Rantings of a Deranged Curling Fan

 I can't really help it.  I am a curling super fan.  Alas, I wish I could say I was a super curler but that wasn't how things worked out for me.  It is not an accident that I am such a life long curling fan, if it wasn't for curling I would not be here.  My parents met in a curling rink in Biggar, Saskatchewan.  The same curling rink that would produce the greatest curler of all time in my opinion, Sandra Shmirler.  

Growing up in Dauphin, I had a few babysitters.  One of my mom's friend's daughters, Donna, was a teenager that babysit me sometimes.  This may not be true, but I like to think, that her babysitting me launched her on a lifetime of babysitting.  Decades later, she is responsible for teaching the babysitting course in Dauphin.  So, a whole community of babysitters inspired by her experience in babysitting me.  Yeah, I also have an ego.  Anyway, my primary care provider was my Nana Grey.  As I have found out, she wasn't just my Nana Grey, she was Nana Grey to most of Dauphin.  She lived across the street from me, and not only physically cared for me but cared for the souls of me and my parents.  I will never be adequately able to express all that she did for me, but, back to curling.  My other babysitter was the Dauphin Curling Rink.  When my parents both curled together in the farmer's mixed league, they brought me.  And, I wasn't the only child.  I made lifetime friendships as a rink rat.  There was so much to do at the Dauphin curling rink.  I probably could have spent hours in the ladies bathroom alone.  And, there was a restaurant.  And, there was two levels, and there was a curling locker room.  And, we really shouldn't have been upstairs because that is where the bar was, but, we found our ways.  Occasionally, I would watch curling.  Oh, and one time when I was four, I stole a lunch.  Some people still remember that.  I just loved hanging around the curling rink.  And when my dad curled in the Thursday night men's league, I always wanted to go with him.  He would walk to and from the curling rink with me on his shoulders.  He had an old curling sweater that he had worn for decades before I was born and he continued to wear all through his curling years.  It was stained and had holes in it but I loved being on my dad's shoulders while he was wearing it.  I started curling when I was in Junior High School and although I don't remember all of my games, I most remember the Saturday mornings when we would "rent" a sheet of ice and my dad would teach me how to curl and he held the broom and I just hurled rocks up and down the sheet.  

But, this isn't really about me.  Well, actually, it is.  You ask any fanatical curling fan why they are a fan, and trust me, you don't have enough time.  I could talk for hours about my journey to uberfandom.  As I child, I remember meeting Don Duguid and Barry Fry and other heroes.  I am proud to be the niece of the great Twyla Widdifield who was a three time Canadian women's seniors champion.  As an adult, I usually take my holidays during the Scotties and Brier.  With three draws televised a day, I have to have the whole day to watch live.  I like all the commentators but my favourites are Mike Harris and Kevin Martin.  Although I usually watch curling on mute because I think I commentate better.  I have also taken holiday time to volunteer at major curling events.  I don't know if people know this but it actually costs you to volunteer at a major curling event.  In addition to paying your own expenses including airfare, hotels, food, souvenirs, etc, you actually have to pay for your uniform and for the privilege of volunteering.  Of course, it is money well spent.  I am just trying to illustrate how devoted fans are to curling.  

I realize that there are fanatical fans in all sports but here is the thing about curling.  As much as I love curling, it turns out it is a marginalized sport.  I was shocked to find this out and only discovered this when I was volunteering for the World Men's Curling Championship in Las Vegas in 2018.  For opening ceremonies, the curlers paraded through the Orleans casino and hardly anyone looked up from their slot machines.  I had numerous meetings with cutie pututie Hammy McMillan, Jr.  while the rest of the public seemed oblivious to what a huge deal this was.  I actually got to hang out with Matt Hamilton, (ok, it may have been 5 minutes, but still it counts as hanging out).  Not only that, I saw Matt Hamilton sitting in the stands alone watching a draw like any other fan.  He had just won a gold medal two months earlier, and he wasn't mobbed by a cheering crowd wherever he moved.  I saw Dave Murdoch wonder around the casino completely unnoticed except by the self-proclaimed President of his Fan Club which is me.  Anyway, my point is that curling needs its fans.  And, that is not the only thing curling needs to grow.  Curling needs more diversity and the curling community seems to embrace that which is wonderful.  I think this will continue to be a challenge for curling and they will need to do more to be more inclusive but I think this will happen as curling continues to evolve.  However, the reality is that there are not many fanatical fans and they are aging out.  Curling needs fans for the elite teams to attract sponsorship and to make it viable for the networks to televise.  

But, there is one thing that I just don't understand.  Elite curlers want to be treated as professional athletes.  That I completely understand.  The elite curlers practice and train like professional athletes and, at the elite level, many are so devoted to their team and their sport, that they make their living from the business of curling.  But, the part of that which I don't understand is why are curlers "given a pass" so often by the media.  Really, do you ever see a curler subject to a negative story in the press?  Every now and then, we see an elite curler throw a childish temper tantrum on the ice and drop a few expletives.  Personally, I don't think this is professional or good for growing the game of curling.  I want my grandson to become a fanatical curling fan so I don't want him watching that.  Yet, this behaviour is never called out and is ignored.  And, if you happen to have a blog, (which is viewed by less than 10 people and totally inconsequential)  and you happen to mention this behaviour, you are likely to be blocked by the player and team in question.  Other curling fanatics will send you all kinds of hate because you dare say anything negative about a curler.  People will defend the curlers right to display anger, slam their brooms, or do whatever else they feel like, because they are human and there is no other option for them.  There are options, by the way.  I have been to live events where Brad Gushue has been "frustrated" and I have seen him take some time between ends to just go off and be by himself away from cameras. I assume he is doing what he needs to do privately to reset and park whatever happened.  This is likely something that good coaching recommended at some point and is effective for him.  No one questions the ethics of someone representing a curling club that they have not been in for several years.  And, the media leads us to believe that, despite all the roster changes, etc, all curlers are great friends and there is no hard feelings.  The reality is that curlers are human and in any group of humans, there are bound to be a few bad apples.  And, if a curler is struggling with some personal issues how can we support them if we don't know what it is?  Carey Price, for example, has received compassion and understanding for being upfront about living with addiction.  No true fan wants to wish for anyone to be struggling with personal issues, but, I think as a fan, we don't have any respect for this to be used as an excuse for a roster change.  

I didn't like when Team Koe cut Colton Flasch or when Team Homan cut Lisa Weagle, but I respected them saying that as a team they wanted to continue to get better and improve as a team and this is what they thought was best for them as a team.  

So, I feel a little let down by Team Bottcher's announcement about parting ways with Darren Moulding.  The timing is suspect.  Also, I don't believe they would have made the announcement without already having another player lined up.  Also, Team Bottcher made the announcement on twitter and it was a couple of hours until the story was posted on traditional curling media.  And, the story was basically  a retweet of the Team Bottcher announcement and the alleged response from Darren Moulding.  No investigation, no comments from any of the principles, no indication of whether this was brewing for a while, and no challenging of Brenden stating that he wasn't going to speak to the media until Monday.  Why is he setting the rules for covering his team?  Why are curlers never challenged?  

We, as fans, can handle the truth, and we want the truth.  And, to tell you the truth, I feel like Team Bottcher has patronized me and I don't like it.  If curlers continue to do this, they are risking losing fanatical fans.  Which you supposedly value.