Curling

[Noeller]

As I mentioned earlier, our men's division is in a bit of a lull, but there's really good players coming up through the ranks right now, just out of junior. I predict a surge, as we're seeing with the ladies now. Really curious to see how things shake down for next olympic quadrennial. I think we'll see **** get blown up but good, and hopefully the remaining pieces form some really good teams. 

[FrostyWinnipeg]

https://globalnews.ca/news/8474593/curling-olympic-mixed-doubles-trials-cancelled/

[iHeart]

man this brings a tear to my eye

https://olympics.com/en/video/canadians-take-first-women-s-curling-gold-home

[FrostyWinnipeg]

https://winnipeg.ctvnews.ca/dawn-mcewen-announces-retirement-from-curling-1.5816966

[Noeller]

1 hour ago, FrostyWinnipeg said:

https://winnipeg.ctvnews.ca/dawn-mcewen-announces-retirement-from-curling-1.5816966

Best to ever do it at that position, men's or women's... 

[SpeedFlex27]

Koe vs Gushue for the Brier Final? Hard pass. (clap, clap, clap). We keep sending McEwen every year & they usucally have a hard time winning half their games. Nothing changes as you know he'll never win a Brier. Just another Gary Ross or Claire DeBlonde. 

[TrueBlue4ever]

Pretty remarkable feat for Gushue to win with a three man team for the playoff run. Aside from the extra throwing for the lead and second in altered roles, the sweeping game had to be revamped. Amazing performance. And for those dumping on McEwen, he isn’t “sent” by Manitoba, he earns his place by winning the Province. He still seems to freeze in the big moments and take strange risks at bad times, but remember that Gushue himself took 14 tries before he won his first Brier, and now he has 4 in the last 6 years. 

[Noeller]

23 minutes ago, TrueBlue4ever said:

Pretty remarkable feat for Gushue to win with a three man team for the playoff run. Aside from the extra throwing for the lead and second in altered roles, the sweeping game had to be revamped. Amazing performance. And for those dumping on McEwen, he isn’t “sent” by Manitoba, he earns his place by winning the Province. He still seems to freeze in the big moments and take strange risks at bad times, but remember that Gushue himself took 14 tries before he won his first Brier, and now he has 4 in the last 6 years. 

No. With directional sweeping, they only use one sweeper per stone now anyhow. Curling with 3 doesn't really change much. **** Douchue. Fluked out a win over Mike in the 01 Can Jr's and (only with Russ Howard holding his hand the entire way) they barely fluked a win over Stoughton, on a measure, in the 05 oly trials. Will never ever forgive that kid. 

Also, Edin and Mouat are gonna murder these clowns at worlds. They'll be lucky to medal. Not even convinced they'll make playoffs. 

Edited March 14, 2022 by Noeller

[JCon]

 

The End. Spectacular team. 

[bustamente]

Does Jennifer Jones even live in Manitoba anymore

[JCon]

25 minutes ago, bustamente said:

Does Jennifer Jones even live in Manitoba anymore

She lives in Ottawa. Has for several years. 

[SpeedFlex27]

21 hours ago, TrueBlue4ever said:

Pretty remarkable feat for Gushue to win with a three man team for the playoff run. Aside from the extra throwing for the lead and second in altered roles, the sweeping game had to be revamped. Amazing performance. And for those dumping on McEwen, he isn’t “sent” by Manitoba, he earns his place by winning the Province. He still seems to freeze in the big moments and take strange risks at bad times, but remember that Gushue himself took 14 tries before he won his first Brier, and now he has 4 in the last 6 years. 

Thanks for telling us McEwen isn't sent, LIke we didn't know that already. He has to win to get out of Manitoba. He may be good enough to get out of the province but he's not good enough to win on a national stage. He has shown that again & again. He just isn't good enough.

[FrostyWinnipeg]

1 hour ago, SpeedFlex27 said:

Thanks for telling us McEwen isn't sent, LIke we didn't know that already. He has to win to get out of Manitoba. He may be good enough to get out of the province but he's not good enough to win on a national stage. He has shown that again & again. He just isn't good enough.

He's made some of the dumbest decisions...should play 3rd really. That's not to say any other skip is way better. Why is cloning illegal? We could be on Stoughton v2!

Also Byfuglien v2.

[SpeedFlex27]

17 minutes ago, FrostyWinnipeg said:

He's made some of the dumbest decisions...should play 3rd really. That's not to say any other skip is way better. Why is cloning illegal? We could be on Stoughton v2!

Also Byfuglien v2.

I curled for a lot of years but in the last 20, I haven't followed the game the way I used to so I don't know much about Mike McEwen. I would defer to Noeller who is the curling expert here. I've heard McEwen takes risks at times & it has cost him games. A high risk high reward kind of thing. His teammates should be the ones to reign him in if he won't go for the highest percentage shot. 

[Noeller]

Mike is just kind of unbalanced. That's what I've learned. Reid is the calmer head that should be calling the game and throwing last rock, but I'm not sure Mike is capable of being in a subservient role. The sooner this team implodes, the better. It was never meant to be. Our best men's curler right now is Matt Dunstone, who is living in the BC interior now and skipping a bunch of knuckle dragging cousin fuckers from one province over. Colton Lott and Kyle Doering are really good, as well, and will be taking the leap soon, just not sure it'll be in Manitoba, unfortunately. Cathy and Ron Gauthier's son Jacques is going to be a really good one, as well. Fresh out of winning Manitoba juniors and will be a regular on tour very soon, I suspect. The issue is how many stay in MB to play full time, and how many leave to skip teams out of province. 

Make no mistake, Manitoba still produces the best curlers in the world as we always have.....it's just that Oly and WCT money move them elsewhere. 

[TrueBlue4ever]

So what does Dawn McEwen’s retirement do to Mike, if anything?

[Noeller]

2 minutes ago, TrueBlue4ever said:

So what does Dawn McEwen’s retirement do to Mike, if anything?

not sure anything. She'd said in her retirement post that she's looking forward to spending more time at the rink cheering him on. Said she might play some mixed doubles with him, but that he'd really have to convince her, as she's just not that interested in playing right now. 

[SpeedFlex27]

11 hours ago, Noeller said:

Mike is just kind of unbalanced. That's what I've learned. Reid is the calmer head that should be calling the game and throwing last rock, but I'm not sure Mike is capable of being in a subservient role. The sooner this team implodes, the better. It was never meant to be. Our best men's curler right now is Matt Dunstone, who is living in the BC interior now and skipping a bunch of knuckle dragging cousin fuckers from one province over. Colton Lott and Kyle Doering are really good, as well, and will be taking the leap soon, just not sure it'll be in Manitoba, unfortunately. Cathy and Ron Gauthier's son Jacques is going to be a really good one, as well. Fresh out of winning Manitoba juniors and will be a regular on tour very soon, I suspect. The issue is how many stay in MB to play full time, and how many leave to skip teams out of province. 

Make no mistake, Manitoba still produces the best curlers in the world as we always have.....it's just that Oly and WCT money move them elsewhere. 

Which really sucks. It used to be all about the pride of wearing the Buffalo on the back of the sweater. That was a hu8ge deal. I don't know if I'm in the majority or minority here but I don't like the way the Brier is done. More teams, less games. Same teams always make it to the finals. Skips who live in one province skipping teams from another. 

It used to be that it was all about repping your club in the MCA Bonspiel or any bonspel for that matter as well as zone playdowns & provincials. Then repping your province at the Brier & Canada at the World's. 

I remember in junior whenever we beat a team from the Granite. That was always special. We felt a lot of pride for Fort Rouge. That was our "Mother Club". I didn't play competitive Men's after junior so I can't say I knew what it was like to win at that level but still carry that pride for Fort Rouge right to this day. Even though I haven't set foot in that place since I moved to Calgary in 1990.

Edited March 16, 2022 by SpeedFlex27

[Noeller]

The truth is that curling is now a professional sport. There is enough money available to them that most can make a full time job out if it. And yiu need to, in order to be good enough to make the Olympics. And making the Olympics is the ultimate goal of every athlete. And that's saying nothing about the money that comes to Oly athletes now. 

The Brier was the ultimate goal when money wasn't the object. Everything has changed for better or for worse 

[SpeedFlex27]

46 minutes ago, Noeller said:

The truth is that curling is now a professional sport. There is enough money available to them that most can make a full time job out if it. And yiu need to, in order to be good enough to make the Olympics. And making the Olympics is the ultimate goal of every athlete. And that's saying nothing about the money that comes to Oly athletes now. 

The Brier was the ultimate goal when money wasn't the object. Everything has changed for better or for worse 

I know you're not happy with some aspects of the game today. Teams also need sponsorships to help defray costs of travel, food & accomodations as well. 

[Noeller]

10 hours ago, SpeedFlex27 said:

I know you're not happy with some aspects of the game today. Teams also need sponsorships to help defray costs of travel, food & accomodations as well. 

that's a small part of it....they ALL have sponsorships now. Even the teams that aren't elite...the ones who curl regionally....all have sponsors to defray the costs. There are no longer expenses for these curlers, so everything they win (and then some) is all take-home. 

[FrostyWinnipeg]

And lets not forget the free money by the gov't 2 years before the Oly's which seems wrong considering the paid aspect of being a pro curler.

Said it before, have the Provincials and Briar/Scotties before the Oly's and send the winners instead of having a WCC. 

[JCon]

Just now, FrostyWinnipeg said:

And lets not forget the free money by the gov't 2 years before the Oly's which seems wrong considering the paid aspect of being a pro curler.

Said it before, have the Provincials and Briar/Scotties before the Oly's and send the winners instead of having a WCC. 

No. Playing the the Provincials and Brier/Scotties is a ton of work and then throw the Olympics in too? Maybe if it were in the summer. Not in winter with all the other events. 

[Noeller]

I don't know what the right answer is, but I'm hoping they have the "summit" that's being talked about, with the WCF, CCA, players and broadcasters (all "stakeholders") participating. Get to the bottom of how to fix the season, from the Tour to the Provincials/Nationals. 

[FrostyWinnipeg]

3 hours ago, JCon said:

No. Playing the the Provincials and Brier/Scotties is a ton of work and then throw the Olympics in too? Maybe if it were in the summer. Not in winter with all the other events. 

Provincials/Briar/Scotties is almost meaningless tho if it overlaps with Oly's. Team Jones didn't bother.