Registered: Sep 2002
Location: London, Ontario
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The United States was long a world contender in the early years of curling, going on to win multiple world championships into the 1970s, though a long drought left the curling men off the top of the podium for 40 years. This film by Jesse Wachter​ goes in-depth into the story of how curling evolved from the early days, through to the Olympic Gold Medal win by Team Shuster​. -- Runtime: 28 minutes --

The film also delved into the politics of today and took on this direction early as displayed in the teaser trailer "Walking on Water" as in that narration by Darryl Horsman​ we touch on the best of curling and how our beloved sport brings people together.

The title "Making Curling Great Again" was adopted as a way to take back the power of these words and try to bring people back together again, though I didn't fully understand the depth of hurt this title had for many people as a parody of the more contentious slogan that has become a battle cry for a cause. This was strongly debated internally as to the direction, but we ultimately felt that the title fit in so many ways and we're comfortable with trying to create conversation. We just wish it could be more constructive and less about winning and losing and the insults that flow from the debate.

After the travel ban in 2017, the film was put on hiatus by myself, as I had a hard time seeing what was happening to our neighbors to the south and I did not personally feel like supporting these ideals. After Shuster won the Olympics, we saw the beauty in what curling did to people, and how it brought out the best of us to pull together as one which led us to put together a plan to continue telling this story.

Curling has a great beauty in that we shake our opponent's hands before the game with a cheery "Good Curling", again after the game and as a culture, the act of Broomstacking is as important as the on-ice action. Making Curling Great Again is a story about Team Shuster putting the United States back on the top of the podium and the celebration and excitement that came from our sport's great strength... The people. The curlers who show up for league night and bonspiels at their local curling clubs, which remain an important hub of the community.

When we talk to our neighbors and get to know them, we create a greater community that can allow our differences to become our strengths as a people. We need to allow ideas that support all of mankind to develop, support good science and truth and be better at opening our minds to other people's perspectives.

None of us is innocent in how we got to where we are now and a greater acceptance and perspective into moving forward is what we all need to reflect upon.

Gerry Geurts​

Watch Here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YQd_88BrF7k

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Registered: Jan 2011
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Megan McCain was correct when she said "America was always great" . To hang your hat and documentary on the stupid words of an American nut case president is shameful.

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Registered: Mar 2019
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quote:

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Originally posted by decade
Megan McCain was correct when she said "America was always great" . To hang your hat and documentary on the stupid words of an American nut case president is shameful.

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Registered: Apr 2016
Location: River Falls, WI, USA
Posts: 445

Relish sums up my feelings exactly.

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Registered: Mar 2019
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Dumbass title. How people could use that title and not think it's going to detract from the message is unbelievable.

That said, if they mention the Labonte-Meleschuk controversy and show the clip of the big O throwing a rock while smoking a cigarette I will watch. Is it in there?

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I feel like the people that made this don't understand how powerful a title can be. This could be a fantastic piece but this title borrows off of something so ignorant and stupid that it turns me off right away and, no doubt a lot of people. not the smartest decision.

the fact that this title was thought about and it was still thought it was okay is mind boggling. i just have no desire to even click on the link and watch the video.

the negative view attached to the title excluded it just makes no sense in any context.

Last edited by misty1 on 07-14-19 at 09:09PM

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quote:

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Originally posted by misty1
I feel like the people that made this don't understand how powerful a title can be. This could be a fantastic piece but this title borrows off of something so ignorant and stupid that it turns me off right away and, no doubt a lot of people. not the smartest decision.

the fact that this title was thought about and it was still thought it was okay is mind boggling. i just have no desire to even click on the link and watch the video.

the negative view attached to the title excluded it just makes no sense in any context.

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Registered: Aug 2018
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quote:

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Originally posted by misty1
I feel like the people that made this don't understand how powerful a title can be. This could be a fantastic piece but this title borrows off of something so ignorant and stupid that it turns me off right away and, no doubt a lot of people. not the smartest decision.

the fact that this title was thought about and it was still thought it was okay is mind boggling. i just have no desire to even click on the link and watch the video.

the negative view attached to the title excluded it just makes no sense in any context.

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Last edited by MeaghanEdwards on 07-15-19 at 04:24PM

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Registered: Sep 2002
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Not only is the choice of title incredibly inappropriate, Gerry's defences of it decision not to change is bewildering.

In fact to be honest, his entire post at the start of the thread is incoherent and makes little sense overall. Perhaps the idea behind the video is a good one, but for crying out loud show some common sense and change the title.

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Registered: Oct 2004
Location: Twin Snowbanks
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And I concur. Would never click the link and makes me wonder about the whole CZ entity if our grand poohbah can proclaim eloquent in circles bizzare without having us shake our heads. You call this "marketing" for a film? I can barely think of a comparable bad choice - unless the target market was... well, you know.

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Lots of major youth (<21) events. Nice for Murdoch... and us :-D.

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quote:

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Originally posted by nelski
You call this "marketing" for a film? I can barely think of a comparable bad choice - unless the target market was... well, you know.

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quote:

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Originally posted by hogged again


LMAO. Well said.

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Last edited by MeaghanEdwards on 07-18-19 at 09:23PM

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Registered: Jan 2011
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What travel ban in 2017 is Gerry even referring to? Is he a muslim from Iran?

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quote:

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Originally posted by MeaghanEdwards


Ya, hionestly, ML's ramblings are more cohesive.

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Registered: Mar 2014
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Can only add that I too think the title is idiotic beyond words or common sense.

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Registered: Mar 2014
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More like same three people.

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Registered: Mar 2015
Location: Ottawa
Posts: 23

Gerry, Ignore all the bashers about the title. Who cares about the title. I watched the film and enjoyed it very much. Thanks for all you do with this web site, for Curling stats and for the Roaring Game in general.

For those of you that would like to watch another very interesting show about a curling story, check out Netflix's "Losers" - the episode called "Stone Cold". All about Al Hackner and the Ryan Express and how Pat forced the game to change forever (very much for the better). Very entertaining.

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Registered: Jan 2011
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Stone Cold is a fantastic title. Making Curling Great Again isn't and is actually and insult to all Americans rallying against the politics of Dumbo the Trump.

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Registered: Oct 2004
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quote:

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Originally posted by fresca
“make curling great again - 100% click bait , and it worked here

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Lots of major youth (<21) events. Nice for Murdoch... and us :-D.

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Registered: Aug 2018
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Good response from the Twine Time blog:

https://twine-time.blogspot.com/201...z_z-1G1pYZNb1BU

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quote:

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Originally posted by MeaghanEdwards
Good response from the Twine Time blog:

https://twine-time.blogspot.com/201...z_z-1G1pYZNb1BU

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Registered: Sep 2002
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I read the twine time blog and could not agree more with the writer. As a result though, I have become very concerned with the decision to choose this title. It was, I now believe a deliberate act designed to capitalize off the notoriety of MAGA. This, to any same and reasonable person, is disturbing. To associate our sport with an obviously deranged individual is not going to attract new people-especially non caucasians. One has to wonder if this is Gerry's goal? His WCT and SLAMS have effectively made competitive curling not the domain of the talented, but of the rich. Does he have a hidden agenda to keep curling as white man's only sport? And Twine Time is correct, look at your membership. How many non white faces are there?

Canada is full of diversity and our curling clubs should be reflective of that. This won't make our game 'great again' for it never stopped being anything but. However, enriching our sport with the multi cultures of our country will make it greater.

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Last edited by jamcan on 07-23-19 at 12:03AM

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Registered: Mar 2013
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I watched the documentary and the one thing that stuck for me was the quote "Americans like to win, and we always have considered ourselves the best in whatever we do, even if we're not". Arrogance with a capital A.

The link to twine time I found far off the topic. The documentary I thought was actually ok, pro U.S. curling with NO connotations of race vs curling. Why those at twine time wanted to stir sh@t up is beyond me. Are they one of the 25 running for democratic presidential nominee? A U.S. president has nothing to do with curling........."allegedly" racist or not.

Maybe the title should have been, USA curling, back in the saddle again. Giddy up.

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Registered: Nov 2016
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It's Not the Movie That's Offensive . . . . .

I suspect that Americans who are proud of their curling history are still scratching their heads questioning why this, of all slogans, was tied in any way to their curling endeavors.

Anybody who has attended a Marketing 101 class would, or should have learned, that's it never prudent to mix sports with politics, particularly if you have to borrow a slogan from some repugnant , bigoted nutbar like the one who currently occupies the White House. But this, unfortunately, was only the filmmakers' first mistake.

The second mistake was more egregious. Knowing full well this slogan had come to represent the Hatred, Fearmongering and in particular the Divisiveness the current president had spewed across America for an extended period of time, the filmmakers decided to run with it anyway. And to make matters worse, they then attempted to justify the slogan by asserting it was actually used to - wait for it - " try and bring people together again." While this may have made sense back in Reagan's time, today it is dumbfounding, at best. At worst? Let's not go there!

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Registered: Oct 2002
Location: Omaha, Nebraska, USA
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Good documentary.

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