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This is the 5th in a 15 part series on the sports of the winter games.
Curling began as a sport in the inaugural 1924 Olympics but would not see a return until the Nagano, Japan games in 1998. Curling seems to be one of the those love it or hate it events. However, there is no doubt with the popularity in local clubs that curling is one of the more popular winter sports. The game which looks like a combination of frozen bowling and shuffleboard. One of the reasons that it is so popular may be that it is a team competition sport that is played inside and doesn't require the participants to be world class athletes.
This year's round robin competition begins February 16th and ends the 27th Ten men and women's teams will participate for the gold medal in Vancouver.
History:
The game of curling is thought to have been invented in late medieval Scotland, with the first written reference to a contest using stones on ice coming from the records of Paisley Abbey, Renfrewshire, in February 1541. Scotland and the Low Countries had strong trading and cultural links during this period, which is also evident in the history of golf.
Purpose-built curling pond at Colzium, KilsythThe game of curling was already in existence in Scotland in the early 16th century, as evidenced by a curling stone inscribed with the date 1511 (uncovered along with another bearing the date 1551) when an old pond was drained at Dunblane, Scotland. Kilsyth Curling Club claims to be the first club in the world, having been formally constituted in 1716; it is still existence today]. Kilsyth also claims the oldest purpose-built curling pond in the world at Colzium, in the form of a low dam creating a shallow pool some 100 × 250 metres in size, though this is now very seldom in condition for curling due to warmer winters.
The word curling first appears in print in 1620 in Perth, in the preface and the verses of a poem by Henry Adamson. The game was (and still is, in Scotland and Scottish-settled regions like southern New Zealand) also known as "the roaring game" because of the sound the stones make while traveling over the pebble (droplets of water applied to the playing surface). The verbal noun curling is formed from the Scots (and English) verb curl which describes the motion of the stone.
In the early history of curling, the rocks were simply flat-bottomed river stones that were sometimes notched or shaped; the thrower had little control over the rock, and relied more on luck than skill to win, unlike today's reliance on skill and strategy.
It is recorded that in Darvel, East Ayrshire, the weavers relaxed by playing curling matches. The stones they used were the heavy stone weights from the weavers' "warp beams," fitted with a detachable handle for the purpose. Many a wife would keep her husband's brass curling stone handle on the mantelpiece, brightly polished until the next time it was needed.
Outdoor curling was very popular in Scotland between the 16th and 19th centuries, as the climates provided good ice conditions every winter. Scotland is home to the international governing body for curling, the World Curling Federation, Perth, which originated as a committee of the Royal Caledonian Curling Club, the mother club of curling. Today, the game is most firmly established in Canada, having been taken there by Scottish emigrants. The Royal Montreal Curling Club, the oldest established sports club still active in North America, was established in 1807. The first curling club in the United States began in 1830, and the game was introduced to Switzerland and Sweden before the end of the 19th century, also by Scots. Today, curling is played all over Europe and has spread to Japan, Australia, New Zealand, China, and Korea.
The first world curling championship in the sport was limited to men and was known as the "Scotch Cup," held in Falkirk and Edinburgh, Scotland, in 1959. The first world title was won by the Canadian team from Regina, Saskatchewan, skipped by Ernie Richardson.
The first curling club in the United States was organized in 1830 only thirty miles from Detroit, at Orchard Lake, Michigan. Called the Orchard Lake Curling Club, the club used hickory block "stones." The Detroit Curling Club was started back in 1840 when Michigan only had a population of 212,000 and had only been in the Union for three years. About this time, an organization called the "Thistle Club" was founded and, curling being a winter sport, was played when the ice was suitable on the Detroit River at the foot of Joseph Campau; on the bay; and at the old Recreation Park. These clubs became the Granite Club, and in 1885, the present Detroit Curling Club was organized.
Typically February is not the best month to buy a new car. Many dealers use this month to market to people who are getting tax refunds and don't need incentives to attract customers. Add recent production and recalls from Toyota and the availability of fewer cars also is a disadvantage to buyers.
However for the careful shopper there are deals to be had. Ford, GM, and Hyundai are all offering incentives to frustrated Toyota owners with trade incentives. Be careful and try to hide the fact that you are trading in a Toyota until you have made your best deal. if possible drive a second car to the dealer and have someone else bring in your Toyota after the deal is made.
Ford and Hyundai are having great new years by taking advantage of favorable reviews. Ford is also benefiting from consumers angry at GM for taking taxpayer money and being owned by the government. Hyundai is making some of the safest cars and has some of the best warranties in the field.
Here is a listing of the best February incentives:
Acura 1.9% APR financing on TSX, MDX 3/1/10
BMW 2.9% APR financing available on most models. $4,500 "eco credit" offered on diesel models 3/1/10
Buick, GMC,
Cadillac,Chevrolet, 0% APR financing available on many models.Current GM owners or leaseholders can, in some cases, get up to $5,000 cash back.
3/1/10
Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep 0% APR financing available on most models for up to 72 months, cash back offers as high as $4,000. Returning customers can add a $500 rebate to many offers 3/1/10
Ford, Lincoln, Mercury 0% APR financing on most models. Cash back offers range from $1,000 to $3,000. 3/31/10
Honda 2.9% APR financing on some models 3/1/10
Mazda 0% APR financing available on most models. First three payments waived on some models 3/1/10
Mercedes-Benz 1.9% APR financing on C-Class, 3.9% APR financing on most other models 3/1/10
Toyota Toyota deals vary regionally, but 2.9% APR financing is available on most models in most regions. Cash back offers are limited, typically $500 or $750 on most models 3/1/10
This is the 4th in a 15 part series on the sports of the Winter Olympics.
Cross country skiing has been part of the winter games since its inception in 1924. This year 59 nations will send skiiers to contend in 6 individual and team medal events. Competition starts on Feb. 15th and concludes on the 28th
History:
Cross-country skiing originated in Fennoscandian countries in prehistoric times. It was still widely practiced in 19th century as a way of moving from place to place in winter. Elk, deer and other animals were hunted by skiing. Nowadays almost everyone in countries with strong cross-country skiing traditions — like Norway, Sweden, Finland, Estonia and Latvia — have used or regularly use skis.
By contrast skiing is relatively new in North America and was introduced by Norwegian and Swedish immigrants in the 1850s. Snowshoe Thompson is widely credited for introducing the sport to California in the USA. In Canada pioneers included Aldolf Olsen, Sigurd and Hans Lockeberg and Jackrabbit Johannsen.
In Canada, although Johannsen never claimed to be the first skier in Canada, he had a major role in stimulating an interest in the sport throughout Canada. He organized races, officiated events, and served as a guide, coach, and consultant for numerous skiing organizations, many of which he helped to found. An enthusiastic teacher, he helped coach Canada's Olympic team in 1932. At the age of 55, he shocked his Canadian Olympic pupils as he accompanied the team step by step through its rigorous training schedule—and still he had energy to spare. This was, however, still quite far from being the twilight of Jackrabbit's incredible skiing career, as he didn't ski his last official race until the age of 75, and still glided through the snowy woods on a daily basis well past the age of 100.
This form of skiing has been used by explorers as a means of transport, and all Nordic armies have ski-trained infantry for winter operations. Skis gave important mobility to the Finnish army during the Winter War and allowed the small groups of Finns to beat large armies of Russians. Similar tactics that utilize skis have been used in many times by the Finns and Karelians in the past. Pre-modern skiing troops were armed with crossbows and ski poles which had a spearhead on the other end.
Traditionally, all of the equipment was made of natural materials: wooden skis and bamboo poles with leather hand straps. Footwear was usually sturdy leather boots with thick soles. Bindings evolved from simple straps made of twisted wood-based thread, to the so-called Kandahar binding with the fastening of both the boot’s front and back, to the ‘Rat Trap’ front-only binding, which is today known as the Nordic norm, and has evolved in various modern bindings.
The Rock On The Range concert lineup taking place in Columbus, OH this coming May has been released today.
These groups are confirmed as of today
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Details of performers at this years Bonnaroo concert are being announced today with tickets already half sold out thru 3pm.
Tickets range from 209.50 to 249.50
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The Colts and the Saints are the early favorites to repeat in next year's Super Bowl. The Colts will have a easier time as the Saints have 29 free agents that will need new contracts.
Complete 2011 Super Bowl Odds
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Saints fans are releasing decades of frustration with celebrations after their first ever champoishop. Many will be flocking to stores to buy anything with Saints and Super Bowl Champions printed together. Banners to go along with the hats, t-shirts, and the upcoming Sports Illustrated championship pack are already everywhere online.
One of the nicer offerings that I have found is a limited edition football from Wilson. They are only producing 10,000 so they will be going fast. Check out the link to see how cool it looks and to see if they are still available
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It took about 1.7 seconds after the end of the Super Bowl for Peyton Manning haters on Twitter and message boards to start their rants.
This isn't new as it started in college with "He can't beat Florida" and continued during the Heisman campaign with "He pads his stats against weak teams". The latter was laughable as Tennessee had one of the top 5 toughest schedules in the country the year that Charles Woodson beat him for the award that's given tocollege football's best player. The media was the one who first built him up and then led the charge in bringing him down
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This past week's Super Bowl was the most watched TV program of all time, surpassing the Korea era sitcom MASH's final episode. The record had stood for 27 years. With all of the mentions many are searching for places to view the episode entitled Goodbye, Farewell, and Amen. The final episode is actually a 2.5 hour movie dealing with the news that the cease fire would finally mean the unit would be going home. It's a great piece of TV history that mixes serious and comedic moments. From time to time TV Land and The Hallmark Channel will show this classic episode, for those that don't want to wait this page may be able to help if you want to risk angering the copyright police. Download at your own risk here.
New series Undercover Boss was the recipient of the ultimate lead in, The Super Bowl. Still even before the new reality series aired there was a buzz about the show. I remember eating at a Cracker Barrel two months ago and having the waitress mention how she would love for the CEO to see how hard she worked every day. The show tonight provided a stage for common workers to show pride in their job to Waste Management CEO Larry O'Donnell. Both the workers and O'Donnell came across as good people who didn't understand what stresses that each other's jobs contained.
I predict huge ratings for this groundbreaking series.
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Comment by Steve Gann
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