Get Your Popcorn Ready

#BetweenTheSheets: Get Your Popcorn Ready

#PopcornGames highlight a busy curling weekend

The Return of the #PopcornGames!

A few seasons ago the blog introduced a new element to the #TwineTimePreviews.

As we see in many professional sports, we look ahead to a schedule and declare a few high-profiles games we cannot wait to see.

These games are often called Popcorn Games or Popcorn Matches.

The blog introduced a similar feature back in 2022 and the tradition is alive again this season.

With the blog recovered from an early September sickness, it is time to bring back the #PopcornGames in the event previews.

So grab your popcorn as this weekend we have a FULL SLATE of events ready to pop off.

Are you excited?

Power Rankings - W8

 #BetweenTheSheets: Power Rankings Week 8

Is this a Switzerland vs. The World season?

Last week's Power Rankings post focused on the surging Japanese women's teams early on this season.

This week, lets talk about another country making moves: Switzerland.

The Shorty Jenkins Classic may have felt like a Swiss homecoming with Team Schwaller and Team Tirinzoni reaching the championship finals.

For Schwaller, they accomplished the Ontario Double in winning Stu Sells Oakville and the Shorty Jenkins in back-to-back weeks.

For Tirinzoni, it was back on the ice and picking up exactly where one of the best teams in the world is expected to be. They beat teams. They made a deep playoff run. They ran into their newest rival Team Homan.

But do not think Switzerland is just a one-team race for the men and women.

Team Hoesli picked up a tour title a few weeks ago in Oslo and reached the SF in Oakville.

Team Brunner reached the QF in Baden and the SF in Stirling to start their season.

And we now have 3 Swiss men's teams ranked in the Top 15 in the world.

Compare that to Scotland also having 3 teams and Canada, which has more curlers than anywhere else, has 6 teams in the Top 15.

Lets not forget the Swiss women. Tirinzoni is the front-running flag bearer for the Alpine nation but Team X. Schwaller is gaining ground.

Schwaller was a runner-up in Oslo and won the title in Oakville.

If these early season results hold true for the remainder of the season, the Swiss championships in early 2025 will be one of the most hard fought national championships of the season.

And if you aren't practicing your #HoppSchwiiz chant now, you might want to start.

I have a feeling we are going to be hearing it a lot this season...for a number of teams.

The unofficial Swiss motto is "Unus pro omnibus, omnes pro uno" which translates to "One for all, all for one".

Sounds fitting for a nation producing multiple top contenders. It really could be Switzerland vs. The World this season.

But how do these teams rank on the Power Rankings? Are they also making moves up the mountain?

Power Rankings - W7

 #BetweenTheSheets: Power Rankings Week 7

Japanese women continue to make moves

The Land of the Rising Sun is becoming the land of the best female curling teams in the world.

Japan is coming in hot this season. And the results on the ice are proof.

The strength of Japanese women's teams should not be ignored. And they have been the story of the season thus far.

Team Tabata is quickly becoming a powerhouse threat.

Team Yoshimura has been steadily climbing the rankings over the years, becoming a #gsoc playoff threat.

Last season Team Kitazawa added their name to the ring of contenders and continues to make deep playoff runs at tour events.

And we can never overlook crowd fav Team Fujisawa. They have done it all and continue to be one of the toughest teams on tour to play against.

Plus, we are not even discussing the current Japanese champions, Team Ueno.

At this point in the season, one could argue for 3 or 4 of these teams to be in the Power Rankings Top 10.

While curling fans may become hyper-focused on Canadian teams starting to hit the ice for the season, do not overlook the results of the Japanese women's teams.

The fight through the season, leading into the national championship in February, might be the best competitive curling race of the year.

Could one of these Japanese teams ascend to the top of the Power Rankings? And how many Japanese teams will crack the Top 10 this week?

Welcome Back

#BetweenTheSheets: Welcome Back

The "unofficial" opening weekend of the season

Welcome Back!

College football returned to the gridiron last weekend.

NFL hits the turf this weekend.

And kids were welcomed back to the hallowed halls of school.

It must mean Fall is in the air...and curling is welcomed back into our lives.

Ok, we all know curling tour action has been back for over a month now.

But now the sport returns to Canadian ice in September.

Japan has been a focal point of tour action for a number of weeks.

European curling hotspots have also been the button of outstanding curling.

The target is now set on Canada as East and West will play host to the "unofficial" opening weekend of the curling season.

Are you excited?

Power Rankings - W6

 #BetweenTheSheets: Power Rankings Week 6

Did results in Norway, Japan and Canada rock the mountain?

The Power Rankings are always watching.

And, after spending a long weekend curled up in bed with food poisoning, it is a good thing there was some streaming options available.

What else is a curling fan to do?

We saw #DefendTheIce successes in Norway.

We saw the on-going rivalry in Japanese women's curling continue to heat up.

We saw former teammates now rival competitors face off for a title in Manitoba.

And we crowned new #NextGen champs in Alberta.

With TwineTime still feeling the lag of the sickness, lets dive it for a short and quick Power Rankings update.