Women's Worlds Recap & Men's Worlds Preview

It's a busy time of year in the curling world and we're excited to be talking about it all. We start by recapping what was a fun week at the Women's World Curling Championship. We talk about Rachel Homan's win, the game/shot of the year, and how the rest of the field broke down over the course of the week. We then move on to preview the field for the Men's World Curling Championship. We go through the field and talk about all 13 teams before offering up our picks for the week.

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Brier Recap & Women's Worlds Preview

In the midst of the very busy Season of Champions, we're back to recap the week that was at the Brier and look ahead to the Women's World Curling Championship. We start by recapping the Brier, including Gushue's run of dominance, a great week for Saskatchewan, and some of the best stand out performances of the week. At 31:05 we look ahead to the Women's Worlds by previewing all 13 teams in the field, including Silvana Tirinzoni going for her 5th consecutive title. We wrap the show by talking about our attempt to watch curling at Montana's during the Brier.

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New Kids on the Block: Men's Worlds Recap

We're back to recap what was a fun week at the men's world curling championship in Ottawa. We talk about Bruce Mouat getting his first world championship, Brad Gushue earning his third silver medal, and steps forward for Italy and Switzerland. We also debate where Niklas Edin's spinner ranks on the list of all-time greatest shots, the vibe in the building, and how the Patch was this week.

Be sure to check out the Goulden Carolus Classic over in Belgium.

For more, visit us at GameofStonesPod.com

Women's Worlds Preview: Beat the Streak?

We're back to talk about the Women's World Curling Championship, which starts on Saturday in Sandviken, Sweden. We chat about the 13 teams in the field, including Silvana Tirinzoni and Switzerland going for their fourth straight title. We also talk Anna Hasselborg's chances at getting her first world title, whether this is the year for Kerri Einarson, and if Satsuki Fujisawa can take what has been a strong season and make it a great season as we debate each team's chances.

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Bad Beer Bet Win & A Very Busy Week in Curling

Sean and Scott start off by celebrating their win in the annual Bad Beer Bet with Rocks Across the Pond. They then get into the European championship playoffs and who is heading up and down next year as well as who booked their spots in the world championship. They then go through what is a very busy week in curling, including the Canadian club championship, the Canadian senior championship, and the world mixed doubles qualifying event. They finish up by talking about which beers they should pick for Ryan and Jonathan.

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Madeleine Dupont Proves Scott Wrong! And What's the Value of Rankings?

In this episode, Sean and Scott talk about a fun week so far at the European Championships. They discuss Madeleine Dupont's incredible run, the women's final, and the crowded middle of the women's field. They also chat about the men's side and how things look heading into the second semi final. They then look at the current CTRS, Ken Pom, and Twine Time rankings and debate about the value of ranking systems and whether they warrant so much attention.

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Men's Euros Preview & Bad Beer Bet with Rocks Across the Pond

In this crossover episode, Sean is joined by the Professor of Peel, Jonathan Havercroft, to preview the men's A & B fields for the 2022 European Curling Championship, which starts Saturday in Ostersund, Sweden. They go through the A division team by team and discuss how each team looks heading into the week before making their picks for who books their spot in the world championship and who gets relegated. They then chat about the B division, which teams stand out, and who may have the edge for promotion.

For a full preview of the women's field, be sure to check out Ryan and Scott's preview on Rocks Across the Pond.

For more, visit us at GameofStonesPod.com

The Arena Club Experience with Palmetto Curling & the last big Events of the Season

In this episode, Sean flies solo as he goes around the world of curling as the season inches to its conclusion. He starts by discussing the Champions Cup (1:15) and EJ Harndon joining Team Gushue, including the residency implications (9:45). He then talks about the U18 Canadian championship (11:35) and looks ahead to the World Junior Curling Championship (17:08).

He's then joined by Brian Champion-Westcott of the Palmetto Curling Club (23:00). They chat about the impact of the Olympics on the club, recruiting members in the southern United States, and the challenges of being an arena curling club, including the struggle to set up the ice and inconsistent ice conditions. 

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Is the Power Play Good for Mixed Doubles? Plus, More World Championships & the Final Grand Slam

In this episode, Sean and Scott go around the world of curling to discuss the latest developments. They start by talking about the World Senior Curling Championships (2:40) and the Mixed Doubles World Championship (5:23). They then do a deep dive into the Power Play statistics and debate whether it helps or hurts the mixed doubles discipline, particularly when it comes to keeping games close (14:04). They finish up by chatting about the Canadian U18 Championship (31:55), previewing the Champions Cup (33:55), and how to watch the Wheelchair Mixed Doubles World Championship (43:05).

Fore more, visit us at GameofStonesPod.com

Curling World Roundup

In this episode, Sean and Scott go around the curling world to catch up on all the goings on over the past couple of weeks. They start by talking about Niklas Edin's 4th straight world championship (2:15) and hear from Oskar Eriksson and Niklas Edin on what the win means for the team (10:04). They then discuss Sean's experience in Las Vegas, the crowd size, and Vegas' future as a host city for curling events (12:25).

That's followed by a chat about the Players Championship, including Bruce Mouat and Anna Hasselborg's wins (17:09) before moving on to previewing the Mixed Doubles World Championship (24:39) and World Senionr Championship (36:38), both of which kick off this weekend in Geneva.

They finish by looking at the lineup announcement for the new Team Bottcher (40:07) and breaking down their own results as their season starts to wind down (44:49).

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(Nearly) Live from Men's World Curling Championship

In this week's episode, Sean talks with some of the players at the 2022 Men's World Curling Championship.

Hear from Ross Patterson, Oskar Eriksson, Korey Dropkin, Brad Gushue, Amos Mosaner, Magnus Ramsfjell, Lukas Klima, Craig Saville, Yannick Schwaller, Niklas Edin, and Brett Gallant as they talk about the ice conditions, world championship debuts, Olympic hangovers, and the state of the world championship in a sport so focused on the Olympic Games.

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One Worlds Ends as Another Worlds Starts

In this episode, Sean and Scott look back at the Women's World Curling Championship in Prince George, BC (1:55). They talk about SIlvana Tirinzoni's 3rd consecutive championship, a terrific performance from Team Korea, and the untimely struggles of Team Canada in the midst of an overall very good week. They also chat about Anna Hasselborg still chasing that elusive world championship, strong performances for Denmark and the United States, and Turkey picking up the country's first ever victory in their debut performance.

They then move on to this week's Men's World Curling Championship (35:10). They talk about some of the major teams that are not going to be playing in Las Vegas before going through the 13 teams that will be playing. They discuss each team's roster and divide the field into tiers before making their picks.

They wrap up by giving their initial reactions to the news that Tracy Fleury will join Team Homan and their own return to the win column.

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Women's Worlds Take Shape & New Teams Announced

In this episode, Sean and Scott check in on the Women's World Curling Championship taking place in Prince George, BC. They talk about the new no-tick rule and its impact on the play, where Team Canada stands, and how they playoff picture looks. They also talk about Team Scotland's withdrawal, the impact on the field, and how the remaining schedules shape the playoff race. Before moving on, they also correct last week's episode on how Czech Republic made it into the field and discuss other replacements for Russia in world events. They then discuss the new team announcements, including Teams Howard, McCarville, Jacobs, and Lawes. They end with a discussion of the Gouden Carolus Classic and their own teams as they head to the end of the season.

For more, be sure to visit us at GameofStonesPod.com

Keepin' Up with Curlin' - Brier & Paralympic Reactions, Women's Worlds Preview, & Roster Shakeups

In this episode, Sean and Scott go around the world of curling to talk about all the action from the ice. They start by recapping the Brier (1:45), including Brad Gushue's remarkable win, some of the more fun results, and the state of the broadcasts. That's followed by a recap of the Paralympics (35:25), including the great performances by the medallists and Slovakia's incredible run. They then preview the Women's World Curling Championship, which starts on Saturday (43:55), by discussing their expectations for the 13 teams in the field. They wrap up by offering their reactions to some of the team breakups that have been announced this week (1:07:28).

For more, visit us at GameofStonesPod.com

Brier & Paralympic Mega Preview!

It's a major week of curling around the world with both the Brier & Paralympic Curling starting on the weekend and Sean and Scott have got you covered. They start by talking about the Brier, including whether there is a stronger of the two pools (4:30) before exploring the key storylines for each team in both Pool A (8:31) and Pool B (32:07). They then discuss what some of the most fun scenarios that could happen over the course of the week (49:55) and make their picks (54:40).

They then look at the wheelchair curling field at the 2022 Paralympic Games. They talk about some of the key stats for each of the 12 teams in the field (55:40), the uncertainty surrounding Russia's participation, and make their picks for who will top the podium (1:21:50).

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That's a Wrap! Full Olympic Curling Recap

The Beijing 2022 Olympics are done, but Sean and Scott are just getting started as they look back at all the curling stories from the past 3 weeks. They start by talking about the women’s field (5:45), including Eve Muirhead’s dominant performance in the gold medal game, a great week for Satsuke Fujisawa, another medal for Anna Hasselborg, and what went wrong for Team Canada. They then break down the men’s field (33:30) from Niklas Edin capping his career, a Bruce Mouat’s silver, a great week for the Americans, and the end of Team Gushue’s remarkable run. They wrap up by reflecting on the mixed doubles event (57:25) and how Team Italy dominated the field, the strange circumstances of Team Australia, and what the expectations should be for Canada moving forward, including the role fans have in supporting the athletes.

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Biggest Stories of the 2022 Olympics...So Far

In this episode, Sean and Scott look at all the curling goings on at the 2022 Winter Olympic Games in Beijing. They start by giving their overall impressions (1:34) before moving on to some of the biggest stories of the week. They explore why Silvana Tirinzoni and Niklas Edin sit at the top of the table (3:45), whether Jennifer Jones & Brad Gushue's struggles at last stone draw are overstated (8:00), the problems with the broadcast (13:00), and the ice conditions at the Ice Cube (22:15).

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High Expectations!?! Who has the Edge in Mixed Doubles at the Olympics

In this episode, Sean and Scott look ahead to the mixed doubles competition at the 2022 Winter Olympics. They go through all 10 teams competing in Beijing and discuss what will constitute a successful week. They also go through some key stats for each team and make their picks for who will stand on the podium at the end of the week.

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10 Burning Questions Heading into the Olympics

In this episode, Sean and Scott look ahead to 2022 Winter Olympic Games by addressing some of the biggest questions heading into the competition.

Will everyone be able to play? (5:20)

How will the ice conditions be? (9:36)

What is the magic number for losses to still make the playoffs? (13:16)

Will one player win two medals? (14:57)

How will the Chinese curling team perform? (18:33)

What style of play should we expect? (23:07)

Is this the best American curling contingent ever? (28:10)

Will there be an upset? (32:33)

Does Canada have to win a medal? (35:20)

Will one country sweep the gold medals? (42:02)

Are there any players you want to see win? (44:15)

Let us know what you think of these burning questions on social media @GameofStonesPod

For more, visit us at GameofStonesPod.com

Bold Predictions for 2022

In this episode, Sean and Scott look ahead to 2022 with some predictions for what they think the year will bring. This includes who talking about how Curling Canada will select a mixed doubles representative, trying to make sense of the recent provincial and territorial championship cancellations, and debating who has the edge at the Olympics. They also chat about what the year will bring for team breakups, world championships, retirements, and the Grand Slams.

They also tally up the total donated to the Sandra Schmirler Foundation and Food Banks Canada through sales of the Game of Stones merch, where all proceeds are donated and matched.

For more info and to check out the merch, visit us at GameofStonesPod.com