ESPN.com - You go, curl!

ESPN.com: Page 2

Thursday, February 21, 2002
You go, curl!

By Jim Caple
Page 2 columnist

You know your sport has a bit of an image problem when your Olympic press conference, your moment in front of the world's media, your time to document your hopes and dreams and sacrifices, opens with a clip from a Leslie Nielsen movie.

Such is life for curlers, who took over from the role of official punchline of the Winter Games from the exhausted ice dancers.

Jay Leno has joked about curlers more than Gary Condit, telling his audience just last night that there was a security breach at the Olympics when a security guard fell asleep on his watch -- "It turns out he was watching curling." Asked whether he had watched his Olympic teammates compete in Nagano in 1998, snowboard medalist Danny Kass replied, "I tried, but I couldn't. Every time I turned on the TV, they had curling on. Too much curling." And skeleton driver Chris Soule told the Magazine that curlers are the geeks of the Olympics, offering as evidence, "At the USOC summit meetings, I saw a couple of them go out during a break and puff a cigarette."

Even those guys who want shovel racing to become an Olympic sport, the guys who look like David Wells in a lycra speedsuit, dissed curlers. "If curlers can be in the Olympics," one said, "why can't we?"

When guys sitting on shovels feel free to question your athleticism, it's probably time to mix in some situps.


	Who says curling isn't intense? Canadian skip Kelley Law shouts directions to sweepers as Britain's Fiona Macdonald, center, and Janice Rankin watch.

Given all that, it not only was appropriate to open with Leslie Nielsen, it was probably necessary. As it was, the curlers nearly outnumbered the reporters for that press conference at the opening of the Olympics. And the clip, a promo piece for a new movie about curling that stars Nielsen, "Men With Brooms," was positively dignified compared to the moment in Nagano four years ago when a Canadian curler dropped his pants to show off a maple leaf tattooed on his butt.

Curling is huge in Canada the same way Jerry Lewis is big in France, but the sport hasn't caught on in south of the 48th parallel. The curlers hope "Men With Brooms" will introduce the sport to more people and get them to check it out. Most people who do, they say, get hooked.

Just when you figure ESPN has televised every sport imaginable (including shovel racing), along comes Don Barcome, an alternate on the U.S. men's team who wants to start a national tour. He figures he can do so, if he raises about $250,000 in sponsorship money to add to existing prize money in the biggest U.S. tournaments.

"That would give us a start and who knows," he said. "NBC likes the numbers it's had. I think they said MSNBC stands for, 'Must See Nothing But Curling.' "

Can't wait for draft day and the Mel Kiper Jr. of curling, can you?

I like curling, even though I know that admitting it does as much for your cred as admitting to being an *N Sync fan. It's a fun sport filled with strategy that is a lot harder than it looks. It is accessible to regular people, and most of the curlers in it are friendly, welcoming and a lot of fun. And they drink beer after their competitions.

But though I've often defended its place in the Olympics, even I have some doubts whenever I see the U.S. men's team. You see all these Olympic athletes in phenomenal shape, speedskaters with thighs that would shame Earl Campbell and cross-country skiers who push themselves until they collapse at the finish line and need oxygen tanks to breathe. And then you see the curlers, who look like their training table is limited to pork rinds, Ding Dongs and Budweiser.

If Marlboro is looking for sports endorsement possibilities, these are the guys.


	Deborah McCormick delivers a stone for USA, but her team lost 9-4 to Switzerland in the semifinals.

With the exception of the friendly and enthusiastic Barcome, that U.S. men's team has been together for years and years (essentially the same team competed in Nagano, as well) and there are some pretty wild stories out there about them. They claim they've matured and mellowed in recent years, pointing out that during the U.S. trials, they left a case of beer untouched for the better part of a week.

And to think that NBC made such a big deal about snowboarder Chris Klug overcoming an organ transplant.

The U.S. men didn't medal in Nagano, and this time they didn't even reach the medal round (it must have been all those smoke breaks). The U.S. women, however, are representing the country much better and still have a shot at a bronze Thursday morning.

Check them out if you get a chance; you just might like the sport. Curling may not fit your traditional view of sport, but at least they don't wear sequins and perform to "Carmen."

Jim Caple, a senior writer for ESPN.com, is currently in Salt Lake City, uncovering the wild and wacky side of the Winter Olympic Games for Page 2.