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Yet more economics of curling
Curling is the funniest sport I have seen. Best is how the duo scrubs the ice with brushes in front of the moving stone, while Anette Norberg barks out pagan Swedish curses, in an attempt to steer the thing after it has left her hand. The economics of curling? I needed only to watch it. If the sport falls on hard times, it could sell itself as a Monty Python skit, albeit in an obscure Swiss German dialect. Is it the only Olympic sport where you can wear earrings while playing? Here is a curling video -- be baffled, be very baffled. The division of labor is limited by the extent of the market, as they say.
Posted by Tyler Cowen on February 23, 2006 at 05:28 PM in Sports | Permalink
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Comments
What I don't understand is why they have separate men's and women's competitions in curling. It seems that they could all compete together just fine (as they do in the equestrian events).
Posted by: John P. at Feb 23, 2006 6:01:13 PM
I think curling is great - it's basically the same as bowling, except that your beer doesn't get warm.
Posted by: ptm at Feb 23, 2006 6:12:54 PM
I for one second the bowling comparison and add that we should seriously consider adding that as a future Olympic sport. Lawn darts are another possibility.
Posted by: Alex Ambroz at Feb 23, 2006 6:23:57 PM
I don't consider myself a curler, but I have curled, and it is a lot of fun. I encourage you to find a curling club and try it. Curlers are very friendly folks, and they will be glad to have you visit them and try their sport.
http://www.usacurl.org/basics/U.S.%20clubs/usclubs.html
One nice thing about curling is the culture of civility that is part of it. There is no trash-talking, or even exultation. Good shots by your opponent are always complimented. And it's always "winner buys" afterwards.
And, yes, you can curl coed. It's kind of like softball. There are men's leagues, womens' leagues, and mixed leagues. Why not mixed competition in the Olympics? I don't know. Why are there men's and women's archery competitions in the Summer Olympics?
Posted by: D T Nelson at Feb 23, 2006 6:29:23 PM
Unlike bowling, there's no such thing as "curling alone."
It must be the ultimate civic sport!
The winner buys? I'm there.
Posted by: Bill Stepp at Feb 23, 2006 6:51:22 PM
My uncle and grandfather used to curl, and it wasn't until it was accepted as an Olympic sport that I realized that there was more to it than a bunch of guys standing around on the ice drinking beer.
Posted by: Melinda at Feb 23, 2006 7:23:17 PM
"Obscure Swiss German dialect"? Your ethnocentrism is hanging out.
Posted by: ogmb at Feb 23, 2006 7:54:13 PM
Curling seemed very strategic and sophisticated to me, until I actually heard what the teammates were saying to each other in the Olympic matches: "Should I hit this one or the other one?" "I don't know, what do you think?" "I guess I'll try to hit this one about here." "Yeah that'll be good."
Actually it reminds me a bit of real team croquet, which can be extremely complex and strategic, but there's so much imprecision in execution that the skill becomes more important than the brains. It's fun - "sports" like this are what nerds should be playing, not ultimate frisbee. I would love to curl except it is very very expensive to get ice time, even split 10 ways.
Posted by: Paul N at Feb 23, 2006 7:54:39 PM
"Is it the only Olympic sport where you can wear earrings while playing?"
Huh? No!
cf: Nancy Kerrigan's figure skating free program earrings, 1994 Lillehammer
Any tennis player
Any female 100m runner (also: bracelets and funky nails).
I'm a figure skater but I'd love to learn to curl. It has become something of a cult sport here in Australia, we see the world championships on TV now (though the Olympic matches were not broadcast at all - perhaps that network should have considered the economics of cult sports before making that decision).
Posted by: Fiona at Feb 23, 2006 9:57:39 PM
The only olympic sport where you can wear earrings? How about figure skating?
As for curling, I personally love it. It is (IMHO) the antithesis of figure skating. There are officials there, but for the most part the players just agree on what the score is. Because it's easy to do it. The rules are simple and objective. And when a judge is called in they have a simple tool for objectively measuring who gets the points. There's no officiating controversy at all! It all comes down to the skills of the players.
On top of that it's got a set of strategies that are non-obvious. I frequently find myself watching it and hear the guy say, "Oh that was a mistake" or "Great shot" and not understand why until the next shot or even several shots later.
Posted by: Mark at Feb 23, 2006 10:00:18 PM
An afternoon of school has been cancelled in the Canadian skip's home province so the kids can watch the "historic event"
http://www.cbc.ca/nl/story/nf_burke_schools_20060223.html
Posted by: JM at Feb 24, 2006 4:32:31 AM
"I would love to curl except it is very very expensive to get ice time, even split 10 ways."
I suggest bocce as a cheap substitute.
Posted by: John P. at Feb 24, 2006 8:38:52 AM
>>
Uh, no. Nerds need to play ultimate because it involves running, builds eye-hand coordination, and can easily involve women (the coed team I play on is a blast). Find me a "nerd" that finds billiards, curling, or some other sport to be fulfilling because of the physics, and I'll show you someone who needs to grow up.
Posted by: hugechavz at Feb 24, 2006 9:03:05 AM
Norberg's hammer Thursday night to win gold in the extra end had our family in South Carolina cheering. Curling rocks!
Posted by: Monkeydarts at Feb 24, 2006 9:19:48 AM
Annette Norberg is shouting directions to the sweepers I think. At least they are not pagan curses if anyone really thought that.
Go Sweden!
Posted by: Johan RIchter at Feb 24, 2006 9:22:35 AM
It's not the "physics" that makes curling interesting, it's the deep tactics. Try actually listening to the analysis of a shot selection sometime.
And if you don't think curling builds whole-body coordination, I'd be amused to watch you fall over throwing some rocks sometime.
Posted by: colin roald at Feb 24, 2006 12:40:25 PM
Thinking of the economics of curling is there a way to think about the value of each rock and provide some analysis of the value of different strategies?
The first rock would initially have a value based solely on position but as other rocks are curled the value of that rock would first determine the optimal positions of other rocks and change in response to the position of the other rocks. Is this (potentially) a multibody problem that has no unique solution? Are there more robust strategies that survive less than optimal rock placement or disruption by the opposing rocks?
Posted by: AM at Feb 24, 2006 3:42:18 PM
Any sport can look weird to the uninformed. One nice thing about curling is it is very playable by just about anyone, although you would have to practice long and hard to play at an Olympic level. My Dad is 80. He’s been curling for almost 50 years. Does the fact that an 80-year-old can do it make it a lesser sport than aerial skiing, or a better one? He also golfs. Is golf also a lesser sport because many people can enjoy it?
Regarding co-ed teams: In club play there are mixed rinks, but at top level games, men do have two advantages: they can throw harder, which is an advantage in some situations where you want a big-weight take-out. But more importantly, they can sweep harder, which can make a rock travel farther and straighter. It may not be obvious, but the sweepers are working very hard.
Posted by: Joe Canuck at Feb 24, 2006 4:49:34 PM
You Americans are just Heeeeeeeeeeeeeehrd off for good curlers. At its most blood-curdling, it comes from the British Team this time (as they were all Scots), or from women curlers from Nova Scotia (the Canadian Team this time was from out west, I think). Instead of "Summer" and Winter" we should divide between "Sports" and "The Outlandish". Curling would top the bill in the latter.
Posted by: David M. McClory at Feb 24, 2006 7:31:01 PM
The neatest thing about curling is being able to hear what the players are saying in real time. In no other sport are the players miked, it makes it seem almost like reality TV.
Posted by: Ben at Feb 24, 2006 8:57:52 PM
The first time I heard of "curling" follows:
I met an alum from Yale. He told me he just interviewed a prospective Yale student who is in high school. The student was from Lake Forest and was an accomplished "curler", which I thought meant that the student must be able to lift a lot of weight in the gym. Shows my background. I managed to be quiet and not sound too stupid on the curling thing. I figured it was some type of winter sport played on ice.
Posted by: anon at Feb 25, 2006 1:37:20 AM
http://www.weight-lifting-exercise.com/woman2.jpg
Posted by: nate at Feb 25, 2006 1:41:00 AM
Ten-pin bowling involves exactly no tactical decisions. As for women Olympic athletes... Earrings. Curls. Right here:
http://www.strangesports.com/content/item/107654.html
Posted by: John Lilly at Feb 26, 2006 1:36:26 PM
OK, the strategic side is perhaps moderately interesting. But it's really all about Cassie
Johnson.
http://www.usolympicteam.com/31300.htm
http://www.nbcolympics.com/athletes/5058240/detail.html
They say she's a better curler than she showed
in Turin. I'm OK with it either way.
Posted by: unwhelmed at Feb 27, 2006 6:10:41 PM
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Posted by: levan at Sep 6, 2006 3:24:43 AM
