#BetweenTheSheets: Scheduling, Scheduling, Scheduling
Can scheduling make or break a team's season? Help or hinder the tour?
A curling fan does not need a calendar to know when September arrives. All one has to do is hop on social media, check out your favourite teams social media accounts and know the curling season is underway. This is the time when teams are "engaging" on social media with the announcement of their schedule for the upcoming season.
For some teams this is the start of a season-long engagement strategy with fans and through social media. Some of these teams announce their schedule and then continue interacting with fans all season. Some teams make their announcement and then we rarely see or hear from them again. Begging the question as to why bother with the announcement at all? If you are not going to be engaging all season, do fans really care where you will be and when?
But alas this is not a post discussing the sport, social media and fan engagement. We will save this topic for a later post, perhaps mid-season to see if teams actually are stepping up their social media game and becoming more engaged with fans (similar to what many NHL teams did last season).
This week lets talk about the actual focal point for all these posts at the beginning of September: Scheduling. Are teams scheduling themselves into or out of top rankings and #gsoc events? Can scheduling lead to diminished returns for some #wct events? And should there be a more strict requirement on teams for the amount of events they should play each season?
Settle into the hack rock heads, lets start a discussion.
We have all seen the posts flying across social media channels from teams making their announcements of where they will be this season. It is quite interesting to compare schedules for teams. Are those "elite" teams playing #wct events or more focused on mainly #gsoc events? How many events does the average team play? And for those teams on the cusp on moving up the rankings, are they playing more events hoping to gain enough ranking points to make the leap, similar to Team Dunstone last season?
Lets take a look at a few team schedules. To eliminate biases, the names of the teams have been removed so we can make an easier comparison. Think of it as a similar technique to March Madness when we compare the resume of bubble teams. Remember the #gsoc listings are pending qualification of course.
Team A: 4 #wct events, 6 #gsoc events, 1 national championship, 1 continental championship
Team B: 3 #wct events, 6 #gsoc events, 1 national event
Team C: 7 #wct events, 6 #gsoc events, 1 national event
Team D: 6 #wct events, 6 #gsoc events, 1 national championship
Team E: 6 #wct events, 6 #gsoc events
The big number to look at is the World Curling Tour events. Are those teams ranked in the Top 10-12 playing less tour events because they already know they have qualification locked up for the #gsoc events? And, if so, do the teams outside of the bubble have to play more events and hope they can bust through?
It would appear A and B are playing a slightly lighter schedule in comparison. Team B for sure is going lighter on the season than many of their opposing teams. While teams C, D and E are all on the cusp on #gsoc qualification and need to play a heavier tour schedule to keep those #gsoc dreams alive. Of course worth mentioning all of these teams have provincial/national/world championship aspirations added to their schedules.
But is this what the tour should be about now? Just qualifying for the slam events? If we want the sport to move into the professional realm, for sure. We need to differentiate the slams from the tour events. We need to elevate them. But we also need to create a more balanced qualification system.
If qualification is based on ranking points, should we have a tighter scheduling system in place? Perhaps teams should be required to enter a set number of #wct events each season. If we take the average of the teams listed above, 5 would be a good set number. If teams want to be #gsoc eligible they need to compete in a minimum of 5 #wct events.
There are 74 total men's events listed on the World Curling Tour website. Now this includes all 6 #gsoc events, Canada Cup, continental championships (PACC, Euro) and the world championship. If we eliminate those events there are 63 events.
Last season there were 84 total events. Again this includes the same events as above, including the now-extinct Elite X, plus the 4 Curling World Cup events. If we eliminate all those events we have 69 events. Very comparable to this season.
If we can establish a consistent tour with regularly scheduled events (and hopefully stop moving events around the calendar each year) teams can start putting together a smart schedule and the tour can start implementing a minimum #wct requirement for #gsoc qualification.
Now I get it. For this to happen the Grand Slam of Curling people would need to be on the same page as the World Curling Tour and World Curling Federation people. And, lets be honest, do we feel that is the case right now? Not exactly. But the end game for all these people is the same. We want the sport of curling to succeed. When the sports succeeds, we all succeed. The #growthesport movement can positively affect us all.
If we add #wct requirements. If we take a look at the ranking system and start possibly using the tour event classification system (which I refer to as the #TwineTime system now). If we all sit down and work together. Imagine the possibilities for the sport. We could make the leap from amateur sport to professional sport.
And lets talk about what it would do for these #wct events. Enforcing a minimum participation requirement helps these tour events. Adding classification helps these tour events. The marketing alone for the local curling clubs hosting these events. The events serve as mini-gsoc qualification events in theory.
If the participation requirement included a breakdown saying a team must compete in a minimum of one #Tour250 and two #Tour500 and a maximum of three #Tour1000 events, now we got ourselves a schedule. Remember the minimum requirement would be 5 tour events. If a team wants to play 6 or 7 or more, similar to teams C/D/E above, have at it. We need to have a system in place to allow for teams to move up the rankings and have a shot at those coveted #gsoc invites.
But we need a system in place where teams sitting at the top cannot feel so secure all the time either. The #TwineTime ranking system is a 52-week results based ranking model. Teams have to defend the points earned last season. They have to compete to defend. If you have a breakout season and won 4 tour events, you do not get to sit comfortable the following season. If you want to keep those points and keep your #gsoc spot, you better go out on the ice and defend those points won and make them points earned.
Add it all up and the wild card factor for tour success really comes down to one word: Scheduling!
Now talking about tour event classification, lets slide right into our #Tour500 event hitting the ice this week. We are still in Oakville, shifting from the Fall Classic last weekend to the Stu Sells Tankard this weekend. This is a dual event with bloated fields. 36 teams. Yowzers! 12 playoff spots. Yikes!
You want to talk about scheduling. Imagine being the person in charge of making this schedule work. 72 men's and women's games. 18 draws. 144 total RR games played by Saturday night. Chalk in the 4 men's and women's playoff qualifier games Saturday night and the entire championship bracket Sunday and you have a full curling schedule to manage. A whole new take on the scheduling discussion. Good thing they have 8 sheets of curling.
#TourLifePredictions
StuSells #OakvilleTankard (Tour 500)
Oakville, ON.
2018 Champion: Team Schwaller
Format: 36 team RR with 6 pools of 6. Top 12 overall qualify.
Top Teams Entered: Team Mouat, Team Epping, Team Paterson, Team De Cruz, Team Schwaller, Team Howard, Team Dunstone, Team McEwen
#Fav:
See last week's post? It certainly feels like a bit of history repeating doesn't it?! Switzerland's Team Schwaller has had the hot hands thus far this season. Two events. Two titles. One loss. And they arrive at Stu Sells as the defending champion. What is even more interesting, or maybe eerie, is they open this event with a game against Italy's Joel Retornaz. Same as last week. Sure there may be higher ranked teams entered this week but for most this will be their first event of the season. Schwaller and company have been sliding up and down the ice collecting pay cheques while these other teams were still enjoying summer holidays. The big difference this week is Schwaller wears the target as defending champ and hot momentum. Can they #DefendTheIce, go 3-for-3 on the season and pull the elusive Oakville double?
#TeamUpset:
While fans may be salivating over seeing some big names hit the ice for the first time, there are a number of #TeamUpset contenders in this draw who could wreck havoc for the favourites. We have our regular upset teams already this season: Scotland's Team Bryce and Switzerland's Team Hess (drawn in the same pool too), Italy's Retornaz as well as Switzerland's Team Lottenbach. But there are two teams I will be keeping a keen eye on this weekend. World junior champ Tyler Tardi makes his season debut with a minor line-up change. Gone is Matt Hall (#TwineTimeFam member now skipping his own team also competing this week). Welcome back Jordan Tardi. The #TardiParty family is back together. Expectations are certainly high on this team based on all the junior success. This weekend will be a good test to see just how ready they are for the big boys on tour. They are drawn into a pool with Norway's Thomas Ulsrud and Japan's Yuta Matsumura. Plus we get to see the former teammate battle Friday morning when Tardi takes on Hall. Luckily for Tardi he does avoid Epping, also in the pool but teams only play 4 games thus avoiding one team in their pool.
I will also be watching Stuart Thompson and his rink from Nova Scotia. The current Nova Scotia tankard champs made a splash on tour last season picking up some big victories and then finally won their provincial championship to earn a spot at the Brier. It will be interesting to see how the team follows up last season's success and newly found expectations to win and compete with the "elite". They also have a line-up change this year. Gone is long-time lead Taylor Ardiel (now playing second for Team Ouellette). Moving into the line-up is Cameron MacKenzie, who is most known as vice for Chad Stevens and played with Ian Fitzner-Leblanc last year. MacKenzie will play second, bumping Travis Cotter to lead. Will the new team change take some time to adjust? They draw USA's Team Ruohonen in their opener, who are fresh off a SF finish last weekend, and Team McDonald on Friday, a fellow 2019 Brier participant.
#W2W4:
36 teams. 6 pools of 6. 12 qualifiers. And each team only plays 4 RR games. This is an event where you almost feel like a triple knockout would make more sense. How do you put together a pool of 6 with only playing 4 games? And then how is it decided which 4 teams you play and which team in your pool you avoid? Depending on the pool opposition you could get lucky or cursed. With all due respect to teams competing, would you rather avoid playing Team Paterson or Team Goodkey? Now watch Goodkey go undefeated and win the event to make me look like an asshole (Go Goodkey!!). But it does seem weird.
Plus there are some Pools of Death. Look at Pool A: Mouat, Muyres, Gunnlaugson, Hess, Bryce, Yamaguchi. All teams who have already played at least one event this season. All teams who are capable of making playoff runs here. And, at best, two teams will survive the pool and reach the playoffs. Meanwhile, look at Pool F: van Dorp, Dunstone, Shuster, Stewart, Willsey, Lottenbach. If you could pick which pool to be placed in, where would you go? A or F? Come on! How are these pools developed? How I imagine it should go is similar to the FIFA World Cup. Place the Top 6 in a bowl and draw them out so each headlines their own pool. Then continue with 5 more bowls of 6 teams based on rankings. Did the <bad> luck of the draw put Pool A together as the Pool of Death? If so, those teams are owed a favour from the curling gods later. But, then again, you are going to have to beat the best to win anyway, why not get it started from your opening game and keep the momentum going?
And, remember last week when we discussed the #CanadaCurse at the #OakvilleFallClassic? Have you looked at the winner's list at Stu Sells? Last year, Switzerland's Team Schwaller. 2017 was Scotland's Bruce Mouat. 2016 was Sweden's Niklas Edin. No Canadian champion in the past three years, similar to the Fall Classic. 2019 Fall Classic was Schwaller. Does this mean we should expect a non-Canadian team to emerge victorious at Stu Sells with #HistoryRepeating? The numbers side with the Red & White as there are 19 Canadian teams in the field, compared to 17 international. So really only a slight advantage. But didn't we see a numbers advantage last weekend at the Fall Classic too? Look how that turned out.
Qualifiers: Team Mouat, Team Epping, Team Paterson, Team De Cruz, Team Howard, Team Dunstone, Team Schwaller, Team McDonald. Team Retornaz, Team Gunnlaugson, Team McEwen, Team Shuster
Championship: Team Mouat def. Team Dunstone
WOMEN
StuSells #OakvilleTankard (Tour 500)
Oakville, ON.
2018 Champion: Team Einarson
Format: 36 team RR with 6 pools of 6. Top 12 overall qualify.
Top Teams Entered: Team Hasselborg, Team Tirinzoni, Team E. Kim, Team Sidorova, Team Muirhead, Team Yoshimura, Team Nakajima
#Fav:
There are some heavy hitters competing this week. Scotland's Team Muirhead won last week and will be looking to collect the Oakville double. Switzerland's Team Tirinzoni reached the final last week and will try to defend the 300 points they earned last year at this event when they made the final. In fact, Tirinzoni has won this event 3 times in the past 5 years (2014, 2016, 2017) on top of reaching the final last year. Pencil her now for a deep run? And of course how could we not mention the #SwedishVikings Team Hasselborg making their season debut? Lead Sofia Mabergs started her season last weekend winning a mixed doubles event with boyfriend Brady Scharback in Battleford, SK so the winning ways have already begun. These are the Big 3 folks! The 3 teams who should be the one's to watch outside the Canadian borders and who are very capable of running over all competition this season. Do not be surprised to see these 3 teams in the SF...leaving only 1 SF spot remaining.
#TeamUpset:
If there is only 1 SF spot remaining, could a #TeamUpset contender fill the gap? Against this field it might be tough. Gone are the days when Switzerland's Team Stern or Sweden's Team Wrana or any of the Japanese or Korean teams could be considered #TeamUpset mentions. And now, based on early results this season, we probably should move Germay's Team Jentsch out of category consideration too? Maybe! Lets leave them as a borderline team and one to still watch out as a surprise this weekend against the strongest field they have faced (they draw Kim and Sidorova but avoid Stern).
If we are looking at true upset potential how about #PolarPower Team Galusha? Kerry Galusha and her squad have made the trip from Yellowknife to compete and could be a surprise. We saw Galusha pick up her first #wct title last season and become more competitive than ever before. The #TwineTimeFam member could take a huge slide forward in the new season with a strong performance at her season debut. The true advantage for Galusha? She avoids Hasselborg. Drawn into Pool A with the #SwedishVikings, she actually does not play them in the RR. The competition is not going to be a walk in the park though, drawing stiff competition in Team Murphy and Team Inglis. But come on, if you had to pick Hasselborg or Murphy/Inglis to play in the RR, who would you select? And I mean no disrespect to either. Danielle Inglis is a #TwineTimeFam member too remember! Galusha has also added the experience factor of Jo-Ann Rizzo to the team at second this season. Rizzo found great success for many seasons with Sherry Middaugh and skipped her own team last season. She could be the perfect missing puzzle to take Team Galusha to the next level.
I would also keep your eyes on Pool E. This is a perfect opportunity for a #TeamUpset contender to emerge. The pool consists of Team Balsdon, Team Brunton, Team Harrison, Team Jackson, Team Wrana and Team K. Jones. Balsdon made a nice playoff run last weekend. Jones was named last weekend as a dark horse contender. Harrison has a new team in front of her but has proven over the past few years to never discount her play. And well we all know the talent level on Wrana and Jackson. All 6 of these teams are not considered "favourites" per se but could have surprise playoff potential. It will be interesting to see who survives this wide open pool.
#W2W4:
This is a Canada vs. The World competition. We have 17 Canadian teams. We have 19 international teams representing 9 countries from 2 continents. In the past 7 years of the tournament we have seen 3 Canadian winners (Einarson 2018, Homan 2015, Middaugh 2013) and 4 international winners (Tirinzoni, Erika Brown 2012). Defending champ Einarson and past champ Homan are not competing this year. Can another team fly the maple leaf into the winner's circle or will we continue to see international success in Oakville?
We know the #CanadaCurse is alive and well. The numbers and stats side with another non-Canadian team taking home the trophy. It will be fun to see how it all plays out and whether the curse continues. Hmmm, if so, perhaps we just call it the #OakvilleCurse rather than the #CanadaCurse? Muirhead continued the tradition at the Fall Classic, can she or one of the other 18 international teams complete the international Oakville double?
Qualifiers: Team Hasselborg, Team Tirinzoni, Team Rocque, Team E. Kim, Team Jackson, Team Muirhead, Team Sidorova, Team K. Jones, Team Gim, Team Feltscher, Team Jentsch, Team Murphy
Championship: Team Hasselborg def. Team Tirinzoni
Can you believe this event started on Wednesday by the way? Talking about scheduling, what a weird schedule in place for this event. Some teams play back-to-back games on Wednesday and then do not play again until Friday. Huh? So we make a few teams play two games before a majority of other teams play one game and then those teams who start early have to take an entire day off mid-competition? 144 games is a lot so I get trying to squeeze everyone in is tough. But it does seem a little off-balanced, no? One team can play Wednesday morning, Thursday morning, Friday night and Saturday night. And then maybe a playoff game Saturday. Lots of down time. The wild card factor for teams is how they handle all the down time and stay fresh and in competition mode. Those teams who handle it the best will be the one's left standing come Sunday.
About scheduling right?!?!
MIXED DOUBLES
There are a few mixed doubles events on the schedule this weekend. The Oberstdorf International Mixed Doubles Cup will take place in Oberstdorf, Germany while Boucherville, Quebec will host another mixed doubles event.
There are some strong teams competing in Germany. Past world champions and Olympic silver medal winners from Switzerland Jenny Perret / Martin Rios highlight the field but also keep your eyes on Scotland's Gina Aitkin / Scott Andrews as podium contenders. Other contenders include Switzerland's Daniela Rupp / Kevin Wunderlin, Spain's Oihane Otaegi / Mikel Unanue and a pair of Swedish duos Therese Vestmann / Robin Ahlberg and Johanna Heldin / Kristian Lindstroem. And if you want a #TeamUpset duo to cheer for look no further than a home nation couple (on and off the ice) of Lena Kapp / Marc Muskatewitz.
For a championship prediction, Perret / Rios def. Vestmann / Ahlberg.
In Quebec, the Desjardins duo highlights the field of 18. Emilie and Robert will be considered favourites but watch out for another same name duo to challenge them for top spot: The Cottrill's. Katie and Shawn have proven to be a mixed doubles threat for years and should almost be considered co-favourites. Looking for a #TeamUpset? How about we continue the same name trend and draw attention to the Morissette's. Sophie and Pierre-Luc could be a nice dark horse duo. Who knows, we could end up with a podium full of same name teams.
For a championship predictions, Cottrill / Cottrill def. Desjardins / Desjardins.
#StayTuned
What say you rock heads? Agree with the predictions? Disagree? And what are your thoughts on the scheduling topic? Share your comments via social media or in the comment section. Lets continue the conversation. And feel free to ask teams about their schedule. How do they develop them? How do they decide which events they want to play and when? And how often?
This blog fully supports increased engagement among players, teams and fans. The only way to do so is through conversation and discussion.
If you are in the Oakville area, head down to the club and check out the teams competing on the ice this weekend. Cheer them on. Take some pictures. Post them on social media. Share how great it is to attend curling events LIVE!!
And the blog returns at the beginning of next week to update the #PowerRankings and see if the results cause a shift on the mountain. ICYMI, view the current rankings HERE.
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