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Team Canada was originally created so that the Scott's Tournament of Hearts would hopefully get some people to watch on TV and enable the women's championship to be played in front of something other than friends and family. The first Team Canada was the Connie Laliberte rink in 1993. In the past 20+years women's curling has grown to the point that they have equal television time with the men and most curling fans can now name as many women's teams as men's teams.

We now have a situation in which the "National" championship is "National" in name only. Rather than bringing three teams to the national site for a "One Night Stand", drop Team Canada altogether (before it gets entrenched on the men's side). That way every Province/Territory that wants to participate will be able to...including Nunavut if they're able...or interested.

...and yes, the prior year's winner would have to re-qualify...even if they're the defending World Champions.
By "going back to the roots" of qualification, all curlers-not just ones who can take time off work twice a month to curl on TV-might "re-acquire an interest" in nationals.

Will this have an effect on the number of teams entering national playdowns? I don't know, but the folks in Northern Alberta might be able to speculate.

There it is folks-fire away!

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Especially with this year's men's Team Canada. Missing the most important player, and a couple others after saying they were going to retire after the season, decide to come back for the free ride. Who could blame them. Other than those that actually have to qualify, maybe even twice, through relegation.

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quote:

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Originally posted by Jimbobogie
Team Canada was originally created so that the Scott's Tournament of Hearts would hopefully get some people to watch on TV and enable the women's championship to be played in front of something other than friends and family. The first Team Canada was the Connie Laliberte rink in 1993. In the past 20+years women's curling has grown to the point that they have equal television time with the men and most curling fans can now name as many women's teams as men's teams.

We now have a situation in which the "National" championship is "National" in name only. Rather than bringing three teams to the national site for a "One Night Stand", drop Team Canada altogether (before it gets entrenched on the men's side). That way every Province/Territory that wants to participate will be able to...including Nunavut if they're able...or interested.

...and yes, the prior year's winner would have to re-qualify...even if they're the defending World Champions.
By "going back to the roots" of qualification, all curlers-not just ones who can take time off work twice a month to curl on TV-might "re-acquire an interest" in nationals.

Will this have an effect on the number of teams entering national playdowns? I don't know, but the folks in Northern Alberta might be able to speculate.

There it is folks-fire away!

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My bad-actually it was 1986, but point taken.

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I could care less if there are regions not represented at the Brier or Scotties. There's already enough cannon fodder. For me a National Championship means the best of the best, so if there were ever a scenario where multiple teams from a province were allowed, it wouldn't bother me. There is great history to these events but they feel dated.

I'm all for a Team Canada because it means there is another team capable of winning.

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Last edited by Radio-Man on 01-21-15 at 09:58PM

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Another response from Ontario who expects them to be an auto berth in the Brier every year. What happens when as early as THIS year a no-name team wins the province, goes to the brier and gets relegated and then doesn't qualify through relegation the following year?? Will you sing the same song or another tune? I think not.

You just don't get it that the Brier is more than a National Championship. It's for teams from Coast to Coast going back almost 90 years. I suppose you want to go back back the days where Ontario had 3 of the 8 teams...... and still lost.

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quote:

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Originally posted by IN-OFF-FOR-2
Another response from Ontario who expects them to be an auto berth in the Brier every year. What happens when as early as THIS year a no-name team wins the province, goes to the brier and gets relegated and then doesn't qualify through relegation the following year?? Will you sing the same song or another tune? I think not.

You just don't get it that the Brier is more than a National Championship. It's for teams from Coast to Coast going back almost 90 years. I suppose you want to go back back the days where Ontario had 3 of the 8 teams...... and still lost.

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Sometimes it's hard to read between the lines as far as sarcasm or dead serious is involved. I hope you weren't serious about the money winners. The whole idea of the Brier is to have all the provinces compete to see who goes to the worlds. TSN has about 5 channels now they need to fill with air time, and when I asked them last week why they had all the skins games on the main channel but decided not to carry the men's final, but the the first 2 hours of the Australian Open tennis of a 2 week event, there was no reply.

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quote:

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Originally posted by IN-OFF-FOR-2
Sometimes it's hard to read between the lines as far as sarcasm or dead serious is involved. I hope you weren't serious about the money winners. The whole idea of the Brier is to have all the provinces compete to see who goes to the worlds. TSN has about 5 channels now they need to fill with air time, and when I asked them last week why they had all the skins games on the main channel but decided not to carry the men's final, but the the first 2 hours of the Australian Open tennis of a 2 week event, there was no reply.

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quote:

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Originally posted by Jimbobogie


Radio Man, in that case, why have the Brier or Scottie at all? We already know who the money-winners are...and it will save us having to fly in a team from...well, anywhere. The Canadian WCT winners go to the worlds. That should satisfy everybody-not to mention saving the provincial/territorial associations a bundle of money staging those useless provincial/territorial championships. TSN can fill the spare air time with soccer, darts or snooker during the day and hockey or lacrosse at night.

I guess I was wrong...

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"It means that I'm not the Samaritan. That I'm not the priest, or the Levite. That I am the ill intent...who set upon the traveler on a road that he should not have been on."

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The Brier and Scotties are the biggest events-even bigger than the WCT Championships. The question is why. When the Brier is held in Calgary, the Flames will be making their "East Coast Swing". When the WCT has their championship both men and women combine their events and although this year's final is going to be held in Toronto look at the facility-they're not playing the ACC or even the Ricoh Coliseum. I see you're from Ontario-have you gone to an event at the Matamy Centre? The Mattamy Centre is Ryerson's new athletic facility located on the second and third levels of what used to be Maple Leaf Gardens The basketball team plays on the second level and the ice is on the third level. It's a nice place, but it holds less than 3,000 people.
Most of the building is a major grocery chain super-store (they're not paying me to advertise so I'm not going to say the name).

How would you distinguish your concept of the Brier or Scotties from just another tour event? I think that this is the question a lot of us "Old Timers" would have for you "Reformers"-that's not an insult-it's just a name that seems to fit.

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quote:

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Originally posted by Jimbobogie


How would you distinguish your concept of the Brier or Scotties from just another tour event? I think that this is the question a lot of us "Old Timers" would have for you "Reformers"-that's not an insult-it's just a name that seems to fit.

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"I'm not seeking penance for what I've done, Father. I'm asking forgiveness... for what I'm about to do"

"It means that I'm not the Samaritan. That I'm not the priest, or the Levite. That I am the ill intent...who set upon the traveler on a road that he should not have been on."

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The worst thing about the team Canada concept is that most provinces , particularly in womens curling, do not have the depth to send 2 competitive teams. The result I'd another weak team at the championships

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No byes, no seeding, want to represent Ontario, sign-up and play thru zones, regions and provincals. All players and teams should start out equal.
WCL keep all your events, but should have no bearing on OCA playdowns. And why is it two of the strongest teams in Ontario have to bring out of province players, there a alot of good young players in Ontario to pick from.
Stop catering to a few.

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Territories should have a playdown in Yellowknife in Jan or Feb for right to represent all Territories, including Turks and Caicos when they join, with one team at the brier. Then you have 10 provincies+Territory team+Team Canada since the powers that be are so bent on having Team Canada. I don't like the Team Canada concept except for the fact it opens up one more spot for a new team to experience the Brier when one domininant team exists in a province. I like to see teams have to do what Howard tried to do this year. There is some lore, perhaps slowly being forgotten, in having to beat the lowly club team on falling negative ice in a two sheeter on the way to the world championship. I think this is good for the sport in that people can identify with having played these top guys. Name another sport in which you can do that except maybe English soccer in which even the timiest of hamlets enter the FA cup. But even there, the big guys don't start until the third round. No one gets a bye to the final 12.

Relegation is a very bad concept, especially for those who finally win their province after years of trying and then don't get to experience the show. That is a poorly thought out idea.

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quote:

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Originally posted by WrongHandle


Relegation is a very bad concept, especially for those who finally win their province after years of trying and then don't get to experience the show. That is a poorly thought out idea.

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quote:

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Originally posted by curler2014


The CCA needs to maintain fiscal responsibility - the current format was going to cause them to lose their funding from Sport Canada and Own the Podium due to not being inclusive.

Point 1: So they NEED to allow every member association an equitable chance to get to the big show. Not doing so, or by ignoring this fact and not making a change, they would lose money and not be fiscally responsible.

Point 2: If they allowed all teams into the big show (ie. no relegation), it would cost them too much (remember they are the ONLY national body that pays for it's competitors travel, hotel, per diem AND the playing surface. All other national bodies only cover cost of the playing surface and run the event as such). Therefore, they would lose money and dig a hole, financially and again, not be fiscally responsible.

Point 3: You all want "the big show" - that costs money. So to keep it as big a show as it is and not scale it back (because I'm sure that would be a bone to pick if it wasn't relegation), they had to change the format. Again, to maintain fiscal responsibility. You all can't have it both ways.

It's a case of if it's not one thing it's another and not everyone is going to be happy.

I personally think the CCA should cut out giving people the travel cost, hotel cost, per diem. Make the provincial/territorial association responsible...or get there yourself. I know one thing is for sure...if you said I could play even just one game in the brier, only thing is, I have to pay my own way...I'm sure as heck finding a way to pay for that.

Too many of the teams view the Brier or the Scotties as an all inclusive trip - especially the ones that seem to land there every year...and I'm not talking about the ones that are there to win, like legit have a chance at winning - they aren't there to party, they're there to win and that's what needs to stay in this sport. A lot of the teams like PEI or NL that send the same weak team every year know they don't have a shot in heck, so they view it as a trip. And that's why I think relegation is a good thing. It's going to force the traditionally weaker provinces to get better just to make the big show. It's no longer party time with the boys. Sorry PEI.

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quote:

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Originally posted by Jimbobogie


We now have a situation in which the "National" championship is "National" in name only.

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Just an aside-anybody care to bet that the first rink to represent Nunavut will be skipped by a man named "Morris"?

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