Today we did a mini recap of the 2022 Winter Olympic Games and shared some tidbits about the sport of curling, since it’s apparently “Curling is Cool Day.”

Norway continues to dominate the Winter Games – this year, the Norwegians took 37 total medals, including 16 golds. Coming into 2022, they had the most medals, with 368 (now 405). The USA was 5th in medals this year, with 25 (8 gold, 10 silver, and 7 bronze).

Now to curling…

A Scottish game developed in the 1500’s that the Canadians seem to be exceedingly good at- if Winter Olympic Games are anything to go by- curling involves launching a stone on ice and sweeping the ice in its path as it attempts to land on a target and dislodge your competitors’ rocks. But wait, there’s more…

The sweepers wear special shoes, one that slides and one that doesn’t, and the stone is more like a 40 pound granite bomb that looks like a macaroon. The brooms are slightly more evolved now than the ordinary sweepers they used back in the 1900s. In fact, they’re hardly reminiscent of a kitchen broom at all. The floors are sheets of ice with vinyl markings underneath, for the target, rather than the frozen lake surfaces that were used back in the day. The concept, though, is very much the same. You launch, you sweep, and you score. 

–         I was born February 23, 1923 in Hudson, Ohio
–         My father was a blacksmith who made horseshoes
–         I played football, basketball and baseball in high school
–         I originally committed to play at Notre Dame, but then ended up at Ohio State
–         I was drafted into the US Army in 1942 and was part of the D-Day invasion on Omaha Beach
–         I ended up with the Cleveland Browns after the War and led the league in receiving as a rookie
–         I was part of 7 championship teams in my 10 years
–         I was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1975

I am Dante Lavelli. Congratulations to Bonnie from Mount Vernon, a long-time Browns fan! She wins the WNZR drawstring backpack and the devotional book, ‘A Word from the Weaver.’

Thanks for listening!
– Joe and Dylan