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The Future of Curling: Streakers and Velvet Ropes

Posted Friday, Feb. 24, 2006, at 4:06 PM ET

Troy Patterson, Seth Stevenson, Dana Stevens, and Julia Turner discussed the Winter Olympics last week. To catch up on their conversation, click here.

Seth,

I've started to wonder whether it isn't for the best that Sasha Cohen skated to a second-place finish. As it is, Cohen's following has taken on some cultish features; last night's weirdest bit of TV commentary bubbled up from the subconscious of Sandra Bezic: "Everyone else skates to Romeo and Juliet. She is Juliet." Another flawless performance and a gold medal might have moved people to say stuff that was, like, over the top.

On a similar note, while I'm glad that Pizza Pete and his team were bold and brave, I worry that success might spoil curling. According to the Wall Street Journal, the sport's Nielsen ratings this year are up 36 percent over 2002's. The bio of the women's skip, Cassie Johnson, is said to be among the most popular on NBC's Web site. The "tasteful" and "artistic" curling pin-up calendar you drooled over last week has sold out. I fear that the streaker ("a man"—talk about artistic!—"wearing what appeared to be a strategically placed rubber chicken") who disrupted the bronze-medal match may be an omen of strange times ahead. Is it so hard to imagine Fenson installing a velvet rope outside of his pizza place? To see Cassie and her sister/vice-skip Jamie strolling the streets of Bemidji as if they were the Olsen twins, wearing shades with lenses the size of dessert plates, dogged by paparazzi, en route to dates with lumber barons?

I pray that it never comes to pass and that the new generation of sno-bo-crossers and freestylers avoids the pitfalls of celebrity as well, managing to stay as wholesome as they are awesome. But the road is hard, and the temptations are many, and crunchy little snowboarder Hannah Teter made it to Jay Leno's couch last night. On the bright side, her posture was awful.

Keep it real,

Troy

five-ring circus
entries
1234
from: Troy Patterson
to: Seth Stevenson

The Future of Curling: Streakers and Velvet Ropes

Posted Friday, Feb. 24, 2006, at 4:06 PM ET
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Troy Patterson is Slate's television critic. Seth Stevenson is a frequent contributor to Slate.
Troy Patterson, Seth Stevenson, Dana Stevens, and Julia Turner discussed the Winter Olympics last week. To catch up on their conversation, click here.


Photograph of Sasha Cohen by Goh Chai Hin/AFP/Getty Images.
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