Relative Something

Against my own inclination to choose not to write about something that is already getting more than enough attention, I’m going to toss out my thoughts about the curling event that is getting plenty of television coverage by NBC in the US this Olympics. One of the first things that surprises me is how many folks I have heard from who are revealing themselves to be great fans of what they are seeing. Even as they admit they don’t entirely grasp all the details, they are nonetheless fascinated with watching.

I have mixed feelings. The first time I was exposed to it, in a previous Olympics, I found myself mesmerized and drawn to want to see more. I described myself as a fan. This year, upon further review, I have to admit, I’m not getting it. Suddenly, I’m finding the hollering: “yep-nope-yep-no, no, yep, no, HAAAARRRDD!, HARD!, HARD!!” to be a bit too schizophrenic for me to handle. Especially when the two people yelling, one from each of the opposite ends, are giving conflicting commands.

With the action interspersed with so much inactivity, I figure it should be an event ripe for multi-task viewing. I was definitely wrong. Every time I looked up during one recent match, there was nothing there. No stones in the house. I could hear shouting and stones being delivered, but by the time I looked up, nothing. Then I hear cheering and excitement and I look to find the cheering is for another match happening on the adjacent space, off camera. The members of the team I was watching are standing around, leaning on brooms, strategizing.

As for scoring, I am embarrassed that something so simple continues to evade me. When I’m trying to figure out which stones are going to count for points, players are pulling them off and tossing them to the side, not to be counted. Other times, similar stones might be left in play. Then, somehow no points will be granted for an end. I’ve no clue.

I must admit that I am bugged that for this “sport” the network offers full audio of the participants, something that helps me very little since I can’t understand their logic or their lingo, and often times, even their language. For my whole life, I have wished for this same opportunity to hear what the discussion is out on the pitcher’s mound in baseball or in the huddles and coaching instruction circles of basketball and football.

My biggest problem is that curling is like a different version of chess. They are making immediate decisions based on what will be happening multiple moves later in each “end”. I have no sense of what will be happening later, so I take each individual delivery and result on its own. Entirely underwhelming. It doesn’t provide much in the way of what I value in a spectator sport.

As much as I want to be a fan, I am more frustrated than not. I say, bring on the hockey games. That, I understand.