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One of the most popular events at the Winter Games thus far has been curling, most notably the women’s side of the competition for obvious reasons.

ThatFan was lucky enough to have Agent J, one of the throng of local NBC personalities helping with the television coverage, contact us and become ThatFan’s official 2010 Olympic Winter Games Fan Correspondent. (We only withhold his name so Papa Network doesn’t jam him up).

A rare miss by Dr. Venkman that our correspondent caught on the Olympic Curling Ice. Carmen Schaefer. (via the Associated Press)

“Good call on the ladies of curling,” agreed J with ThatFan on its breakdown of the Hottness on Ice. “I’m in the venue [and have] been here since practice sessions.  You are pretty spot on but missed Schafer from Switzerland – tongue piercing and all.  Anna Sidorova for Russia is a 10 out of 10.  The Duponts are over-rated.”

With an embedded correspondent ThatFan took the liberty of finding out a little bit more about the curling fans, who have garnered quite a bit of attention themselves, but also about our favorite sparks on the ice sheets.

Dr. Peter Venkman: You are at the curling venue. There has been a lot of talk about the Canadian fans being a little bit too crazy for a sport with the demeanor of golf. What have you seen there?

Agent J: At the start of the bonspiel (great word), it was rowdy in here.  Games were sold out – probably people that couldn’t get hockey tickets because the etiquette rules for curling (yes, they exist) were not being followed.  Andrea Schopp was the first to complain about the lack of silence while curlers were in the hack – the thing similar to the starting gate for runners.

Then came the Denmark/Canada women’s match.

The game went to extra ends and when the Dutch girl (Dupont) got in the hack, the place was going insane.  You have to understand that all of the seating in here is that steel/metal scaffolding.  So the Canadian fans were stomping on it like a flaming bag of dog poop on your door step at Halloween.  Dupont missed her shot.  Cheryl Bernard came up and nailed it.  After the game, Dupont was in tears and complaining about the fans.

There have been three instances of “O Canada” breaking out during different games.

Overall, the crowds have been great…loud as a hockey game. And the Women’s games have been more rambunctious – probably because the guys are jacked up seeing the ice queens.

Dr. Peter Venkman: What is the overall buzz in the air in the city?

Agent J: Party vibe. Vancouver unlike it’s ever been before.  There are “houses” for each country that people line up for early in the morning so they can pay $20 to get into a white-tarped tent.  But the real party is in the streets.

Shoulder to shoulder on some streets and the cops were so concerned about trying to control the masses of vomiting revelers that they imposed some old school liquor license law and shut down all the beer and wine stores downtown at 7 p.m.  People were standing in line for booze, buying it, coming outside and re-entering the line while drinking their booze.  Also those red mittens that are THE accessory for these games are great for hiding a bottle in.

Dr. Peter Venkman: Have their been any trials or tribulations about being a fan at the Games?

Agent J: Like I said, I’m working…but everyone is upbeat.  This city is going to sleep for about a year after this is done.

Dr. Peter Venkman: What country has the craziest fans (other than Canada)?

Agent J: The Americans have been loud – they even made Eve Muirhead (Scottish Lass playing for Great Britain) get choked up as they started chanting U-S-A on her last shot…which she muffed.

One of the best Olympic fans out there, Patrick Plys, the father of American curler Chris Plys. (via Associated Press)

U.S. curler Chris Plys father has been a great story – he’s a cancer survivor and has been at every match, front row, with his shaved head, face and even arms painted differently for every match.  He looks like a wrestler.  And even hit someone in the head with a piece of his cowbell.

Canadians have done well here so the fans sometimes pull for the underdog.  Some cheers have been for China (the men – who are brutally bad), some for Sweden and plenty for Norway’s pants…yes, cheering for pants – if you haven’t seen them, they are John Daly style but much slimmer.  It’ll get loud again for the semis…they best be working on some hand signals for the finals because ‘hurry hard’ is going to be drown out.

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Thanks for the help J. We’ll be finishing up Olympic coverage later this week with another gallery of the best Vancouver has had to offer.