The Extra Extra End Curling Podcast

The top women's teams around USA Curling began to take shape last week with the announcements of Teams Peterson and Christensen. And more team announcements are expected this coming week. TESN's Joe Calabrese and Price Atkinson get into all the latest changes and how the COVID quarantine has played havoc at home. And we welcome our guest former NFL defensive end, future NFL Hall of Fame and founder of the All-Pro Curling Team Jared Allen. He shared in their team's disappointment in coming up short of qualifying for U.S. Nationals this past February, continuing to pursue the highest level of the sport and preparing for next season with skip Jason Smith leading the way again and how dedicated ice in Nashville could help take them to the next level of improvement.

Team Ruohonen will no longer be quite so #OldIsGold next season with their new team change and addition plus TESN's Joe Calabrese and Price Atkinson share in the excitement of the newly announced Southern California Curling Center. Joe also catches up with "Brush Like A Badass" himself Dean Gemmell about an array of topics including offseason training, physical fitness, his comedic career and dodging COVID-19 in New Jersey. The guys finish things off by looking forward to the first "sports" event in weeks with the NFL Draft starting tonight...and believe it or not Price (who has trashed the "boring" Draft for years) is actually looking forward to it!

Take a curling break with us this week as TESN host Price Atkinson is joined again by The Pickwick executive chef and Duluth Curling Club's Dustin "Specs" Tomasetti. They covered a lot of ground including how much pressure is on Team USA next spring with just one World Championship that will now determine the six guaranteed Olympic spots. And what one U.S. curling "classic" game would they most like see replayed on TV?Our guest this week is two-time U.S. Olympian and World Curling Federation analyst Ann Swisshelm who shared a powerful message opening up about her five-week battle with COVID-19. Ann also talked about what the struggle has been like battling the virus as an asthmatic, not leaving the house for over a month except to go to the doctor, how tough it's been for her family and husband Sean and also the outpouring of support she's received from the curling community. And finally, Price and Specs on Netfix's hit series "Tiger King" and why they simply cannot stop watching the "train wreck."

This week we switched things up and held our first-ever Team USA fantasy curling draft! TESN's "The Godfather" Joe Calabrese & Price Atkinson along with CurlingZone's Gerry Geurts and The Wick's executive chef/Duluth Curling Club member Dustin "Specks" Tomasetti each drafted their own women's and men's team. Each women's and men's fantasy team were comprised of four active players plus one wild card/retired player. It was a lot of fun and you can vote at TESN.us on who you think built the best fantasy teams! Price also talked with Specks about the ongoing coronavirus situation and the harsh reality and effect it's having on local small businesses like his restaurant (Pickwick Restaurant & Pub) in downtown Duluth, Minn.

The curling season might be over but we're far from done. "The Godfather" Joe Calabrese returns this week to co-host with Price Atkinson and they get into about the latest and state of things in with the novel coronavirus worsening by the day, including the Summer Olympics now postponed until 2021. Could the start of next season also be in jeopardy? New USA Curling CEO Jeff Plush joins us for the first time, as he's approaching almost two months on the job since starting the week of US Nationals. He shared what he told and heard from Team Peterson and Shuster upon the cancelation of the World Championships, could the WCF be formulating a plan to play both in the fall, his priorities for the coming months and much more.

CurlingZone's Gerry Geurts returns to co-host with Price Atkinson and they hop right into the fluid nature of the COVID-19 epidemic that is wreaking havoc across the world. And that includes the curling world with event cancelations, postponements and more.Our guest this week is Denver Curling Club's Aaron Johnston, fresh off winning the 2020 USA Curling Club Nationals men's title last weekend at the Potomac Curling Club outside of Washington, DC. Aaron shares everything about the event and how it compares to past Nationals he has competed in. And he also talks about the positive coronavirus test by a player who played in the event as well as how they were coping last week with everything changing around them in regarding to the crisis. Price and Gerry wrap it up and promise we WILL have more episodes the rest of the season. Just because the curling action may be done on the ice, it doesn't mean we are! Stay safe, healthy and be smart out there. And we're thinking about everybody navigating thru this turbulen

Co-hosts Jenna Martin and Price Atkinson recap all the action from Spokane and the 2020 USA Curling Nationals, as John Shuster and Tabitha Peterson captured national titles. Plus the fun we had off the ice around the craps and roulette tables. We also preview the 2020 USA Mixed Doubles Curling Nationals this weekend in Bemidji where 12 teams will be competing for the title of Team USA and spot in the upcoming Mixed Doubles World Championship this April in Kelowna, British Columbia!

The 2020 U.S. Curling National Championships begin tomorrow (Saturday, Feb. 8) at Eastern Washington University's URC Ice Arena. And co-host Price Atkinson welcomes the "Angry Bird" Sean Murray to the podcast for the first time this season, as he'll be delivering color analysis on the webs stream from Nationals.They break down both the women's and men's fields, who could be a dark horse (is there even a dark horse?) and who gets the favorite label on the men's side (Dropkin or Shuster). And don't forget, we'll stream each draw LIVE on TESN from start to finish!

After a week off at the Grand Slam in Yorkton, Price and Jenna return for a busy week including a pair of guest interviews with newly minted 2020 USA Curling Junior National Champion skips Laney Strouse and Luc Violette.We also dive into Team Roth and the YoungBucks' impressive runs at the GSOC Canadian Open quarterfinals in Yorkton. Plus who is emerging as THE favorites and team-to-beat at the upcoming US National in Spokane, WA (Feb. 8-15)?

The Godfather Joe Calabrese is back to pinch hit co-hosting duties with Price Atkinson this week. We recap all the action from the USA Men's and Women's Challenge Rounds last weekend and who were the biggest surprises on each side? Plus an interview with 2010 Olympian John Benton, who is coaching Team USA at the Winter Youth Olympic Games in Lausanne, Switzerland starting this weekend. We have a lot of ground to cover, so don't miss a minute on your home for all things USA Curling!

Our first episode of 2020 brings back memories of 2019 plus we have the return of "The Godfather" himself. TESN co-founder Joe Calabrese makes his first appearance of the season, joining co-hosts Jenna Martin and Price Atkinson who all share their top-five USA Curling moments/events/observations from 2019.Price talks with this week's guest skip Madison Bear, as her team prepares for the USA Women's Challenge Round in Mapleton, Minn. And she shares a little-know fact about Jenna since they played together last season. We wrap things up looking at the Challenge Round fields and a few "bold" predictions for 2020.

Fresh off their win at the Changan Ford International Curling Elite in China, Team Ruohonen skip Rich Ruohonen dishes on their victorious run thru the event and even carrying their winnings nervously thru the Beijing airport. Plus how teammate Colin Hufman brought the house down with his talent-show-winning karaoke Frank Sinatra track at the closing ceremony/banquet.Being our pre-Christmas edition, Price and Jenna share their "Christmas hot takes" and Jenna also belts out her favorite Christmas song to put us all in the holiday spirit!

Jenna and Price are back with a special Thanksgiving week edition, including an interview with skip Jamie Sinclair fresh off their win at the WCT Red Deer Curling Classic in Alberta. Jamie dishes on the comeback of stealing two for the win against Brette Richards. Do you know what the Can Am Cup is? We didn't but we did find out that Team USA beat Canada 623-613. And for some reason Jenna decided to flip the script and interview Price, who did his best to tell some "funny" holiday-style jokes. Catch this week's episode during your Thanksgiving week travels!

A week after Price's luggage (including recording equipment) was lost en route home from the Tour Challenge in Nova Scotia, he and Jenna are back this week. And yes, the luggage did finally show up four days later, allowing us to podcast again!We get into the Young Bucks historic win at the Tour Challenge (Tier 2), becoming the first U.S. men's team to win a Grand Slam of Curling event. Plus an interview with the Young Bucks' skip himself Korey Dropkin. And Jamie Sinclair's rink qualifies for the first time this season and then steals two in the final end to win the Red Deer Curling Classic in Alberta. Finally, who would Jenna pick for a "fantasy" mixed doubles partner?

This week's podcast is filled with "firsts" with the most important being co-hosts Jenna Martin and Price Atkinson rewording together live from the Grand Slam of Curling's Tour Challenge in New Glasgow, Nova Scotia.We also welcome our first guest of the season, former member of USA Curling's High Performance Program and new Team Shuster coach Sean Beighton. He dishes to Jenna on the change from player to coach and a lot more. Plus what has Jenna's first GSOC experience working on the other side with Price and CurlingZone been like. Hear it all this week from Nova Scotia!!

This week's podcast is filled with "firsts" with the most important being co-hosts Jenna Martin and Price Atkinson rewording together live from the Grand Slam of Curling's Tour Challenge in New Glasgow, Nova Scotia.We also welcome our first guest of the season, former member of USA Curling's High Performance Program and new Team Shuster coach Sean Beighton. He dishes to Jenna on the change from player to coach and a lot more. Plus what has Jenna's first GSOC experience working on the other side with Price and CurlingZone been like. Hear it all this week from Nova Scotia!!

It's Halloween and Jenna and Price bond over their dislike for candy corns. Plus they catch up on everything we missed last week, including the first Grand Slam of Curling event in the books as well as the second one next week in Nova Scotia. The MadTown DoubleDown mixed doubles event this weekend in Madison, Wisc., is the second opportunity for U.S. teams to earn an automatic bid into the 2020 U.S. Mixed Doubles Nationals in the spring. They also get into self-funded teams and why they are so critical to the sport.

On this week's edition co-hosts Jenna Martin and Price Atkinson get into a busy week around USA Curling! Jenna dishes on her first Members Assembly she attended last weekend at home in Milwaukee, they share in the excitement of the U.S. Olympic Trials returning to Omaha in November 2021 and also get into the snowstorm in Portage, Manitoba that canceled last week's Canad Inns Men's Classic. They discussed what they'd do if they were stuck in a snowstorm with no power, food, water or Twitter (yikes)! Plus we welcome in Price's CurlingZone colleague Rory McCusker to dish on what it was actually like being stuck in Portage, how the teams handled it and whether the hotel became a curling "frat house." Finally, Jenna and Price unknowingly discovered they have a shared-'love' interest and a forever bond that will never be broken!

The 2019-20 curling season is underway and so are we with our first episode of the season. And welcome in new "The Extra Extra End" co-host and former member of USA Curling's High-Performance Program, the one and only Jenna Martin!Host Price Atkinson cuts to the core of who Jenna Martin really is and we get into a lot of developments during the offseason, including Jenna's thoughts on the 8 vs. 10 ends debate and lineup changes on the women's side of the USA HP program. Plus what Price learned during last week's trip to Korea for Uiseong International Curling Cup, Team Roth sitting atop the WCT money list and Team Dropkin's top-four finish at last week's Stu Sells Toronto Tankard. Such much fun and it's only the start!!

We are back one final time this season, as TESN co-hosts Price Atkinson and "The Godfather" Joe Calabrese wrap up the 2018-19 campaign with their "best of." They recap some of their most memorable and surprising moments, comeback player, memorable TESN guests this season and so much more in our final installment before the summer break.There's much to touch on including next week's Curling World Cup "Grand Final," upcoming U.S. High Performance teams being announced in the next few weeks, new members of the Junior High Performance Program and what to potentially expect next season. Everything USA Curling is right here on "The Extra Extra End" podcast!