(Apr 1, 2006) -- LOWELL, Mass. (AP) - Hailed by their hometown and passers-by wherever they've been, the U.S. men's curling team arrived at the world championship in an even more unusual position.
With the tournament in the United States, the Olympic bronze medal-winning team led by Pete Fenson expects to have the crowd on its side when play begins on Saturday. And, having competed in Turin and last year's worlds, they have some major international experience to draw from.
"It's amazing now versus (2003) ... especially for me as a first-time skip," Fenson said Friday of his debut appearance at worlds. "A couple of world championships and the Olympics - it's amazing how much easier it is to be comfortable. Everybody's a little bit looser and more relaxed."
Fenson and his team - Shawn Rojeski, Joe Polo, John Shuster and alternate Scott Baird - finished third in Turin to win the first American Olympic curling medal ever. They returned to Bemidji, Minn., and found the airport full of people at 11 p.m.
A few weeks later, the town that calls itself the curling capital of the United States gave a parade in their honour, sending them through the streets on a horse-drawn trailer while hundreds braved freezing temperatures to cheer. A special, giant replica of the bronze medal was hung around the statue of legendary lumberjack Paul Bunyan.
"I wouldn't say it's hard to go out," Fenson said, "but you don't go and sit down by yourself anymore."
Qualifying for worlds began just six days after the closing ceremonies in Italy. Fenson's team lost its first two games of the U.S. championships, rebounded to make the finals and won 4-3 on a last-rock draw similar to the one he made in Turin.
"We went from arena curling with the big stage of the Olympics and then we went to our own club," with crowds of about 100-200 for the early games, Polo said.
Fenson said the team was mentally exhausted. A mid-tournament pep talk got it back on track.
"We kind of sat down and said, 'Are we really ready to win this thing or what?"' he said after practice at the Tsongas Arena. "We weren't sharp."
After qualifying, which ended March 11, Fenson took a couple of weeks off from competition. The rest of the team played in a bonspiel - or tournament - that raised over $43,000 US for charity.
Polo also took some time off to go to Jamaica with his girlfriend, spending a night in Minneapolis before their flight.
"The guy at the hotel said, 'Hey! You're that Olympic guy. You play with Pete,"' Polo said with a laugh.
Only three other teams in Lowell were also in Turin: Finland, Scotland and Switzerland.
Organizers are trying to whoop up the spirit of the Olympics for the event's first trip to the U.S. East Coast. Among the promotions is a contest in which a fan drawn at random will have a chance to throw one stone for a chance to win $1 million.
It's the curling version of the hole-in-one challenge popular at golf tournaments: An insurance company puts up the money and hopes that no one can make the shot.
The difference here is that, if the fan can put the stone in the middle of the target, he or she would earn more money from the sport than some of the world's top curlers. In 2004-05, Canada's Kevin Martin was the first curler to earn $300,000 in a season on tour.
Of course, that was Canadian money.
And split among the four team members.
"A milestone in curling for any team is to hit $100,000 in a single year," said Ed Lukowich, a former world champion from Canada who is a coach of the U.S. national teams. "Ten tournaments - that's probably $30,000 in expenses." |
