In about a week, Scott Baird will become the oldest Winter Olympian ever, at age 54. Baird will represent Team USA at the curling event in Torino. (Insert funny remark here.)
It’s true. This is nothing more than comic relief. It nice to see an old Olympian but the event he competes in cannot be construed as a sport. The game he plays is nothing more than a mixture of shuffleboard and bocce on ice. I can’t see where any athletic ability whatsoever comes into play during curling.
Now I know what those pro-curling people are saying and they are probably right. I have no idea what I’m talking about when it comes to curling. I’m just a spoiled American who if put on the ice, would choose hockey over being a human zamboni. The thing is; I have this silly little rule that goes as follows:
If by 20 years old, you have never played, been asked to play, or come in contact with anyone who has ever thought about playing a so-called sport, it probably isn’t a sport.
Granted, I have a few months until I reach that age, but I highly doubt that any of my old chaps are going to ask me to take part in a riveting game or curling anytime soon.
I have also always felt that if there is a debate as to whether or not something is a sport, then odds are it’s not, but there are holes in that idea. One might ask how I can consider golf or auto racing a sport, but not curling.
Well, you see there is this crazy old woman who lives down the street from me. She is probably around 85 and one of the few true bi-polar people I have ever known. One day she was hitting us with a broom, chasing us off the street. The next, she was watching me pass a baseball with the delight of a five year old. Till this day, she still calls me "railroad arm." Apparently, she thinks I’m Walter Johnson.
Article comments
— go to most recent comments1 - Mark Saleski
If by 20 years old, you have never played, been asked to play, or come in contact with anyone who has ever thought about playing a so-called sport, it probably isn't a sport.
and despite what they say about soccer, your rule would nullify soccer as a sport in this country.
2 - Matthew T. Sussman
Poor gullible Dan.
There's a lot of physical work in the sport. An 8-end game can take a lot out of you. And the Olympic games are 10 ends.
In fact it embodies the facets of any sport you can think of in their purest forms: skill, endurance, balance, teamwork, strategy, sportsmanship.
My suggestion? Find a club near you and contact 'em. They're always looking for new members.
--Matt Sussman
Bowling Green State Univeresity Curling, 2002-05
(3rd place: Great Lakes Regional Tournament, Detroit 2004)
(4th place: Div. III, National Tournament, Chicago 2005)
3 - Christopher Rose
Nobody under 20 playing football?
Can't imagine what strange little country that would be. Maybe the same one that has no relegation or promotion in its major sports "franchise", making the whole thing a meaningless and sterile ritual in the very core of the land of free enterprise? Or the one that thinks playing with itself is a world series?
Naah, couldn't be... ;-)
4 - George Karrys
Hi Dan. Thanks for raising the question.
This is becoming a quadrennial thing, however, and some of us are getting bored with answering the same old question.
Yes... it's a sport.
Cheers,
George Karrys
Team Canada Men's Curling, Nagano 1998
Publisher, The Curling News
www.thecurlingnews.com
curlnews.blogspot.com
5 - Deano
Hey George, nice to see you lurking on Blogcritics.
We used to play in Juniors at Thornhill CC. How's it going? Are you heading to Torino at all?
6 - Jorge
Hi Deano... yes, I leave Thursday and shall be Blogging at: curlnews.blogspot.com
Ciao bellas/fellas...
7 - Deano
You should cross-post here on Blogcritics - we now have a sports section - Yes, curling is a sport!!
Sweep you B*stards, Sweep!
8 - Mary K. Williams
Nobody under 20 playing football?
Can't imagine what strange little country that would be.
It is funny Christopher, soccer (football) is SO common now, both my sons played it, but when I was growing up? Totally unheard of. At some point I had heard of the name 'Pele', and know who he was, but that was still so far removed from what was going on in the States at that time.
9 - Ben
Dan makes a good point Curing is not a sport
10 - Tristan
Wow Ben. You really don't know the SPORT at ALL then. Read the comments instead of just flaming a SPORT for no reason. If you don't consider it a SPORT, you really shouldn't be looking around on the internet for stuff about it. Leave the SPORT alone.
11 - Tristan
By the way Dan, the fact that the 85 year-old woman down the street can play the sport as well as pretty much anyone else is a testament to the accessibility of the sport, if nothing else.
12 - Emilie
Curling IS A SPORT! I am 11 years old girl and have been doing it for a while and I agree it is a sport. Anyone who says curling is not a sport has never played as it is a sport that anyone can do but takes years of practice to become a good player.
13 - competes in real sports
Are you all retarded? Curling is not a sport it requires absolutely no physical exertion and is played at such a slow pace. It's like poker, it's a skill people, not a sport... As for the 11 year old girl, you just learned the alphabet, your opinion doesn't count, as well as your "years of practice" Lol some people these days!
14 - Bock
It's like people with compulsive obsessive disorder cleaning dirt no one else can see off ice, like sweeping sand off a beach, while a crab walks past.
I
15 - Erick
This is in regards to the #13 poster. You are incredibly ignorant. I'm watching this right now and this looks like it takes incredible endurance and balance. These matches are long, and these sweepers are flailing there arms like crazy, all the while sliding across an essentially frictionless surface. Just because it isn't your beloved football or baseball doesn't exclude it from being a sport. Your opinion is welcome, however next time come back with a better justification, because your ignorance is not.
16 - Jayz
This is not an f ing sport. What a joke
17 - Nick
i've never played curling. i dont know anyone who does. i've never seen it anywhere but every four years during the olympic games. but from what little i know and what ive seen, it seems like a sport. balancing on ice takes a sh*t ton of muscle and coordination. then to slide accurately while flailing those arms? holy wow. plus the strategy, skill, and knowledge of physics. and for those nay sayers, i say you can't invalidate it as a sport until you've atleast PLAYED it. c'mon.
18 - Bob
I enjoy watching curling, just like I enjoy watching botchiball, and shuffleboard.
Webster
Curling : a game in which two teams of four players each slide curling stones over a stretch of ice toward a target circle.
19 - Bob
Webster
Sport : physical activity engaged in for pleasure (2) : a particular activity (as an athletic game) so engaged in.
So, I guess that would make botchiball, and shuffleboard sports as well.
But then again, playing cards chess is a physical activity engaged in for pleasure. So I guess that would mak it a sport as well.
20 - Bob
Sorry about that! Meant to say:
But then again, playing cards or chess would be a physical activity engaged in for pleasure. So I guess that would make them sports as well.
21 - bill
I do not see the point in curling, at all. I think it is funny to watch. They get so into it, you can tell by there faces, it makes me smile everytime so thank you to all who play this game. I do not believe it is a sport all they do is play with big brush things. hah.
22 - jav
i wash watching it last night it doesnt look like a sport more like chess or pool, poker?
23 - cha
curling is not a sport.
24 - Josh
The idea that an 80 year old sweeping can do it is such a ridiculous statement that it renders the entire blog pointless... if you have that little knowledge about something, why comment on it?
25 - jake
Wayne Gretzky is also a big fan of the sport. and i'm pretty sure he would know what a sport is seeing as he is considered one of the best to play one.