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Whither McCain/TSN, both skins and games: sponsor
and broadcaster bid adieu on one final weekend
by Doug Maxwell
For me, it was the end of an era. The McCain/TSN
Skins Game, I mean. And at the end of the era, nostalgia
grabs you by the throat and won’t let go ‘till you
recall some of the moments that tumble out of the memory
bank...
A Fond Farewell
Longtime TSN curling producer Paul McLean took The Curling
News into the locker room of the North American players after the
Continental Cup ended, for an exclusive look at the athlete outreach to
the TSN crew.
“I’ve left out a few details as to what was said in speeches, because
much of it was personal. But I thought it may be newsworthy for the
public to know exactly how appreciative the curlers and fans were of
TSN’s coverage. And to the extent they showed it. It will be remembered
by us for a long time..."
( Read More... )
TSN Voices
“I’m going to miss Vic and Linda, we’ve become quite good
friends. And I’m going to miss the extra income. It allowed me to drink
a better class of red wine. Now I’m going to have to go back to screw
caps.”br>
– Ray Turnbull
( Read More... )
Legends, Surprises at '05 Trials
by George Karrys
Results from the inaugural Canada Cup West and East cashspiels
held just prior to the holidays were eye-opening for the savvy
observer...
( Read More... )
VICTORY! North America Takes Cup:
But will event return next year?
by Allen Cameron
Give credit where it’s due;
the Canadian Curling Association and World Curling Federation are
batting a thousand with the Continental Cup...
( Read More... )
Throw open the doors: Your First End drives
membership around major events
by George Karrys
with files from Warren Hansen
Let the head scratching begin... again.
What to do, and how to get, new members into your curling club?
It’s a question that never goes away, and it’s asked ad nauseum in
Europe, Asia, the United States and, yes, even in Canada.
There is no silver bullet or magic formula for those who succeed, while
those who struggle traditionally point the finger at everyone except
themselves...
( Read More... )
Manitoba zone relief: no Rolaids
Required
by Jill Officer
Do you remember that Rolaids commercial that posed the question, “How do
you spell relief?” That’s exactly what just came to mind when I sat down
to write this month’s column.
I’ve always hated – let’s be polite and say disliked – playing in
zones...
Bernard wins M&M Women's Tour
by George Karrys
2004 was the year in which Cheryl Bernard, a longtime
boardroom advocate for the Women’s Tour, put it all together on the
ice...
( Read More... )
UK Announces final 10
by Staff
At press time, 10 athletes were named as the initial
squad from which the Great Britain Men’s Olympic curling team for the
Torino 2006 will be chosen...
( Read More... )
The conservative nature of a new coach
by Matt Hames
“So, um, what qualifies you to be their coach?” a
co-worker of mine in Buffalo, N.Y. asked me.
It was a decent question...
( Read More... )
Norberg wins fourth straight European
Championships
Stock wins for Germany
by Christine
Stewart
SOFIA, BULGARIA – The 2004 European Curling Championships
were bigger than ever, with 47 men’s and women’s teams representing 24
countries taking part...
( Read More... )
SPLAT! goes the scribe: A lifelong
curling critic finally takes to the ice...and the ice takes to him
JOHN
CHAPUT
Position: Lead.
Age: 49.
Years Curling: A small fraction of 1.
Occupation: Sports writer.
In my own private hell, that information is flashed on national
television as my skip, Will Sinclair, calls for a short guard on the
centre line. I let the shot go...
( Read More... )
The Kiwis are coming: New Zealand
wins second straight PCC
by Lorne DePape
Our annual jaunt to the six-nation Pacific Curling Championships
were held Nov. 20-25 in Chuncheon, South Korea, a small city of 300,000
about 1.5 hour drive east of Seoul...
( Read More... )
Cup 2004 a smash hit -- er, hit
But world challenges loom in the future
by Larry Wood
Call it the Hit in the Hat.
The most successful Continental Cup venture yet with a 4,000-seat
icehouse in Medicine Hat sold out for every toss of the rock.
And so the question was left to dangle – where to from here...?
( Read More... )
Rough ride at the top for Simmons squad
HUMBOLDT, Sask. – Young gun Pat Simmons of nearby Moose Jaw,
Sask. let a major championship slip away as Winnipeg veteran Jeff
Stoughton stole both the 10th and 11th ends to win the 2004 M&M Meat
Shops Masters of Curling by a 5-4 score...
( Read More... )
They Said It
“Tradition can kill you. Curling has had to fight this for 30
years, people who don’t want anything to change. For the sport to grow
it has to change and experiment with new ideas.”
– CCA manager Warren Hansen on the application for singles curling at
the 2010 Vancouver Olympics (Edmonton Journal)
“The leadership should realize that change for the sake of change is the
kind of thinking that brought the world synchronized diving and
trampoline gymnastics. Diving and gymnastics are bonafide Olympic sports
with terrific pedigrees but their illegitimate cousins should never have
been allowed to run away with the five-ring circus. Ditto for singles
curling. It’s a skills competition, for crying out loud, a gimmick that
works just fine at a local, regional and national level. The Winter
Olympics need singles curling like Russ Howard needs a bullhorn. Like
Kevin Martin and Randy Ferbey need another reason to disagree. Like
Kelley Law needs a makeover.”
– Dan Barnes (Edmonton Journal)
Plus Randy Ferbey, Dave Nedohin, Joan McCusker and more!
( Read More... )
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