Broomgate: A Curling Scandal
For years, players have been too afraid to talk about it. But now, the truth about a broom that almost destroyed curling is finally coming out.
Over the course of six episodes, semi-professional curler and fully professional comedian John Cullen (Blocked Party) is exposing the unbelievable, never-before-told scandal that rocked the sport of curling. Yes, curling.
Our Editor's Take
Broomgate: A Curling Scandal is a comedic podcast about the beloved Canadian sport. Host John Cullen explores the controversy that shocked the curling world in 2015. The show details how one broom changed the sport forever.
For those unfamiliar with the sport, curling is an ice sport similar to shuffleboard. Players push round stones across the rink toward a target circle. To control the stone’s path, two other players sweep the ice with small brooms. Although the sport’s biggest following is in Canada, it dates back to 16th century Scotland. This podcast focuses on a controversy within the sport.
Beyond being a comedian, Cullen is an accomplished curler himself. He has won multiple World Curling Tour competitions and holds several provincial medals. In addition to this show, he is a commentator for CurlBC and writes a curling newsletter. Cullen is also a touring stand-up comic and hosts several other podcasts. On Blocked Party, he and his cohosts interview guests about times people blocked them on social media. Cullen also cohosts What Is…? A Jeopardy Podcast and The P.O.D. Kast.
The scandal the show explores is the use of “high-tech” brooms. These new brooms were so effective that they threatened to change how people play the game. The first appearance of a performance broom shocked spectators. Brad Gushue, one of the most famous curlers, had only one sweeper.
Cullen presents this story in the style of a true crime show almost to the point of parody. Each episode of the podcast begins with a content warning. Cullen warns that the show contains mentions of brooms and graphic depictions of curling.
Listeners will hear from those involved in the scandal along with Cullen’s narration. The blend of comedy and sports journalism makes this show a fascinating look at curling. What began as a “gentleman's game” started to be a hateful breeding ground for infighting. All episodes of Broomgate: A Curling Scandal are available for streaming now.
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