Tuesday, December 11, 2001
Trials made great impression
By JIM BENDER -- Winnipeg Sun
REGINA -- It involved 20 of the top teams in the entire curling world.
And the second Canadian Curling Trials were even better than a Brier and Scott wrapped into one on the ice.
So here then are some impressions that remain from 10 days of gripping action:
BEST STORY I: It's still the Kerry Burtnyk story, of course. To first battle back from a cancer, then to battle back from an 0-3 start to curl as well as he did will be a memory that will last forever, even if he did lose the final on last rock.
The crowd gave his Manitoba team a big roar of approval as he left the ice on the last day. Even if he lost the game, he's still a winner in life.
BEST SHOT: I still think it's the one that Burtnyk didn't quite make against Ontario's John Morris early in the week, where his shooter backed up after a double-takeout at the back to remove a third rock at the top. Unfortunately, he also removed two of his own stones in the process.
BEST STORY II: The CCA showing the Grand Slam renegades they are willing to listen to their desires to be both allowed sponsor cresting and address the issue of aligning the calendar for respective playdown dates.
The CCA will allow sponsor cresting at both of its new cashspiels and will be used as a test run for future national championships. Now it's time for the WCPA/WCT to make some sort of concession in return.
FUNNIEST CURLER: Alberta skip Heather Fowlie, hands down. She had fun every time she was on the ice, But during one game in particular, Fowlie fell while trying to sweep a rock on a peel and her sweepers somehow managed to shove her out of the way.
Fowlie rolled over onto the next sheet where play had already ended, then laid on the sheet spread out like a corpse. She got up and took a bow to a screams of approval from the crowd.
In the same game, Fowlie had an exchange with a guy in the crowd amidst much laughter.
"He said he wanted to meet me in the Roar Inn after the game," she revealed. "But I told him I was married, then introduced him to (Quebec skip) Marie-France (Larouche). I think she liked it."
WAYNE WHINE: There were some interesting exchanges between some of the curlers and Regina Leader-Post reporter Murray McCormick.
First, Ontario skip Wayne Middaugh twice told him, "I can beat you."
Then Saskatchewan skip Michelle Ridgway said, "When Murray McCormick picks you eighth in the Regina Leader-Post, it gives you added incentive."
"Yeah but, Wayne Middaugh says he can beat me," McCormick replied.
"The way Wayne's playing this week, even you could probably beat him," Ridgway retorted.
STRANGE WEEK: Jeff Stoughton's Manitoba squad led most of the teams here in percentages throughout the week, yet failed to make the playoffs, finishing with a respectable 5-4 record (the same as he did with a different foursome in 1997).
"Percentages mean nothing," he said. "And I don't know how they arrive at them anyway. One of us flashed a peel and he still got a four."
HUH? New Brunswick skip Russ Howard was asked how he could reconcile reneging on the Grand Slam pact he signed by planning to play in his provincial playdowns. "I don't know," he replied.
FUTURE STARS: Ontario's John Morris (when he matures) and Quebec's Marie-France Larouche (ignore last week's record).
TUBING: Winnipeg's Cathy Gauthier received rave reviews here once again for her work on TSN.
Rookie Guy Hemmings, however, still needs some polish. But Guy remains the most popular personality around the rink and in the lounge.
WORST PERFORMANCE: It's a tie. B.C.'s 2000 world champion Greg McAulay -- was he here? And Alberta's Kevin Park now has the dubious record of most losses (15) at the trials even if he did abdicate the skipping reins for some of the games last week. Wonder how many other teams would have given their eye teeth to be in their place?
KUDOS: To the Regina host committee and the CCA for proving you can host a successful premiere curling event without a title sponsor -- one that outdrew Brandon 1997 by a surprising 110,000.
And we won't even go over to the Roar Inn, the trials' answer to the Brier Patch (not that we ever went there, anyway).
DEAD SPORT? The Salt Lake Tribune sent a science writer, Greg Lavine, to cover the trials to prepare for the Olympics.
The day after B.C.'s Kelley Law won the women's final, Lavine was lamenting that his 12-inch piece was cut in half. "I guess they needed more room for the obituary section," he said.
WORST COMMENT: During the closing ceremonies after the women's final, CCA president Don Lewis to loser Sherry Anderson of Saskatchewan: "I guess you didn't bring your A game today. Ha! Ha!" Everyone cringed.
Lewis is from Saskatchewan.
BEST QUOTE STILL: Nova Scotia skip Colleen Jones revealed that she had spent one evening watching When Harry Met Sally, the movie famous for the Meg Ryan scene when she fakes an orgasm in the middle of a restaurant. Jones was asked if she could do a Ryan impression.
"Any woman can," she replied.
To which a female reporter added: "You go, girl."
2002 Games Curling Coverage
