Curling may look strange, but it's grown on me

	Once you try curling, you'll realize Cassie Johnson (center) doesn't look ridiculous. Al Tielemans/Getty Images

In the past few days, Jimmie Johnson won a controversial Daytona 500, LeBron James became the youngest MVP of the NBA All-Star Game, word got out that Ricky Williams may have failed a fourth NFL drug test and Barry Bonds announced that he may or may not be retiring soon (I think it depends on how quickly he burns through his current supply of "flaxseed oil"). So it seems obvious that I'd be writing about ... curling. Again.

After last week's column, I got a lot of e-mail from curling fans. Some of them wrote to complain that the curling calendar was sold out, but most of them accused me of Ugly American Syndrome, as if being a lazy, ignorant American is the only possible reason anybody could not love curling. I would have written back to those people, if only I had the energy, or knew how. One guy wrote in to say I was wrong to belittle curling because there's a "smokin' hottie" on the Swedish women's team. So now I have Jude Law's e-mail address. Some readers were so angry that you'd think I had published a curling cartoon in a Danish newspaper. A few suggested some places I could store my curling broom. But only one of them invited me over to play.

That would be Mike Murphy, a member of the only curling club within 100 miles of New York City. Here's an excerpt from Mike's letter:

"Yes, I am a curling enthusiast. I too once thought the 'game' was the most ridiculous thing I had ever seen. I never thought I would love the game as much as I do. You can consider the game much like Dr. Seuss' Green Eggs ... you just don't know if you will really like the game until you try it.

Adam, please come try the 'game' of curling. It takes much more physical skill, strength and endurance than you give it credit for (a tad more than shuffleboard, bocce or marbles). It would be great to have you come and play some time, and I truly believe it would change your view of the sport/game."

You had me at "the most ridiculous thing I had ever seen," Mike. I've never been one to back down from a Dr. Seuss reference, so on Sunday I headed up to Ardsley, N.Y., to do some curling at Mike's club.