Curling, Jan. 14: Hail Homan, again
The Order of Merit (OOM) standings use a calculation called the “strength of field multiplier” (SFM) to determine which events count more toward the standings. In men’s curling, the just-concluded Canadian Open had an SFM of 11.6325, edging out December’s Canada Cup (11.5605) and the National (11.5514) for the highest SFM of the season so far. In women’s curling, the Open’s SFM was even higher — 12.0656, ahead of the Masters of Curling (11.8071), the National (11.7432) and … Look, it’s a Very Big Event. OK? And to borrow a joke from soccer — everyone competes in a set format, … Continue reading Curling, Jan. 14: Hail Homan, again
Curling season so far (Jan. 6)
MAJOR EVENTS: Grand Slams, Canada Cup, continental championships. Players are Canadian unless noted. MEN Sept. 26-30, Princess Auto Elite 10: F: Gushue def. CarruthersSF: Epping, JacobsQF: Howard, KoeDNQ: Mouat (Sco), Paterson (Sco), Gunnlaugson, Edin (Swe) Oct. 23-28: Masters of Curling: F: Epping def. KoeSF: Edin (Swe), Mouat (Sco)QF: Dunstone, Shuster (USA), Paterson (Sco), GushueTB: Carruthers, MurphyDNQ: Schwaller (Sui), Howard, Walstad (Nor), Jacobs, Gunnlaugson Nov. 6-11, GSOC Tour Challenge: F: Jacobs def. BottcherSF: Howard, de Cruz (Sui)QF: Gushue, Ruohonen (USA), Koe, Shuster (USA)TB: DunstoneDNQ: Epping, Gunnlaugson, Paterson (Sco), Edin (Swe), Carruthers, Calvert Nov. 16-24: European Championship: Top seven qualify for World Championship; next two not yet qualified and … Continue reading Curling season so far (Jan. 6)
Curling power rankings (Jan. 1 update)
It’s fair to say curling is my second-favorite sport behind soccer. It’s also fair to say it’s underappreciated in the United States and that it’s difficult for us to follow. This page aims to change all that. This will help you remember who’s Brad Jacobs and who’s Brad Gushue. It’ll help you see if Nina Roth or Jamie Sinclair will make a John Shuster-style vault into mainstream culture. (No, but read anyway.) It’ll help you follow the season as it progresses. Enjoy. (Abbreviations you really need to know: OOM – Order of Merit, which covers two years. YTD – year-to-date) … Continue reading Curling power rankings (Jan. 1 update)
Goodbye Twitter, at least for now …
I’ve been harassed on Twitter. Not to the extent of Sandy Hook families or female journalists. But just enough to know what it’s like. I can hardly imagine what other people go through. And it’s clear — from the Rose McGowan situation last year and the Alex Jones situation now — that Twitter’s selective enforcement is inadequate at best, deliberately inciting hatred at worst. So I’m out, aside from two things … You’ll still see automated posts from my blog feed. It’s a pain to shut those off, and I hope I can return to Twitter someday. The intent here is to … Continue reading Goodbye Twitter, at least for now …
Whom to follow in the Tour de France …
The Tour starts Saturday. Yes, you should pay attention. First, follow NYVelocity on Twitter for colorful commentary, especially now that the site doesn’t offer up the daily Tour day Schmalz. Also, follow The Guardian, starting with their team-by-team guide. And watch it on NBCSN. I don’t care if you hate cycling. The commentary (dry-witted Englishmen Phil Liggett and Paul Sherwen) and scenery are unmatched. Then a couple things as sure to happen as death and taxes … Phil and Paul calculating the chances of a breakaway working on a flat stage when we all know damn well it won’t, and … Continue reading Whom to follow in the Tour de France …
The curling shuffle: USA Curling’s High Performance makeover
John Shuster won Olympic gold. Jamie Sinclair made the World Championship semifinals, won a Grand Slam event and stands ninth in the Order of Merit. Then the seniors earned silver (women) and bronze (men) at the World Championships. USA Curling had a big year. But there’s usually a bit of turnover after the Olympics, and so the teams in the High Performance program, which supports the select few who’ve shown an aptitude for winning things, will be shuffling a bit. The full comparison is at the bottom, but I’ll got into a bit more detail than that press release. … Continue reading The curling shuffle: USA Curling’s High Performance makeover
Drafting “The Ultimate Fighter”
On The Luke Thomas Show this week, Luke and Marissa went through each season of The Ultimate Fighter as if they were evaluating a draft. What better excuse do I need to go back through the spreadsheet I compiled for Inside The Ultimate Fighter? I only covered the first 16 seasons, which may actually be for the best. For later seasons, I felt like they were giving a “yes” for anyone who is still in the UFC. In this spreadsheet, my disagreements are noted in yellow … Continue reading Drafting “The Ultimate Fighter”
