Rock Logic: Recent Episodes
Kevin Palmer
Matt Hall joins Kevin Palmer to preview the 2026 Brier in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador. Matt explains the futures bets available at Coolbet.com including a wager on percentage of teams starting with hammer to win and how (and why) you might bet on Nunavut.
Chelsea Carey, Matt Hall, Gerry Geurts and Ken Pomeroy join Kevin to preview curling at the 2026 Olympic Winter Games in Cortina, Italy. The crew breakdown the teams and discuss whether new sweeping rules will have an impact. After covering the mens and womens fours, they wrap with a look at mixed doubles and the questionable odds offered for the reigning Olympic champion.
Matt Hames joins host Kevin Palmer in Halifax to break down the "bonkers" 10th end of the semifinal of the men's Canadian Curling Trials at Scotiabank Centre. The scenario: Matt Dunstone is up 8-5 and his opponent, Mike McEwen, has the hammer. Teams of this calibre simply do not come back from this position. McEwen almost did, and it was captivating. Link to The Curling News to follow along with graphics.
Two-time Scotties champion Chelsea Carey and Gerry Geurts of CurlingZone join Kevin to preview the 2025 Montana's Curling Trials. They begin by explaining why the event title doesn't use the "O" word, then dive into the data and consider what it will take for someone to challenge Rachel Homan. They discuss the parity of the men's draw, Gushue's last run and how much experience and recent form matter.
Kevin, Gerry and Matt discuss the drafting process and rule changes at the recent WFG Masters Grand Slam. Matt shares how Team Kleiter prepared and reflects on situations impacted by the penalty of blanking two ends in a row. Then the crew previews the 2025 Canadian Women's Curling Championship in Thunder Bay, Ontario. Gerry gives picks on teams to watch while Matt covers the many futures and props available at Coolbet.com and sizes up the historic odds for another Scotties win by Rachel Homan.
Host Kevin Palmer is joined by Gerry Geurts and Matt Hall for a gambler's preview of the 2024 Canadian Women's Curling Championship set to begin in Calgary, Alberta. Gerry projects a wide open field beyond the two favourites and Matt explains the futures bets available at Coolbet.com including the odds of an eight-ender and a suggestion from Kevin to add Rachel Homan vs the field.
Host Kevin Palmer is joined again by Ken Pomeroy, Gerry Geurts and Matt Hall. Ken updates the gang on team rankings and his latest development, Task Manager. The crew looks at the no-tick rule, discusses whether it has adjusted teams' tactics approaching the final end, and examines the results. Gerry explains an approach to optimum strategy for the modern game and the panel considers if it leads to boring play. There are further thoughts on the Pan Continental Championships, the qualification process for major events, and concerns if the Grand Slams can meet the quota for Canadian content in the future.
Doug Wilson of the Daily Curling Puzzle Facebook page and Mickey Pendergast, co-authors of What’s Your Call?, return to examine a Curling Scene Investigation from the 2022 PointsBet Invitational.
Brad Gushue has to decide on a call for Mark Nichols’ first shot of the sixth end. The PointsBet rule of a draw to the button (rather than an extra-end) could be weighing on his decision here, even with four more ends to play.
Link to The Curling News to follow along with video and graphics, and watch the game on YouTube.
Doug Wilson and Mickey Pendergast join to discuss their new book, What’s Your Call? Curling Strategy & Tactics in 50 Real-Life Puzzles. They share an example from the book of a Curling Scene Investigation—an early-end decision by Canada (Chelsea Carey) against Switzerland (Silvana Tirinzoni) in their round robin match-up at the 2019 World Women’s Championship. Link to The Curling News to follow along with video and graphics, and watch the game on YouTube.
Kevin hosts Ken Pomeroy of Kenpom.com, Gerry Geurts of CurlingZone and 2019 World Junior Champion and Coolbet.com handicapper Matt Hall. They examine the recent rule change by the World Curling Federation to hinder the tick-shot, ponder if drawing to the button over playing an extra is more equitable and debate having time clocks expire after each end.
Doug Wilson and Mickey Pendergast return to discuss Daily Curling Puzzle #70. Northern Ontario’s Brad Jacobs has the hammer (last rock advantage) and is tied against Brendan Bottcher of Alberta in the second end of Draw 1 at the 2019 Brier. Brad is about to throw his first stone and may be in position to score two or more, but he must consider what his opponent could do next. Link to The Curling News to follow along with video and graphics.
Doug Wilson and Mickey Pendergast return to discuss Daily Curling Puzzle #70. Northern Ontario’s Brad Jacobs has the hammer (last rock advantage) and is tied against Brendan Bottcher of Alberta in the second end of Draw 1 at the 2019 Brier. Brad is about to throw his first stone and may be in position to score two or more, but he must consider what his opponent could do next. Link to The Curling News to follow along with video and graphics.
Reigning Alberta Senior Men's Champions James Pahl and Mark Klinck join Kevin to examine what happened in the infamous 2004 Brier Final between Alberta's Ferbey Four and Mark Dacey's Team Nova Scotia. Link to The Curling News to follow along with video and graphics.
Kevin hosts Ken Pomeroy of Kenpom.com, Gerry Geurts of CurlingZone and 2019 World Junior Champion and Coolbet.com handicapper Matt Hall. The crew discuss shooting percentages; how they are calculated, what value they have and how they might be improved, including Ken's article on a potential strokes gained approach to curling.
2018 Olympic champion Tyler George, now a roving U.S. curling ambassador and NBC commentator, joins former NFL all-pro Jared Allen who is in his fourth year as a curling competitor. They discuss the eighth end of the 2018 Olympic men’s semifinal between George’s Team John Shuster, and Canada’s Team Kevin Koe. Link to The Curling News to follow along with graphics and watch the entire game on the WCF website.
Ken Pomeroy of Kenpom.com and Gerry Geurts of CurlingZone return with host Kevin Palmer. They are joined by 2019 World Junior Champion Matt Hall, now working for gambling site Coolbet.com. Matt explains how to handicap curling and the crew share their picks for the 2021 Canadian Olympic Curling Trials.
New York Times bestselling author Shane Ryan (Slaying The Tiger) and writer, standup comedian and 2012 U.S. champion Dean Gemmell join Kevin to examine the 9th end between Kevin Koe and Brendan Bottcher in their pool match-up at the 2021 Brier. Shane also suggests a rule change to make teams earn a blank end. You can read Shane’s article on curling in Golf Digest and catch up with Dean on his website. Link to The Curling News to follow along with video and graphics.
Olympic silver medalists Mike Harris and Richard Hart rejoin Kevin to watch the 9th end of the 2013 Canadian Curling Trials final between John Morris and Brad Jacobs. Without hammer and trailing by one, Morris must decide where Jim Cotter should attempt to place their final stone. Link to The Curling News to follow along with video and graphics, and watch the entire game on YouTube.
James Pahl and Mark Klinck rewatch Kevin Martin's first stone in the final end of the 2009 Men's World Championship. Canada is tied with hammer against Scotland's David Murdoch and poised to win back-to-back titles. What could go wrong? Link to The Curling News to follow along with video and graphics.
New York Time's bestselling author of Slaying The Tiger Shane Ryan joins writer, stand-up and 2012 U.S. National Champion Dean Gemmell to examine the final end from the 2021 Scotties Tiebreaker between Manitoba's Jennifer Jones and Laura Walker of Alberta. You can read Shane's article on curling at Golf Digest and catch-up with Dean on his website.
Ken Pomeroy of Kenpom.com, Gerry Geurts of CurlingZone and skip of Team Manitoba Jason Gunnlaugson join Kevin to discuss the evolution of the Tick Shot. They examine the impact it has on strategy and how it may bring future changes to the sport.
Doug Wilson and Mickey Pendergast return to discuss Daily Curling Puzzle #51. Alberta's Kevin Koe has hammer and is ahead by 1 over Brad Gushue of Newfoundland in the 7th end of the 2016 Brier Final. Alberta third Mark Kennedy is about to throw his first and every rock is still in play, what the Scots might call a "guddle". Link to The Curling News to follow along with video and graphics, and watch the entire game on YouTube.
Olympic silver medalists Mike Harris and Richard Hart join Kevin to revisit the ninth end of their 1997 Canadian Olympic Trials final against Kevin Martin. Tied with hammer, Harris is in position to score but Martin third Don Walchuk makes a big runback with his first and when the dust settles, nothing is certain. Hart and Harris conclude with some remarkable insight on losing motivation, the myth of Olympic pressure, and more. Link to The Curling News to follow along with video and graphics, and watch the entire game on the YouTube page Curling Legends Podcast Presents.
Ken Pomeroy of Kenpom.com and Gerry Geurts of CurlingZone return with host Kevin Palmer. They are joined by skip of Team Manitoba Jason Gunnlaugson to debate whether games should be 8 or 10 ends. Ken's article on the topic can be found on his curling blog doubletakeout.com. Kevin provided past analysis in his 2019 article in The Curling News.
Jonathan Havercroft and Ryan McGhee of Rocks Across The Pond Podcast join Kevin to discuss how a Power Play is used in the Mixed Doubles Final of the 2018 World Cup event in Omaha, Nebraska. Link to The Curling News to follow along with video and graphics, and watch the entire game on YouTube.
James Pahl and Mark Klinck join Kevin and go back nearly 26 years to the second end of the Brier semi-final between Alberta's Kevin Martin and Kerry Burtnyk of Manitoba. James was second for Team Alberta and shares his memories of the situation. Link to The Curling News to follow along with video and graphics, and watch the entire game at Curling Legends Podcast Presents YouTube Channel.
Mickey Pendergast and Doug Wilson join Kevin for a Curling Scene Investigation from the 10th end of the 2017 world men's final between Canada's Brad Gushue and Niklas Edin of Sweden. U2LE means "Up Two, Last End". Link to The Curling News to follow along with video and graphics.
The inaugural episode of a new podcast on curling analytics, produced by the host of Curling Legends. Kevin Palmer is joined by Ken Pomeroy of Kenpom.com and Gerry Geurts of CurlingZone to discuss how curling teams are ranked. Ken comes from the world of basketball analytics and his team rankings can be found on his new curling blog, Doubletakeout.com. Official World Rankings can be found at the World Curling Federation and also available with further insight at CurlingZone/Rankings