{ "blocks": [ { "type": "paragraph", "data": { "text": "Today marks, in the opinion of The Curling News, the real five-year anniversary of the COVID-19 pandemic and its crushing effect on the Roaring Game." } }, { "type": "paragraph", "data": { "text": "We now know, of course, that the first case of the disease formally known as “severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2)” was revealed on Dec. 1 of 2019 in China, although other reports suggest a first prognosis in November of that year. We also know the disease began to spread worldwide in January of 2020." } }, { "type": "paragraph", "data": { "text": "The Brier concluded on Mar. 8 in Kingston, Ont. with players and fans nervously wondering about the future. " } }, { "type": "paragraph", "data": { "text": "Just three days later, on Mar. 11, reality hit hard with the cancellation of the NBA pro basketball season in North America. " } }, { "type": "paragraph", "data": { "text": "The World Curling Federation, now known as World Curling, was poised to kick off the women’s world championship in Prince George, B.C. on Mar. 14." } }, { "type": "paragraph", "data": { "text": "And it was five years ago today—Mar. 12—that World Curling finally pulled the plug and that set off an avalanche of curling cancellations around the world." } }, { "type": "image", "data": { "file": { "url": "https://www.thecurlingnews.com/.image/c_fit,h_600,w_600/MjEzNDM3OTE4NzM4NTIzOTk3/cancellation-tweets.png" }, "caption": "Our Twitter feed ran non-stop that day" } }, { "type": "paragraph", "data": { "text": "Here at The Curling News, the cover story of our print edition was set. A big, beautiful, Brier headline with spectacular action pics. " } }, { "type": "paragraph", "data": { "text": "Our 63rd April issue since 1957. " } }, { "type": "paragraph", "data": { "text": "It all went to hell rather quickly, and our new cover story—slapped together in less than a day—showed the tear-down underway in B.C." } }, { "type": "paragraph", "data": { "text": "That final April issue wasn’t even printed. To avoid leaving a COVID footprint from our staff to the printer, from the mail house to the postal service—and eventually to our readers—it was a digital-only release." } }, { "type": "paragraph", "data": { "text": "And as faithful fans know, we never returned to monthly issues. Instead, we partnered with high-powered sport platforms; first with Sports Illustrated, and then with another (soon to be revealed)." } }, { "type": "image", "data": { "file": { "url": "https://www.thecurlingnews.com/.image/c_fit,h_600,w_600/MjEzNDM3OTE4NzM4NDU4NDYx/tcn-apr-2020-cover_web.jpg" }, "caption": "Our final monthly issue" } }, { "type": "paragraph", "data": { "text": "So for us, five years later, the pandemic continues to have an impact." } }, { "type": "paragraph", "data": { "text": "Of course, we tried to make the best of it. Everyone did." } }, { "type": "paragraph", "data": { "text": "Weeks later, with humans huddled in various quarantine bubbles, we proposed Curling Quarantine House with six initial options. " } }, { "type": "paragraph", "data": { "text": "The response was huge and that was no surprise. Heck, with only archived YouTube games to watch, curling fans were bored. " } }, { "type": "paragraph", "data": { "text": "Which house did you initially select—and has your decision changed, five years later?" } }, { "type": "paragraph", "data": { "text": "(Keep in mind we did get enough requests to announce a seventh house, featuring Randy Ferbey, Emma Miskew, Guy Hemmings, Jill Officer, Matt Hamilton, Wayne Middaugh, Dawn McEwen and Peja Lindholm)." } }, { "type": "image", "data": { "file": { "url": "https://www.thecurlingnews.com/.image/c_fit,h_600,w_600/MjEzNDM3OTE4NzM4NDU4MDYz/curling-quarantine-house-graphic.jpg" }, "caption": "Which did you select?" } }, { "type": "paragraph", "data": { "text": "For us—and many, we assume—House #4 hits different, now that Thomas Ulsrud is gone." } }, { "type": "paragraph", "data": { "text": "What of curling, five years later?" } }, { "type": "paragraph", "data": { "text": "Many of the sport’s issues remain the same and are debated endlessly, here and on online forums." } }, { "type": "paragraph", "data": { "text": "Most charitable causes are still struggling—this includes Curling Cares—and those that work or volunteer in that industry must be wondering when the pain will end." } }, { "type": "paragraph", "data": { "text": "COVID-19, meanwhile, is still with us. " } }, { "type": "image", "data": { "file": { "url": "https://www.thecurlingnews.com/.image/c_fit,h_600,w_600/MjEzNDM3OTYxOTU2NTAxMzQx/20ww-cancelled-ice-wrecked-2.jpg" }, "caption": "The Curling News was the only global media outlet to get images of the Prince George tear-down " } }, { "type": "paragraph", "data": { "text": "Senior columnist Kevin Palmer observed Canada’s pandemic Olympic Trials live in Saskatoon, and tried to dodge it months later at the Brier in Lethbridge. " } }, { "type": "paragraph", "data": { "text": "He wrote:" } }, { "type": "paragraph", "data": { "text": "Should I be here right now? Should my mom be here? I’m asking myself that question every five minutes. For the other four minutes, it feels good to be with people and experience normal again. Then I’m reminded … Larry Wood died of “complications from pneumonia and COVID-19.”" } }, { "type": "paragraph", "data": { "text": "In between, Canada was forced to cancel the Olympic Trials for mixed doubles—and assign a team to compete in Beijing—and the Olympics themselves were devoid of fans (and an accomplished broadcast crew). " } }, { "type": "paragraph", "data": { "text": "Today, World Curling is still trying to get itself out of a financial hole that started with insurance losses from the 2020 event cancellations." } }, { "type": "image", "data": { "file": { "url": "https://www.thecurlingnews.com/.image/c_fit,h_600,w_600/MjEzNDM4NzQyODM1MjQyNDQ3/wcf-cancellation-insurance.png" }, "caption": "Excerpt from WCF document, 3 April 2020" } }, { "type": "paragraph", "data": { "text": "New strains of the disease continue to evolve and mutate, and an unknown percentage of the population are struggling with “Long COVID.”" } }, { "type": "paragraph", "data": { "text": " Just last spring, a major charity bonspiel in the United States suffered a COVID outbreak." } }, { "type": "paragraph", "data": { "text": " One thing is clear, and Palmer wrote about it from Lethbridge: " } }, { "type": "paragraph", "data": { "text": "The Brier has moved on like your ex did after the breakup. She’ll answer your call, but she’s never coming back and you might as well get on with your life." } } ] }

Curling, Five Years After COVID

Brier Moves On Amid Pandemic