Curling is a competitive, non-adversarial sport. It's a pleasure to watch (at the St. Paul curling club a couple of blocks away).
6
Wonderful.
Thanks.
Congrats to these four men - you do us proud.
I was in Korea for the Olympics and at that site where curling was held. Surprisingly, tickets were hard to come by.
I wish one of them had mentioned how cold it was outside the arena. I got off the bus from train station and almost went back in.
It was sunny, but extremely cold winds that froze your eyes.
Koreans had done a great job with this facility - but unlike Sochi, Vancouver olympics - it was just unbelievably cold. And I have lived in Siberia.
So, good they were curling inside.
7
I watched curling on TV growing up in Detroit. (So long ago, TV was black and white, 1960) First visited the Ardsley Curling Club in Ardsley, NY, along the Hudson River 20 miles north of New York City, in October 1971. My wife and I joined immediately, loved everything about the game. Almost no one in the US had even heard of the sport. A fellow curler at Ardsley, Kay Sugahara, embraced the game as well and thanks to his efforts the game became a medal sport at the 2002 Olympic games in Salt Lake City. Now you hear people say, "Oh, I love watching it on TV." Curlers come in all shapes, sizes and ages, skill is gained through practice. Then you need to learn the strategy................love to play it every time I step on the ice, win or lose.
13
Hurry, hurry hard.
4
MN is so exceedingly proud of this team!!! I'm wondering if NYT readers know that Minnesotans were also responsible for the perfect Olympic ice!
5
a lovely story about five terrific men who are wonderfully humble and exceptionally good at a lesser known sport that nonetheless caught a lot of us by delightful surprise . . . these days, the media (maybe outside of the totally discredited fox news, which i don't watch) don't run a lot of stories about good men . . . so nice to see this one, for a change . . . okay, now back to #metoo and #timesup . . .
7
I got up in the middle of the night to watch that match and it was a blast. I never knew how much fun curling was to watch!
17
@CatPerson
It's even better to play, so get out and find a rink near you!
4
Isn't this exactly what the Olympics set out to be? Something that anyone could win, given a good dose of talent and a lot of desire. It's today's version of the 1980 Miracle on Ice.
Enjoy the ride gentlemen. I love it when the underdog pulls it out!
25
if curling is an Olympic sport, then golf should be as well.
2
@urmyonlyhopeobi1
Justin Rose is your reigning Gold medalist.
Henrik Stenson claimed Silver.
7
@N Hel
Hey! Don’t forget Matt Kuchar, USA. He won the bronze. I still remember how he gazed lovingly at it at the presentation. I believe he later said that he didn’t know finishing third in a golf tournament could feel so good.
8
It helps that they didn't get into it for the glory. It's curling. It helps that they really were out to perfect their craft, and engender a comradeship to include others into the sport. Actual amateur athletes that play in a sport that emphasizes sportsmanship and congeniality. PS. Great idea for a comedy sketch? Trash talking curlers.
11
Are we sure that they are actually Minnesotans? They seem much too outgoing. You know a true Minnesotan never looks you in the eye. He looks at his shoes while talking to you. The extrovert Minnesotan looks at YOUR shoes while talking to you.
Congrats guys, and keep on sliding the rock.
7
Great accomplishment by a bunch of guys who sound like they are enjoying well more than 15 minutes of fame.
@BigFootMN: I thought that was the difference between introverted and extroverted patent attorneys.
But since you started with the jokes:
Q: Why did I become a patent attorney?
A: Because I do not have the personality to be an accountant.
11
These guys did something great for their sport: they got people like me hooked on watching curling. Turns out, it's not just a quaint and slightly silly-looking event. The strategy is refined, and the matches are often nail-biters.
Thanks, George, and the rest of the team!
22
@Elizabeth A
Don't just watch, go play! It's even more fun.
5
Great story. If only all olympic champions were so approachable and- despite what the lady at the golf event said- humble.
15
@Old blue Perhaps the lady in question was also the viewer who called in the infraction on Lexi Thompson and cost her four strokes and the tournament.
Any how, I thoroughly enjoyed watching curling. Thanks CNBC. Curling, Nothing But Curling!
2
Great article about a super team. Glad they're still living it up and enjoying the ride.
6
Thanks for the great story. I'm glad that the team is able to enjoy and benefit from their success. Like brupic mentioned, it has been the object of mockery, but given the sport's history and heritage--dating back to the early 1500s in Scotland, it is finally in a place in the U.S. where it can get the respect it deserves. Once curling is understood and the skill required to compete at a high level appreciated, it becomes all the more enjoyable--and even exciting--to watch.
12
full value for the win, but it's amusing because of how often the sport was mocked whenever it was mentioned in the American media or by comedians BEFORE the gold medal win.
i've never curled a day in my life, but it's a great sport to watch.
curling and sumo are perfect TV sports.
12
@brupic- My spouse used to mock the sport of curling ever since the inception of ESPN, circa 1980. In its early days the networked bragged of "Live Sports Action 24/7". He used to work the 12AM-8AM shift and would often watch live curling from Scotland in the wee hours of the morning. What started out as a joke for him turned into a real love and appreciation for the sport.
4
@Davidoff
tsn in Canada had nothing when it started so showed a lot of aussie rules football.
don't know if espn did that.
curling has been huge in Canada for decades. haven't checked the stats for a while, but I think the country has won the most world titles by far--on the male side.
not sure about female.
I lived in japan for a number of years and became very good friends with a guy from Melbourne who is a serious Essendon bombers fan.....
I started watching the sport a bit. now I follow it and watch it when I can.
the grand final is played every march at the Melbourne cricket ground. 100,000 spectators isn't unusual.
it is a fantastic sport.....
1
Bravo to men( & women ) of US Curling. They are great representatives of a fun, challenging sport that's sweeping the country
20
@Greg Hudson
LOVE your comment for it swept me off my feet.
6
As a Canadian, it was hard to watch our team go down, but I was happy to see these great guys take home the gold. Congratulations.
50
@Stefan Fridriksson
Such a generous and heartfelt comment. Written like the true champs from Canada! Thank you so much.
Being a follower of curling (thanks to the Winter Games) I am always bewildered between the sport itself and it being included in the Olympics. Kind of a strange bedfellow on one level, but the fact the my countrymen captured the Gold - my bewilderment takes a backseat. Continued congrats to the American Team!!!
27
If Trump knew what curling was he would certainly condemn Canada and his own team
6
Yet again, Kudos & Bravos...
10