Curling's Format Makes Sport Engaging on TV

As NBC's Olympic coverage dominates nightly ratings, often overlooked curling -- shown almost exclusively on cable partner MSNBC and usually treated as either a curiosity or joke by U.S. sports fans and viewers -- provides many of the elements those same fans find important in their mainstream sports.

Specifically, it's an easy sport to follow on TV, contests get completed in a compartively quick timeframe and the nature of the sport allows ample room for analysts to provide commentary and criticism.

A Sunday matchup between women's teams from the United States and Canada provided a solid example.

While Canada dominated the match, members of NBC's broadcast crew did just what a group broadcasting an NFL game would during a blowout -- they tapped into technology and repeatedly pointed out mistakes.

First, they capably used a telestrator to analyze and outline strategy. Early in the match, with Canada needing a superb shot to start a chain-reaction among the 42-pound rocks, NBC's Colleen Jones adeptly used the on-screen technlogy to show just where the shot needed to go to work. Not surprisingly, the accurate Canadians made the play work exactly that way.

Several days ago, during their first few curling broadcasts of the Games, they were not nearly as adept with the technology. That they have improved provides a nice benefit for viewers frustrated by the fact that the TV types were stumbling with the technology in the first place.

Second, the NBC team has done something that chafes some curling purists -- it has criticized the execution and strategy of the curlers themselves. They have noted flawed strategy or missed shots, and on Sunday they continually pointed to obviously missed throws by U.S. team member Debbie McCormick. To those purists criticism probably sounds out of place. To casual curling observers and U.S. sports fans just giving the sport a chance, though, it looks and sounds like any other sport they see on TV. And that, even with an unusual sport, makes things seem familiar and worth watching.

Finally, curling broadcasts during the Games have included another technique familiar to viewers of the NFL and other major U.S. sports -- visits to the booth by celebrities and other sports starts. With curling, those visitors have included Vernon Davis, the San Franciso 49ers tight end who was selected as honorary captain for the U.S. curling team, and Canadian hockey legend Wayne Gretzky, who probably has a pass and an open invitation to visit any venue in Vancouver any time he wants.

Also, the analysts' criticism eventually proved correct -- or at least actionable. When the U.S. team played to its next game, against Sweeden later Sunday, McCormick, the team captain, had replaced herself as the team's final thrower.