Registered: Jan 2011
Location: Southern Sask.
Posts: 364

quote:

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Originally posted by Mr. Jordan
prairieguy, I wish I could give you a straightforward answer, like how Canada sets its picks, but unfortunately, we don't know who's representing us yet. Our team is going to be selected by committee, and there's a little more information (and a lot of corporate management-type talk) about that here: http://m.teamusa.org/USA-Curling/Fe...-team-selection

While the Continental Cup is a good chance for one men's and one women's team of ours to get experience on arena ice and against top competition, our selection process seems too convoluted for a tournament that features things like singles and mixed doubles.

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Registered: Feb 2011
Location: NY, USA
Posts: 39

Universal Sports is kind of the "Olympics" sports channel, but it's very much a niche sports channel and if I'm not mistaken, most cable providers don't carry it (mine certainly doesn't, and it's a fairly big provider). Some sport federations/circuits/competitions have exclusive deals with USN, but for everything else, I suppose NBC can use USN to either gauge viewer interest or just dump extra coverage there. That said, it's kind of a shame that I have to use a VPN to watch the games there and others just miss them altogether. Curling is still small potatoes without bigger patrons. At low cost, ESPN can sneak ahead and promote its WatchESPN TSN coverage of the Season of Champions events, which is better than NBC's and does feature outstanding curling, though possibly "undercutting" exposure of USA curling.

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Originally posted by prairie guy


Thanks for the info Mr.Jordan! Yes based on that it probably is hard to say how it will shake out. Here's hoping for Shuster...

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__________________
"'cause curlers are a rowdy bunch; they're boozers and carousers,
See them hanging out in matching sweaters, throwing rocks at houses,
They're afraid of linoleum, afraid of being chased
Around the kitchen with their socks on by a pack of timberwolves." --Dik Van Dykes

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Registered: Sep 2011
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Posts: 6002

I have to wonder just how long chris plys will remain in favor with the US if he continues to fail to get results.

I like chris but he hasnt done anything to earn their favoritism since winning worlds in 2008

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Registered: Mar 2014
Location:
Posts: 86

This was a much better showing than most were predicting, and Team Shuster has no reason to hang their heads. A pick, a wick or a tumble either way and we could be setting up to watch them play today.

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Registered: May 2014
Location: Joliet, IL
Posts: 629

quote:

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Originally posted by Flat Hat
This was a much better showing than most were predicting, and Team Shuster has no reason to hang their heads. A pick, a wick or a tumble either way and we could be setting up to watch them play today.

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Recreational curler & resident armchair curler at Windy City Curling Club.

Co-host of the NerdCurl podcast & occasional blogger.

http://www.nerdcurl.com

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Registered: Feb 2013
Location:
Posts: 812

Thought I would at least be able to watch replays of games on YouTube but just found out that even that is blocked. Very disappointing.

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Registered: Mar 2009
Location: Cleveland, OH
Posts: 140

quote:

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Originally posted by dbsdbs
Thought I would at least be able to watch replays of games on YouTube but just found out that even that is blocked. Very disappointing.

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Registered: Feb 2013
Location:
Posts: 812

quote:

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Originally posted by MCC_PE


Use Hola http://hola.org/ and switch your country to one that doesn't cover (and therefore geo-block) the event. Got that tip from runinrock a while back, thanks Mike! UK has been working for me for both live and replays.

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Last edited by dbsdbs on 04-04-15 at 03:02PM

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Registered: Feb 2011
Location: NY, USA
Posts: 39

quote:

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Originally posted by misty1
I have to wonder just how long chris plys will remain in favor with the US if he continues to fail to get results.

I like chris but he hasnt done anything to earn their favoritism since winning worlds in 2008

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__________________
"'cause curlers are a rowdy bunch; they're boozers and carousers,
See them hanging out in matching sweaters, throwing rocks at houses,
They're afraid of linoleum, afraid of being chased
Around the kitchen with their socks on by a pack of timberwolves." --Dik Van Dykes

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Registered: Feb 2012
Location:
Posts: 324

I really enjoyed following the USA/Finland tiebreaker on Curling Geek the other day. It was just like sitting on a stoop listening to a baseball game on radio... with over 1,700 other chatting and cheering fans. Looking forward to buying something from his store soon.

This major fail by USCA, Inc. staffers not to have any live broadcast service for any of our games other than some random tweets just goes to show our leadership does not want to showcase any games by non-HP selectees. What else could explain that major fail? Are its golden handcuffs to NBC so tight it can't tweet live stone-by-stone results or set up a chatroom like Curling Geek? If the Spirit of Curling reigned here, USCA would reimburse CG for his having to upgrade his server twice(!!) to provide the tiebreaker coverage he did.

USCA's website headline for our final game was a glass-half-empty spin instead of a clarion happy boast that our men's National Champion had its best result in X many years from a skip who improved his own World and Olympic record so impressively.

Mental game is right, Phil_D. On so many different levels, on and off the ice.

Last edited by Alice on 04-04-15 at 05:54PM

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Registered: Dec 2006
Location: Minnesota
Posts: 14

quote:

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Originally posted by MCC_PE


Use Hola http://hola.org/ and switch your country to one that doesn't cover (and therefore geo-block) the event. Got that tip from runinrock a while back, thanks Mike! UK has been working for me for both live and replays.

CurlingGeek, thanks for what you do. Didn't realize you're the man behind the website so the next time you're down for the Evergreen at Mayfield I'll buy you a drink or three.

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Registered: Mar 2014
Location:
Posts: 107

quote:

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Originally posted by Alice

This major fail by USCA, Inc. staffers not to have any live broadcast service for any of our games other than some random tweets just goes to show our leadership does not want to showcase any games by non-HP selectees.

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Registered: Feb 2011
Location: NY, USA
Posts: 39

Doug from curlinggeek.com dropped a hint this week that the USCA is going to use its service for one of its future events, but left it as a teaser and didn't go into details. So, we could have more of that sort of thing coming soon, which would be nice.

__________________
"'cause curlers are a rowdy bunch; they're boozers and carousers,
See them hanging out in matching sweaters, throwing rocks at houses,
They're afraid of linoleum, afraid of being chased
Around the kitchen with their socks on by a pack of timberwolves." --Dik Van Dykes

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Registered: Feb 2012
Location:
Posts: 324

Gnat, I guess I was just never able to spoof my URL or get it on home cable to get any video from Men's Worlds. I was just expecting more live coverage from an event in our timezones versus the women's in Japan.

At least we can all still see highlights online from one USA women's game here:
http://wwcc2015.curlingevents.com/video/archive/1

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Registered: Apr 2013
Location: Brooklyn Park, MN
Posts: 33

quote:

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Originally posted by dbsdbs


I have used Hola before but is not working for me now? Trying you tube via UK but no luck

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Registered: Mar 2014
Location:
Posts: 107

Looks like the geo block got tighter for the playoffs. I got by pretending to be in Germany. It was interesting trying to use Google to shop flights when I forgot to turn it off.

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Registered: Feb 2009
Location: Ottawa
Posts: 900

http://www.drakulastream.eu/free-li...ing-videos.html

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Registered: Jul 2013
Location: 216
Posts: 41

quote:

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Originally posted by Grat
Ruinrock,I'm pretty sure expanding TV coverage in the states is one of Rick's highest priorities, and Curling Night in America was a big win. Next step is to expand on that, but I doubt those results were back in time for NBC to do anything with this year's worlds.

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Registered: Mar 2014
Location:
Posts: 107

Some curling on TV is infinitely more than no curling on TV. I think that's a "big win". But if it's not a stepping stone to more and improved coverage it's a meaningless win. Hopefully it's the first win of many.

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Registered: Sep 2011
Location:
Posts: 1064

I kinda wonder something...

*should* we be putting the responsibility for "get more TV" on the USCA?

It seems to me that our better course would be for someone with relatively deep pockets to create an event, and shop those rights to TV.

ESPN can't show Nationals/Worlds/etc due to contracts...but there'd be nothing preventing them from putting "The World Invitational Curling Championship" on ESPN3 (or even, for that matter...a slot or two on ESPN2). There'd probably be no broadcast money in it at first, but it's a route.

Once you're there, then let interest build and voila, now you have folks wanting the sport.

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Registered: May 2013
Location: United States
Posts: 18

quote:

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Originally posted by runinrock


You're right, getting more TV coverage should be the largest priority of the next CEO.

and I'm not sure you can consider tape-delayed coverage of an exhibition event in which we paid the other teams to show up as a "big win"...especially when many of the ends were not shown in their entirety..talk about making it even MORE confusing for a novice to understand the game or strategy

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Registered: Dec 2014
Location:
Posts: 206

quote:

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Originally posted by ethan.b.meyers


It was a big win because it had good numbers and showed the people who matter that there's a TV audience for non-Olympic curling in the US.

If anything, they should be encouraged for setting up an event like this. It was a significant risk and they (largely one person) managed to set up a successful TV event out of absolutely nothing. Yes, it was an exhibition event. Yes, it was cut down to two hours with commercials. No, it wasn't live. People watched it anyway.

TV is a very high priority for the USCA. They're doing the best they can given the cards they're dealt. Just because it's going to be a long road doesn't mean we should be bashing them for taking the first few steps down it.

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Registered: Feb 2009
Location:
Posts: 338

quote:

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Originally posted by ethan.b.meyers


TV is a very high priority for the USCA. They're doing the best they can given the cards they're dealt. Just because it's going to be a long road doesn't mean we should be bashing them for taking the first few steps down it.

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Registered: Mar 2014
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Posts: 107

Going in I would have called them capable but not favored to win a medal. In the end they needed one of five shots to go a different way and they're in the playoffs.

I don't know how the contracts for the rights for Worlds are handled. Do networks contract through the WCF for rights in each country? Or does each country's governing body handle the rights within their country. Are we tied to NBCU because of their USCA relationship, or could ESPN decide they've got enough channels and could use the content and bid on them in the future?

I was also curious about the reversed decision by TSN to broadcast the tie-breaker. Did they decide a non-Canadian game wasn't worth the expense - or did NBCU nix streaming on ESPN3 because they own the US rights and that tip the scales for TSN?

Basic problem this year is that NBCU hasn't come around to real curling coverage outside the Olympics. So they didn't pay World Curling TV to cover the American games. Then the games they picked up are on Universal Sports - which has few big names on their please contact your provider to get USN list.

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Registered: Feb 2012
Location:
Posts: 324

quote:

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Originally posted by ethan.b.meyers


..TV is a very high priority for the USCA. They're doing the best they can given the cards they're dealt. Just because it's going to be a long road doesn't mean we should be bashing them for taking the first few steps down it.

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