BEIJING — The smooth, glistening ice on which curlers play — it is called a "sheet" — looks pristine, perfectly flat, to casual observers. Chris Plys sees something different as he crouches, squinting.
The U.S. Olympic team member knows slight deviations alter the surface. Devilish spots where his next shot might speed up or slow down. Places where the stone might curve left or fade right a little too much.
"It's kind of like a golfer reading a green," Plys says. "Every sheet is going to have its own little intricacies."
