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

I'm afraid to toss some curling thoughts into the fun Rambling thread, so here is a separate thread:

The field for the Fort Wayne Women's Cash is looking awesome. Brown-Tetley, Pottinger, George and Potter will all be there. Both teams from China and (way cool) Eve Muirhead. Cory Christensen also has her highly rated Junior team.

For teams looking to improve, you will need exposure to good competition, exposure to world caliber ice and exposure to good coaching. It appears that Fort Wayne will have all three. Get there. Once there, talk to the coaches. Ask them to make notes and give you pointers. Make a pest of yourself. Trust me, the coaches will be glad to help. If you are going to play Erika, ask Bill Todhunter to make some notes on your team as well. Bill works with Erika's team and is not an USCA coach...but he make some notes. He's a nice guy. They are all nice guys.

I imagine that there will be a High Performance Camp for our Trials teams preceding the 'spiel.

This is all great. Whoever put it together, thank you. Thank you very much. I hope the ice is great. I realize that it is mostly for the Trials teams, but this is just what USA curling needs.

For the rest of us, take advantage of this. Get to Fort Wayne. I know it is pricey to bring along your coach, but bring along your coach. Give your coach a chance to talk with the others and see these top teams up close. The HPP camp might be just for the Trials teams, but perhaps your coach could get permission to observe.

Finally, a note to the Great Lakes Tour: Congratulations. You guys started a regional tour that can be a stepping stone to the top tour. You included a successful Women's side even when others were telling you there wouldn't be enough teams. Now this. Awesome.

Ben Tucker

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Registered: Aug 2013
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No mention of the Andersons being there? I know it's a packed field- but where is the love Tuck?

Big win against Muirhead this morning. You've always said to not underestimate them. Don't start doing that yourself They are going to have a good year... just wait.

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Registered: Dec 2005
Location: Fairport, NY
Posts: 143

With this win, the "tiny terrorists" references will continue well into the Anderson's 40's.

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Joe Calabrese

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The USA men might not go to Russia and..."We will have NO AMERICANS curling in Sochi!"

The men's field at Fort Wayne is middling compared to the women and...no scores, no standings for what is supposed to be a major cashspiel kicking off the Great Lakes Tour.

Nom de Broom

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[Original Ray's] nom de broom

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Registered: Dec 2005
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Ya'll just behave yourself now.

I did not talk up the Tiny Terrorists in this forum, but you can ask their father to share some of his emails. I did predict this win a month ago.

As for Fort Wayne not yet being prompt with web updates:

Give them a little while. It is still the work week and they just hosted a national event. Fort Wayne is not, yet, a hotbed of curling. They will step it up after people get off work.

Ben Tucker
Wishing I was in Fort Wayne and I never thought I would say that

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

Curling thought in the middle of summer:

All the Men's teams in the USA play it badly when they are up 1 without the hammer coming home.

WCT, Canadian and international play show that the percentages in this situation to be even at worst and actually favoring the team that is Up 1 Without.

When Gerry Guetzie joins us for the TESN webcast, he and I fight about the predictability of the situation. I've been terribly right and Guertzie has been terribly wrong.

For those who have paid any attention at all to National Mens over the last three years, the team that is Down 1 With the hammer has been golden.

So why the difference between the USA and the World in this situation? Are our teams just terribly efficient at getting 2 with the hammer coming home? Nope. I seriously doubt that we exceed the rest of the planet in this aspect of curling.

I believe it comes from fear. Our teams fear giving up the duece, so they don't ever play to steal. Only a horrid miss or even two misses by the team with the hammer is needed before the team 1 Up Without even starts to think about stealing. For us, the team 1 Up Without sole goal is to limit their opposition to one point and win the game with the hammer in the extra end.

There is a fatal flaw to that thinking. In these days of the Free Guard Zone, it is impossible to keep a real good opposing team from getting a shot for two. In fact, the only effective strategy to force them to a single point is to go balls out for the steal.

In international play, the team that is Down 1 With the hammer needs to respect the fact that they need to score at least one to stay alive for an extra end. Here we don't need to fear getting our one point for the tie. The team leading is so afraid of giving up a duece, they never threaten to steal.

Ben Tucker

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

The Punk steps up with two quick wins today to get to the A qualifier. Also insures that he will have three kicks at the can to hit the cash. No points so hopefully any cash covers the expense of going otherwise no reason to be there (my opinion).

Non HP teams should not be spending money on any event that does not yield points. As always my opinion.

JH
did I mention that this was my opinion

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Unless, of course, they think they can win cash. Just my opinion.

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quote:

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Originally posted by nom de broom
The men's field at Fort Wayne is middling compared to the women

Nom de Broom

---

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Registered: Dec 2005
Location: St. Thomas, North Dakota
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Now, now, now...don't diminish the obvious lack of numbers and top teams in the Men's. Look towards the Women's and dream what cashspiels in the USA could be. It is not the fault of the Men's entries that the field is less than impressive. A win is a win. Look, instead, to what can and should be.

Ben Tucker
Hoping that The Punk wins...and cheering for Courtney George as that team should excite American curling fans as our depth deepens

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Registered: May 2011
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It is not a great men's field no matter how you spin it. Maybe it is just first year growing pains?

I do like the way the organizers created a consolation bracket to give losing teams an extra game or two. That is a nice touch.

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Registered: Jan 2005
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Which Matt Paul is this? The one who lives in Ottawa, or is there another Matt Paul?

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Art M

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It's my understanding that there was initially eight men's teams, but one had to drop out (no idea who). It felt a bit strange to be playing in a 7-team event where four qualify, but what do you do. I'm just there to play and maybe win a little money.

I was also happy to take along a relatively inexperienced group of guys. My front end are both just entering their third seasons of curling, and my third had never played a cashspiel at all before and is looking to step up his game. I was pleased as punch that we made the playoffs, and we certainly had our chances. Had a couple of bad misses in the last ends of our semifinal, but that happens sometimes. The experience gained even in this tiny event could really serve those guys well in the years to come.

Ott-am: the Matt Paul that played this weekend is indeed the one from Ottawa, crazy hair and all.

One interesting lineup note I'd like to make: Amanda MacLean was not playing with Courtney's team this weekend, but instead Jordan Moulton was throwing second. Is that a permanent change, or just a last-minute substitution? Just asking, probably even being nosy.

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quote:

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Originally posted by tuck
It is not the fault of the Men's entries that the field is less than impressive.

---

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[Original Ray's] nom de broom

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Registered: Sep 2002
Location: London, Ontario
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This is the 3rd year of the cashspiel in Fort Wayne, and for the first 2 years we had a Men's Order of Merit event going, but it was tough to fill to the minimum 15 teams.

There was little interest from the top men's teams from the midwest, and instead several of the top women's teams would play who weren't even eligible for points.

The decision was made this year to do a women's event for points, and lowered the entry fees/purse for the men's event to draw other teams since we never saw much interest from the top men's teams.

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

I believe that Jordon Moulton will be playing for Maureen Stolt this year...along with her sister Kendal and Libby Brundage.

Nina Spatola returns to skipping this year with an excellent front end (Becca Hamilton, Tara Peterson and Sophie Brorson).

Apologizes to Nom De Plume. I was just weary of bystanders disrespecting the Fort Wayne Cash. True, the Men's side was not the caliber of the Ladie's...but not the fault of Fort Wayne.

Ben Tucker

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Certainly agree that weak men's field was not the fault of Ft Wayne... but it is what it is. Maybe brings into question that wisdom/value of a summer cash spiel?

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I hear through the grapevine that Mr. Murray is bringing a stacked team to Potomac's Inaugural Bonspiel (not a cashspiel, nor a points spiel) in October.

As one of the other teams entered...I'm looking forward to getting my (bleep) kicked by some of the best.

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Registered: Jun 2007
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Hardly a stacked team, just three of my best buddies from Potomac and little ole me. It was a good chance to curl at my first club as an out-of-towner.

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