I added some mixed doubles ratings over the weekend. I don’t really follow mixed doubles and I have to say that after cranking out these ratings, my interest has not increased! The top teams rarely play each other and there are just so many fewer games world-wide than traditional curling. Also, there’s a wild mix of full-time mixed-doubles teams and people like John Morris who were basically pairing up with whomever was available on a particular weekend. And some of these teams do not respect international boundaries.
On the bright side, it’s a good test of the Bradley-Terry method, which curiously rates three-loss Muirhead/Lammie as slightly better than undefeated Jones/Laing. The ratings really should be individualized to handle all the mid-season team swappage.
The worlds are not until late April with location TBA after being cancelled last season. Maybe it’s back to Kelowna if possible, otherwise someplace where the public health and travel situations will allow a competition. Short of a personal plea from Kristin Skaslien, I might not get back these until the lead up to that event.
