Curlers get a Free Pass?
I wrote the entry because I was equally offended by a comment he made the previous Sunday at the World Men's Championship. He made a similar comment about the "amateur" conditions at the world championship. Those comments really offended me because he was representing Team Canada. It takes hundreds of volunteers to take on a World Championship and years of planning. The volunteers and organizers work hard to put on a spectacular event for the curlers and the spectators. I don't think anyone representing Team Canada should be publicly critical of a Canadian city hosting the World's. I expect more when a team puts the Maple Leaf on their back. The reality is that the sport is becoming more and more marginalized. The elite curlers need fans, sponsors, and volunteers for them to be successful.
It reminds me of conduct that Jeff Stoughton displayed in 2006 Brier. He was frustrated and he ended up being fined for his conduct. He appealed saying essentially what was he supposed to do? I wrote a letter to the editor of the Free Press telling him what he was supposed to do. If he couldn't handle his anger, he should have stayed home. It is most young Manitoba boy's dream to have the Buffalo on your back, if he couldn't control his emotions, he should have stayed home. The same with the "elite" curlers, if they are uncomfortable playing in these tournaments, they should stay home. No one forces one to curl at the elite level. It is a choice they make. Everyone talks about how hard it is for curlers and the sacrifices they make with family time, etc and I agree they do sacrifice a great deal, but that is their choice to make. They are welcome to quit anytime they please.
Professional athletes in other sports are required to have morals clauses in their contracts. Maybe this is something that should be considered for curlers. When a team becomes Team Canada, shouldn't they be Team Canada for the entire year? When curlers first starting using microphones for broadcasting purposes, we heard a lot of F bombs the first few years. Then, it became unacceptable but we still hear the odd expletive. Curlers have to realize that there are families watching them curl and that language is not appropriate for young fans. Now, mostly instead of hearing profanity, we see other expressions of frustration. I think a player banging his broom on the ice is equally unacceptable.
What I notice is that curlers get a free pass from the media about their behavior. If you listen to the commentators, they will note that everyone is a "really nice guy" or a "great gal to talk to". Well, I believe that describes the majority of curlers, I can't believe that there is not one or two bad apples in the mix. I think the media gives them a free pass on behavior for many reasons. I noted that the Winnipeg Free Press wrote a two paragraph article about Ryan Fry's behavior which led to him taking some time off and then wrote almost a full page article about his comeback. Incidentally, the article about his comeback said nothing, just that he thanked his friends and family and apologized for his behavior and explained this was the end of the story. Well, thanks for deciding that for us. It would be interesting to know what you did with your short time off and what life lessons you learned. Apparently, he learned that there is more to life than curling. Profound. Also, another reason the media gives curlers a break. Many of them do not have a good plan B if curling doesn't work out for them.
Regardless, believe me, I cheer for curlers and I want them to succeed, but, I also want them to be human. Having a little baggage or even a little humility doesn't make me not want to cheer for them, it makes them a little more interesting.
But, the strong viewing of the Ben Hebert entry makes me wonder? Come fall, would people be interested in a podcast on the "swingy side of the ice" where the talk is curling, both the good and the ugly? Let me know.
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