Saturday, December 1, 2001
Morris facing trial of his life
By TODD SAELHOF -- Ottawa Sun
It's been three years since John Morris rocked curling with a world title.
He was a junior then -- when the opposition consisted of a handful of worthy combatants. It wasn't exactly a stone's throw from the likes of Kevin Martin, Wayne Middaugh and the seven other curling icons Morris will face at the 2001 Roar of the Rings, better known as Canada's Olympic curling trials.
"A couple of years ago, we would have been nervous playing against Middaugh and Martin," said Morris, Ottawa's representative at the Olympic trials beginning today in Regina. "The difference between junior and men's curling is you can make a mistake in juniors and get away with it.
"In men's curling, one mistake can put you behind, and you struggle to make up for it. Mistakes can prove costly."
Mistakes in this week's trials, which wrap up Dec. 9, could prove particularly costly.
Unlike the season's other bonspiels, which often offer money prizes for the top eight finishers, there is but one winner at the Roar of the Rings.
CURLERS CHASE GOLD
One of either Morris, Martin, Middaugh, Jeff Stoughton, Kevin Park, Russ Howard, Greg McAulay, Randy Ferbey, Kerry Burtnyk or Bert Gretzinger will be crowned champion and awarded the right to represent Canada at the 2002 Winter Olympic Games in Salt Lake City, Feb 8-24.
A trials queen will also be crowned in Regina from among Kelley Law, Cathy King, Colleen Jones, Sherry Fraser, Michelle Ridgway, Amber Hollan, Heather Fowlie, Sherry Anderson, Sherry Middaugh and Marie-France Larouche.
Morris opens today against Winnipeg's Burtnyk (12:30 p.m.), with the belief a 6-3 round-robin record should push his rink into the three-team playoff.
"We're not treating it like it's the end of the world," said Morris, whose rink includes third Joseph Frans of Guelph, second Craig Savill of Kanata and lead Brent Laing of Stayner. Savill and Laing joined Morris for the win in the 1998 world junior curling championship.
KEEPING COOL
"We're treating it like any other bonspiel," continued Morris. "We're in the same hotel we're always in when we're (in Regina), and we're still throwing eight rocks an end.
"But you will see the odd team that's nervous."
Morris insists it won't be his team.
Sure, the rink is still considered the newcomer on the scene. But after losing 4-3 to Middaugh for the Ontario men's title last winter -- one step shy of the Brier -- the Morris rink has fit in well with the Martins and Middaughs of the curling world.
In fact, Morris sits second ($53,332) among money leaders on the World Curling Tour this season, despite losing three bonspiel finals, including one to WCT-leading Middaugh ($56,300) earlier this year in Regina.
"Hopefully we've learned from (losing those finals)," said Morris, fully aware of his young age, 22, and lack of experience after playing just a couple of men's curling seasons.
"If anything, it's helped us with our confidence."
And put them in a position to be among those shooting for Olympic gold.
"I don't think anybody's picking us," Morris admitted. "So the only pressure put on us is the pressure we're putting on ourselves.
"But we feel we've prepared quite well."
2002 Games Curling Coverage
