that. At the end of the day, we have young kids watching. But it's also 2025." Sportsnet is the host broadcaster for the five-stop Grand Slam series. Curling Canada's top events, like the upcoming Scotties Tournament of Hearts and Montana's Brier, are shown on TSN. A Curling Canada spokesman confirmed curler fines have been issued during this quadrennial, without providing specifics. Team payouts at events are subject to deductions — believed to be somewhere in the $500 range — when necessary. Organization CEO Nolan Thiessen said there's a section in competitor guides that outlines how athletes can be fined for conduct code violations like swearing. "There is some leeway that our head officials give to the fact that we are wearing live mics playing a highly competitive sport on national television," Thiessen said. "We do understand that there are times where things happen. "We talk to the athletes all the time there's people that don't like that. There's some people that do like it." It wasn't immediately clear why broadcasters don't use a delay to ensure that unexpected occurrences — such as salty language — don't make it to air. "When the stakes are very high or when the emotions are running strong, those are the situations when it's more socially licensed to swear," said Bergen, a professor of cognitive science at the University of California, San Diego. "As a result, people might be filtering themselves a little bit less in those circumstances." A Sportsnet spokesman said "there are no plans" to use a delay. A message left with TSN was not immediately returned. "The biggest thing is the CRTC standards," Thiessen said in a recent interview in Calgary. "That's the thing we don't want to get in trouble with. If you are getting fines from them or you start getting pulled from television, then we've got a lot of people to answer to." Sulsky said he has not had conversations with the Sportsnet production team regarding athlete swearing. "No one is promoting the use of curse words," he said. "I just think this is a unique scenario where all the athletes are mic'd and these are humans in 2025." This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 6, 2025. With files from Canadian Press sports reporter Donna Spencer in Calgary. Gregory Strong, The Canadian Press
