The Masked Donut
@themaskeddonut.bsky.social
Just a humble internet lurker...
Not that I want to add more since I've said enough, but this article pretty much backs up everything I was saying. www.cbc.ca/sports/olymp...
Canadian curlers are being accused of 'double-touching.' But what's the advantage? | CBC Sports
The controversy over whether some Canadian curlers at the Winter Olympics have been guilty of "double-touching" the curling stone after its release has also raised a more significant issue: Does it ma...
www.cbc.ca
February 17, 2026 at 6:32 PM
Not that I want to add more since I've said enough, but this article pretty much backs up everything I was saying. www.cbc.ca/sports/olymp...
Yes, thank you! I cannot emphasize enough to non-curlers how important consistency is for your delivery. And for the ice too! A change in temperature, the way ice is prepared, even crowd density... All of that can have effects on how the rock moves. Why would you want to add another variable to that
February 16, 2026 at 6:19 PM
Yes, thank you! I cannot emphasize enough to non-curlers how important consistency is for your delivery. And for the ice too! A change in temperature, the way ice is prepared, even crowd density... All of that can have effects on how the rock moves. Why would you want to add another variable to that
Nor do I. As I said somewhere else, I find this all very dumb
February 16, 2026 at 4:15 PM
Nor do I. As I said somewhere else, I find this all very dumb
This is especially true if the rock is at the beginning of its trajectory. The other element at play is, if you think you pushed off not as hard as one should, the solution is to just let go of it slightly EARLIER to preserve more of its momentum.
February 16, 2026 at 3:34 PM
This is especially true if the rock is at the beginning of its trajectory. The other element at play is, if you think you pushed off not as hard as one should, the solution is to just let go of it slightly EARLIER to preserve more of its momentum.
Correct! With the only difference being that those are easier for the human eye to catch
February 16, 2026 at 3:29 PM
Correct! With the only difference being that those are easier for the human eye to catch
This is like the one time I feel I can make a difference on the internet!
February 16, 2026 at 3:26 PM
This is like the one time I feel I can make a difference on the internet!
And either way, what Kennedy is accused of is burning it immediately after he lets go with an additional push. And while he is very talented and decorated (been top of his game for over 20 years), his finger is not that strong and would not gain an advantage
February 16, 2026 at 3:23 PM
And either way, what Kennedy is accused of is burning it immediately after he lets go with an additional push. And while he is very talented and decorated (been top of his game for over 20 years), his finger is not that strong and would not gain an advantage
But 99% of the time, when a rock is burnt like that, it is an accident. Sweeping is intense, and the closer you are to the rock, the more impact your sweeping has. I'm not saying unreported burns don't happen; if a rock is too fast, you don't sweep it.
February 16, 2026 at 3:21 PM
But 99% of the time, when a rock is burnt like that, it is an accident. Sweeping is intense, and the closer you are to the rock, the more impact your sweeping has. I'm not saying unreported burns don't happen; if a rock is too fast, you don't sweep it.
Touching the granite is a problem because, if a rock was moving too fast for example, a sweeper could subtly burn it to slow it down. But that would be in the middle of the shot or at the end, and doing that intentionally would be cheating. Sweepers can speed a rock up, but not really slow it down.
February 16, 2026 at 3:16 PM
Touching the granite is a problem because, if a rock was moving too fast for example, a sweeper could subtly burn it to slow it down. But that would be in the middle of the shot or at the end, and doing that intentionally would be cheating. Sweepers can speed a rock up, but not really slow it down.
Yup. Incidentally, they also had a rock pulled for a similar reason, and even though I didn't see it as it happened, I can all but guarantee it's because ever since this whole kerfuffle, the officials were paying very close attention to avoid future shenanigans...
February 16, 2026 at 8:40 AM
Yup. Incidentally, they also had a rock pulled for a similar reason, and even though I didn't see it as it happened, I can all but guarantee it's because ever since this whole kerfuffle, the officials were paying very close attention to avoid future shenanigans...
Thank you! Honestly, while it's cool that everyone every 4 years people get interested in curling, it also means dealing with a lot of people who don't know what they're talking about.
I also feel weird defending this team cause I don't even like them and couldn't care less if they win/lose
I also feel weird defending this team cause I don't even like them and couldn't care less if they win/lose
February 16, 2026 at 7:59 AM
Thank you! Honestly, while it's cool that everyone every 4 years people get interested in curling, it also means dealing with a lot of people who don't know what they're talking about.
I also feel weird defending this team cause I don't even like them and couldn't care less if they win/lose
I also feel weird defending this team cause I don't even like them and couldn't care less if they win/lose
And again, my overall point is, this is not a scandal that gets you disqualified from a tournament for cheating. It's not remotely the same thing as doping, because this action gains no advantage.
February 16, 2026 at 7:10 AM
And again, my overall point is, this is not a scandal that gets you disqualified from a tournament for cheating. It's not remotely the same thing as doping, because this action gains no advantage.
Disqualifying a rock after the fact isn't done. It's like retroactively giving a penalty in football for a missed foul in the previous quarter. The official gets it in the moment, or they don't. They weren't looking before, but are now and have caught similar mishaps since. What more do you want?
February 16, 2026 at 7:08 AM
Disqualifying a rock after the fact isn't done. It's like retroactively giving a penalty in football for a missed foul in the previous quarter. The official gets it in the moment, or they don't. They weren't looking before, but are now and have caught similar mishaps since. What more do you want?
It reflects very poorly, and honestly, people are probably right to boo. My point is the whole thing is dumb. The swedes recording it secretly was dumb. Kennedy reacting that way was dumb, the officials being caught off guard was dumb. The whole thing is dumb since it's not how the game is played.
February 16, 2026 at 5:45 AM
It reflects very poorly, and honestly, people are probably right to boo. My point is the whole thing is dumb. The swedes recording it secretly was dumb. Kennedy reacting that way was dumb, the officials being caught off guard was dumb. The whole thing is dumb since it's not how the game is played.
Real curlers complain about the ice being bad when they're losing, not accusing the other team of cheating.
February 16, 2026 at 5:38 AM
Real curlers complain about the ice being bad when they're losing, not accusing the other team of cheating.
That's fair if you know you burnt it and don't admit. But burning a rock is a half second thing that most players don't even notice unless it redirects the rock from its path. The focus is elsewhere. Still wrong and a violation but it's different from actively choosing before your event to cheat.
February 16, 2026 at 5:34 AM
That's fair if you know you burnt it and don't admit. But burning a rock is a half second thing that most players don't even notice unless it redirects the rock from its path. The focus is elsewhere. Still wrong and a violation but it's different from actively choosing before your event to cheat.
And to be honest, I don't think a lot of curlers are doing this cause it doesn't work. Like, if you wanna know how crazy the rabbit hole goes, you should look up "broomgate". Some brushheads are illegal because they're too effective and were banned cause too many people were using them...
February 16, 2026 at 5:26 AM
And to be honest, I don't think a lot of curlers are doing this cause it doesn't work. Like, if you wanna know how crazy the rabbit hole goes, you should look up "broomgate". Some brushheads are illegal because they're too effective and were banned cause too many people were using them...
No problem, and I've gone on a while for it too. This is a weird time for my niche sport since it's the talk of the internet and all. But yes, it should be a burnt rock and taken out of play, which is normal. Again, like they'd do in Bowling. But I do object to the idea it's considered "cheating"
February 16, 2026 at 5:24 AM
No problem, and I've gone on a while for it too. This is a weird time for my niche sport since it's the talk of the internet and all. But yes, it should be a burnt rock and taken out of play, which is normal. Again, like they'd do in Bowling. But I do object to the idea it's considered "cheating"
Honestly? I have no idea. I can't say I watch many of his shots from that angle. Maybe it's just a habit. But this guy in particular has been one of the top curlers in Canada for over 20 years, and I promise you, it's not because of this weird thing...
February 16, 2026 at 5:21 AM
Honestly? I have no idea. I can't say I watch many of his shots from that angle. Maybe it's just a habit. But this guy in particular has been one of the top curlers in Canada for over 20 years, and I promise you, it's not because of this weird thing...
Again, read what I wrote. I didn't say it wasn't against the rules, but do we really call someone who steps over the line in Bowling a cheater? Unless you're Walter from the Big Lebowski, it's a mild slip up, you remove the rock/point, and you move on. There's a difference
February 16, 2026 at 5:14 AM
Again, read what I wrote. I didn't say it wasn't against the rules, but do we really call someone who steps over the line in Bowling a cheater? Unless you're Walter from the Big Lebowski, it's a mild slip up, you remove the rock/point, and you move on. There's a difference
I'm not saying he didn't touch it. What I'm saying is, that does nothing. A curling rock is absurdly heavy, and flicking it like that won't do a damn thing. If his delivery was off and thought he was light, he'd just tell the sweepers to go right away. That's how the game is played.
February 16, 2026 at 5:12 AM
I'm not saying he didn't touch it. What I'm saying is, that does nothing. A curling rock is absurdly heavy, and flicking it like that won't do a damn thing. If his delivery was off and thought he was light, he'd just tell the sweepers to go right away. That's how the game is played.
Like, as dumb as it is, that whole "penis injection ski jumping scandal" is honestly a bigger deal solely because of how that event works, with how the slightest difference in mass can make/break your run. And that's probably a tad overblown too, but I'm no expert in that subject...
February 16, 2026 at 5:05 AM
Like, as dumb as it is, that whole "penis injection ski jumping scandal" is honestly a bigger deal solely because of how that event works, with how the slightest difference in mass can make/break your run. And that's probably a tad overblown too, but I'm no expert in that subject...
Let me be clear, it's a violation. But again, professional bowlers are good enough that they don't need to step over the line to gain a slight advantage. There are many Olympic events where a millisecond can make the difference, and the cheating is rampant, which is why the IOC is so strict.
February 16, 2026 at 5:03 AM
Let me be clear, it's a violation. But again, professional bowlers are good enough that they don't need to step over the line to gain a slight advantage. There are many Olympic events where a millisecond can make the difference, and the cheating is rampant, which is why the IOC is so strict.
I should also preface this by saying, I don't even like our Men's team, and I think the way Kennedy reacted was very poor. But he was pissed because the Swedes were acting like that was the reason they were losing. They're a great team, but they've had a bad week and are grasping at straws...
February 16, 2026 at 5:02 AM
I should also preface this by saying, I don't even like our Men's team, and I think the way Kennedy reacted was very poor. But he was pissed because the Swedes were acting like that was the reason they were losing. They're a great team, but they've had a bad week and are grasping at straws...
And by the time they let go of the rock, all further manipulations are done by the sweepers. The rock itself has all of its momentum set in motion, and a breezing of one's finger on the way out is not gonna do jack.
February 16, 2026 at 4:58 AM
And by the time they let go of the rock, all further manipulations are done by the sweepers. The rock itself has all of its momentum set in motion, and a breezing of one's finger on the way out is not gonna do jack.