Norway

Women's Worlds Recap & Men's Worlds Preview

It's a busy time of year in the curling world and we're excited to be talking about it all. We start by recapping what was a fun week at the Women's World Curling Championship. We talk about Rachel Homan's win, the game/shot of the year, and how the rest of the field broke down over the course of the week. We then move on to preview the field for the Men's World Curling Championship. We go through the field and talk about all 13 teams before offering up our picks for the week.

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Euros Recap: Best Bad Beer Bet Result Ever!

The Euros are done and the results of the Bad Beer Bet with Rocks Across the Pond are in and we are excited! We talk about all the action from Scotland, including who is getting promoted, who is getting relegated, and who won! We also finish by briefly talking about the Canadian Club Curling Championship.

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European Championship Preview & Bad Beer Bet with Rocks Across the Pond

It's that time of year again where the top curling teams in Europe gather to determine the European champion, the teams heading to the world championship, and who will be promoted/relegated next year. It's also the time of year where we go head to head and pit our picks against those of our friends at Rocks Across the Pond. With Jonathan playing in the event this year, we had to do things a little differently so Ryan is flying solo as we preview both the men's and women's events. We go through all the teams in the A events, including some interesting stats that could have a significant impact on the week, before chatting about some of the B event teams that we expect to make a serious push towards promotion. Who do you like this week?

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Sherry Anderson Does It Again! What does Mixed Doubles gold mean for USA Curling?

We're back to talk about what was an exciting weekend in Korea as the world senior and mixed doubles titles were decided. We talk about Sherry Anderson winning her fourth senior world title and what an impressive stretch she is on the event before discussing the all-Canada sweep of the event. We then chat about the world mixed doubles event by debating what the win means for USA curling and whether this influences our perception of specialists v. non-specialists in the discipline.

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New Kids on the Block: Men's Worlds Recap

We're back to recap what was a fun week at the men's world curling championship in Ottawa. We talk about Bruce Mouat getting his first world championship, Brad Gushue earning his third silver medal, and steps forward for Italy and Switzerland. We also debate where Niklas Edin's spinner ranks on the list of all-time greatest shots, the vibe in the building, and how the Patch was this week.

Be sure to check out the Goulden Carolus Classic over in Belgium.

For more, visit us at GameofStonesPod.com

Women's Worlds Preview: Beat the Streak?

We're back to talk about the Women's World Curling Championship, which starts on Saturday in Sandviken, Sweden. We chat about the 13 teams in the field, including Silvana Tirinzoni and Switzerland going for their fourth straight title. We also talk Anna Hasselborg's chances at getting her first world title, whether this is the year for Kerri Einarson, and if Satsuki Fujisawa can take what has been a strong season and make it a great season as we debate each team's chances.

For more, visit us at GameofStonesPod.com 

Men's Euros Preview & Bad Beer Bet with Rocks Across the Pond

In this crossover episode, Sean is joined by the Professor of Peel, Jonathan Havercroft, to preview the men's A & B fields for the 2022 European Curling Championship, which starts Saturday in Ostersund, Sweden. They go through the A division team by team and discuss how each team looks heading into the week before making their picks for who books their spot in the world championship and who gets relegated. They then chat about the B division, which teams stand out, and who may have the edge for promotion.

For a full preview of the women's field, be sure to check out Ryan and Scott's preview on Rocks Across the Pond.

For more, visit us at GameofStonesPod.com

One Worlds Ends as Another Worlds Starts

In this episode, Sean and Scott look back at the Women's World Curling Championship in Prince George, BC (1:55). They talk about SIlvana Tirinzoni's 3rd consecutive championship, a terrific performance from Team Korea, and the untimely struggles of Team Canada in the midst of an overall very good week. They also chat about Anna Hasselborg still chasing that elusive world championship, strong performances for Denmark and the United States, and Turkey picking up the country's first ever victory in their debut performance.

They then move on to this week's Men's World Curling Championship (35:10). They talk about some of the major teams that are not going to be playing in Las Vegas before going through the 13 teams that will be playing. They discuss each team's roster and divide the field into tiers before making their picks.

They wrap up by giving their initial reactions to the news that Tracy Fleury will join Team Homan and their own return to the win column.

For more, visit us at GameofStonesPod.com

Women's Worlds Take Shape & New Teams Announced

In this episode, Sean and Scott check in on the Women's World Curling Championship taking place in Prince George, BC. They talk about the new no-tick rule and its impact on the play, where Team Canada stands, and how they playoff picture looks. They also talk about Team Scotland's withdrawal, the impact on the field, and how the remaining schedules shape the playoff race. Before moving on, they also correct last week's episode on how Czech Republic made it into the field and discuss other replacements for Russia in world events. They then discuss the new team announcements, including Teams Howard, McCarville, Jacobs, and Lawes. They end with a discussion of the Gouden Carolus Classic and their own teams as they head to the end of the season.

For more, be sure to visit us at GameofStonesPod.com

Brier & Paralympic Mega Preview!

It's a major week of curling around the world with both the Brier & Paralympic Curling starting on the weekend and Sean and Scott have got you covered. They start by talking about the Brier, including whether there is a stronger of the two pools (4:30) before exploring the key storylines for each team in both Pool A (8:31) and Pool B (32:07). They then discuss what some of the most fun scenarios that could happen over the course of the week (49:55) and make their picks (54:40).

They then look at the wheelchair curling field at the 2022 Paralympic Games. They talk about some of the key stats for each of the 12 teams in the field (55:40), the uncertainty surrounding Russia's participation, and make their picks for who will top the podium (1:21:50).

For more, visit us at GameofStonesPod.com

That's a Wrap! Full Olympic Curling Recap

The Beijing 2022 Olympics are done, but Sean and Scott are just getting started as they look back at all the curling stories from the past 3 weeks. They start by talking about the women’s field (5:45), including Eve Muirhead’s dominant performance in the gold medal game, a great week for Satsuke Fujisawa, another medal for Anna Hasselborg, and what went wrong for Team Canada. They then break down the men’s field (33:30) from Niklas Edin capping his career, a Bruce Mouat’s silver, a great week for the Americans, and the end of Team Gushue’s remarkable run. They wrap up by reflecting on the mixed doubles event (57:25) and how Team Italy dominated the field, the strange circumstances of Team Australia, and what the expectations should be for Canada moving forward, including the role fans have in supporting the athletes.

For more, visit us at GameofStonesPod.com

Who Ya Got? Each Team's Strengths Heading into the Olympics

In this episode, Sean and Scott talk about the 4-person team competition at the 2022 Winter Olympic Games in Beijing. They start by discussing their level of excitement heading into the week and the challenges of how long the event will be. They then go through the field team by team, starting with going through the strengths and potential weaknesses for all 10 women's teams before making their podium picks(3:30). They wrap up by playing some word association for the 10 men's teams as they debate who stands out as the favourite and make their picks (32:16).

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High Expectations!?! Who has the Edge in Mixed Doubles at the Olympics

In this episode, Sean and Scott look ahead to the mixed doubles competition at the 2022 Winter Olympics. They go through all 10 teams competing in Beijing and discuss what will constitute a successful week. They also go through some key stats for each team and make their picks for who will stand on the podium at the end of the week.

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10 Burning Questions Heading into the Olympics

In this episode, Sean and Scott look ahead to 2022 Winter Olympic Games by addressing some of the biggest questions heading into the competition.

Will everyone be able to play? (5:20)

How will the ice conditions be? (9:36)

What is the magic number for losses to still make the playoffs? (13:16)

Will one player win two medals? (14:57)

How will the Chinese curling team perform? (18:33)

What style of play should we expect? (23:07)

Is this the best American curling contingent ever? (28:10)

Will there be an upset? (32:33)

Does Canada have to win a medal? (35:20)

Will one country sweep the gold medals? (42:02)

Are there any players you want to see win? (44:15)

Let us know what you think of these burning questions on social media @GameofStonesPod

For more, visit us at GameofStonesPod.com

Weird Weekend: Cancellations, Qualifications, & Explanations (Plus, a Sex Toy 'Controversy')

In this episode, Sean and Scott talk about a weekend when the world of curling really went off the rails. They start by talking about the cancellation of the 2022 Continental Cup, which was scheduled for January in Fredericton before moving onto the Olympic Qualifying Event talking place in the Netherlands, including the playoff matchups for the mixed doubles and the fields for the men's & women's qualifiers, which kick off on the weekend. They also get into the sex toy sponsorship 'controversy' that disrupted the broadcasts. They then move to the Canadian Senior Curling Championship taking place in Sault Ste Marie and the absolutely loaded women's field. They also discuss the coverage of Team Bottcher's announcement that Darren Moulding would no longer be on the team and how business arrangements could infuence team dynamics moving forward. FInally, they debate who would win an all-curling version of the Lou Marsh Award.

For more, be sure to visit us at GameofStonesPod.com

Queen Stays Queen: Recapping the Canadian Olympic Curling Trials

In this episode, Sean and Scott look back at the week that was at the Canadian Olympic Curling Trials. They start by talking about the women's final, the missed opportunities in that game, and a couple technical issues spotted during the late ends. Then the discuss the men's final, the cause of the low score, and Brad Jacobs' final shot. They also chat about Team Jones and Team Gushue as Team Canada at the Olympics before finishing by recapping the results from the 2021 European Curling Championship.

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Bad Beer Bet with Rocks Across the Pond: Picking the Euros & Olympic Trials

In this episode, Sean and Scott are joined by Jonathan & Ryan from Rocks Across the Pond for their annual Bad Beer Bet. They talk about the fields for the European Championship and the Canadian Olympic Curling Trials, both of which start on Saturday, before making their picks for the week. Whichever show loses has to drink some terrible beer live on our end of year Broomstack.

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Previewing the World Wheelchair Curling Championship

In this episode, Sean flies solo to talk about the 2021 World Wheelchair Curling Championship, which kicks off Saturday in Beijing. He goes through the Paralympic Games qualification process and talks about who is in, who is out, and who has to perform this week to earn a spot. He then goes through all 12 teams in the field, breaking down lineup changes, experience v. rookies, and which team has the strongest roster as we start to look ahead to who may be at the top of the podium at the end of the week.


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Best Players of the 1980s

In this episode, Sean and Scott look back on the 1980s in curling to rank the top 10 players from the decade. The first decade with a full complement of Women's World Championships and the first time curling was in the Olympics (as a demonstration sport) was full of some of the best players to ever take to the ice. Do you agree with our rankings? Be sure to let us know if we missed anyone who should have been included.

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