2014 Brier March 1- 9th

[Mr Dee]

Three of Canada's top teams are not represented:

 

The Olympic Champs, Team Jacobs will not represent NO, which means N. Ont. will be in very tough this year.

Team Martin, always a favourite, was beaten by Team Koe in a very good Alta showdown.

Team Howard lost a very tough final game when his last stone in the final 'picked' and ended up rubbing a guard, thus eliminating a sure game-winning shot.

Team Stoughton have flipped their front end players, with Mark Nichols now playing 2nd…a good move in my opinion.

 

The only odds I could find were provided by Jim Bender…so take them with a grain of doubt, although they are in the ballpark.

 

1. Jeff Stoughton, Manitoba (2-1) … 11th trip, one of the top 4 teams

2. John Morris, B.C. (4-1) … 4th appearnace for Jim Cotter's team…1st with John Morris skipping.

3. Kevin Koe, Alberta (7-1) … only the 3rd appearance for Koe…but he always had K. Martin to contend with.

4. Brad Gushue, Newfoundland (10-1) …11th trip, former Olympic Champ…good young team.

 

7. Jean-Michel Menard, Quebec (25-1) … 8th appearance, in my top 5.

5. Steve Laycock, Saskatchewan (15-1) …4th time representing Sask….who haven't won since 1980

6. Jamie Koe, Yukon/NWT (20-1) … 8th trip, always improving, but not in my top 5

8. Greg Balsdon, Ontario (35-1) … gave Howard a run, but was very lucky to advance 

9. James Grattan, New Brunswick (50-1) …11th trip, but not always as skip. 

10. Eddie MacKenzie, P.E.I. (60-1) … 4th trip

11. Jamie Murphy, Nova Scotia (75-1) …2nd trip

12. Jeff Currie, Northern Ontario (90-1) …will only be there for an experience.

 

 

 

 

[iso_55]

Morris is a very good player but not as a skip. he is impatient, Has a temper & isn't the easiest guy to get along with when his team isn't playing well. if they're something like 2-3 out of the gates, he'll implode. Kevin Coe is a very good curler. Already won the Brier. He'll be tough as will Stoughton. I thought Brad Jacobs got hot at the right time last year when he won the Brier & really wasn't that strong a team. Wow, was I wrong. If he was in this year's Brier, he'd win it no doubt. Too bad the Men don't have  Team Canada  like the Women..

[Mr Dee]

John Morris is skipping the BC team, but Jim Cotter is throwing 4th rocks.

In my view playing with Kevin Martin has helped J. Morris immensely. He no longer is that immature pup who breaks brooms. He has learned a lot and fits in well with the Jim Cotter rink.

They should do well and are capable of going a long way.

[17to85]

Morris is a very good player but not as a skip. he is impatient, Has a temper & isn't the easiest guy to get along with when his team isn't playing well. if they're something like 2-3 out of the gates, he'll implode. Kevin Coe is a very good curler. Already won the Brier. He'll be tough as will Stoughton. I thought Brad Jacobs got hot at the right time last year when he won the Brier & really wasn't that strong a team. Wow, was I wrong. If he was in this year's Brier, he'd win it no doubt. Too bad the Men don't have  Team Canada  like the Women..

Team Canada is coming to next years Brier I believe, as well as many other changes. There is going to be a relegation and the free ride for teams from a lot of the maritime provinces is going to end. There is much debate about whether it's a good change or not, I personally think it is a good change. Looking at the lineup of teams this year you basically have 3 teams with a shot of winning, Stoughton, Koe and Morris. The rest of them are also rans, and yes that includes Brad Gushue. 

 

Jacobs team is an interesting one, inconsistency is really their big weakness at this point but based on the Brier and Trials maybe they've outgrown those problems. Will be worth watching to see how they do going forward because we are likely to see a huge shift in the curling landscape next season. Lots of guys like Howard and Stoughton and even Martin might be retiring which opens up the field a ton, not to mention with the start of a new olympic cycle a lot of teams will be changing around. 

[iso_55]

Morris looked pretty much like a diva in the Brier last year. Martin had enough of him.

[Mr Dee]

Morris is the one who instigated the change.

[iso_55]

Morris is the one who instigated the change.

I know. I read that. But Martin wasn't unhappy he was gone. He may have kicked Morris out if he hadn't left. I wonder if will Martin keep Nedohin next season?

[17to85]

Morris is the biggest douchebag going. He's got a giant ego on him and thinks he's better than he is. 

[Jacquie]

Who cares! The man is ripped. That's the most important thing.