Registered: Oct 2011
Location: Calgary
Posts: 49

How many excuses can Russ Howard come up with for the poor play of the woman's curling in Japan.
1. Pebble fresh.
2. Pebble worn down.
3. The running surface of the rocks getting smooth.
4. Lively rocks.
5. Path worn down.
6. Ice changed since they last threw the rock.
7. Rocks mismatched.
8. Ice changed since last end.
Why cannot he just say they missed.

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Registered: Mar 2013
Location:
Posts: 1875

Sometimes it's very difficult to tell the the truth. They missed it wide, they were inside the broom, they were heavy, they were light, or a combination....just like the rest of us club curlers. Again the percentages are inflated by at least 20-30 percent. Watching these games there's no way ANYONE other than Dawn McEwen is curling more than 75%. Anyone. Somehow Jill had 3-4 flashes in the same game, guards in the house and draws thrown through, and still curled 70%. Come on.

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Registered: Feb 2005
Location: New Brunswick
Posts: 199

quote:

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Originally posted by IN-OFF-FOR-2
Sometimes it's very difficult to tell the the truth. They missed it wide, they were inside the broom, they were heavy, they were light, or a combination....just like the rest of us club curlers. Again the percentages are inflated by at least 20-30 percent. Watching these games there's no way ANYONE other than Dawn McEwen is curling more than 75%. Anyone. Somehow Jill had 3-4 flashes in the same game, guards in the house and draws thrown through, and still curled 70%. Come on.

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Registered: Jan 2006
Location: Peterborough
Posts: 1120

quote:

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Originally posted by freezetothehack


Russ's word of the week.....wow!

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Registered: Mar 2011
Location: Montréal
Posts: 81

Team Canada played great at the Scotties and so did Team Sweeting. The ice was consistent at the Canadian championship but that isn't the case in Sapporo. The building in Japan is not properly insulated and there isn't any air conditionning or heating therefore the ice conditions change all the time. You can't expect the same level of play when the ice is changing all the time. On good ice none of you would stand a chance against Jones, Sweeting or Homan.

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Registered: Feb 2005
Location: Manitoba
Posts: 480

Russ Howard is pretty quick to point out when someone doesn't throw the rock well, you guys. And is critical when teams "miss the wrong way".

None of the teams have been playing lights out this week at the Women's Worlds. All teams have struggled with inconsistent play. Alina Paetz has been the single best player on the ice through the week, often overcoming misses by her team to generate the points on her own. We saw a higher standard of play from several teams at the Brier and STOH this year - thanks in no small part to the consistent ice conditions. Now we have four very good teams in the playoffs - the team that can adapt to the circumstances best will be rewarded.

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Registered: Apr 2007
Location:
Posts: 94

quote:

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Originally posted by Manitoba Legend
What sticks in my mind is Kelly Scott's shrill/curt voice yelping out "Nice shot, Jeanna!" when Jeanna just missed a takeout by half a foot. . . . or was short on a needed draw by 5 feet!

Jones and Cathy O also started parroting what Scott and Schraeder were doing!

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Registered: Mar 2015
Location:
Posts: 2

You mean the rock didn't "pick?"

quote:

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Originally posted by Skid
How many excuses can Russ Howard come up with for the poor play of the woman's curling in Japan.
1. Pebble fresh.
2. Pebble worn down.
3. The running surface of the rocks getting smooth.
4. Lively rocks.
5. Path worn down.
6. Ice changed since they last threw the rock.
7. Rocks mismatched.
8. Ice changed since last end.
Why cannot he just say they missed.

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Registered: Mar 2015
Location:
Posts: 1

quote:

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Originally posted by Skid
How many excuses can Russ Howard come up with for the poor play of the woman's curling in Japan.
1. Pebble fresh.
2. Pebble worn down.
3. The running surface of the rocks getting smooth.
4. Lively rocks.
5. Path worn down.
6. Ice changed since they last threw the rock.
7. Rocks mismatched.
8. Ice changed since last end.
Why cannot he just say they missed.

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Registered: Jan 2006
Location: Peterborough
Posts: 1120

quote:

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Originally posted by Fomalhaut


I don't understand why what Russ is saying what you want him to say are mutually exclusive statements. Russ is acknowledging that they missed, but he's trying to provide a reason for the miss. If those things that Russ are pointing out are true, then it's clear that the teams failed to account for that when they should have. Russ is saying that they missed, it is their fault that they missed and here is the reason for that fault.

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Registered: Feb 2007
Location:
Posts: 631

quote:

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Originally posted by Fomalhaut


I don't understand why what Russ is saying what you want him to say are mutually exclusive statements. Russ is acknowledging that they missed, but he's trying to provide a reason for the miss. If those things that Russ are pointing out are true, then it's clear that the teams failed to account for that when they should have. Russ is saying that they missed, it is their fault that they missed and here is the reason for that fault.

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Registered: Feb 2005
Location: .
Posts: 1844

quote:

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Originally posted by Skid
How many excuses can Russ Howard come up with for the poor play of the woman's curling in Japan ...

Why cannot he just say they missed.

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Registered: Feb 2013
Location: British Columbia
Posts: 97

another Mike Harris " brutal"" calls it like it is....I love it LOL

quote:

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Originally posted by Manitoba Legend
I don't know when it happened but the basic mythology of curling changed over 10 years ago. No more - wide, narrow or pulled the string or Air Canada shots.....

I remember the first time I took note of curlers telling their mates what they wanted to hear vs. the absolute truth.

What sticks in my mind is Kelly Scott's shrill/curt voice yelping out "Nice shot, Jeanna!" when Jeanna just missed a takeout by half a foot. . . . or was short on a needed draw by 5 feet!

Jones and Cathy O also started parroting what Scott and Schraeder were doing!

Now its all positive reinforcement. No such thing as a missed shot! The announcers have caught the same virus.

Except for Mike Harris. When someone misses he's more than happy to yelp out "AWFUL"..... Russ never heads down that rabbit-hole. . . .

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Registered: Feb 2004
Location: Toronto
Posts: 2668

Then why does the WCF allow a world championship in a building that is obviously not capable of providing top conditions. Do you think the ISU would allow the world figure skating championships to take place on slushy ice with bumps & cracks?

Did they not do a site visit in advance of this event or do they hope for the best. This isn't fair to the players. Maybe now if curlers qualify for World Championships held outside Canada, they should find the crappiest club ice possible and practice on that instead.

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Well Behaved Women Don't Make History.

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Registered: Oct 2011
Location: Calgary
Posts: 49

9. Ice is softing up some.

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Registered: Sep 2002
Location: London, Ontario
Posts: 4002

Sportsnet is too critical of the players while TSN makes too many excuses for them. Hmm... Can anyone ever be happy?

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Registered: Feb 2007
Location:
Posts: 631

quote:

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Originally posted by Gerry
Sportsnet is too critical of the players while TSN makes too many excuses for them. Hmm... Can anyone ever be happy?

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Registered: Sep 2003
Location: Canada
Posts: 1992

quote:

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Originally posted by Gerry
Hmm... Can anyone ever be happy?

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Registered: Nov 2014
Location: British Columbia
Posts: 202

Announcers can't win, regardless of the sport. Some people will like certain ones, some won't. Personally, I find very few announcers god awful. My advice is that if you dislike an announcer so much as to comment on a website, mute the audio. You have a simple solution, use it and stop complaining.

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Registered: Oct 2011
Location: Calgary
Posts: 49

I used to enjoy listening to Russ call the games. It just seems he has lost his own personal edge.

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Registered: Feb 2011
Location: Winnipeg
Posts: 1418

As much as most of the color people know the game, I think the pressure to respond quick gets to them. There are many statements that leave me scratching my head. But they are way more entertaining then saying WOW 10 times per end.

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Registered: Sep 2002
Location: London, Ontario
Posts: 4002

quote:

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Originally posted by rick8end
Announcers can't win, regardless of the sport. Some people will like certain ones, some won't. Personally, I find very few announcers god awful. My advice is that if you dislike an announcer so much as to comment on a website, mute the audio. You have a simple solution, use it and stop complaining.

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Registered: Mar 2015
Location:
Posts: 960

Mute button

Al Cameron was a very pleasant and "quiet" change from the constant babbling by Vic Spouter..it is so nice to actually ne able to listen to the Curlers.. at times when the shot is very critical..

Russ is a very deeply knowledgeable but ( sorry Russ) at times he rattles away like his coffee is too strong... we dont need to hear about everything that could go wrong on every shot..

They all talk way way too much.. so.. Mute button it is.. LOL

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Registered: Feb 2013
Location:
Posts: 812

Perhaps I am in the minority here but I enjoy listening to Vic and Russ do curling. I have not been able to watch/listen to as much curling this week as I would like but what little I have seen has included lots of poor play, even in the playoffs. No idea if it's the ice or the rocks or the curlers or whatever but the caliber of play has not measured up to that in other championships that I have seen.

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Registered: Feb 2014
Location:
Posts: 538

My TV curling experience goes back to "The Dons" on CBC-I don't think any TV curling goes back beyond that. I like listening to Vic as well-I think his mandate is to bring the game to "Non-Curlers". That's why he'll ask "Everyman" questions (to which he certainly knows the answer), does the local tourist segment and always "Makes the Final".

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