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

The Tour is firing up and teams are entering. Check them out worldcurl.com

Brady Clark is the only USA team listed on the Men's side so far. Greg Persinger and Phil Tilker so far. No second listed. Interviewing, Brady? I assume you'll be calling me soon.

Erika Brown is listed!!! Surprises me. Alex Carlson, Rebecca Funk and Kendall Behm.

Stu Sells in Oakville only a month away...The Shorty is 5 or 6 weeks. I thought I would see the HPP teams entered in something by now.

I do hear rumors of Cassie Johnson Potter playing with a new rink...Courtney George and Amy Lou Anderson. That would be a very athletic team.

I also hear rumors of Face Shuster teaming with Tyler George, Matt Hamilton and Trevor Host. If one was predisposed to cheer for an American team that was NOT funded by the HPP, this team (and Brady Clark) would fit the bill nicely. If Face Shuster isn't in the funded running for Team USA, maybe he can get some points on his own and force the issue with this solid front end. That would probably make him America's Team.

Face and America's Team. Too early for a nickname? It's never too early for a nickname.

Ben Tucker
Seriously, people...I don't want to drive this conversation

Report this post to a moderator | IP: Logged

Registered: Sep 2011
Location:
Posts: 1064

I hope to hell those rumors are true.

Report this post to a moderator | IP: Logged

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

Alan, you're fairly new to curling so I'll give a free pass on that mistake.

In the future, please be advised that rumors from Tuck are always true.

Ben Tucker

Report this post to a moderator | IP: Logged

Registered: Feb 2012
Location:
Posts: 324

Had a look at the ladies' list. Wow! What a lot of South Korean teams! And from several different towns, too. I seem to recall reading much money is heading their way to help them medal in the 2018 games. Their junior ladies defeated China to get to the World Juniors in 2014 where they earned silver missing the gold to Canada by just 2 points. We are going to need plenty of nicknames for their skips given how many have similar names.

What is going on there? Do they have national teams? Who are their coaches? Do they have growing grassroots clubs? Regional playdowns?

Last edited by Alice on 08-06-14 at 04:00PM

Report this post to a moderator | IP: Logged

Registered: Nov 2012
Location: In the crawlspace
Posts: 83

Given that South Korea is hosting in 2018, I would not be surprised if their Olympic committee and/or national athletics program(s) are getting major funding so that they have a good showing (if not medal count) and they're starting on it as early as possible. I guess one way to check this would be to see if other winter sports "tours" are also seeing an uptick in South Korean participation.

Chief Ice Minion
27 days until plant turn on and beating jhcurl to mentioning it.

Report this post to a moderator | IP: Logged

Registered: Jun 2007
Location:
Posts: 440

Last I heard, Brady was still on the hunt for a fourth player to round out his team. He's trying to stay local if possible....though it might not be. Time will tell.

Cassie, Courtney, and Amy Lou (and Jamie?) is a very interesting team, to say the least. That's one I cannot confirm or deny, this is the first I've heard of it.

I do hear rumblings of Debbie McCormick, Emilia Juocys, and Brittany Falk searching for a fourth player.

Report this post to a moderator | IP: Logged

Registered: Sep 2002
Location: US - CT
Posts: 1431

Rumors of an Eastie team forming with some of the leftovers. Probably not WCT bound so much as OCT bound.

JH
Sorry "in the crawlspace", I posted that last week.

Report this post to a moderator | IP: Logged

Registered: Jun 2007
Location:
Posts: 440

Word has emerged regarding the lineups of the High Performance teams, and I think you'll find a few surprises.

Team A:
Skip - Chris Plys
Third - Joe Polo
Second - Jared Zezel
Lead - Colin Hufman
Alternate - Ryan Brunt

Team B:
Skip - Heath McCormick
Third - Craig Brown
Second - Kroy Nernberger
Lead - Sean Beighton
Alternate - Alex Leichter

Thoughts?

Report this post to a moderator | IP: Logged

Registered: Sep 2002
Location: US - CT
Posts: 1431

I guess they didn't like the drift? Heater and Brownie played well together in Germany so I see that as good. Have to wonder on the A and B designation.

JH
time will tell

Report this post to a moderator | IP: Logged

Registered: Feb 2012
Location:
Posts: 324

Why do we even need a Team A and Team B?

Look at what the successful Koreans ladies are doing this year:

- 2 teams are just the same people reshuffled with only the alternate the same (the Uijeongbu club teams)
- 1 team has at least two members from Jr Worlds 2014 (Uiseong club)
- 1 team is the 2014 Olympic ladies (Gyeonggi-do club in Euijeongbu)
- 1 team from Seoul club, all new to the international scene?

The 2014 Olympic ladies have been sponsored in part by the Shinsegae Group (think Macy's + Walmart), ages 24-26.

I am wondering which have mostly national governing body support v. private/self support and especially who is supporting the one-as-two team? And, is one or more a junior development team geared for 2018 with any jr/adult team overlap?

Report this post to a moderator | IP: Logged

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

Duck Gemmell steps into the house and I think he'll do great as a skip...except he tends to be pretty hard on himself. It looks like a supportive front end and that could mean really good things. I love that they scooped up talented Wisconsin transplant Calvin Webber.

Patti Lank has a new crew and they could make some noise. Maureen Stolt is at third. Anna Bauman and Mackensie Lank are the front end...two players that should be playing with the Tiny Terrorists if that team has been broken up by the HPP process.

Tuck
no comment on policy for now...just a casual fan

Report this post to a moderator | IP: Logged

Registered: Jan 2012
Location:
Posts: 84

Per Sean's instructions, here are my thoughts as a curling back-bencher:

The age component of the two men's teams is very interesting to me. If you look at recent world and Olympic success, it appears there are two models (when it comes to the age factor, I'm not discussing self-formed vs. hand-picked or other metrics).

One is a team which is a 2/2 combo of late 30s/early 40s experience and young 'uns (see Team Canada/Women and Team Ulsrud). Heater's team is in this mold.

The other model is to skew the entire team younger with no one older than early/mid 30s (see: Team Canada/Men, also Muirhead and Edin). That's Plys et al.

As the results attest, either combo can get you medals. It appears that Derek Brown is throwing both models into the mix and looking to see how it shakes out.

nom de broom

__________________
[Original Ray's] nom de broom

Last edited by nom de broom on 08-10-14 at 05:35PM

Report this post to a moderator | IP: Logged

Registered: Sep 2011
Location:
Posts: 1064

quote:

---

Originally posted by Alice
Why do we even need a Team A and Team B?

---

Report this post to a moderator | IP: Logged

Registered: Dec 2011
Location: New York
Posts: 60

According to the Order of Merit teams on WCT site, here are your HPP women's teams:

Skip: Nina Spatola
Third: Jamie Sinclair
Second: Becca Hamilton
Lead: Tabitha Peterson

and

Skip: Aileen Sormunen
Third: Tara Peterson
Second: Vicky Persinger
Lead: Monica Walker

Report this post to a moderator | IP: Logged

Registered: Sep 2011
Location:
Posts: 6002

quote:

---

Originally posted by SPMFromPCC
Word has emerged regarding the lineups of the High Performance teams, and I think you'll find a few surprises.

Team A:
Skip - Chris Plys
Third - Joe Polo
Second - Jared Zezel
Lead - Colin Hufman
Alternate - Ryan Brunt

Team B:
Skip - Heath McCormick
Third - Craig Brown
Second - Kroy Nernberger
Lead - Sean Beighton
Alternate - Alex Leichter

Thoughts?

---

Report this post to a moderator | IP: Logged

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

That is accurate, Misty.

Alice, there needs to be an A and B designation because the travel schedules and budgets for the teams vary significantly. The schedules for the B teams are unimpressive. It would not surprise me to see non-funded teams such as Clark, Gemmell and Shuster end up with more aggressive travel.

Tuck

Report this post to a moderator | IP: Logged

Registered: Jul 2013
Location: 216
Posts: 41

Tuck,

If the B team isn't travelling much, what is the point of having a B team to begin with? Maybe you don't know the answer to this...but seems silly to go through the process of selecting a team, and then not be committed both timewise and financially to giving them as much support as possible.

__________________
-Mike Moore

Report this post to a moderator | IP: Logged

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

Part from knowledge and parts from supposition and imagination:

When one forms a World Team from assembling parts, it is best to have spare parts onhand. Failure of parts to live up to expectations might force a change...life, jobs, sickness, personality conflicts and even pregnancy can get in the way.

I suspect that most of the players will live up to expectations, but I am certain that lineups will change. Will Plys ask for Heater to be brought in? Will Sarah Anderson play without Taylor? Will Nina enjoy skipping or will they move up the Canadian?

I am concerned that the B Teams have an iffy schedule. I'm glad that the Great Lakes Tour is being supported. I am terribly concerned about the program's impact on Junior Women's.

Basically, the HPP melded together our two excellent teams: Christensen and The Tiny Terrorists Andersons. Left on the outside are the Dubbersteins. One sure way to improve your selected team's chance of winning Nationals is to blow up the main contending team.

Now they have a 6 person team without enough budget to play everybody a significant number of games. Players like Mackensie Lank, Anna Bauman and Taylor Anderson look like they might get much ice from the HPP.

Did they take 2 World contenders and form them into 1 World contender that is no better than the original 2? I think they have...but budget and new policy probably forced them.

So the short answer to Mr. Moore's question is: Never put all your eggs into one basket; especially if you're not sure what kind of eggs you're mixing together. My question to Mr. Moore is much more difficult and likely impossible to answer...but I'd love to know. What would your father have thought of all this? Man, I'd like to know that.

Ben Tucker

Report this post to a moderator | IP: Logged

Registered: Nov 2007
Location:
Posts: 142

Mike would know better than me, but during the all to short time I worked with Chris Moore, running coaching, I found him to be an innovator.

Is this innovation or the antithesis?

Report this post to a moderator | IP: Logged

Registered: Sep 2011
Location:
Posts: 6002

well i always like Plys so i hope this works out. Although i feel like while he may be the favorite younger player for now korey dropkin is going to end up replacing him if he doesnt get some decent results

Report this post to a moderator | IP: Logged

Registered: Jun 2007
Location:
Posts: 440

It is my understanding that not only are both A and B teams playing an extremely busy schedule this coming season (you're literally talking 7-8 events plus a few training camps for BOTH teams), but also the team lineups are not necessarily set in stone from one event to the next. For example, Heater might skip at one event, but then the next event you might see Craig skipping. The personnel for each team are locked in, but where they actually play isn't. I presume multiple lineups will be tested until the "optimal" one is found.

I'd say you can safely quash the notion that the B teams aren't as involved as the A teams are, or that the B schedule is unimpressive. Players on both teams are going to be plenty busy.

Report this post to a moderator | IP: Logged

Registered: Sep 2002
Location: US - CT
Posts: 1431

Have received independent confirmation that the Punk is correct or more importantly TUCK IS WRONG! The B men's team has a very good schedule.

Punk 1
Tuck 0
(tm Frykenstein)

On a somewhat related note, go and listen to the most recent Curling Show podcast with the great Earle Morris. Great insights into coaching and the game. Also talks about the new HP process with his views for success.

thecurlingshow.com

JH
still rootin' for the Phightins' even though they suck

Report this post to a moderator | IP: Logged

Registered: Sep 2002
Location: US - CT
Posts: 1431

Seems Tuck might have been a little bit right. The team list for Stu Sells Oakville is up and no HP teams are listed. The new team Shuster, new team E. Brown and new team D. McCormick are playing. Interesting lineups for those teams.

Stu Sells Toronto has team Plys and team Heater.

Last edited by jhcurl on 08-17-14 at 10:09AM

Report this post to a moderator | IP: Logged

Registered: Feb 2014
Location:
Posts: 9

Looks to me like all of the best US teams broke up or retired.

Report this post to a moderator | IP: Logged

Registered: Mar 2009
Location:
Posts: 81

quote:

---

Originally posted by Mowgli
Looks to me like all of the best US teams broke up or retired.

---

Report this post to a moderator | IP: Logged