#PowerRankings W16

#BetweenTheSheets: The Return to Work

The blog is back with UPDATED #PowerRankings and hot topics

He's BAAAAAACCCKKKKK!!

Vacation time is over rock heads and stoners and the time to return to work is upon us. The #TwineTime blog is back in the hack.

For the past month the blog has been on a hiatus as I travelled around Europe. From learning about Nazi history in Germany to discovering stunning architecture in Czech Republic to enjoying a late night out at a shooter bar in the Netherlands, the mental health break for #EuroBdayTrip 2018 was much needed and welcomed. Not to mention throwing in a curling bucket list item of attending my first European Curling Championship in Tallinn, Estonia. Thanks again to World Curling Federation for allowing this blog to be part of the fun.

But all good things must come to an end friends. Vacation is over. We must return to our regularly scheduled program. And boy do we have a lot of catch up on....

Since we last connected, 21 men's events and 16 women's events have seen rocks hit in and out of the rings. This includes a continental championship and two #gsoc events. With all these results you know there must be some changes atop the #PowerRankings mountain.

But before we begin our ascension towards our #1 ranked teams, lets discuss a few of the hot topics over the past few weeks.

#HotTopics

Ok we all know the biggest hot topic over the past month happened in Red Deer. This blog is not going to beat a dead horse here and discuss what happened, who did what and the fallout from those actions. You all know it. And if you don't a quick google search will tell you everything you need to know.

But there are a few skipper stones worth mentioning weeks after the fact. For one, the controversy became a world wide news story. Having been in Europe at the time, at the European Curling Championships nonetheless, everyone was talking about it. Curlers competing of course. But also news outlets around the globe. England. Scotland. Japan. Russia. USA. Canada. Sweden. News outlets picked up this story and ran with it for 24 to 48 hours. Curling was global news! We haven't really seen this type of pick-up for curling news, outside the Olympics of course, since the fall heard around the world and #BroomGate.

It begs the question, "Is all news good news?" In public relations the spin is all news is good news, even when the subject/topic may seem negative. If a story generates interest and conversation around the sport, is this really a negative? From the perspective of those curlers in question, especially Mr. Fry, perhaps. But in the grand scheme of the sport, perhaps not.

You would expect the curlers competing in Estonia to be discussing this topic. It goes with the territory of being an athlete in the sport. But what about those non-athletes? Those who do not follow curling like athletes or fans? I met people in Amsterdam after being in Tallinn and discussed my time covering the European Championships and even they, non-curling fans, knew about the "drunk curler" story in Canada. They may not have known all the details or even the names but they knew of the story. Same when I went to London. Once again, a few people may not know all the details but they asked about the story. It got people talking. Non-curling fans were talking curling with me at a pub. How cool is that?

Was it a "negative" reason behind peaking their interest? Sure. But it also opened up the house on starting a conversation on the sport and allowed me the opportunity to "educate" non-curling fans on the sport. We may have started talking about the controversial incident but in each instance it led us to slide into more details on the sport in general. We talked about the European Championships and how many different nations competed. We talked about the Olympics and what a hit curling was around the world. We even talked about mixed doubles and how people liked it. The one incident opened the conversation floodgate to discussion around curling in other cities and nations around the world. This cannot be perceived as a total PR nightmare for the sport folks.

On the flip side, actions must have consequences. Ryan Fry has made his statement of stepping away from the game for an undetermined time frame due to his actions. Fines were handed out. Apology statements were issued. Now I was not there and only heard information through social media and news sources so I will not comment on exactly what happened nor pass specific judgement comments on those involved. However it does harken back to a topic of discussion this blog has raised this season: Social Consciousness for Sport.

Athletes are held to a higher regard than us "normal" people. They are under the microscope and every action they make in the public eye, whether on the ice competing or just relaxing off the ice, is open to criticism and judgement. Unfair? Perhaps. But these athletes also get many benefits. Media attention. TV time. Sponsorship endorsements. Free gifts. Access to events and parties us "normies" would never get to see or experience. As this blog has stated, you do not get to have your cake and eat it too.

Do apologies and fines outhit the counter stone of the negative action? I am not so sure. In my career, if I got drunk and made rude comments or unacceptable actions, would an apology suffice or would I be out of a job? More than likely I would be unemployed. Saying "I'm sorry" sometimes just is not enough. How many athlete apologies does the world have to hear before we finally say enough is enough? Time to grow up and act like a civil human being, regardless of what "status" you think you have on this planet. Fines? How many athletes care about fines? Money, for most athletes, is nothing. $1000 here. $2500 there. That is what? One week of action for some in their sport? The punishment is not matching the crime here.

What about social conscious outreach though? You have an alcoholic outbreak over the weekend and your punishment might not only be the fine (which should be a donation to a local charity, preferably supporting the sport and next generation) but also public speaking requirements. Maybe you have to speak to a few schools on the topic and learning from your mistakes. Maybe you have to go out in the public eye and admit to those who looked up to you your wrongdoings at a kids clinic or even an adult Learn to Curl event. Standing in front of your peers, your fans, those who maybe view you as a role model and wear your mistake and share your lesson might help humble the athlete a bit while also giving back to others in sharing a message "do not what I have done".

Paying a fine and taking a leave of absence from your athletic career just does not seem to match some of the infractions we have seen from many athletes. And again, I remind you, this is not a direct comment on Mr. Fry nor Team Koe. There are countless examples of athletes, from all sports, who this could, should, would apply to. Fans need to demand more accountability from athletes. You want the high's and praise, great we are glad to give it. But if you f*ck up, we also reserve the right to demand better actions and results from these mistakes. Like I said, I cannot go on a drunken rant over the weekend and think it might not effect my career come Monday morning. The real world doesn't operate like that and you, Mr. and Mrs. Athlete, still live in the real world...even if some of you think you are above it!

Now a second hot topic arose this past weekend in Estevan, SK at the Canada Cup. The new timing rule where teams would be allocated a set time per end rather than per game. The hope of course was to help speed up the game for fans. But did this trial rule add more distaste in the fans mouth? It certainly did for the athletes. Just ask Ben Hebert if you watched the men's final Sunday night.

Lets just lay it on the ice here. This was a miss. Nobody was happy. Teams were left playing games in rush mode. Skips were left with little to no time to throw important final stones. Conversation among team members were limited. In the end, the fans probably lost out on more game play then they gained by "cutting down" play time. Sometimes the best parts of an end are listening to the team discussions on strategy. Fans learn more about the sport hearing the professionals talk about the strategy. Up and coming athletes and nex gen stars can take a lot out of watching a game and listening to Jennifer Jones or Kevin Koe talk about the angles and shots and strategy around planning out an end. The time per end rule eliminated much of this side of the game. And nobody came away as a winner.

Do not get me wrong. We all know this blog is a firm believer in the #growthesport mentality. Kudos to Curling Canada for trying something new. Remember the 5 rock rule was first tried at the Canada Cup as well and now look where we are. Same with Brier/Scotties relegation. We cannot hate on Curling Canada and/or World Curling Federation for trying new rules and new events. We will never fully #growthesport by not making attempts at new ideas. Some work. Some do not. The time per end did not. However, there could be a win out of this experience. In efforts to cut down game times, the failure of this idea may finally lead us to the world we all have been craving....8-end games!

We do not want 3 hour 10-end games. Fans are not having it anymore. Athletes do not want it anymore. It is a wear and tear on a body, especially at a Scotties or Brier or World Championship. So we need to cut down the time per game. One idea was the time per end. It didn't work. The next idea, and one many athletes and fans have been asking for, is all events are moved to 8-end games. 5-rock rule 8-end games....yes please! The move to the 5-rock rule helped to eliminate "boring" ends, increase scoring and yield a more #NoLeadIsSafe playing mentality. Fans love it. Athletes love it. Yay curling, one problem fixed! Now lets resolve the time issue. 8-end games seem to be the best way to do so. Lets try it out at a Scotties/Brier and see how it goes. Bring it on at a World Championship. Teams are already playing this way on tour anyway so why not?

Again, props for trying something new. While I kind of side with the argument testing this new idea at a large event like the Canada Cup may not have been the best platform, a test was done with some of the world's best curlers and the results are pretty overwhelming on what people think. Bring on the next pilot project and test event. I am always supportive of trying new ideas to see what can best #growthesport for the future. Hmmm, maybe a change to the ranking and tour structure perhaps is next? Seems this blog has been saying that for a few years now. Speaking of, lets get back to the #TwineTime tour structure and pilot #PowerRankings shall we?

I cannot believe it has been 5 weeks (!!!) since the last #PowerRankings update. While I enjoyed the much needed European vacation it is nice to get back into the regular routine at home and back to blogging. There were A LOT of results to catch up on though and updating the rankings mountain took some time. But the results have been reviewed, the points have been allocated and the calculations have been verified. As there have been so many events completed during my blogging sabbatical there will be no #GunnerRunback this week. But if you want to get caught up on the deets of all past events check out the World Curling Tour website and click on the schedule section.

Here is how the Ranking Mountain looks after a busy month of November and early December....

#PowerRankings

MEN

1. Team Epping - 3838 (LW: 1)
2. Team Edin - 2842 (2)
3. Team Jacobs - 2800 (HM)
4. Team Koe - 2700 (5)
5. Team McDonald - 2515 (3)

Hon. Mention: Team Dunstone, Team Bottcher, Team Gushue, Team De Cruz, Team Mouat


WOMEN

1. Team Hasselborg - 4500 (LW: 1)
2. Team Einarson - 3440 (2)
3. Team Homan - 2990 (4)
4. Team J. Jones - 2455 (HM)
5. Team Kovaleva - 2265 (3)

Hon. Mention: Team Yoshimura, Team Tirinzoni, Team Carey, Team Stern, Team Scheidegger


For the men, Team Jacobs has collected a #gsoc win and the recent #CanCup2018 win over the past few weeks to make a move for the coveted #1 spot. Prior to the Tour Challenge win Jacobs was hovering around the HM section of the mountain but found a clear path up the side of the mountain with some strong results and is now applying pressure to Team Epping. As for Epping, he has now retained the #1 spot for a record 13 consecutive weeks. The new line-up is certainly a proven success for this team. Keep your eyes on Teams Dunstone, Bottcher and Gushue though who continue to make a move up the mountain and are looking to solidify a Top 5 footing before the end of 2018.

For the women, no surprise #SwedishVikings Team Hasselborg retain their #1 spot atop the mountain after winning their first European Championship a few weeks ago in Tallinn. 3 #wct events and 1 Euro's = 4 titles on the season for the Olympic champs. No Olympic hangover for this team...yet! But they cannot afford a slip up either as Team Einarson, Team Homan and Team Jones have been slowly making their climb up the mountain as well. Homan won the Tour Challenge. Jones won the Canada Cup. Einarson has consistently made the playoffs in the big events and is always adding to her point total. Could we see the Top 4 pull away from the pack over the next week or two? With the #BoostNational hitting the ice this week and all 4 teams competing, imagine a Final Four scenario with these teams battling it out for the championship?! Worth noting, Einarson and Homan find themselves in the same pool so we already know we get a Top 4 battle in the final RR game for both teams with, what we must expect, playoff implications and seeding to be on the line.

Again, a reminder the Curling World Cup events DO NOT factor into the #PowerRankings this season. So while Team Shuster and Team Fujisawa won gold this past weekend and Team Edin picked up a silver, points were not earned at this time. This blog still holds true to the belief this concept needs to be developed a bit further and is looking at the 2018/19 offering as a pilot program. Will these events play into the #PowerRankings in the future? Most likely. Next season? Perhaps. But for now, not a chance. #SorryNotSorry

#StayTuned

As mentioned the next Grand Slam of Curling event hits the ice this week in Conception Bay, NL for the #BoostNational. The National is considered a "Major" for the season so there will be big points on the ice for the teams competing. A preview of the field will be sliding into your house mid-week.

But the #gsoc is not the only event going on this week. We have a men's and women's #Tour500 event in Qinghai, China. Another dual event in Lakeville, MN as a #Tour250 and the men have an additional #Tour250 this week at the Dumfries Challenger Series. #TwineTime will also bring you a preview of these events later in the week.

Welcome back indeed with a full week of #wct action folks. Now lets just hope all of you remember this blog and missed me during my vacation. Trust me, I missed all of you! And ICYMI, right before leaving a new member was welcomed into the #TwineTimeFam: Laura Walker. Check out her interview with the blog as we discuss new team dynamics, the Women of Curling calendar, gender equality and so much more.

Happy Holidays!