Episode 27 - Offseason Player Spotlights & Hardie/Brydone Trade

Join us for another episode of the Hotline Violation Podcast for a special offseason episode:

- Scottish Team Updates

- Offseason player spotlight, highlighting under appreciate curlers from history!

- Bingyu Wang

- Torger Nergard

Transcript

SPEAKER_01 0:20

Hogline Violation.

SPEAKER_03 0:25

Hello. Welcome back to another episode of the Hogline Violation podcast. It's been a little while, but we're back for a little special off season episode here. We don't have the full crew. Ryan is out, but I do have uh Joel and Daniel here with me today. So uh Joel, how are you doing today? It's great. It's it's summertime, it's great. Can't complain. How about you, Danny?

SPEAKER_00 0:48

I'm good. Good. You know, beating King on the golf course on a daily, um, just robbing off some curling hair coming up, so it really isn't getting better than that.

SPEAKER_03 0:56

I mean, that's just a lie that Daniel beats me on the golf course regularly, at least recently, maybe earlier in the year, but not recently. King's on Streak, not a big deal. Uh yeah, but it's not a big golf talk yet, although there might be some kind of sprinkled in here because it is, you know, summer season. We're big golfers and curlers, but we are here today to talk about curling uh cool. So to start, I guess I'll kind of give a little rundown. We're we're gonna do a little update that there's been a big Scottish curling changeup here uh that we since we've last potted. So we'll have a quick discussion on that. And then afterwards, we figured it might be a cool kind of off-season idea to kind of each of us pick one curler, you know, can be anyone really, and kind of dive into their careers and some interesting facts just to like shed more light on someone we thought was interesting that may not be known um as much by the audience. So because we can kind of just kick off with the Scottish changes. Obviously, um, I'm sure everybody listening to this is kind of heard already. But basically a one-for-one swap. Um, Grant Hardy leaving Team Moet, joining you know, the old team White, uh, swapping with Robin Bryden, who's now joining joining Team Moet. Um, Grant will be skipping throwing third. Um, obviously a little different than what Ross White was was kind of skipping in prior years. But uh I'll just kind of open up the floor. Uh, I don't know if which one of you wants to jump in first to chat about this, but what are your thoughts on uh on that change?

SPEAKER_01 2:27

I would say um my first thought is like, okay, makes sense. I mean, both teams have been together for a while, more notably uh the Mawit team being together for uh what was it, minimum eight years, maybe, no, maybe even 12. Like that's just a long time. I mean, I guess in terms of changing it, yeah, it kind of seems like that would make sense, especially like if you consider like what we're used to in Canada. Um, but then you go over to an association in a country where you're dealing with like a small number of athletes, like specifically at that level of competition that they're playing. Um and one for one swap, like you said, it's like it's kind of interesting. I don't I don't mind it. I think I'd like to literally like in my head, I'm thinking, okay, best curler in the world, like for me, is Grant Hardy. And then like at a lot of times, I'm also saying that like the one of the best thirds in the world, or maybe the best third in the world is Robin Bryden, but it's like a 1A, 1B situation where like you're you have the best option with either of those guys. So I think it's like it's an interesting move. I'd like to know what Ross White's thinking. All of a sudden he's just like, oh, I'm not skipping anymore. I'll just throw last and do that with with Grant because that's what Grant wanted to do. So I don't know, it'll be interesting. I I don't mind the move though. I don't mind the little shakeup, a little drama.

SPEAKER_00 3:54

Yeah, I think you can't not like it. I feel like it's been status call that's got us curling for so long between the two top teams. So seeing a little shakeup um just adds more excitement to the mix, I think, and a little bit of an unknown. Um yeah, like like Joel was hinting at, Grant Hardy skipping in Ross White Plains fourth is a little bit interesting. Um, obviously that was probably contingent on the move. Like I'm I'm sure Grant was pushing hard to be the skip of the team. Um, I don't know if that's like a strategic thing, or maybe he thinks that well, I'm assuming definitely a strategy thing, but he thinks he can call a better game than Ross, or I I don't know exactly. Um, but it's interesting for sure. Definitely a big surprise, I think, in the curling world. And and sort of like a in some ways like a little bit of a lateral move, you think, but like a lateral move with some potential for both teams. So um very interesting. Uh good for Rob and Bryden, too. Like you were saying. I mean, easily could be one of the is one of the best players in the world. Um sort of made his way up, played with Ross for a while. Remember watching him play uh way back like several years ago with Ross and Juniors. Um interesting. Yeah, and I've heard Grant talk about the move a few times. I don't know if there was anything like going on in the team or anything that made him want to leave for some reason. I don't know. Yeah, I know he was hinting at it maybe a little bit, but I don't think he wanted to say too much. Um it's just such a good team. It's tough to see him that he actually wanna leave.

SPEAKER_03 5:22

Yeah, no, it's interesting. I I think I I remember hearing a little bit of what he said with John Cullen because I know he they released the podcast almost like immediately as the news broke. And he was talking about how he was growing a little stale of playing. I know there was the rumors about him stepping away and almost retiring, or at least like you know, taking a significant break, which seems crazy when like you know, you're a part of the most dominant team and curling, like you're at the top of the sport, but clearly it was getting a little stale for him playing third. Um, I think was probably a part of that. And I I I can't remember exactly was a little while ago that it listened, but I I think he was saying that you know he wanted a new challenge and kind of take on something. Obviously, he's never really skipped, never led the team in that way. So it it's interesting for sure. And I think both teams, like obviously, you know, they they're all both ranked really highly. They're gonna play a lot of games against each other. Um recently came out that Team Moet declined a spot at the Euros. Um, and so it went to Team White, or I guess Team Hardy, if we're gonna say it that way. Um, I think I know we were talking about this just recently, Joel, but um the the Euros is no longer kind of a world qualification spot, so the importance of that event isn't necessarily as high, although you know, winning Euros is still a great accomplishment. So it makes a little sense that that the Moat team would, you know, maybe pass that off. But it'll certainly be fun to watch. I mean, I know Grant, I believe, I know he's cousins with I think is it Hammy on that team? So like I know there was a lot of talk of like him trying to get Hammy to come over with them. I think Hammy was open to it. He talked pretty openly about that on the Cullen podcast. So uh obviously the Federation didn't allow that to happen and it kind of just played out the way it did, and obviously both teams are still talented and gonna do really well. So looking forward to seeing how that kind of plays out here for the next little bit.

SPEAKER_01 7:07

It's an interesting dynamic, um, really, because like is it ever a little bit of Grant like hedging his bets a little bit? Because I mean when you just think of like the Ron and like that that team has been on in like specifically, I guess, the last eight years, like with what, two worlds and two Olympic silvers, like over that time plus however many slams. I think um I wonder I wonder if he just got a little bit like oh, maybe we've hit our peak with this team and our prime. I mean, it's hard to like say, oh, there was another gear for the team. I mean, they were number one by like a good bit of a margin for a while there. And now it's just oh, maybe I'm gonna switch over with Ross, who is hitting that like what is he, is he like around your age, like 26, 27 kind of frame? I mean, like he's gonna be hitting like the peak of like his curling abilities, like coming up. And when you're talking about like cycles that are four years long, like maybe he's thinking it's like well, I know me with Bruce is probably the best right now, but maybe is maybe it won't be in four years from now unless I'm I'm gonna be over here with Ross. So I don't know. I think it's more of a long-term decision looking at the next Olympics than it is something that's right now. Because I think the Mawit team, like that it was, was probably still the best team in the world.

SPEAKER_00 8:35

Yeah, maybe even wanted like a little bit more of a talent. Maybe he thinks that he can elevate this team to being as good or maybe even better than the Mawit team was. So maybe he's trying to put that onus on himself and maybe come like gain more notoriety from it. Because if he goes and skips that team, they end up eclipsing um Bruce. Then then Grant is kind of getting the majority of the fame, and uh him and Ross would be um, he'd be more in the limelight, maybe than he was with Bruce. I don't know if the some like I don't think an ego thing, but it could be once you're that good at a sport, like you gotta have a little bit of an ego. I don't know if that played into it. I feel like definitely a little bit. I don't know what you guys think, but like I feel like that everything kind of plays in.

SPEAKER_03 9:18

I would agree. I mean, there's definitely like why to be the best. I mean, they have been the best, but um the little shakeup never hurts. And I think there's been a lot of drama, at least on our podcast. I'm definitely out there in the prior years about like the Scottish Federation, how they go about picking the teams. Obviously, there's no like set play down for these worlds and Olympic events. Um, in the last cycle, obviously, like Ross, they were bucking their heads like they were really good and they were deserving of potentially being picked, but like Bruce was the easy pick where he was more established, they've won more, they've played more on tour, so it made logical sense. Like, you know, Worlds Olympics tend to get chosen more often, but now obviously the white team is developing, getting a little older, and you kind of take Grant from that MOAT team, put him on the white team. Making that decision is gonna be like very interesting. Because I would say at this point, like both of those teams are relatively equal. It's hard to obviously we haven't seen both new teams with the new players like on the ice yet, but I don't know how they're gonna possibly like make a choice. Like they're both so good, I feel like they should just have a fucking play down. Like, come on, between those two teams, you can let all the other teams do whatever. You've already seen Cameron Bryce just make a mercenary team, so like they've basically given up on anything Scottish-wise. Like those two teams and maybe a junior team coming up, like they're the only ones who are relevant in the Federation, so just let them play down. I don't know.

SPEAKER_01 10:37

You might have to for the first year. I think it's interesting that Mao would would pass on a Scottish jacket, though, like this early on. Like, I'm I'm sure it's part of a bigger plan that we don't know, and that's like I'm sure in their head everything like that all makes sense. But passing up, like I don't know, you bring in a new third, like, although it's like more or less as like familiar as you can get, that's not the same team you just had. But wouldn't you want like a championship style event like that? I feel like that's like a good test to like see where you're at. Even if it's like early on in the cycle like this. And now now Ross White and Grant Hardy is gonna get that chance to figure that out. And you know what? Really, the ball's in their court, I feel like, because I think like you're still obviously they put, I feel like they've put a lot of their money on this Hardy team as well, because like they this Federation was like kind of helping them out figure this thing out, like and move make this move. So obviously, like they're got their eye on this, but obviously you're like, okay, well, we've got Mawit here, so you know, how does that how do we like you said, how do we possibly choose a team? But now, I don't know. I like I think that Grant Hardy's team is maybe a tick below, but also I think they have the potential to be a couple ticks ahead at the right time, um, assuming everything plays out the way it should. I mean two great teams up the lineup, so I mean, what can you say? Just gonna matter of who's playing good at a time. No peaking though at the same time because there's no play down, so we'll see.

SPEAKER_00 12:12

Just speaking for the uh maybe Kyle Waddell is hanging in the team Kyle Waddell's hanging around, you know.

SPEAKER_03 12:19

Maybe Kyle Smith come back. I don't know.

SPEAKER_00 12:21

Where's he at these days? Bring him back.

SPEAKER_01 12:24

Three way, three-way best of nine play downs.

SPEAKER_00 12:27

Yeah, dude, you can throw that that call one team's very competitive. Like they wouldn't win that play down, but they're like a very solid Grand Slam team.

SPEAKER_01 12:35

I don't think they look I don't think they lose all their games in that. Oh, which I think uh uh you know, if you're if they had no chance to win a game, I feel like, yeah, you're definitely gonna stick to the two, but if they're gonna win games, it's like you have three top ten teams in the world. I mean, it's gotta be close enough that anyone can beat them on any day. So yeah, true.

SPEAKER_03 12:57

No, it'll be interesting to follow kind of at this the season starts. Obviously, they're gonna have matchups like I assume they're gonna be playing uh obviously all those slams, probably a lot of similar other events, um, just across the tour through the year. So we're gonna have opportunities to follow, and we will be talking about it, I'm sure, as we go along.

SPEAKER_01 13:14

So much talking about it. So much. Oh, that's what we do here. We talk, can't get enough. Can't get enough of the Scottish curling gossip. So true.

SPEAKER_00 13:23

Scottish curling gossip is basically the guest best kind of gossip, other than Canadian curling gossip, no offense.

SPEAKER_03 13:29

Yeah. I mean, there's lots more drama in theory. I don't know. There's drama here too, but different, different drama. All right. Um, I think it's probably time we we get on to our little segment here. So I think I'm gonna kick us off. I have an individual slash team that I'm kind of did a little research on over the past couple days. Kind of surprised me. I I kind of ran into this individual. I was kind of just scouring old results, kind of just seeing where I wanted to go with it. And I I found a name and then I realized this person was a little bit more you know accomplished than I had initially uh recognized. So I will ask you both. I think Joel had the better chance to know the answer, so I'm gonna open this to Danny at the beginning. But do you happen to know the only team slash individual who is not from North America or Europe to ever win a world championship in curling in fours, both men's and women's. There's one team, first and only, to ever win a world championship in fours that's not from North America or Europe. Who might it be?

SPEAKER_04 14:39

Oh my god.

SPEAKER_03 14:44

World championship? There's only been one in the history of the world for men and women.

SPEAKER_00 14:52

I do know, I just don't know the name of the skip. Do you know Joel? Oh, okay, I know. I think we have to say this is this is real this is relatable. No. This is relatable. We've spoken of this person before like recently over the last like month and a half. I don't know if we have. I don't know if we have. Oh, okay. Never mind.

SPEAKER_03 15:15

It's a woman.

SPEAKER_00 15:17

It's a woman seam? Yep.

SPEAKER_02 15:20

Okay.

SPEAKER_03 15:22

Do you have the same team, Joel? We yeah, we do, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 15:27

Oh, that's ridiculous. I was like, there's no way that he's gonna have the same thing with that team. I thought there was a little chance, but we do.

SPEAKER_03 15:37

You wanna release it? I guess we could do this in conjunction now if we both have stats. But say the name, Joel. Who is it? Mrs. Binyu Wang from China.

SPEAKER_02 15:47

Oh that is it. I thought I was going off the board there with the woman's side. I figured you'd go into the same one. I kind of had a feeling, but I was like, there's not, it's not gonna happen.

SPEAKER_03 15:57

But alas, I guess we can say we can both hit this double then. I don't know what kind of stats you have. It's gonna be a little shorter, or maybe we just go deeper on Binu. But we wanted to surprise each other here, and this is what happens. We have the same mind. So I will just start. Joel, you can kind of chime in as we go here with whatever you have. Uh I will just say that world championship was 2009. They won the 2009 Women's Worlds. That was the first ever Asian team to win a world championship. Kind of good stuff for Team China. Um, I'll kind of start from the beginning of her curling career a little bit, um, and then kind of run us through. I feel like Joel, I don't know where you kind of specialized your interest, but just looking at her um her accolades, you know, kind of started curling because her father was an ice hockey player, Deijin Wang. He played for the Chinese national team, which is interesting. You don't really think like Chinese hockey, but she was too small to play hockey, so her dad was like, Why don't you try curling? There's this, you know, this curling thing. We'll jump right in there in the early 2000s. Um, she won six Asia Pacific goals and five silvers. Um, she won the Pacific Junior 05 and 06, uh, went on to appear in 10 world championships, um, you know, starting in 05, just kind of rolling through. According to her Olympic bio, uh, she enjoys uh music and shopping. You know, that's very important. Don't we all enjoy that? She attended the 2005 World Juniors. Joel, do you know a couple teams uh that were there at that event by chance if you had to guess?

SPEAKER_01 17:48

Uh I don't really have a guess. That's like before, God, that's like before Stacey Curtis in Newfoundland. That's like a while ago, King.

SPEAKER_03 17:56

She she juniors alongside the likes of Andrea Kelly, Madeline DuPont, Norway's Kristen Skazlian making some uh mixed doubles uh numbers, doing soon some uh numbers there on the mixed double side of things back in her day. Um so you know, got out, was never not really very like notorious at that point, but um just kind of you know worked her way through, got some experience. And Joel, I don't know if you want to jump in here with something you've kind of prepared. I got a couple more notes on the the two worlds that are kind of a bit more notable, um, but you can kind of run with some of that if you want, and I'll uh I'll jump in as we go.

SPEAKER_01 18:39

I would say like the one that really stuck out to me, and uh that's actually I don't even realize that this was like kind of possible to do because of like here in Canada, like if you don't have we don't have other country um uh natives playing in our Canada games. Um but Bin Yuang is a two-time New Zealand winter game silver medalist from 2009 and 2011, like adult winter games playing in a different country. And in the 2009 one, I don't know who she lost to, to be honest. That is a current I don't know from Japan, but the men's side, our man, Hugh Milken, won the men's New Zealand New Zealand winner games that year.

SPEAKER_03 19:24

So yeah, winning the world championships, losing the New Zealand winner games is tough. That's that's a tough in the same year of beat. Um, yeah, no, that was that was an impressive showing. Not her best result, but you know, she was bucking heads there. So like I think uh I'll jump in a little bit on the 2008 worlds because I think that's where she kind of like gained some notoriety. At least like she was relatively unknown, obviously, you know, playing in these specific events. Curling wasn't massive over there um in this days, but 2008 worlds, she kind of jumped onto the scene. This was also uh the Jennifer Jones was the Canadian woman scene here, it was her third uh world championship appearance. Um she yeah, so you know, I think she won. She may have won the world the year before, I'm not sure, to be honest. Although I don't think she did now that I say that. But um in the run robin there, kind of out of nowhere, um Binyu Wang um won 9-2, tied for first. She actually stole two in the final end against Jennifer in the round robin to uh beat her, which was you know impressive showing. Obviously, Jennifer was pretty, you know, she was still young, but getting her uh bearings in still fucking heads a little bit for sure. They played again in the 1-2 game in that year in 2008. Um and Wang defeated Jennifer again. So, you know, two games against Jennifer, two wins. Um Jennifer did manage to steal the extra end in the semi against Japan to to make it back to the final. So third time they played each other um over the course of this week into the 2008 worlds, and um Jen went and beat Bin Yu Wang in the final, the 2008 worlds. So silver medal, tough. Jennifer Jones. Um, I'm just seeing my notes here now. It was indeed her first world championship. So her first world in 2008 um beat Bin Yuang in the final after losing to her twice. Now, that's tough. They talked a lot about, you know, it's kind of the first time out. It was impressive, but they obviously it stung to them. So we talked a little bit about the the 2009 worlds. I'll get into it a little bit more now. But in 2009 as well, a month before these worlds, still kind of playing pretty well, they played in the winter universiod in her hometown, in their hometown of Harbin, China, which I think Joel had some thoughts on.

SPEAKER_01 21:49

Yes, and I think it's like pretty cool that they were able to be victorious at the Fizu Games, probably competing for I would say, which I would assume, I mean. I'm I think they're from like Beijing area and the big the university it's yeah Dubbin Harbin is where she's actually from and where that facility was.

SPEAKER_03 22:07

It's also where they played the university. But I yeah, I'm not sure. I assume they're with like the the program for the university.

SPEAKER_01 22:12

Beijing Sport University is what it's called. And um they won the gold for China right before the world's kind of a pretty good tune-up going into a world championship.

SPEAKER_03 22:21

Yeah, well, and the the likes of uh Holly Nickel slash Duncan and Daniel Inglis were there, went undefeated uh 11-0 in the round robin, and then ended up losing to our girl Ben Yu Wang in the final. Um, Nicodine won the men's side there um as well, so that's kind of impressive. And I thought I'd mention the men's team uh at that event was was Mike Anderson, very well known. Wink, not really, but he did win the 2018 World Mix with Daniel Ingles. So, you know, not nowhere. He's currently playing on a team with Xander Elms. I know that guy's name from somewhere. I don't know where. He played with Joe Franz in the 2010 Tankers, so he's he's been around a little bit, our guy. Um, but yeah, so obviously, you know, they lost the 2008 world final to Jen. They're going into the 2009 worlds a month before they win the winter university on home ice. Um they're going to the 2009 Worlds, um, which is in South Korea, second world women's uh championship hosted in Asia ever. So like pretty early in like the Asian induction into kind of curling, I would say. Like, really. Um this was the Mount Titlis uh women's world championship. I don't know what if you had to guess what you think that is, uh, both of you. What do you think it is? Is it something to do with a watch? It's literally a mountain in Switzerland. It's just like I think they had like skiers. So yeah, it's just sponsored by the mountain itself. I don't know what was on the go. I looked it up. It's probably like a brand. I looked it up as of no, it's as of currently, it's like a mountain. There were they have like a ski resort and they have a bunch of like cable. Right now I can see gondolas and such. I'm looking, I'm watching the final right now. There's a like uh www.visitswitzerland.com in the rings when this is event is in South Cr South Korea. Kind of random, but you know, take the money where you can get it. So good for them. We're always big fans of of interesting sponsor names. So Mount Tidless. Um, you know, impressive stuff.

SPEAKER_01 24:18

The event starts obviously with can can I run down through some of these teams that we have on the city.

SPEAKER_03 24:26

Oh, yes, you can.

SPEAKER_01 24:27

You can serve because this was not uh just any world championship. This is like pretty much everyone that was good at that day and age uh was at this world, including like Jen on heater that you could assume and say that might have been better than when she was playing in 2014 when she won the goal. Like potentially this is better curling than then. Um so we had just in alphabetical order here, we had Team Jennifer Jones playing in their third world championship in a row as defending champions. Uh you have Binyu Wang, Madeline DuPont, of course, uh Andrea Shopp, who has been is also a world champion. Um we have Deanna Gaspari, who has been to plenty of worlds for Italy. Um Minjon Kim. I'll be honest, I don't know her game as much as some of the current uh teams, but at that time, curling, like you said, wasn't so predominant then, but obviously uh that has grown much since then. We have Marian Rorovik from Norway, who has been at the last number of championships. Um uh a Russian team, which I'm not familiar with, uh, but I can never count at the Russians at curling. They're pretty badass a lot of the time. Uh we have the great Eve Muirhead. My personal one of my personal favorites and women's GOAT is Annette Norberg from Sweden, who at this time uh well, I guess she would have had she is in the middle of her two Olympic championships, so uh playing some good curling, as well as Miriam Ott, Olympic medalist, and uh uh Debbie McCormick also from America. From America. Well, great field for this championship, I have to say.

SPEAKER_03 26:21

I mean, not that I'm super familiar with all of them, but I I do recognize the names when I wasn't really watching the Women's Worlds all that much 2009, so definitely a good field to pull out a win in, as we've kind of spoiled. But the event starts for Bing Yu, obviously coming off 2008, pretty tough loss to Jennifer. They play Jennifer in the first draw of this event. Um sorry, they beat her. Wait, no, I take it back. They lost to Jennifer 11-5 in the first draw. Pretty tough for Binyu coming off the L the year before. First draw, playing Jennifer, all the hype, pretty excited to get the chance, get Shian K to 11-5. But after that, Joel, what did they do in their robin after losing their first game to Jennifer Jones?

SPEAKER_01 27:15

They may have gotten on a little heater and man and ran off 10 in a row uh leading into the playoffs. Kinda good. Pretty good. Pretty good.

SPEAKER_03 27:26

So, I mean, yeah, that happened. So, you know, pretty good, in my honest, humble opinion, that they could uh, you know, beat or well, I guess lose to Jennifer, and then end up, you know, potentially playing her later on. Here's a little uh spoiler, they didn't end up playing her again. They did qualify first, played the one-two game against uh our good friend, Joel's good friend, Madeline DuPont. Uh and they won the one-two game. Pretty impressive, good stuff. Jennifer finished third and ended up playing uh the 3-4 game against Annette Norberg and lost um that game in an extra. So they had a lead, Jennifer did, and gave him a two-steal and nine, lost in an extra. Tough one for Jennifer. So, I mean, Rui, Rui, not Rui Wang, Bing Yu Wang.

SPEAKER_01 28:25

Okay, apologies, King has frozen. Uh, I guess I'll just continue. Yeah, so Jennifer lost that game. Jennifer then goes into we'll just, of course, we'll give the Canadian update. Jennifer loses the bronze middle game to Madeline DuPont. Of course, the GOAT and that Norberg gets on a run in the playoffs and wins a 3-4 and wins a semifinal. But then comes up against the absolute juggernaut of Vinyuang at this point, who was running on 11 in a row, and King. What happened in the final?

SPEAKER_03 28:53

Well, I'm currently having on my screen in the background here as I go. Um, China scored a deuce in the fourth end, uh, got a little lead. They appeared to have Sweden kind of banged in the fifth, uh, but Annette made a great shot, uh, kind of like a hit and roll against like four or five to score one. So that was impressive. Um, kind of stayed in the game for Annette. But in the eighth end, um China made a shot. It it ended up being a uh a measure to determine if they got second point or not. Uh, for my eyes on TV in the very blurry YouTube video, didn't look like it was them, but it turns out being them. So they got two, they went up by three after eight, and then she ended up making a a double in the tenth to win. So it she was, I think she was up one width. Um, she could have played a draw of the four foot against two, decided to play the double, made it, and you know what? That was the first ever world championship by an Asian team in all of sports, not all of sports, but all curling sports in men's and women's force. And yeah, I mean that was it. They did it, obviously kind of reached the the mountaintop. So impressive work by them there to uh secure that.

SPEAKER_00 30:05

Okay, but that was a that was a great breakdown. Yes, I didn't feel like I was there.

SPEAKER_03 30:10

Yeah, I mean I have a couple other little notes, uh, if there's nothing else, but uh the the postgame interview I just watched it a little bit. Annette's postgame interview, the the the interviewer was like asking her if she was gonna play in the 2006 Olympics, and she was like, uh you mean 2010? And she's like, Oh yeah, sorry, and she apologized. And then as Bin Yu was was talking, obviously, you know, English wasn't great. These like two like Winnie the Pooh mascot things like walked behind her and like waved while she was getting interviewed. It was just I was like lying in bed late at night watching it, and it was just very interesting. So that was uh an interesting little sight. And then the one last thing I wanted to touch on for for Binyu and their team before you know we we pass it off maybe to Danny or if Joel has any other final points. They had a coach, um Dan Raphael, um, who he's from Quebec. So he was one of these like initial. Obviously, there's a lot of these Canadian coaches who go and work for uh for different teams um you know in internationally. He's from Quebec. He set up some practice games for them against like John Michel back in 06. Kind of kind of a perfect little matchup for them. He coached a bunch of countries France, China, Italy, Turkey, Czechia. He was in Russia right up until like the Russia-Ukraine war popped off. It ended on his LinkedIn in 2022, right when the war started. So he was probably cooking up with our guy, uh oh my god, what's our guy? Blue Koff. So he was cooking that up um, you know, in his day, and now he's currently the Spanish mixed doubles coach. So, you know, impressive. But um, you know, that's pretty good. Pretty good stuff for him. And then I think the other thing, which actually about this team that I think is actually more impressive than being the only woman's world um or well, world team from Asia, even to date. Um, do you know the fact about what happened in the 2010 Olympics for them, Joel? If you had to their country. I do, yes.

SPEAKER_01 32:09

What did they what did they do there? Yeah, so not are they the only four-person team currently still to have a world championship in curling, they are also when they won the bronze medal at the 2010 Olympics, they are also it was the first ever team competition medal for China ever. So they were the first team to win a medal out of Winter Games uh that wasn't an individual medal, which is pretty crazy considering how many medals China wins at these these types of things.

SPEAKER_03 32:39

They won bronze in 2010. So, I mean, that was obviously um I'm sure us Canadians can remember a little bit. Uh Cheryl Bernard was there, kind of choked the final against Annette Norberg. But uh China was the team to play. They they went six and three in the round robin, lost a semi to Annette Norberg, who uh and they ended up beating Miriam Ott in the bronze medal game. So um, you know, impressive stuff. Obviously, that run from like 2008 to 2011, they also won uh bronze at the 2011 Worlds. So they had a you know, gold-tilter bronze at Worlds, won a bronze at the Olympics, um, became the first non-Kenya skipped to win a Grand Slam title in 2010. Um after that, like after kind of 2010-2011, she kind of fell off, didn't really compete a whole lot, but they did she did compete at both 2014 and 2018 Olympics. So we're not exactly sure how the qualification for that worked, but she did go there. Um they went four and five in in uh 2014 in Sochi, finished seventh. Um they finished tied for fifth in 2018 Olympics as well, one game into the playoffs. They did end up beating Rachel and Silvana in that event in 2018, so pretty good. Yeah, if that's where she was at. But yeah, I mean pretty pretty good stuff. And then as I'm remembering, I have this one last point on my guy Dan Raphael before we really move on. I wanted to talk about this. There was an article I found on online from like China.org, but they interviewed him after um after one of the games, and this was his response. They lost seven to four to Russia um after beating, they beat Canada, they beat Cheryl Bernard early in the Olympics, and they ended up losing uh like right after to Russia. And he goes, I'm furious. The problem with this team is they have no passion, it's their job. This national team has been together for six or seven years, and most of these players have been on the team far too long and take it for granted. I don't know, we'll show up. The team that beat Canada or the team that lost to Russia, trying to think they can beat Canada and just go home. He said they're thinking too much. Um, yeah, it's tough. It was a tough look, but they bounced back after that and won bronze. So, you know, pretty impressive stuff. Our guy Dan, uh really keeping them in check, bringing China on top, and then you know, hold them accountable when they need to. So that's impressive stuff.

SPEAKER_01 34:57

Yes, yes. Okay. Sorry, Danny. One final thought for me is I will not be as expensive as this. Um happens to be uh only 41 years of age at this current time, and obviously she hasn't played curling in the last more or less a decade. Uh so she uh as unfortunate as it is, I believe that she got forced out of the program because she was ready to start a family, which is obscene to have to say, like in this in our part of the world. But I mean, I guess uh in other countries such as China, like that type of opportunity doesn't come around. Like if you want to go that route, then they might force you out. And I believe that's what happened, which is a shame because you lost like 10 years of of a career that who knows what could have happened. I mean, obviously they had what a run there for several years, so you don't know what you missed. Yeah, only 41 now. Kevin Couie was in the bar final at 51 last year or whatever. So I mean Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 35:58

I saw that she she was a part of like the 2022 Olympics, I think, were in China. So she was a part of the like organizing committee for the curling aspect of that. So I guess she was involved in some way in that, but obviously not competing. So, you know, gone too soon, I would say, from the competitive landscape. But you know, I'm sure she's she's doing great. So, you know, good for her. Kind of funny that me and Joel ended up picking the same person. Definitely throws a little bit of a wrench into how we had planned to do this, but you know, we roll on. We can't, you know, say anything bad about our girl Binyu Wang. So Rui Wang is is popping off here recently as well. She actually played with Binyu for one year, I think, or at least a couple events in 2017. So a little bit of a uh thing there. And I think actually the fifth for that team, I can't even remember her name, but the fifth on all these Olympic teams um and world teams is actually the coach, I believe, for Rui Wang right now. So a little bit of a tie-in there um as well. So, you know, there's a pretty extensive look. The whole 2008 to 2011-10 range for her was like three or four-year run where that team kind of popped off, but definitely interesting, and a team I didn't really know a whole lot about before the last couple days when I kind of dove in. And clearly me and Joel, you know, had the same mindset there because I thought I was gonna catch some people off guard uh with with going that way. I kind of thought Joel was gonna go with Ann Norberg or somebody along those lines, but maybe on the men's side, I don't know. But here we are, we've done it.

SPEAKER_01 37:22

So that is that with our girl uh Bing Yu and Co. Okay, Danny, over to you for another half hour analysis.

SPEAKER_00 37:30

Oh, well we're gonna do something after that if we want to meet a half hour mark. That was great, though. That was very informative. I hope other listeners appreciate that great insight. Um so mine. I guess I can lay out a couple of facts. I know you guys are geniuses here. So this person um has is the first ever curler to compete at five consecutive Olympic games. Men's or women's.

SPEAKER_02 38:08

I don't know it, but Joel Joel knows it.

SPEAKER_00 38:09

Don't say it. Don't you can't say it yet, though. We both have to get it. Okay, and I mean it. I could be wrong. Okay. Um uh so he's actually, or he, okay, right. He's already a dude. Okay. He's actually been to six Olympics at this point. And the first one was in 2002, but he actually didn't play. He was a fifth. But he actually they won. Yeah, they won uh sorry, gold in 2002. His team that he was on, a member of, but he didn't play because he was fifth. This this really attests to the great longevity of this certain player.

SPEAKER_03 38:49

I I don't know who won in 2002. I would have thought it would be Canada, but like they won in '98, I think, with Kevin Martin. Did they win in 2002? I don't know. Say it. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 39:02

You're you're a little bit off there on both of that, but yeah.

SPEAKER_00 39:05

Oh. He's also in third. He also joined a team for they had a long run of success from like 2000 to 2018-19. Um, ton of success, like big notoriety, like one of the pioneer teams of like the game, the modern game, I would say. Um almost led like a whole rise, I'd say, in a certain part of the world in in curling. Um yeah, and also had a little cameo at skip in 2010 in the worlds and almost won gold and lost, lost in the gold medal final playing skip because their skip couldn't play due to personal reasons.

SPEAKER_02 39:47

I I have ideas, I'm not gonna say them. Just tell me who it is. Someone of you.

SPEAKER_00 39:51

It's Torger Nirger.

SPEAKER_02 39:53

Okay. I kind of was gonna say that to be honest. Torger, that's five Olympics, six Olympics? Six Olympics, 2002 to 2022.

SPEAKER_00 40:03

That's kind of noticed. He might be the best. I didn't know Torger Niergird was built like that. I knew he was a legend of the game, but um so he's also this guy has a lot of esteem. Um, he's also made the fifth most world appearances out of any discipline, like a bunch of disciplines. I know he played like a couple of like world qualifiers, and he's also played uh obviously a bunch of men's worlds, uh also Olympic qualifiers campaign as well. Um, and the World Cup of Curling as well, also falls under that uh radar or whatever. But I just thought he's a really cool curler. Um, obviously, I wouldn't say like heavily underrated by many of like like us of the world, I would say, the people that dive deep into the depths of curling, but I'm sure like if you asked the random curling fan, they wouldn't know much about uh Torter Nerd when he's like probably one of the best thirds to ever do it in the 21st century.

SPEAKER_03 41:09

So yeah, yeah, I mean 19 euro appearances, 13 world appearances. Well, this is how many medals. He's been around, obviously play with with Thomas Alzard, R.I.P. the goat from Norway.

SPEAKER_00 41:26

Yeah, yeah, he's won six world, no, six world medals. Uh sorry guys, 12 European medals in 19 appearances, always near the top, and the six Olympics. He won the silver in 2010 uh to that demon of a Kevin Martin team in a good final. I mean, uh, Kevin Martin team wasn't being beaten out of that. Um, but I think the best chance on the ice were definitely Porter and how much older stain. Um, but yeah, that team was really fun. You had uh for the most part, you had they ended up picking up Christopher Spa later on, who was a start. He was like top of the stats every world championship. Um, and then you had, of course, Havard Van Peterson active on X the Everything Aff all the time. I don't think he's ever off X the Everything. Yeah, one of one of the and they also made this is not as impressive again, they just made three Grand Slam semifinals. So and I think they they basically qualified in every Grand Slam they played in, but apparently this couldn't get over the quarters or anything like that. Yeah, wasn't too many slams around back in those days, at least. No, there wasn't. And maybe if it was more modern, then then that would have happened, but yeah, and and I think contributed to the modern game a lot. Uh we know Ron and Clyder when he used to play him in juniors, they were going with the funky pants. You know where that all came from. And you remember they used to do the pants dance too? I think we had to bring the pants dance back. I think somebody has to bring that back. I mean, team craft might be the one, who knows? Just the dance later. I knew Joel would have got it after that person. So what do you think about that, Joel?

SPEAKER_01 43:06

I think that was an excellent person to choose. Torger is definitely one of the legends of the game, and the six Olympics might stand alone potentially. I like it's possible someone else is at six, but it'd be pretty close. Schuster would be close. I think he would have been six if they won this year, but they did not. So Torger, I think, keeps the keeps the record on that one. But they had like what a great run that they had. Like, obviously, like they had like the silver in 2010, but I wouldn't even really consider that to be the peak of like their team. I would say uh they won 2014 worlds, is that right? Yeah, and then 2015 they had silver.

SPEAKER_00 43:47

So yeah, but uh the early 2010s to the mid 2010s, or even I'd say the late 2000s, they were like a top three team in the world, top five team in the world, like every year, and in Norway too, which wasn't like a Huge curling nation at that point.

SPEAKER_01 44:02

100%. And I would say like at that time, Canada was in its prime of like just dominating curling uh over that period when you're dealing with Kevin Martin and and Glenn and everyone else that was around at those time at that time. Um but pretty much every international competition, like Euros and Olympic Games and World Championships, pretty much other than the Canada team, they were competing against Nichols Adine week in, week out in pretty much any final they played for the most part. Like Euros, Worlds, like it was always those two teams. And there was a lot of camaraderie there as well. But Thomas Holesroot and them, they had a great and Torer had a great uh uh team for those like five or six years that was able to you know get victories over the likes of Nicodine and many Canadian uh champions as well. So great.

SPEAKER_00 44:56

You just even see their Euro supremacy from 2005 to 2015, they didn't miss a podium in the Euros. They're on the podium every year. Wow, that's a cool stat. You think one year you'd kind of like sit the bet a bit and not make the playoffs? But no, no, not not Tulger Nairdard and and Thomas Old Rudd. Like not happening.

SPEAKER_03 45:19

If you look back, I mean I obviously Nicodine was there for a lot of that period. And then I like whoever the the Scottish team, I guess Murdoch would have been the team for the majority of that. Like I assume that was kind of like the big three, but still, like there were probably likely other teams. Like, I know Italy was around, they weren't even necessarily the best. I I assume there may have been a Swiss Swiss team. Yeah, Russ Misterna from Denmark was around, so like the competition obviously wasn't crazy in Europe, but he they uh they popped off, they certainly did. So yeah, he's an impressive player for sure. And the Six Olympics I don't think that'll happen again.

SPEAKER_00 45:58

No, one of the coolest ones that oh, the is the Euros, definitely not like 2005 to 2015, not missing a podium.

SPEAKER_02 46:04

Oh no, for sure.

SPEAKER_00 46:05

No, yeah, but yeah. Um, and also one of the more fun events was the 2011 Euros when there was a four-way tie for fourth place with Fan Michel, Yuri Schneedle, John Jarr, or Jan Jarr, whatever you like, a German guy, and David Murdoch all tied in fourth place. What names do Yuri Schneedle? Like the best. And Yuri Sneedle is tech. He ended up making the semifinal and losing to Alzred, and then Ulsrod uh yeah, Oldswood beat uh Adine in the final. Yeah, but I mean just absolute legends of the game. Obviously, the late Thomas Oldsrud is that's just that's just one of the more entertaining teams of all time. I don't think you could have seen a team that had more fun on a curling scene than team Aldrid. Or I had more fun watching them. It just was like pure. And also the thing about Torga, I think I always found him interesting in like the way he played. For like the modern third, definitely the games played a bit different at this point. But like he was a touch shot genius. Like, you know, the release, too. The it's like it's so good. Oh my god. Like the things he would do to The Rock, I don't know. But just like the touch game, like him and Ultron on the back end, neither of them were flamethrowers. Just all the touch game, that's why they're so consistent. If you could draw, like you're always gonna have to draw weight. I don't know.

SPEAKER_03 47:39

It's true, just really impressive player. Fun name, too. I mean, obviously, a lot of a lot of nor Norway people have fun names, but Torger Niergaard, you know, the Ramsfelds, obviously Ben Dick Martin Sasaker's around there. Christopher Svah, Sve. What a couple of bangers right there, not gonna lie. Torger actually played with both Ramsfeld brothers in 2020 and Martin Sasaker. Stuck in there for a second. Didn't play with uh Stefan Walshead for a couple years, too. And Stephon Walshead now back on the Ramsdale team, so making his uh his comeback. So no, that's a good pick, Danny. He's uh one of the legends, certainly. We we picked around the same era, so I feel like that's like what we're kind of not nostalgic for so much with the three of us, because like we didn't necessarily watch all of these events as they happened, but looking back on it, like uh so I feel like we all kind of are in the same boat of respecting like those that kind of earlier not gonna say early days curling, obviously still 21st century only the past like 20 years, but all those teams like that's who I grew up at least like seeing on TV. Like, I would watch Worlds, I'd maybe watch an odds, but it wouldn't really be on TV, you know. Obviously, like Briar was his own thing. But just knowing those teams and obviously like the pants for Torger and that team, like famous. I like I think they're probably one of the only teams, like somebody outside of curling. Now they're probably not gonna know that it's Alzard and Torger, but like they would recognize those pants and be like, oh, those are the guys like with the pants. So they definitely transcended curling at that point, at least like more than most teams, I would say. So you know that's that's pretty cool just in and of itself.

SPEAKER_00 49:14

Just imagine how much publicity and stuff they get if that happened like in this day and age. If curling was like that far behind, if you move to 20, what era they were in, like four in like 10 years, and like curling hadn't reached the point it is at now. Say, like the point it is at now with the popularity from the Olympics and stuff goes another 10 years. So say that happens in like 2035, but sort of the media stays the same. I know that like plays into it, but it'd be viral, they'd be going viral, especially with the pants dance. Like nobody's doing pants dances and like Olympic curling, or like nobody's doing that, it's electric.

SPEAKER_03 49:47

It's true.

SPEAKER_00 49:47

Who would want to see Tor Gernair guy do the pants dance?

SPEAKER_03 49:51

Yeah, I think uh Magnus and them did actually wear. I remember they wore the pants. I don't know if it was at Worlds or if it was at the Olympics, but they wore pants recently. It was the Olympics last year. Just in uh you know, more into that team and and Thomas and any kind of the crew. So no, that's cool. It's a fun little uh tradition there for for the Norwegian. So wicked, wicked pick, Danny. Um we we liked it, we would have planned to have three of these kind of spotlights going on here today, but obviously me and Joel are just too much on the same wavelength. So uh, you know, only two, but I feel like we went a little in-depth, uh, more in depth than we probably thought we would have initially. So it's definitely an idea I think that I liked. It was fun, at least for me, like kind of researching and looking into like these players that I knew like a bit about, but like kind of going through um some articles, like seeing uh what people were saying at the time. The the the Chinese uh you know media wasn't the easiest to get a hold of. There wasn't really a whole lot written about them. I was trying to figure out a little bit about what Bing Yu was doing kind of these days, but not much out there. But could be an idea we kind of run with in the future. Um, but you know, for now we're just gonna kind of stick with this. So what do you guys think?

SPEAKER_00 51:04

I go ahead, Danny. I thought that was very enjoyable. I thought King really laid that out really well. Kind of just like going on about a bunch of stuff about the great reign of Bing Yu Wang. And I mean, you could kind of see that, like I knew there was a possibility that you guys would have picked the same curler. Um, just due to the vibes and stuff. And Joel usually picked some things pretty quickly. So right when King started talking about it, you knew exactly what he's talking about. So it's kind of funny how that worked, but I think it was a great idea, and I'm sure the listeners would appreciate us doing uh more of these uh I don't know, like off the wall type of ideas that yeah, little little spotlights.

SPEAKER_03 51:45

I would say I mean, uh, this is a little uh when I kind of thought of this as an idea, it was uh I'm an avid uh shotgun stuck start golf podcast listener. They've done these in the past um on like kind of old golfers. They did a lot during COVID of like old golfers kind of diving into some of their history with obviously the the inspirational for that. But I figured that like it's interesting. I don't know. Obviously, if you're listening to this, especially at this point in like an hour, will there probably be like maybe two or three people listening? Who knows? But um you're you're into this as well. So if there's anything else like anyone out there wants to to hear, maybe learn a little bit more about somebody, um, you know, shoot us a DM or something, we can maybe look into them, maybe do a little pod on that person. Who knows? Um, but for now I think that's it's gonna be kind of it. Um we're still in the off-season mode, so there's not gonna be a whole lot of activity from us until the season starts, but we are gonna release a couple preview, kind of season preview pods, I think, in August, kind of early September before the season really ramps up. Um just to kind of set the stage um for the season that's coming, obviously gonna be a pretty big one. A couple new events, um, new structures for some of the slam qualification, which is pretty big. Obviously, there's a new uh team on the block here with Kratz, Team Kratz, and the most of the podcast crew, minus me kind of being a part of that. So, you know, interesting thing to follow. The boys will be on the road a little bit, so we'll have some good uh stories and such from from on the road, I would assume at least. I don't know, don't want to speak for all of you, but probably there. But uh yeah, it's kind of where we're at now. And uh over the next little bit. So any uh any final words from you, Joel or Daniel, before we we sign off here?

SPEAKER_01 53:25

The okay, just for the hundred people still listening, there is an event that starts next week in Switzerland. There's some European spiels that are going on in August. It's too early. I mean, I know that they're like these teams have been training um for like five, six weeks now, like some of these European teams. Good for you, man. I I guess that's like what you want to do. Um August. If you had ISP you'd be doing it too. I mean, yes, I I mean 100%, yes, but like August 8th for a full world curling tour event that's gonna be with all of the top teams in Europe. Is uh is that really what you want to get into? A mini slam like in August? I don't know. But there's gonna be several events coming up. Follow along on curling zone for those updates until we start getting into uh our usual uh production of uh giving previews and post views of all the events that are happening. But uh keep an eye on that. Lots of fun teams to see uh to keep an eye on for this year.

SPEAKER_00 54:31

So yeah, no, I thought that was great. Um little summer podcast episodes for our millions of fans. Really enjoyed that after our easily live hiatus. Um, but we'll we'll keep it going. That was fun.

SPEAKER_03 54:47

Yeah, well.

SPEAKER_00 54:50

Cheers, folks.