Team Fournier
(aka Team Horses) held a rather depressing meeting last week (via Zoom of
course) to discuss the upcoming curling season.
We had such
a fun season planned. We have a new player, we have great sponsors, we have a
keen coach, we have new sexy uniforms. All the pieces are in place.
Except we
also have a virus. Covid-19 is already wreaking havoc on the competitive curling
world. The Slams have been cancelled; the points systems that drive World
rankings and Olympic qualifications have been suspended until November (at
least) and most big events that involve crowds (like the Brier) are surely
questioning whether they can even happen this year.
If you look at our planned schedule for the season,
we had planned to go to Halifax, Alberta, Toronto, New Brunswick. I now
question whether these places will even accept us as visitors, given that I
happen to live on the island that has been the Covid hotspot in the country.
A lot
people are suggesting that curling is a great social distancing sport, like golf. In theory, the other team does not need to be anywhere near the ice when the other team is
throwing. However, as anyone who has ever curled with or against Dale Ness or
Eve Bélisle knows, the air in a curling rink does not circulate quickly. And you are basically sharing the same damp
air with everyone else on the ice for a few hours. I am not sure if masks would keep you from spreading the virus.
Beyond the safety
issues, there is also the question of money. Curling, despite its TV
popularity, is not baseball, or hockey. There is no way to do curling the way
other major sports have undertaken it. There will be no curlers living in a resort
bubble, mainly because apart from a handful of teams, we all have day jobs. Major
sports have resumed with the help of expensive testing and re-testing, and
travel can happen via private jets, which is of course beyond the budget for
all but a couple of teams.
So where does that leave our team? We will
play closer to home for the first part of the season, and then see where we are
in November. I hope that the threat of the virus will be diminished, and we
will venture out further (likely with our masks on) to try to play and get better
and prepare for Provincials in January. If travel restrictions and rules
against gatherings are lifted, then the season can start to look something like
a normal curling season.
So in the
meantime, wear your mask and keep your distance!
What about
club curling?
I have no
idea.
Glenmore
(my home club) will likely open. I do not know what curling will look like. I
think most of the membership will be eager to get back on the ice. Unfortunately,
it would just take one case to close us down. A big part of my enjoyment from
curling unfortunately comes from post-game socializing, which will probably be
limited at best, non-existent at worse. But at this point, a little curling would
be infinitely better than no curling, so I will venture out into whatever the
season brings.
If you are
a fan of curling, you need to be listening to the Kevin Martin / Warren Hansen
podcast. Having Kevin and Warren do a podcast together is like having Karl Marx
debating Ayn Rand; its like GSP debating Connor McGregor. They both have such a deep and passionate love
for the game and its history, but Kevin and Warren have always been on opposite
sides when it comes to discussing the game’s future. (It is called “Inside
Curling” and is available wherever you find podcasts!)
Warren has
been the leader of developing the Curling Canada events – such as the Brier,
the Scotties and the Olympic Trials. Kevin has been the main force behind the
creation of the “Pro” tour, i.e. the Grand Slams and the World Curling Tour.
Putting the two together is fascinating.
Amazingly,
the passage of time has brought them much closer together, and they now both
see the inevitability of splitting up the “pros” from the “joes”. They have
some interesting perspectives on where the game is going, on how the US and
Asia will be driving the evolution of the sport. I often find myself in violent
disagreement with both of them, but I have to say the blog has made me respect
these guys even more than I did before. Moreover, they share many great stories
from the wilder days of curling that I remember fondly. I think this podcast is
one good thing that has emerged from this stupid pandemic.
I am not
sure for how long they can keep it up; I am amazed they have gotten 16 episodes
done so far without being too repetitive. So it is definitely worth a listen. Way
better than Tiger King!
