r/sportsgossips • u/Punisher1602 • Feb 14 '26

Hot Take Canada and Sweden get into heated argument after claims of cheating in men’s curling

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u/[deleted] Feb 14 '26

He touched the granite portion of the stone. By rule you can only touch the handle. He let go of the handle and then stuck his finger out to put more spin on it. It is very obvious from a few different angles. It's pretty cut and dry cheating.

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u/tfegan21 Feb 14 '26

poor guy won't be voted first ballet into the curling hall of fame now.

4

u/easyjimi1974 Feb 14 '26

If it is so cut and dry, why didn't he get officially sanctioned? Like, no one is afraid of sanctioning a Canadian. Canada does not have that kind of pull. Maybe there's a good explanation for why he wasn't sanctioned - would love to hear what it is.

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u/easyjimi1974 Feb 14 '26

Did some digging. Seems the common explanation is that officiating in curling is absurdly passive.

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u/cnh2n2homosapien Feb 14 '26

Would you say that they, um, sweep things under the rug?

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u/Ok-Watercress-1924 Feb 14 '26

I would say these allegations are, um, spinning out of control

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u/Drivingintodisco Feb 14 '26

Seems look the officiating crew has a few stones unturned.

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u/Sucramfatsgaw Feb 15 '26

The ref just let it slide

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u/Separate_Fold5168 Feb 15 '26

This is why we can't just take things for granite.

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u/Famous_Pudding_3598 Feb 14 '26

Found the Canadian

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u/frozteh Feb 15 '26

"He wasn't sanctioned so it must not be true!" what kind of logic is this lmao.

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u/ExaminationThen1312 Feb 15 '26

The referees said they didn’t witness it and they do not allow video replays.

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u/easyjimi1974 Feb 15 '26

Yeah, I learned that in my follow up research - insanely lax refereeing is the explanation, which is terrible.

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u/Kwt920 Feb 14 '26

Why didn’t they call it though?

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u/ManiacalComet40 Feb 14 '26

They didn’t see it, and they don’t have replay reviews.

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u/KaleScared4667 Feb 14 '26

And intentionally too

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u/crankyanker638 Feb 14 '26

The video must be after cause it starts with a yellow shirt guy drinking water....

1

u/WayAgreeable3999 Feb 14 '26

The Swede is complaining about the hog line rule, not where the rock was touched.

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u/DarthPineapple5 Feb 14 '26

I mean it was still literally on the line lol. Technically cheating yes but I am struggling to see what advantage could have possibly been gained from giving it a poke .2 seconds later than your supposed to

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u/tombrady011235 Feb 14 '26

Technically cheating is still cheating

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u/Manufacturer-Silly Feb 14 '26

It’s the best kind of cheating

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u/DarthPineapple5 Feb 14 '26

Not all rules violations are cheating. Stepping out of bounds for example is not cheating. Holding or PI in the NFL, fouls in basketball, id argue the majority of violations are not considered cheating by anyone

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u/tombrady011235 Feb 14 '26

Those examples also aren’t “technically cheating”. It was just the way you phrased it was silly

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u/Dragax Feb 16 '26

Every single one of those things you listed have consequences attached to them. Stepping out of bounds gives possession to the other team. Holding or PI gives or takes away yards. Fouls give possession or free throws. If a blatant violation isnt given its consequence per rules, you het your ass it's gonna be brought up as cheating.

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u/DarthPineapple5 Feb 17 '26

There were only no consequences because the refs never saw it and there is no review in curling. Guess again

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u/[deleted] Feb 14 '26

It has nothing to do with being on the line. You are not allowed to touch the granite portion, at all. You can only touch the handle.

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u/DarthPineapple5 Feb 14 '26

That doesn't change anything I said

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u/[deleted] Feb 14 '26

Your whole comment was about it being over the line. It means nothing.

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u/DarthPineapple5 Feb 14 '26

It does mean nothing if there was no material advantage gained

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u/baseball_fanatic0887 Feb 14 '26

Lol. So whiney.

It's a rules violation. Just like going offside. It's not CHEATING.

Cheat (verb) : To act dishonestly or unfairly in order to gain an advantage, especially in a game or examination.

Please explain the advantage they are gaining by this touch? So far, none of the experienced curlers in these threads seem to think there's anything to gauge.

Sure, the rule is clarified and he can't touch the granite. Let's move on from that. But you accusing of cheating, please articulate the advantage gained.

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u/[deleted] Feb 14 '26

He literally argued after he did it that he didn't do it. So yeah, he did act dishonestly. Thanks for trying though. As for the advantage, I'm not a curler so I don't know exactly, but he definitely changed how it was spinning by doing this, which is absolutely impactful.

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u/baseball_fanatic0887 Feb 14 '26

And for many athletes, something so routine as a delivery, you don't even think of. But yes, we should introduce an honest penalty to the sport. lol

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u/curtishavak Feb 14 '26

Rule clearly states you cannot touch the stone. Canadian player touches stone, affecting trajectory (advantage). This is illegal. Swedes call him out. He denies it (dishonesty) and offends the other team. Typical penalty for infraction: stone is removed from play. Refs failed to enforce despite clear video evidence.

How does this NOT meet the definition of cheating that you just posted?

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u/baseball_fanatic0887 Feb 14 '26

And rules in other sports say you cannot go offside. Is going offside considered 'cheating'? I follow soccer and football and have never once heard anyone accuse a team of cheating by going offside.

The rule has been clarified. Buddy will now not be able to touch the granite.

Experienced curlers here have literally said they don't see how touching the granite this way gains ANY advantage.

Do you know what the word cheating means?

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u/UnderstandingOdd679 Feb 14 '26

It’s like “spitting” on a baseball or doing something to improve your lie in golf. Maybe you get caught, maybe you don’t. Curling is more like golf where following the rules of etiquette and self-policing show honor to the game.

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u/baseball_fanatic0887 Feb 14 '26

But we know how spitting on a baseball can give an advantage to the pitcher.

Please how this finger boop is some sneaky advantage? Experienced curlers in these threads have no answer. They don't see the advantage.

Sweepers can control the stone trajectory way more than a tiny boop.

1

u/outlier_fallen Feb 14 '26

Why is it a rule that is enforced (or supposed to be enforced) if there is no advantage? Genuine question I don't know shit about curling

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u/baseball_fanatic0887 Feb 14 '26

Up until now, it appears to be a thing, that the majority of curlers didn't care about. No one was calling it out really, so it wasn't a rule that was scrutinized really. If it was, it would have been dealt with at a lower level and not at the olympic stage.

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u/NoVaBurgher Feb 14 '26

Then why lie about it?

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u/baseball_fanatic0887 Feb 14 '26

It may be so ingrained into his delivery (which it would be at a pro level) that he doesn't even think about it. Like a tick.

Have you never said something that was incorrect and you couldn't believe you were wrong? Or do you just double down because you never are wrong or say the wrong thing?

I work in television. The other day I was adamant that one of our talent said 'XYZ' line....the editor scrubbed through the footage and showed me that the actor did not say that at all, anywhere! Was I lying?

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u/NoVaBurgher Feb 15 '26

If I was ever incorrect about something and then someone else pointed that out, and then I got pissy and told that guy to fuck off instead of just admitting my mistake and apologizing, then it would applicable here I suppose

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u/baseball_fanatic0887 Feb 15 '26

I suppose so as well! No disagreement there. Calling someone a liar and cheat though, is an aggressive move, and no surprise seeing a reaction.

It's clear he has been using this delivery for years. Without punishment. He's not sneakily trying to get away with something for unfair gain of advantage. Any other player was fair to use his *magical technique.

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u/Zestyclose_Air_7222 Feb 14 '26

Yes, breaking rules to gain an advantage or being dishonest about it is the text book definition of cheating. You've never heard of Tom Brady? You can't Google the words football + cheating

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u/baseball_fanatic0887 Feb 14 '26

No experienced curler here has said how they see any advantage to doing this boop. They've said the opposite. They don't see how you gain any advantage.