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M: Canadian Mixed Doubles Curling Championship
Fredericton, NB
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W: NWTCA Curling Club Championships
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M: NWTCA Curling Club Championships
Fort Smith, NT
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Lockhart (EE)
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10-26-14 06:52PM
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tuck
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Location: St. Thomas, North Dakota
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Mixed Doubles 2015

Entry deadline of Oct. 29 is rapidly approaching. Early entries look formidable. Mike Peplinski? I thought he was dead. (light humor aside, school teaching is tough on competitive curlers...but Pep was once stellar)

Brother/sister Tyler and Courtney will be looking for the big win and trip to Worlds in Sochi...assuming that Russia/Ukraine settle down somewhat. Husband/wife teams will risk divorce for a chance at a title (Stolts, Clarks, etc...)

Will the defending champs be ranked in the top 4? I don't think so. Meechi/Gebauer were very good last year, but this is shaping up to be a more stern test. Medalists Punk/Emilia may also not end up highly ranked; but don't discount their chances.

Youth and talent describe some rinks. Both Tiny Terrorists are signed up with Taylor teaming with Young Dunnam and Sarah playing with Kory Dropkin. These youngsters will make some noise and win some games. Kory and Sarah might actually win it if is wasn't for their lack of exposure to the format. I'd like to list David Cornfield/Sharon Vukich somewhere here, but they are too old for this paragraph.

I hear rumors of Aileen Sormunen playing with Derek Benson. For those that might not know, Aileen is awesome and Derek is Courtney George's drinking partner. As an aside, Aileen's boyfriend is as big as a school bus...built like a brick wall and is former military. Just a Heads Up for those Aileen fans that might be considering taking that next step to Stalker. Look for this team to make the updated list on Monday or Tuesday.

Fun and talent and Worlds in Sochi. Deadline is looming. Eau Claire is hosting. Give it a whirl. Even if you don't win it, it might be cool in the future to say "I was there when..."

Ben Tucker
Curling fan...not much of a Mixed Doubles fan, but whattheheck

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11-04-14 12:23AM
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tuck
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I'm surprised. Not much for last minute entries to the Mixed Doubles.

I seem to have mixed up my Duluth superstars. It is young Cory Christensen and not Aileen Sormunen who will be curling with Derek Benson. I don't know him well, but I like Derek. He's known in curling circles as Courtney George's boyfriend, but he's played Clubs and done some spieling. He was with Joe Polo on the team that won the House of Hearts Charity spiel. I would LOVE to poke some fun here about his prestigious record as a champion party guy and Cory being young...but some people would take it seriously and suck all the fun of it. Good luck, Derek. Have fun.

Ben Tucker

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11-24-14 12:40AM
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Seriously? Mike Peplinski gets the 9 seed? I guess we have short memories. Our memories will soon be refreshed, I suspect. He's got Laura Delaney Roessler with him. Maybe future seeding ballots should be accompanied with bios.

Pools are out and the draw is posted. Pool C looks like the Pool Of Death, but I haven't looked closely yet.

Ben Tucker

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11-24-14 09:51AM
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curlky
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Tuck, why do you have to post these little negative jabs about non-traditional curling. 2 years ago you railed on your TESN national championship broadcast about your dislike of Arena Curling. Now I see this comment about not liking doubles.

Why do you feel the need to do these things? Like it or not, you have become a respected voice in this sport, and as such, I see you adding these negative jabs as unnecessary, and ultimately detrimental to the future of our sport. You can feel that way, but why broadcast to everyone? These are the types of comments that lead to more negativism, and ultimately less curling.

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11-24-14 10:45AM
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Curlky -I read all of Tucks posts again and I don't see any "negative jabs" out there. Perhaps "Curling fan...not much of a Mixed Double fan, but whattheheck"?

I personally would had no idea they were competing up the road from me if it wasn't for these posts.

Maybe I am missing something, point it out to me.

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11-24-14 04:08PM
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rbi
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quote:
Originally posted by curlky
Tuck, why do you have to post these little negative jabs about non-traditional curling.


Sorry, not seeing his comments as negative. He seems to be encouraging fans to take an interest in mixed doubles.

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11-25-14 02:16PM
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curlky
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quote:
Originally posted by biterbar
Curlky -I read all of Tucks posts again and I don't see any "negative jabs" out there. Perhaps "Curling fan...not much of a Mixed Double fan, but whattheheck"?

I personally would had no idea they were competing up the road from me if it wasn't for these posts.

Maybe I am missing something, point it out to me.



Here is the issue. Tuck the person can say that he is not much of a Mixed Doubles fan, and that is a very fair and very honest statement, with no native problems.

However, Tuck is not simply Tuck the person, Tuck is one of the 3 or so biggest voices in USA curling due to his being the official commentator of the Nationals Webcast, as well as being a former featured author in the USA Curling Magazine. Even if he is trying to get out, he is a defacto ambassador to the sport in the US. Honestly, how many bigger names are there than Tuck in USA curling who are not actively competing at the national level?

So what needs to be realized, is that a seemingly honest comment given by someone who is viewed as a leading authority is likely to influence the opinion of Joe or Jane Curler out there. So people who have never played Mixed Doubles, and maybe not ever having seen mixed doubles before, they see Tuck's comments, and are likely to start with a slightly negative, or skeptical view of the game. And honestly, as we grow curling in the US, we don't need anything that could derail our efforts.

And if you think I am just making this up, I will offer this up as evidence. 2 years ago, Tuck spoke negatively about the then upcoming inaugural Arena Nationals, and in fact as Arena Curling as a whole. He questioned whether it was good for curling growth in the US to be made by Arena Curling. I know that those comments led to having a few people in my club ask me about why he would say that, and what was wrong with arena curling. Or take a situation where in the very popular sport in the US, football, "experts" tell you that a certain Right Guard is the one of the best in the game. Most people aren't qualified to really know whether that statement is valid or not, so they just accept is as fact.

But again, if Tuck was simply a regular joe, then the comment in and of itself would not really be an issue.

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11-25-14 02:43PM
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jhcurl
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quote:
Originally posted by curlky


Here is the issue. Tuck the person can say that he is not much of a Mixed Doubles fan, and that is a very fair and very honest statement, with no native problems.

However, Tuck is not simply Tuck the person, Tuck is one of the 3 or so biggest voices in USA curling due to his being the official commentator of the Nationals Webcast, as well as being a former featured author in the USA Curling Magazine. Even if he is trying to get out, he is a defacto ambassador to the sport in the US. Honestly, how many bigger names are there than Tuck in USA curling who are not actively competing at the national level?

So what needs to be realized, is that a seemingly honest comment given by someone who is viewed as a leading authority is likely to influence the opinion of Joe or Jane Curler out there. So people who have never played Mixed Doubles, and maybe not ever having seen mixed doubles before, they see Tuck's comments, and are likely to start with a slightly negative, or skeptical view of the game. And honestly, as we grow curling in the US, we don't need anything that could derail our efforts.

And if you think I am just making this up, I will offer this up as evidence. 2 years ago, Tuck spoke negatively about the then upcoming inaugural Arena Nationals, and in fact as Arena Curling as a whole. He questioned whether it was good for curling growth in the US to be made by Arena Curling. I know that those comments led to having a few people in my club ask me about why he would say that, and what was wrong with arena curling. Or take a situation where in the very popular sport in the US, football, "experts" tell you that a certain Right Guard is the one of the best in the game. Most people aren't qualified to really know whether that statement is valid or not, so they just accept is as fact.

But again, if Tuck was simply a regular joe, then the comment in and of itself would not really be an issue.



Well, I think you just solved that problem. I doubt that Tuck will be posting here again until we hit the ramblings and start talking about the Derby.

Just to clarify, he left the Nationals Webcast last year prior to it ending. He also left the USA curling news 2 or 3 issues ago.

I also seriously doubt that the average Joe and Jane curling even know that CZ exists.

JH
time to head into lurker status myself

Last edited by jhcurl on 11-25-14 at 03:29PM

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11-25-14 03:45PM
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curlky
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I knew he left the magazine, which is why I referred to him as former. Didn't realize that he officially stopped the broadcast. Thought that was just that he stopped when the broadcast switched from web to TV.

But CZ has more popularity that you think. When you start googling answers to questions and things going on in curling, CZ seems to always come up. It was one of the first 5 or 6 sites that I found when I started a few years back.

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11-25-14 04:24PM
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This is just nuts. Here we have a website that offers curlers the opportunity to share opinions, news, etc about the game. But Tuck is supposed to limit his opinions to positive statements only. Otherwise, "a few people" in a club might wonder why Tuck would say something that was not a positive endorsement. Why stop with Tuck? And why limit this to mixed doubles and arena curling? Let's just say that all comments made on the USA Curling Forum must be positive and supportive. How else are we going to grow the game in the states? Or maybe at the very least we can have someone monitor comments and notify readers which statements might be construed as negative and thus should be considered off limits to USA curlers? WOW!

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11-25-14 04:36PM
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Besides I don't think there is a bigger supporter of curling (and especially US Curling) than Tuck.

TN

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11-25-14 04:37PM
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nom de broom
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quote:
Originally posted by curlky
And if you think I am just making this up, I will offer this up as evidence. 2 years ago, Tuck spoke negatively about the then upcoming inaugural Arena Nationals, and in fact as Arena Curling as a whole. He questioned whether it was good for curling growth in the US to be made by Arena Curling. I know that those comments led to having a few people in my club ask me about why he would say that, and what was wrong with arena curling.


Indeed. And due to the all-encompassing influence of Tuck the USCA magazine columnist, his publisher the USCA decided right then and there to send the concept of a USCA Arena Championship out to pasture, never to be heard from again. I also hear there has been lively debate about the past couple arena championships' lack of ability to attract more than 6 teams on the men's side and 4 teams on the women's. In fact, my spies tell me that in desperation Terry Kolesar came up with the idea of Brady Clark and Sean Murray entering rinks to play in drag in order to even out this sad excuse for a field.

There are two types of curlers: 1) Those who were told by the USCA that they weren't good enough for its investment-- a decree, by the way, whose influence and repercussions surpass Tuck's "opinion" by a factor of 1000 -- and decided the USCA's "opinion" could go jump and are thus spending a heck a lot of time and personal funds to prove them wrong. 2) Those who wonder about the validity of arenas or mixed doubles "because this one time? in the CZ forums? Tuck said..."

One type is predisposed to accept the edicts of authority, whether that authority is imagined or real. One type has the independence of mind to question authority, whether that authority is imagined or real.

"The fault, dear Brutus, is not in the stars of the CZ firmament, but in ourselves."

Last edited by nom de broom on 11-25-14 at 04:45PM

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11-26-14 10:38AM
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tuck
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Oh, I'm not that thin skinned. I'll reply when I get a chance. Maybe tonight. CurlKy raises some legitimate points.

Ben Tucker

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11-26-14 11:00AM
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quote:
Originally posted by nom de broom


... the idea of Brady Clark and Sean Murray entering rinks to play in drag in order to even out this sad excuse for a field.




And THAT, I would pay serious money to see.

Someone has a chip on their shoulder. Reeelllaaaaxxx, curlky.

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11-27-14 12:44AM
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Tuck, just so that I am 100% clear, I am honestly not trying to be critical for your right to your personal opinion. More so that I was reminding you of your earned standing in the sport, and the weight that your opinion carries, even here in this forum. Quite frankly, I agree with you that mixed doubles is not my cup of tea. Just doesn't feel like the same game to me. I will however disagree with your previous statement about arena curling, but that is I suppose off topic.

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11-27-14 02:56PM
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Against my better judgment this post has motivated me to post instead of just reading the posts (aka lurker). As a participant in the Mixed Doubles Nationals, I assure you that Tuck has raised the profile of this event along with almost every other regional and national curling event across the country.

I am thankful for many things Tuck has done over the years for US curling as an ambassador of the sport. His posts are fun, insightful, engaging and his thoughts are well articulated. My hope is that everyone continues to be able to share opinions in a civil and respectful way and people appreciate the passion we all have for this sport even when we have a difference of opinions.

Looking forward to Eau Claire and the Mixed Doubles Nationals starting next Wednesday. Teams are competing to earn the right to represent the US in the World Mixed Doubles Championship in April in Sochi. Back in the day we used to have Willy the Wise posting odds and now have we officially scared him off (this was always my favorite part of the lead up to our national events beyond competing)?

Cheers,
Brady Clark

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11-27-14 03:50PM
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Ah crap. I was going to pick Brady/Cristin to win this thing. Now it would look like I'm sucking up. Plus: How can I bestow The Curse Of Tuck upon him after such kind words? I don't think SPM or Tyler The Tiger have ever said nice things about me. Maybe I'll pick one of them and see how they do against The Curse.

Ben Tucker
(thanks, brady and jeffy and dannie)

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11-27-14 04:10PM
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OK, CurlKy raises legitimate points. I'm not sure who the Top 25 influential voices are for USA Curling, but I've said the same thing to at least 13 of them: "It is time for me to say less and for those actually throwing rocks to say more." You can ask Kolesar, Benton, Gemmell, Brady, Hannon, Maskel, Shuster, Tyler, etc...

I am just an ordinary Joe. Yeah, I used to curl a ton and I used to be pretty good...but that was long ago. Yeah, I used to post a lot. Yeah, I used to do some talking for TESN. Yeah, I used to have a column in the US Curling News. Yeah, the impact of my words came to far exceed my qualifications long ago. So I'm stepping away from the game.

Part of stepping away includes posting less. I miss it. I especially miss it when events are approaching that aren't getting discussed or don't seem to be getting any attention.

I tried hard to like Mixed Doubles. I wrote a lengthy column on it last year. Still, I can't come to love it even if it ends up gaining Olympic status. I drove a long way to watch its Nationals in Bismarck a couple years ago. I tried desperately to watch Worlds on the web when Dean Gemmell was a color commentator. He was brilliant...the games were not.

Without sweeping, this slow moving game is now devoid of action. Precision and excellence step down without the brooms. Maybe it is great fun to play (wasn't the one time I tried it), but it isn't great for me to watch either online or in person.

But I will continue as always. I am a fan of the curlers, if not the format. I will bring attention to the event because it is growing in importance and some real talent is signed up to play.

Ben Tucker

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11-27-14 04:49PM
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For CurlKy to imply that I'm anything other than supportive and a positive influence for USA Curling hurts. I don't think, however, it was my slight to Mixed Doubles that deeply offends him. It has been my views on Arena Curling both here and on TESN. The TESN group, by the way, is not responsible for my views. (If you want to see somebody really explode, let me for a half-sentence say anything nonsupportive to outdoor curling and Alice will light up these pages. We all have aspects of curling that we love deeply.)

It has been my contention, on more than one occasion, that Arena Curling can only be a stepping stone and cannot be an end goal for USA Curling. I do not believe that we can grow (or even maintain our recent growth) based on Arena Curling. It is the culture of curling that needs to spread. It is curlers being able to shoot 2 or 3 leagues a week and hit a half-dozen spiels a year. It is a culture that allows practice rocks frequently. It is a culture that has the CLUB as a social center. A club where one can gather for more than just curling.

Arena Curling has been a godsend to the USA. Membership and awareness and exposure have all exploded thanks to Arena Curling. However, I don't see it as a foundation rock. I see it as a stepping stone. I rejoice when a new arena club opens up...like in Chicago recently...but I really and truly rejoice when arena clubs take the next step to a dedicated facility. USA Curling needs Chicago to add a second dedicated facility. Those who have done it in an affordable manner by transforming an existing buildings (Ohio and Oregon) warm the depths of my heart.

So is remaining an Arena Club resigning to a slow death of curling in that city? I don't think so, but I don't know. I'm just not all that smart. I do know, however, that failing to take that next step is resigning to being less than that club can become.

If these words offend, I understand. I hope that those who disagree can remain friends based on our love of the sport. Lord knows Benton and I remain friends and we agree on nothing except that we love curling.

Should I be extra careful because my words may carry more weight than my qualifications suggest? While I am fully aware of the situation and have been for some time now (ask those who know me), I won't hesitate to speak my mind. I've never been very good at Shutting Up. (again, ask anybody that knows me) While I'll be saying less and less as the days go by, I will not hesitate to express my views when something arises. Hopefully the sum of the pieces will average out to being good for the game. The readers can come to respect my views, reject my views or judge each opinion on its own merit; FOR IT IS IN THE OPEN DISCUSSION THAT PROGRESS CAN BE MADE.

Ben Tucker

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11-27-14 06:15PM
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OK, back to the topic at hand:

Seems like we have a late scratch. Looks like the Fort Wayne Duo of Fischer/Mean had to bow out before the draw was even drawn. Too bad. I hope it wasn't for any serious reason. I believe they used to coach the Logan Tingley rink and I like to see coaches fall on their faces when actually playing. (that was a subtle jab at my coaching friends like Dave Jensen and others...they'll know I'm just kidding)

Pool A is headlined by the Family Clark. Cristin refuses to dump her husband either on the ice or through divorce. Brady ain't bad, but as soon as their son Sean hits puberty, Brady gets benched. They are odds-on to win their pool.

Standing in their way is Pep and Laura. Underrated and inexperienced in the format, they are the best Nationals 9 Seed since...well...ever. Trivia Question: What prestigious award did both Pep and Laura win when they were Juniors? Answer: Both were voted All Star Skip at Junior Worlds. A school teacher last I heard, Pep doesn't curl much. Last time I saw him play, he was third for Sommerville in the Nagano Olympics. Timmy made an impossible shot in the 10th against the home team in the tiebreaker...a shot I didn't think was there. They then went on to the semifinals where Timmy used a horridly mismatched set of rocks and Canada (Mike Harris) walked them off the sheet.

Brady is the 1 seed in Pool A. Pep is the 3 seed. The 2 seed is Vukich/Cornfield. Sharon has won this and this team has been very competitive in the recent past. Still, time may be running out. I've met Sharon a couple of times and David at least once. I don't know them well, but I really like them.

Also in Pool A are Mikey and Nicky Bera. They are from Kettle Moraine where they regularly beat the crap out of Sean Murray. Yes, I'm that in touch with the curling scene. I know the status of Kettle Moraine Mixed league. OK, maybe not.

Pool A has Matt Fowler. He used to throw lead for Pete Stolt. Good player. Teamed with him is Sarah Thuriot. They are listed as Blaine, but something in the back of my head says she has Mankato roots. I could be wrong.

Filling out the pool are two dedicated drivers of the sport out west in Idaho and Oregon. Smith-Koop/Engle have landed in a deep pool. Hope they can swim.

So Pool A has past winners of this event, National winners at different levels and even an Olympian. I like The Family Clark to win the pool and Peplinski/Roessler to get the other playoff spot. If they do get into the playoffs and catch on to Mixed Doubles (Laura did play in 09 and made the playoffs), look out for this Peplinski team. Pep only has one kidney, but how many do you really need for Mixed Doubles?

Ben Tucker

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11-27-14 11:45PM
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Pool B looks to be a lock for the Stolts. Past winners of this event, both are getting some ice time. Maureen seems to be playing very well at third for Patti Lank. Pete isn't seeing as much ice time as most years, but I'm not too worried about Pete.

Cory Christenson is in the middle of a fabulous Junior year and is fresh off a prestigious win in Manitoba. Derek Benson (aka Mr. Courtney George) is better known as an Alpha Party Animal, but the boy can also curl some. I've seen it. Not bad. This strange pairing is going to make a pile of shots. I don't think Mixed Doubles is the best way to display their skills.

The even younger pairing of Tina Persinger and Mark Fenner got the third seed in this pool. Fenner has played a ton with Dropkin The Younger the last two years. Tina has played on some pretty good Junior rinks. Both are about 20 years old.

Seattle sends Thomas and Jiyoung Lee. I don't know anything about this team.

Out of St. Paul come Kim Roden and Gary Mazzotta. They've played in this before and done pretty well. Gary also did very well in Mixed Doubles a few years ago, but I think he had a different teammate. Summer or something like that?

The likable, intelligent and talented Bill Kind comes in from Rice Lake, but not to curl. He's coaching a team with Steve Swoboda and Lynn Struzan. I know nothing about the curlers, but I have a ton of respect for the coach.

I do think the Stolts are a lock to get a playoff spot out of this pool. With the seeding making the remainder of the pool fairly even, I'm going to reach down and pick a low seed to upset the field and make it to the elimination rounds. Gimme Mazzotta/Roden to show some experience and hang tough against some talented youngsters...some of them very young.

Ben Tucker

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11-28-14 12:28AM
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tuck
Super Rockchucker

 

Registered: Dec 2005
Location: St. Thomas, North Dakota
Posts: 2613

I'd like to say hello to all the Mixed Doubles teams in Pool C. Welcome to the Pool Of Death. At least one very good team is going to head home without making the playoffs.

The deserving top seed of Pool C is the brother/sister pairing of Tyler and Courtney George. Tommy's Kids have all the credentials needed to scare the crap out of their opponents. They've also played this format before (in the home club of Duluth a couple of years ago...did quite well...I think The Family Clark won it that year) If Tommy's Kids are taking this seriously, the rest of the field may be playing for second place. If they are playing for fun, they might not survive pool play.

Medalists last year, Sean P. Murray and Emilia Juocys get a well deserved high seed. Both snubbed by the HPP, both must have been looking forward to this event all year. They are extremely dangerous and if anybody (Willy) gives you long odds on this pairing, take it. Em has quickly made herself into a brilliant front end player and should be in the HPP (but a major factor in their decision was previous World experience with both of these curlers lack). The Punk is dedicated and tenacious.

Youthful talent also makes its presence known here in Pool C. Young drawmaster Scott Dunham brings a ton of touch and a stud teammate in Taylor Anderson. (she'll giggle pretty good at being called a stud) Taylor is the Tiny Terrorist that usually throws second. These youngsters are going to drive the older curlers insane. Nothing bugs us more than polite young curlers making shot after shot against us. Drives us nuts. These wonderful young curlers will drive some people nuts next week.

Darrick (his mother spelled his name that way just to confuse me years later) Kizlyk jets in from Denver. He's done well in Mixed Doubles before (Bismarck) and now he has dedicated ice. Look out. Darrick "Hardest Name To Type" Kizlyk is teamed with Dena "Second Hardest Name To Type" Rosenberry. I thought Dena was out of Colorado Springs, but I could wrong. Darrick used to teach school. Judging from the amount of curling he is doing, I suspect he changed occupations. Somebody ask him. I don't know why I need to know, but I need to know.

I'm told that Logan Tingley is a talented and dedicated young lady out of Fort Wayne. I don't much about her and even less about her teammate, Chris Clark.

The Unruh team (Larissa and Sam) are from my state of North Dakota, but I'm ashamed to say that I don't know them.

The Pool Of Death is led by two monster teams. It would not shock me (and shouldn't shock anybody) if Tommy's Kids (Ty and Court) and Team Angry Birds (snubbed Punk and Em) meet in the Finals of this event. Yeah, the Family Brady and the Stolts and the defending champs and Dropkin the Younger and Pep will have a say in the outcome...but these are two of the very top contenders. Add to that a proven Colorado team with untypeable names and a team of talented youngsters and you get a Pool Of Death. One stumble might be one stumble too many. I don't know the other two teams, but I fear they may have fallen into deep waters here. I wish them luck. I fear they may need it. Tommy's Kids and The Very Angry Birds are my picks.

Ben Tucker

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11-28-14 01:11AM
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tuck
Super Rockchucker

 

Registered: Dec 2005
Location: St. Thomas, North Dakota
Posts: 2613

Finally we come to Pool D. My work is nearly finished and it has been a fair amount of work. If I spent this much time working on my horse racing picks maybe Willy wouldn't be so mad at me for feeding him bad picks.

The defending champs head this one. It may seem disrespectful that the champs only garnered the 4 seed, but they are still the top seed in their pool and so it didn't hurt them much. Are they looking with envy at Stolt's spot in the draw? Maybe. Joyance Meechi was the Never Missed A Shot driver of this team's championship run last year, I'm told. She did miss some at Worlds. Steven Gebauer returns to defend the title as well. I have no idea how this Wisconsin/GNCC team ever got together.

Stars shooting through an incredible year of Juniors would describe this pool's 2 seed. Dropkin The Younger and The Tiny Terrorist That Skips (sometimes their mothers call them Korey and Sarah) are both wonderful these days. I've seen it first hand. These kids can flat out play. They also date each other. The pool better hope that the format fools them or the love boat crashes on a reef. Serious, serious amount of talent here.

Broomstones Curling Club send us the Olson rink of Scott and Therese (whose name is surprisingly easy to type). They played this a couple of years ago, I believe, when it was in their home club. If memory serves, they did OK.

Dan Wiza and Stephanie Martin played in last year's Mixed Doubles and did alright. They finished around .500 and could take a big step forward with that experience under their belts. A Madison team, they won't be far from home.

Finally we have another team that seems bound and determined to test my typing skills Desiree Laitinen is a Centerville Wisconsin name. I think she curls some with Laura Roessler from Pool A. I think Doug Weimerskirch is from 4 Seasons in Blaine, but I really don't know. As usual, I am clueless. Help me out if you can. I'll be calling them Dougie W and De because I can't type for crap.

So was last year's National title the product of a team that just got red hot in the playoffs after suffering a couple of losses in the round robin? Was it a function of The Family Brady not making the playoffs after losing a key battle against Vukich/Cornfield? Or was it the coming out party for a couple of unknown/underrated curlers? I think it was probably a combination of all of those. Still, I like the chances of Dropkin/Terrorist to win this pool. Unfamiliar with how to play this stuff, they still just have too much talent and too many rocks thrown this year. They'll be tough. I do like the chances of the defending champions to survive the pool and set up another playoff run just like last year, but I also like the chances for Wiza if the champs stumble. I've already got a longshot picked in Pool B with Mazzotta, so give me Dropkin and Meechai in Pool D.

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11-28-14 01:29AM
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tuck
Super Rockchucker

 

Registered: Dec 2005
Location: St. Thomas, North Dakota
Posts: 2613

I like The Family Clark, The Stolts, Tommy's Kids and The Very Angry Birds to make the Final Four. Dropkin, Meechai and (especially) Peplinski could certainly hurt my picks.

Clarks and Stolts have both won this before and I suspect that they both really want to win it again. They are the top two seeds for very good reasons. Still, I'm going against the seeding and I'm picking Tommy's Kids and The Very Angry Birds into the Finals. Tyler and Courtney are just very good and I think they are taking this very seriously.

In the Finals, I'm picking the Very Angry Birds. These are two very dedicated curlers who may feel slighted. A slighted curler is a dangerous thing. I think they've been lining up this goal for some time now. Emilia "Stitch" Juocys and Sean "The Punk" Murray representing the USA in Sochi for World Mixed Doubles? Wild. Very colorfully wild. I think this is the team that both players have been getting in lots of games and rocks. This is the team with focus on Mixed Doubles.

Did I really pick Mazzotta to make the playoffs? That is a bit of a longshot. Come on, Gary and Kim...make me look smart. Punk and Stitch, you can do the same.

Ben Tucker
Wishing all the teams good curling and good times

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Harvey Hacksmasher

 

Registered: Dec 2011
Location: New York
Posts: 60

Great analysis as usual Tuck. Please do not step back too much from posting here. Being from the east I know very few of the curlers and your info helps.

I also agree with your statement about Arena Curling. It is a great way to get curling started in an area but ultimately I hope those clubs grow and can work their way to dedicated ice.

Those of who have dedicated ice are spoiled.

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M: USA Curling Junior National Championships
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