As the XXI Olympic Winter Games come to an end in Vancouver (the uber-exciting gold medal USA vs. Canada hockey game is on now), I still can't get over how much attention the "sport" of curling is getting.
I use "sport" in quotes because I'm not sure you can classify curling as a sport. Baseball is a sport. Hockey is a sport. Football is a sport. Curling is more of a game night kind of thing. Still, curling will suck you in. You start by flipping through various channels on the TV, you come across curling and your remote suddenly stops (almost like it did it by itself). It's okay ... it's happened to all of us at least once in the past two weeks.
The late-night comedians have been having a ball with curling. David Letterman and Jimmy Kimmel have cracked a joke or two at the curling events in Vancouver. Most of the jokes are about how ridiculous the game is. Frankly, there's nothing special about the game. It's basically shuffleboard on ice with two people chasing down a stone with brooms (you have to admit they look like Swiffer Sweepers).
Curling, in my opinion, isn't much different that watching golf or bowling on TV. It's kind of lazy, Sunday afternoon TV. So could it be the next big American "sport"? Yes.
The USCA (United States Curling Association) is working on expanding. Terry Kolesar, the director of communications of the United States Curling Association, says, "There's been a lot of interest from people in some of the warmer, Southern states like Florida and Georgia -- people asking for help in setting up curling clubs."
Right now, there are currently 14,000 members spread out over 135 clubs in the U.S. Kolesar says she's working on expanding.
And get this ... The New York Times did a report that Wall Streeters are hooked, each day looking forward to the moment when the market closes and MSNBC switches to curling coverage from Vancouver.
Even if you don't agree that curling is the most ridiculous Olympic sport since sychronized swimming ... Bob Schieffer has my back!
I use "sport" in quotes because I'm not sure you can classify curling as a sport. Baseball is a sport. Hockey is a sport. Football is a sport. Curling is more of a game night kind of thing. Still, curling will suck you in. You start by flipping through various channels on the TV, you come across curling and your remote suddenly stops (almost like it did it by itself). It's okay ... it's happened to all of us at least once in the past two weeks.
The late-night comedians have been having a ball with curling. David Letterman and Jimmy Kimmel have cracked a joke or two at the curling events in Vancouver. Most of the jokes are about how ridiculous the game is. Frankly, there's nothing special about the game. It's basically shuffleboard on ice with two people chasing down a stone with brooms (you have to admit they look like Swiffer Sweepers).
Curling, in my opinion, isn't much different that watching golf or bowling on TV. It's kind of lazy, Sunday afternoon TV. So could it be the next big American "sport"? Yes.
The USCA (United States Curling Association) is working on expanding. Terry Kolesar, the director of communications of the United States Curling Association, says, "There's been a lot of interest from people in some of the warmer, Southern states like Florida and Georgia -- people asking for help in setting up curling clubs."
Right now, there are currently 14,000 members spread out over 135 clubs in the U.S. Kolesar says she's working on expanding.
And get this ... The New York Times did a report that Wall Streeters are hooked, each day looking forward to the moment when the market closes and MSNBC switches to curling coverage from Vancouver.
Even if you don't agree that curling is the most ridiculous Olympic sport since sychronized swimming ... Bob Schieffer has my back!
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