The Winter Olympics in Milan have delivered moment after moment, especially for sports such as alpine skiing, hockey, and figure skating. However, other, less popular sports, such as curling, are getting their moment in the sun as well.
Unfortunately, the Team USA curling squad has to deal with one of its country’s own professional athletes, and one of the most popular women’s athletes in the country, tearing down their sport.
“I don’t understand the curling. I don’t understand—what makes something first, a sport, and not a hobby? And second, who qualifies it as an Olympic Sport,” Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham asked during an appearance on her “Show Me Something” podcast.
“And I’m not discrediting these athletes because I know I couldn’t do what they’re doing. But I just like, I watch some of these things, and I’m like, okay, how or like why?”
Fans reacted to Cunningham’s take on social media.
“That is correct. Curling is like the bar game shuffle board. Only on Ice with brooms,” one fan wrote on YouTube.
“Curling originated in Scotland, no wonder it’s hard for other peoples to comprehend,” someone else added.
“Curling has a 40 pound rock that you’re gonna push on ice and it could slow down due to friction. so you’re sweeping the ice prior to it to keep the centrifugal and inertia force going. The object is to get it to the button, which is in the circle where th 2 intersect. The one who has closest to the intersecting line wins points. Most people probably couldn’t push that stone 5 feet,” another person added.
Hopefully, Cunningham comes around on the sport and supports Team USA as it goes for gold.
About Qwame Skinner
Qwame Skinner has loved both writing and sports his entire life. In addition to his sports coverage at Comeback Media, Qwame writes novels, and his debut; The First Casualty, an adult fantasy, is out now.