Proposed rule changes controversial
Published Friday April 10th, 2009
Games could be shortened from 10 ends to eight
Gerry Campbell speaks frankly and he hopes the curling world is listening.
The former sports reporter from Prince Edward Island known as Soupy doesn't mince words when he hears talk of the Canadian Curling Association (CCA) and World Curling Federation considering reducing games from 10 to eight ends.
"They better not," said Campbell, who is the manager and head icemaker at the Ogden Legion Curling Club in Calgary.
"If they do that, they will send this game right down the tubes."
Campbell, who has also coached Slovakia's national team for the last five years, made his comments at the Moncton Coliseum yesterday morning as he watched the Ford world men's curling championship.
Campbell, it appears, can rest easy. Warren Hansen, the director of event operations and media relations for the CCA, said the association hasn't talked about eight-end games in high-level competitions for more than a year.
"It's a subject that comes up now and then," Hansen said. "We're faced with a scenario that if we want to keep our games on TV, we have to keep them in a three-hour window.
"Our concern is how much do we change our game in order to fit TV? How do we enhance our product for television?"
TSN and the curling association have a broadcast agreement through the 2014 season.
This year, the network showed 28 hours of coverage from the Continental Cup in Kamloops, B.C., seven hours from the Canadian junior women's and men's championships from Salmon Arm. B.C., 14 hours from Canada Cup in Yorkton, Sask., and about 70 from each of the Brier in Calgary and Scotties Tournament of Hearts in Victoria, B.C.
The network is also carrying 45 hours of coverage from this week's world championship in Moncton. All Canadian games and playoff games, no matter which teams are on the ice, will be shown coast-to-coast.
Long-time Moncton junior coach Nick LeBlanc said he understands the need to fit television formats, but he hopes 10-end games are here to stay.
"It just feels like 10 ends is the right number," said LeBlanc, who has attended 10 national championships as either a coach or junior representative for the New Brunswick Curling Association.
"You can see a lot more strategy in a 10-end game. In eight ends, when do you make your move? You're used to blanking the ninth so you have the hammer coming home. Are you going to blank the seventh if this happens? It shortens the game and takes away a lot from the players."
Campbell, agreed as he pointed to a scoreboard at the end of the Coliseum. It showed Kevin Martin's Canadian rink had scored four in the first end of its victory over Denmark.
"In an eight-end game, that would be over right away," Campbell said. "In a 10-ender, you can chip away with a point or two here and there, but you don't have a chance in such a short game. Ten ends is perfect. Leave it alone."
Hansen, meanwhile, said curling officials are always "brainstorming" in an effort to speed up the game.
"There are ways of shortening games without making such a drastic change and we're open to looking at everything," the CCA spokesman said.
"Everything has been discussed. Maybe we take time off the clock (each team is currently allowed 73 minutes) or maybe we go from two timeouts to one. Maybe TV will not show all eight rocks thrown every end. Everything is on the table.
"Getting a three-hour product is the challenge. That's also three hours, including commercial time."
All told, however, the game is in great shape in Canada. Television viewership numbers are strong and attendance at most events, including this week's world tournament in Moncton, has been solid so rule changes are not imminent.
Disabled
Search Articles
More CE Network Sites & Partners:
