More comments on the play on Feb.20

My blogging partner has commented well on the user interface experiment of the CBC regarding remaining rocks in an end and I have to agree with him. Typically I watch curling as one of several tasks I am sharing, and so when I look up on the screen and see "Denmark 5, Canada 4" and had thought that Canada was leading and get confused, I give too much credit to the wrong data! The TSN graphic showing the rocks is far more effective on not getting confused with the score.

What my partner failed to mention is how appalling the play in this last women's round was; both teams seemed to be falling all over themselves trying to give the victory to the other team. While I know this is not true, another performance like this from Canada (whatever the excuses in terms of viruses, certain players not being able to do takeouts, debris on the ice, etc.) will not lead to a medal. Or will lead to a medal it is hard to feel proud about.

The men's story was a little better; there actually was some good shotmaking, though I think that in the end the US team were unlucky not to win. This experiment will be run again soon so we shall see.

While complaints about CBC coverage are not hard to find, for me the most stupid decision today was to give the camera over to Wayne Gretzky's pointless ramblings on the current ineffectiveness of the Canadian men's hockey team rather than show some actual Olympic competition on the curling rink. Gretzky is not articulate to start with, but he had even less to say than usual, and to give him the floor was shameful.


In the end, the Canadian teams made the semifinals. A cliche it is, but the Games start afresh now.