#BetweenTheSheets: Get Your Popcorn Ready
This season is about to POP off
Are you familiar with the phrase "Popcorn Match"?
If you are a tennis fan, you have probably heard this phrase used quite often. With the US Open underway in New York, you may hear it when analysts start breaking down the Order of Play for the day.
The term "Popcorn Match" actually came from former tennis player/coach and now ESPN analyst Brad Gilbert, who famously said "Get out a big bowl of popcorn and enjoy the show - movie style."
The match is usually one featuring high drama, high interest, high intensity and/or highly ranked opponents. And the winner...is usually the fans!
Curling is no exception to the #PopcornMatch concept. And with this being a season of change, there is quite a bit of intrigue (and unknowns) going into the season.
The whole Winter Olympic topic is put to rest this year but there is still a lot to be played for...and preparations made looking towards the next 4 years.
Popcorn on ice folks. Eat. It. Up!
Before we dive into the full slate of events to watch this September long weekend, did you know the season has actually been going on for a few weeks?
If you look at the season calendar, technically this weekend is considered Week 5.
A few teams have already tasted the sweet buttery flavouring of victory. Bring on the quick runback to get you caught up on the first 4 weeks of the season.
#TheRunback
Men
🥌 Korean Curling Championship - Team B. Jeong def. Team C. Kim to become Team Korea this season.
🥌 Hokkaido Curling Bank Classic - Team B. Jeong (KOR) def. Team Morozumi (JPN). Jeong went undefeated en route to the title.
🥌 Summer Series - Team Roberge (QC) def. Team Desjardins (QC). Roberge qualified for the playoff bracket via a TB after a 2-2 RR record.
🥌 Wakkanai Midori Challenge Cup - Team Maeda (JPN) def. Team Morozumi (JPN). Maeda went undefeated to claim the title.
🥌 Baden Masters - Team Walstad (NOR) def. Team Gosgens (NED). Both teams went 3-1 in the RR to qualify before meeting in the final.
🥌 Euro Super Series - Team Retornaz (ITA) def. Team Dropkin (USA). Retornaz went undefeated, qualifying for the playoffs via the A-side. Dropkin qualified via the #CSideGrind.
🥌 Curling Stadium Alberta Curling Series - Team Sluchinski (AB) def. Team Sturmay (AB). Sluchinski went 3-1 in the RR and handed Sturmay their only loss of the event in the final.
Women
🥌 Korean Curling Championship - Team Ha def. Team Gim to become Team Korea this season.
🥌 Hokkaido Curling Bank Classic - Team Yoshimura (JPN) def. Team Minami (JPN). Yoshimura went 2-1 in the RR and def. new Korean champ Team Ha in the SF.
🥌 Euro Super Series - Team Jentsch (GER) def. Team Roervik (NOR). Jentsch went 3-1 in the RR to win their pool and handed Roervik their first loss of the event in the final.
🥌 Wakkanai Midori Challenge Cup - Team Yoshimura (JPN) def. Team Kanai (JPN). Yoshimura went undefeated to claim the title and are on a 9-match winning streak.
🥌 Summer Series - Team Tirinzoni (SUI) def. Team Grandy (ONT). Tirinzoni went 6-0 to start their season.
🥌 Curling Stadium Alberta Curling Series - Team Gim (KOR) def. Team Sturmay (AB). Both teams were undefeated heading into the championship final.
What have we learned thus far in the early part of the season? Expect some upsets perhaps?
Team Jeong and Team Ha winning the Korean Curling Championship to open the season may have set the tone for the next 10 months of curling action.
Italy's Team Retornaz looks ready to build on the historic bronze medal win at the world championships last season.
Japan's Team Yoshimura lost their first game of the season and have not lost since, winning back-to-back tour titles.
World champs Team Tirinzoni did not need the full team in Quebec and still walked away with a perfect record and another tour title.
And can we please have someone consider naming conventions for these events?
The "Curling Stadium Alberta Curling Series"? So...you are saying this is a curling event, right? 😏
This upcoming weekend is referred to as Labour Day weekend in North America. Labour Day is recognized as the first Monday in September.
The history of Labour Day goes back to recognizing the labour union movement, also known as the #EightHourMovement.
The #EightHourMovement asks for eight hours of work, eight hours of recreation and eight hours of rest. Sounds reasonable but always seems impossible to make a reality, no?
And while Labour Day weekend is celebrated on the first weekend of September, for many nations around the world it is actually celebrated on May 1 (also known as International Workers' Day).
The curling season is often considered to officially start Labour Day weekend.
Based on the 8/8/8 rule, my guess is many athletes competing over the weekend are going to get more hours of work, less hours of sleep and hopefully some hours of recreation.
Does the line between "work" and "recreation" start to blur when you are an athlete? 😏
As for the rockheads, watching curling and being lazy counts towards recreation right?
Lets dive into the weekend action, a full slate of events from Canada to Norway to Switzerland to Japan.
Note, there is no preview below for the ARGO GRAPHICS Cup women's event in Kitami, Japan due to difficulty in finding the full slate of teams participating and event schedule online. My apologies to those competing and wish all the teams good luck and good curling.
And, in keeping with the newly introduced #PopcornMatch theme, the weekly previews will now also feature one (or a few) Popcorn Match(es) you should get excited for.
#TourLifePredictions
MEN
Abelboden International
Abelboden, SUI
2021 Champion: New Event
Format: 10 team RR with 2 pools of 5. Top 6 advance with Top 2 earning a SF bye.
Top Teams Entered: Team Retornaz
#Fav:
Fresh off a tour title at the Euro Super Series, Italy's Team Retornaz will look to go back-to-back.
As the highest ranked team in the field, is there any reason to bet against them?
The world bronze medal winners may even have the betting advantage of them vs. the field...and still elicit most of the bets in their favour.
As mentioned in the preview post, this team is full of confidence after last season. Honestly, anything short of a championship final appearance would be a bit of a disappointment.
This team is that good folks. Should have bought stocks in them at the end of last season because their price is skyrocketing now.
#TeamUpset:
What can we expect from new Korean champs Team Jeong?
Do we see the team that dominated their Korean and Japanese counterparts at the start of the season when they won the Korean and Hokkaido championships?
Or do we see the team who struggled to find wins in Stiling at the Euro Super Series last weekend, where they went 1-3?
This team is building towards the Pan-Continental Championship so taking on strong Euro teams like Switzerland's Team Hoesli and Czech Republic's Team Klima will be a great litmus test into how good this team is.
The blog is buying into the early season hype (right now) and can see this "unknown" Korean team surprise a few teams in Adelboden and make a playoff push.
Or they go 1-3 again, miss the playoffs and Korean curling starts to get a bit concerned.
#W2W4:
Weird scheduling = Conditioning test?
Hoesli, Klima and Italy's Team Ribotta will all play 2 games before Retornaz steps on the ice for their first game.
A possible advantage is having the opening draw Thursday night but look at Friday. There are 5 draws scheduled for the day.
Switzerland's Team Iseli and Team Schnider along with France's Team Mercier will play 3 games on Friday, starting at 8:00 a.m. local time with the final game hitting the ice at 9:00 p.m. local time.
And with 4 draws scheduled for Saturday, Ribotta will actually only play once (8:00 a.m.) and then, should they qualify, will be sitting for the rest of the day until the either the QF Saturday night or SF Sunday morning while their playoff opposition has been on the ice.
I know it is always hard to schedule a tournament with 10 teams, especially when you only have 2 sheets of ice to play on. So this is not totally surprising nor pointing blame.
What may factor into the results is early season conditioning for these teams. Yes, it is not uncommon to play 3 games in a day at a tour event so this is not "new". But playing 3 in a day at the beginning of September can really show what your teams conditioning and off-season training has looked like.
#PopcornMatch:
Team Jeong vs. Team Hoesli - Draw 1 (Thursday)
Team Hoesli vs. Team Klima - Draw 5 (Friday)
Team Jeong vs. Team Klima - Draw 9 (Saturday)
As mentioned above, these are the games which should decide playoff fates for these 3 teams. If one of the teams can go 2-0, it should secure a SF berth.
Going 0-2 means you might miss the playoffs.
Odds are they split the games, each team picks up a win and a loss, and the push for a playoff spot gets VERY interesting Saturday afternoon.
Ribotta and Poland's Team Stych may be the benefactor and decider here...or one may just fly under the radar and steal a playoff spot from one of the 3 in Pool A.
Qualifiers: Team Jeong, Team Retornaz, Team Hoesli, Team Schnider, Team Klima, Team Iseli
Championship: Team Retornaz def. Team Jeong
Curling Stadium Martensville International
Martensville, SK
2021 Champion: New Event
Format: 10 team RR with 2 pools of 5. Top 5 overall qualify with #1 earning SF bye to play winner of #4 vs #5 QF. #2 vs #3 other SF.
Top Teams Entered: Team Flasch, Team Schwaller, Team Brunner, Team McEwen, Team Epping
#Fav:
The Sask champs make their season debut on home province ice and should be considered mild favourites in this field.
Team Flasch brought the energy to the Brier ice last season in their playoff push and excitement.
How do they follow it up this season though?
The blog talked about this team in the preview post, where Flasch is listed on the preseason Power Rankings.
Pressure is on when you are the defending provincial champ and this field is loaded with Sasky rivals, Brier familiars and international champions.
But, early in the season and not having to deal with the new boys in the lockerroom syndrome a few competitors will be dealing with, should be enough to give them a little advantage...as long as they seize the day.
#TeamUpset:
What should we expect from Japan's Team Yanagisawa? The answer...we might not know yet.
There have been 2 tour events already in Japan and Yanagisawa did not compete in either event. This will be their seasonal debut, similar to most of their competition.
But do not underestimate them based on lack of name recognition folks.
Remember they are the 2022 Japanese Curling Champions. They will represent Japan at the upcoming Pan-Continental Curling Championship.
This is a smart move for this team. They are in Canada already. They are in full preparation mode for the event and will take on top competition between now and when the #PCCC starts on Halloween.
Keep an eye on them and how they do against some higher ranked opposition. And don't sleep on them.
#W2W4:
This entire event almost reads as a breaking in process for new teams. Team Flasch and Team Yanagisawa are not new but the rest of the field pretty much is.
Will this translate to an early season advantage for those two teams? Plus Flasch will have Sasky support on home ice (as well as a few of his competitors of course).
Team Epping. Team McEwen. Team Schwaller. Team Brunner. Team Laycock. Team Muyres. Team Kleibrink. Team Hartung.
8 of the 10 teams have a new look to them, whether a completely new team or the addition of a few new members.
On paper we know which teams *appear* to have the advantage but will that advantage translate into wins?
Each game is really a What 2 Watch 4 in this field.
#PopcornMatch:
Team Schwaller vs. Team Brunner (#HoppSchwiiz) - Draw 12 (Sunday)
This will be the first, of many, battles between former teammates Yannick Schwaller and Michael Brunner/Romano Meier/Marcel Kaufeler.
When Swiss force Team De Cruz decided to go their own ways at the end of last season, Schwaller got the call from Benoit Schwarz and Sven Michel to join forces alongside lead Pablo Lachat.
Brunner made the move to skip and the trio added Anthony Petoud at second to round out their new team.
Now the question will be which team has the early advantage over the other? These two teams will be battling all season for bragging rights and, ultimately one would guess, the Swiss championship.
A few other notables:
Team Flasch vs. Team Hartung vs. Team Muyres vs. Team Laycock - While they do not all play one another in the RR (although Hartung does play the other 3), these are the top contenders for the SK Tankard this season. Which of them can get the early head's up on their competition?
Team Epping vs. Team McEwen - Ryan Fry goes to battle against his former teammates.
Qualifiers: Team Schwaller, Team Brunner, Team Flasch, Team McEwen, Team Epping
Championship: Team Flasch def. Team Schwaller
Oslo Cup
Oslo, NOR
2021 Champion: Not held - Last champion was Team Niklas Edin (2012)
Format: 20 team RR with 4 pools of 5. Top 8 qualify.
Top Teams Entered: Team Edin, Team Walstad, Team Whyte
#Fav:
Sweden's Team Edin is the most recent champion of this event and is the current Olympic and world champion. Hard to bet against them as a favourite here.
However, if we look solely at games played this season maybe the home nation has a favourite of their own.
Norway's Team Walstad has been playing some solid curling in the early part of the season, winning the Baden Masters and reaching the QF in Stirling at the Euro Super Series.
They have a strong 9-3 record to open their season and are playing with a ton of confidence right now.
#TeamUpset:
Are you familiar with the name Lukas Hostmaelingen? If not, you might want to start keeping your eyes on this team.
The Norwegian team will be playing in front of home ice fans and has already been turning some heads this season.
They competed at both the Baden Masters and Euro Super Series events, reaching the SF in Baden.
While their overall record may appear modest at 7-5, their wins have come at the expense of top teams like Team Whyte, Team Flasch, Team Waddell and Team Dropkin.
Hostmaelingen skips the team but throws third stones, a trend we are starting to see more often in the sport. And it appears to be working.
They are in a tough group with Edin and Netherlands' Team Gosgens, so qualification will not be easy.
But why stop being the overachieving underdog now?
#W2W4:
This is a huge event on the newly formed Nordic Curling Tour. If you are unfamiliar with the Nordic Curling Tour, check out more info HERE.
The tour brings top teams to compete at top events in Norway and Sweden. It is a great opportunity to really #growthesport, especially in the Nordic region of Europe.
The Oslo Cup is the 1st of four events on the schedule, with other events being held in Jonkoping, SWE (October), Stockholm, SWE (October) and Karlstad, SWE (February 2023).
Also worth noting, the men's and women's events have equal purse money and ranking tour points.
Gotta love seeing that!
#PopcornMatch:
Team Walstad vs. Team Whyte - Playoffs?
Ok so technically they are not scheduled to play during the RR as they are in different pools BUT should both qualify, they could match up in the playoff bracket. This is developing into an early season rivalry. Walstad may have a tour title to his credit but of those 3 losses he has incurred, 2 have been at the hands of Scottish lad Whyte. A little Norway vs. Scotland rivalry brewing? Yes, please!
Qualifiers: Team Edin, Team Gosgens, Team Whyte, Team Ramsfjell, Team Walstad, Team Waddell, Team Bryce, Team Nyman
Championship: Team Edin def. Team Walstad
WOMEN
Curling Stadium Martensville International
Martensville, SK
2021 Champion: New Event
Format: 12 RR with 2 pools of 6. Top 6 overall qualify with Top 2 earning bye to SF.
Top Teams Entered: Team Tirinzoni, Team Gim, Team Jones, Team Jentsch
#Fav:
When you start the season undefeated and win a tour title, why should anyone bet against you going forward?
The world champs, Team Tirinzoni, will unquestionably arrive in Martensville as the favourites.
With how great they looked last weekend, including scoring a huge 5 in the championship final, we almost forget this is still a new look team. The front end is completely different than what we have seen the past few seasons.
Yet, regardless of the names in the line up, the results are still the same...for now. Win, Win, Win!!
#TeamUpset:
No question Korea's Team Ha will be a dark horse in this field.
Coming off a Korean Curling Championship win in June, surprising many, the question will be how they can perform against the rest of the world.
They sit 10-3 on the season, following up their Korean title with a 4th place finish in Sapporo at the Hokkaido Bank Curling Classic.
Their national title also earned them the spot in the Pan-Continental Curling Championship as Team Korea at the end of October in Calgary.
They will attempt to qualify Korea for the world championship and will have some stiff competition. This event will be a nice indicator of how ready they are to step into the spotlight and possibly become the new face of Korean women's curling.
#W2W4:
It may be a broken record here but again, how do some of these new teams look early into the season.
Big eyes may be on Team Carey, Team Martin and Team Howard. All 3 teams had line up changes in the offseason and all 3 added some very familiar, big guns to their arsenal.
And of course we cannot forget Team Jones. Jenn has a completely new team in front of her for the first time in...well really ever. How does she cope with feeling out a completely new team? Can the former Team Zacharias members, who were really coming along as a team the last few seasons, take advantage of the resume in the house and learn from one of the best?
And keep your eyes on Team Jentsch and Team Grandy. Jentsch already has a title under her slider this season and Grandy is coming off a finals appearance last weekend (Jentsch failed to qualify last weekend). Both could be very dangerous in this field.
#PopcornMatch:
Team Tirinzoni vs. Team Jones - Draw 11 (Sunday)
This will be a HUGE game, perhaps a bit more for the new look Team Jones. With Jennifer Jones skipping the former Team Zacharias, this will be a telling game for how ready this team is to move to the next level and knock off those top ranked teams.
Is Team Jones (nee Zacharias) ready to slay the Swiss beasts or are they still in developmental mode?
There are a few additional popcorn matches to watch for in the RR:
Team Gim vs. Team Ha - rematch of the Korean Championship final
Team Tirinzoni vs. Team Grandy - rematch of the Summer Series final
Team Tirinzoni vs. Team Jentsch - Tirinzoni bested their Euro competitors last weekend at the Summer Series
Team Carey vs. Team Martin - A few former teammates going to battle early on
Qualifiers: Team Tirinzoni, Team Gim, Team Jones, Team Jentsch, Team Carey, Team Ha
Championship: Team Tirinzoni def. Team Gim
Oslo Cup
Oslo, NOR
2021 Champion: Not held - Last champion was Team Sherry Middaugh (2012)
Format: 12 team RR with 2 pools of 6. Top 4 qualify.
Top Teams Entered: Team Hasselborg, Team Lawes, Team Wrana
#Fav:
No question Sweden's Team Hasselborg will be the favourite in this event. The resume speaks for itself.
The only knock on them is this will be their first event of the season while a few of their competitors have already hit the ice.
It shouldn't derail their playoff, and championship, chances but if you were drawn to play Team Hasselborg, wouldn't you want to play them in one of their first games of the season?
#TeamUpset:
Similar to the men's Oslo Cup preview above, an up and coming Norwegian team may be the flag bearer for the women's event.
Are you familiar with Team Mesloe? If not, maybe you should be.
The young team from Lillehammer, NOR shocked a few people at their season opener event in Stirling, where they went 3-1 in the RR and qualified for the playoffs.
Their victims at the Euro Super Series? Scotland's Team Morrison and Team Farmer and eventual champion Germany's Team Jentsch.
Sure they fell in the QF to Switzerland's Team Jaeggi (who is also competing in Oslo) but overall a strong opening weekend of play.
Team Rorvik is the overwhelming favourite for Norwegian women's curling right now with Team Ramsfjell becoming the main challenger but Mesloe may become the dark horse contender over the season.
All 3 will be competing at this event so keep your eyes on the building of a possible Norway trifecta rivalry. When was the last time we saw that?
#W2W4:
Scottish eyes will be fixated on Team Morrison and Team Farmer this long weekend. And both might be already feeling some pressure to put in the labour.
With Golden Girl Eve Muirhead riding off into the sunset this offseason, their is a new open door for Scottish curling. Which female team wants to step through?
Both teams struggled at the Euro Super Series event on home ice in Stirling. The teams each went 1-3 in their season debut and both failed to make the playoffs.
Now remember both teams are newly formed as well so there will be an allowed feeling out process of course but Scottish curling fans are passionate and could grow impatient quickly without results.
The opportunity is there for both teams...but so is the pressure.
How will either team handle it is the million dollar question right now?!
Honourable Mention: Team Lawes! This will be the first chance to see the new team together. Kaitlyn Lawes is making the calls in the house, back in the skip position for the 1st time since her junior championship days. Many eyes, especially Canadian curling fans/competitors, will be scoreboard watching this teams opening weekend games.
#PopcornMatch:
Team Hasselborg vs. Team Wrana - Draw 4 (Friday)
The ongoing Swedish rivalry shifts to a new season. Is this the season Wrana gets the better of their counterparts or does Hasselborg continue to show they are the best in the land?
We have seen jolts of excitement from Wrana in the past, starting to look like a serious challenger to Hasselborg's stake on the Swedish title. But inconsistency still plagues them.
This matchup with be the second RR game for both teams so they will have ice under the sliders and ready to go.
Qualifiers: Team Hasselborg, Team Jaeggi, Team Lawes, Team Rorvik
Championship: Team Hasselborg def. Team Lawes
What say you rockheads? Agree or disagree with the predictions above?
Which event(s) are you most excited to watch and why? And what is YOUR #PopcornMatch?
Share your thoughts on social media using #curling and/or #PopcornMatch to continue the conversation and amp up the fan engagement/excitement for the upcoming season.
We know the teams and players are excited. Lets show them how excited the fans are as well!
Also worth noting, the Curling Canada U-25 Next Gen Classic is hitting the ice in Edmonton from August 31 - September 3. The winners, male and female, will earn a portion of $50,000 and a spot in the Canadian #NextGen developmental program. Follow the results online HERE.
#StayTuned
The pre-season #PowerRankings were revealed in the season preview posts. ICYMI, check out the men's and women's previews, which also include the Top 5 #TeamUpset challengers for the season and a few #HotTopics.
Should we update the Power Rankings weekly after the weekend's events wrap up?
Are we ready to get into a routine, similar to what the blog did pre-COVID?
It might be time....
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