Even more about curling

In the last post I lamented the lack of songs about curling while at the same time celebrating the fact at least one Canadian band has taken upon themselves to write a song about Canada's second favourite sport.* I also mentioned that I love curling but my reasons where somewhat lacking. I mentioned the grace and democracy but I didn't mention the most relevant reason for my love of curling - My parents absolutely love the game. My mother religiously watches every televised bier (tournament) and my father still plays to this very day. I grew up around curling, even trying my hand at it while I was in high school.

Here are some other reasons:

• I understand all the terminology and the spirit behind the game.
• I know that it's the winners that buy the beers after the game, not the losers.
• I know that rinks (teams) are left to call their own penalties and do so with a regularity not seen in other sports; Competitors don't argue calls.
• Opponents discuss and come to a consensus about who wins the end (it's like an inning in baseball).
  
• It is a sport that as you grow older, you get better that.
• Strength, stamina, and agility are overshadowed by strategy, skill, and co-operation.
• The skip (captain) leads but is not in control of every aspect of the game and needs to rely on everyone else around him/her to win [I realize this isn't very different from other team sports]
• As a man interested in all aspects of my country's culture, I am totally in awe at how at one end Canadians love hockey and at the other end they love curling.
• Mixed teams (2 women and 2 men) are as common as single gendered teams (although there is no international mix competition. Canada, however, does have a national mixed bier).
  

While I don't play the sport or follow it, whenever it is on I take a moment and watch a bit. If I'm feeling like an argument I'll declare it to be my favourite sport. For these reasons and many others, I have a fondest that only a kid born and raised in Canada can have. Why curling isn't our third national sport I will never understand (Lacrosse is Canada's official summer sport with ice hockey being the winter one).

* It wouldn't surprise me to find out that other Canadian bands, such as the Rheostatics or even Stompin' Tom, have written songs about curling that I am unaware of. This is a very likely possibility.