What the fuck happened to curling?
Shockwaves were sent throughout the Prairies on Thursday when it was announced that former world champion skip Randy Ferbey will join Brad Gushue’s Newfoundland rink.
No, seriously, they were. People in Saskatchewan probably flooded the streets or something.
While the majority of Canadians would never know it, curling is insanely popular in this country. Last month’s Labatt Brier (I know it’s been the Tim Hortons Brier for a few years now, but like old hockey arenas and baseball stadiums, I refuse to call it by any other name) set a new ratings record on CTV – 1.6 million viewers. But that’s not all. The women’s world curling championship almost swept the ratings a couple weeks ago, averaging well over 700,000 viewers.
That’s more than most non-playoff hockey games on TSN and about half as much as the CBC pulls in for Hockey Night in Canada. In comparison, the Toronto Raptors are lucky to draw 300,000.
If I analyzed the data further I have a feeling I could find a direct correlation between curling viewers and those who watch Corner Gas and the CFL, but still, make no mistake, curling is HUGE in Canada. That’s why, as a man born and raised in Northern Manitoba who moved to eastern Ontario many years ago, I will attempt to act as a conduit between Canada’s curling community and Canadians who don’t own a farm animal.
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