10 Thoughts from The National
Jnuary 9, 2009
- Article by Chris Ballard
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Curling Scoops' own Chris Ballard will be at The National all weekend. After Friday's draws, there was a lot running through his mind. Here his top 10 thoughts from Friday's action at The National
1 - Why I thought there would be any more people here than a few dozen before noon is beyond me. This place is empty.
2 - The partitions between sheets seem very flimsy. Looking forward to Jason Gunnlaugson firing rocks across three or four sheets.
3 - In most sports it seems athletes treat the signing of autographs as a chore. In curling, they seem to almost look forward to it. The fans love it and the players seem to as well. Good for the sport.
4 - Even after their victory over Sean Geall in the 5th draw, Team Murdoch stayed on the ice for almost 30 minutes, each of them throwing a bunch of rocks. This kind of dedication is what makes them the best in the world.
5 - Even in curling, you can't get away from Tiger Woods. On my way to the press box this morning, I spotted a sign stating "I Swept With Tiger". Curling puns and TW references are not ok in my books.
6 - The game is much more intense at ice level than it is on television. Sitting on the carpet-covered ice between the sheets is a great place to see and hear the games up close. Think these guys don't curse? Think again.
7 - Soft ice may be playing a factor today. It worked in Gushue's favor in his steal of 3 against Burtnyk and worked against Martin in his loss to McEwen. Machines have been finishing and refinishing the ice since the 7th end had finished trying to rectify the situation.
8 - Ice at the end of Friday: Much better. Stoughton, Murdoch and Koe said the ice was great after their last draws. Then again, these teams had good winning days, so take it with a grain of salt.
9 - I've been here all day and we've sen two measurements and no games into extra ends. All definitive wins in a wide open field.
10 - If you've never seen a live curling event, you have no idea how much prep goes into one. Additional lights, charismatic announcers, a solid and LOUD fan base and a world-class field make this a killer live experience.
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