Canucks Finish Fourth But The Fight Goes On

The Rolling Stones. They said it best with "You Can't Always Get What You Want".  And the Canucks are singing this ditty this morning after suffering back to back losses against Denmark first and then Sweden last night. The Danish team played great curling and secured the win in yesterday evening's game and then the Swedish squad were just making everything and handed Team Jacobs a loss for 4th place.

But 4th place is still not so bad. Granted, it's a tough road to the final but the Canadian foursome is more than capable. They will play Denmark tomorrow afternoon in the 3 - 4 game and you can be sure the Canucks are seeking redemption. My prediction?....Canada will win this one. And then, they will face the loser of the 1 - 2 game, Scotland and Sweden. This will be a tougher game for the boys but once again, it is a game they can win.

Surprises? Team Czech Republic. I think this squad had an excellent week and kudos to them. Also, Denmark, I find to be a bit of a surprise but hey, this is curling and anything can happen. This team played well this week and they are deserving of their berth in the 3 - 4 game. Another good showing this week was from the Russian squad. I liked them...they played great and I am hoping to see these guys on the WCT more. You get a squad like this active in the Grand Slams and their game can get to the stratosphere.

The BRCC ladies had their banquet last night and it was a nice time. The crew of Paula Sommers, Jamie Ellmore and Jennifer-Stanton Smith had the club nicely decorated and provided a fun time for all. They had a special visit by "Swami Sommers" who entertained the BRCC Belles with her insights. Thanks alot Paula for being such a good sport.

I hope to see the Ladies League back next year with even more teams in the mix. They had 13 teams this season and there is still room for this league to grow.

And back to the Canadian Men, hang in there! Because the next line of that Rolling Stones favorite is "If You Try Sometimes, You Just Might Find, You Get What You Need" These boys are far from out of it and I think you will see a star-studded performance from Team Jacobs tomorrow. There's another Rolling Stones tune that aptly describes what needs to happen in that 3 - 4 game "When The Whip Comes Down"....stay tuned, the drama is far from over!

Rock On!

The Curling Chronic

It's A Rollercoaster Ride At The Worlds

What a ride for the Canucks. Yesterday's loss to Japan is so typical in the game of curling. And you have to hand it to the Japanese team, they played excellent, much to the dismay of Team Jacobs. It seems Brad Jacob's confidence has been rendered a bit shaky but he is a great player and I'm sure he will get it all together. I can't imagine the pressure of representing the country and having that sit on you game after game. Still in all, the boys are 7 - 2 and still sitting at the top of the standings, albeit in a tie with the ever-present Scottish squad.

And kudos to Team Denmark who continue to stay with it! And the Russian crew have been playing well and they certainly gave the Canadians a tough battle yesterday afternoon. Their curling program certainly is making strides.

The Canadians will meet Denmark today and as they have been painfully made aware of, no team can be taken for granted! They will have to focus and play well and after that, they will meet Sweden and we all know that Nicholas Edin is no slouch even though he is not as high in the standings as might have been expected. These guys can, however, get on a roll so the Canucks will have to bring their A Game. If Team Jacobs can win this next two games, on this, the final day of round robin play, then they will go 9 - 2 and secure a spot in the 1 - 2 game.

As this tournament nears the playoffs, I find myself becoming more and more anxious for the Canadian squad. I would like so much for them to win...not only to win a world championship which would be totally awesome not only for these dedicated young fellows, but for Northern Ontario curling and for Canada. But that's not all, to win the worlds would give Team Jacobs a great chance to secure a spot in the Roar of the Rings. Not only that, but they would also get to the Continental Cup of Curling in Vegas where I will be happy to see them and shake their hands on a job well done!

Meanwhile, things have pretty well ground to a halt at the BRCC. The ice is long out and tonight the BRCC Belles will have their closing banquet and then that will be it. On to summer projects and making improvements to our club.

It's been another successful year at the BRCC and we can be thankful for that. However, the strength of our club is not something to be taken for granted. We still need to get new members into the club and into the Roaring Game. So over the summer, while you are hanging out with your pals in the hot, summer sun, tell your friends about how fun curling is and look to getting them involved. As curlers, the onus is on us to keep growing the game and keep growing our club.

Rock On!

The Curling Chronic

Canucks Take a Tumble to 5 - 1

David Bowie. Most of you will know him as a rock star. However, he has dabbled in movies during his long career. This is a scene from his movie, "The Man Who Fell To Earth". Interestingly enough, I believe Team Jacobs just fell to earth themselves after a loss to the Czech Republic who were, before this match, 2 -3. I'm sure the boys would agree that this was not their best performance and they paid the price. But falling to earth may not be the worst thing...we all have to remember that they are playing in their first world championship and they have been spectacular. It must be a struggle just to hold focus, especially when things start to go south a bit. This loss may be the best thing that could happen to them. Given a few hours to ponder this game and the result may in fact, be the very thing to get them back in the zone.

They will face Norway tonight and I expect this to be a barnburner. But if Team Jacobs can reset, they can get back to their formidable selves and string another bunch of wins together.

10 o'clock games. I don't know what it is, but the older I get, the harder it is to stay awake until the end...and it is hard to watch through your eye lids! Note to self, pick up some toothpicks at Kwik Way!

The boys are still doing great and I am confident that this is just a brief stopover in "lamentville". And it's like I said before (this one is for you Chad), drink a cup of focus and chew a few crumbs of confidence and they will be right as rain!

Rock On!

The Curling Chronic

Canucks Go 3 - 0

Team Jacobs. Great start to the Worlds as they sit undefeated. They played a big game last night against the tough Scotland team but went on to a relatively easy victory. The Sault Ste Marie squad are looking good and bar the 4 point faux pas against the Finlanders, they have been in total control. Ryan Fry has been lights out and I am sure at this point, Gushue is scratching his head wondering why Fry didn't play like that when he was with the Newfoundland crew. All kidding aside, Fry is an outstanding player in his own right and it would seem that finding his groove is tied in with finding a squad that he has good chemistry with.

The Jacobs crew is in the zone as they post their 8th consecutive victory including late round robin play in the Brier as well as the red hot run in the Brier playoffs. After getting by the Scots last night, it is conceivable that they can at the very least make the playoffs. But they will  not be able to take any team for granted and it will be imperative that they stay focused in every game. Norway is still in the wind and they have game. Today it is the Swiss and later the USA. I expect them to win both their games but this is curling and anything could happen.

One thing is for sure, Team Jacobs is in awesome form and they are now one of the top teams, right up there with Stoughton, Howard, Martin, McEwen, Koe. Excellent representation for Northern Ontario curling. This crew is proof that it is possible to attain your goals with hard work....and a few protein shakes!

Rock On!

The Curling Chronic

Men's Worlds Kicks Off This Weekend

I know what you're thinking. Am I promoting the TV series, "Vikings?"  Well no, but I do like that series. But these guys are not in it, although they are northmen. This is Team Finland and they will be in Victoria this weekend to play in the Mens World Curling Championships and they will be meeting the Canucks at some point.

Here are my predictions for this year's worlds:

Top 4 Teams to playoffs at the end of the week: Jacobs (Canada), Murdoch (Scotland...yes, that's right..Murdoch is skipping and Tom Brewster will be third), Ulsrud (Norway) and Edin (Sweden). Final will be Canada vs Scotland with Jacobs going on to win the Worlds. However, i don't think it will be an easy win for the Canucks...the Scots look like a tough squad and in this case, I don't think looks are deceiving.

I forgot to thank Murray Fullerton and Michel Rivard in my last post. These guys lent the BRCC their trailers so we could have storage for the Mens Closing. Thanks alot guys for all you do.

Stay tuned and I'll get with you once the Canucks have played their first and we'll see how they look. I expect they will have  some early game jitters as this is their first World Championship but hopefully this will not impede their performance. Another big week for Northern Ontario Curling.

Rock On!

The Curling Chronic

Muirhead Wins Gold

Team Muirhead. Winners of this year's World Womens Curling Championship. They won it, they deserve it. There are many that would say that Homan should have thrown the draw for her last shot in that semi-final. I would have to argue that the scoring area was pretty small and the double was there. The take out is definitely Homan's "go to" shot and make no mistake, on another day she would have made it. As it was, she stuffed it and lost the game. BUT, the Canucks had a good run and they did well. They are a young team and I am confident they will get back there and go all the way. Just  not this year.

The Men's Closing ended on Sunday with Team Gary Graham winning the A Event over Al Harnden. Team Shane Boyer from the BRCC won the B Event with a win over Danny Lemieux. (By the way, Danny had his 16 year old son, Mitchell, playing third and this squad also had a good run). Team Chad Horton won the C Event over Team Jeff Edwards. And it was Team Dunc Murphy winning the D Event over  Team Terry Fryer.

All in all, an excellent event once again. Thanks alot to Nancy and Brian West for making this event such a success. The prize table was incredible! Nancy worked hard this weekend and I cannot say enough how much of an asset the Wests are to the BRCC. They do so much for the club, so if you see them around, offer them kudos on an excellent job. Also, a word of thanks to Mike Laderoute, Michel Rivard, Rick Olmstead, Rick Albert, Terry MacDonald, Ron Forrest, Dan Shannahan, Gator Fortin and Warren Neufeld for a great job on the ice.

I want to say a special word about Gator and Karen Fortin. These are first rate people and also huge assets for the BRCC. I noticed on Saturday that Karen showed up to the club with 2 laundry tubs full of sandwiches that they made for the curlers. Not only their teams, but for everyone who wanted a quick bite. This was NOT for profvit, they did this as a random act of kindness. This is truly a reflection of the type of great people that the Fortins are. Thanks alot Gator and Karen.

A special thanks to Cameco for donating the BBQ's. I'm not sure what else they donated but I am sure the list would be too long to type out, especially if we added up what this company has donated throughout the year. Cameco, once again, demonstrates just how community-minded it is. The BRCC has done well again this year, and the help of Cameco is a big part of this. Thanks alot to Cameco, Chris Astles and the great employees that work there.

Great job by Jukebox and the people who got up to bang out some tunes at the Saturday afternoon jam session. Anita and Joanna did a great job as DJ's for the dance.

And thanks to all the volunteers that helped out during this weekend. The BRCC depends on its volunteers so all these people are also a big factor in the success of the club.

The Mens Worlds will be this weekend, kicking off on Saturday. Jacobs will be taking on China first. Team Liu is no pushover but if the Canucks play anything like they played in the playoffs of the Brier, then they should have no trouble. Stay tuned for my playoff and winner predictions.

Rock On!

The Curling Chronic

Happy Men's Closing Day

Anna Siderova. Skip for Team Russia. This team has made huge inroads in the Russian Curling program. I like this team, they have a good game. But they will need it, because she will be playing against the US in a bid for the 4th spot in the playoffs. If Russia loses, there will be several teams at 5 losses that will play in a tie breaker. One of them is the US ladies. Another would be the Swiss but they will have to win their game this afternoon. If Siderova wins, there will be no tie breakers. But the Canadian ladies are in the wind for whoever comes out of this shuffle. They ended up going 8 - 3 in regular round play with wins against China and then Japan this morning. The Canucks look good out there now. They look to be in control and are confident. They need to win their next 2 games straight to get to the final.

And Happy Mens  Closing Day! It's finally here, the premiere event at the BRCC. With games beginning at 6 pm tonight, there are 48 teams playing in this excellent tournament. I'm stoked!

It's confirmed, the top team in the BRCC Ladies League is Team Anita Moran. Great job ladies! This squad of Anita Moran, Lucy Ann Trudeau, Denise Hutchings and Paulie Ann James were consistent all year and they won the vast majority of their games, ending their season by giving the Red Bum Award to my beloved Rez Girls. I should mention that Pauli Ann James is a junior curler and she is an awesome young curler. She has a solid delivery and given time, she will will be a tough act to follow. I'm hoping this squad stays together for next year.

So that's it for now. My first game tonight is 10 pm and Thursdays always turn out to be a late night. I will attempt to update the action at the BRCC Mens Closing but I cannot guarantee it but you can count on the results following the spiel!

Rock On!

The Curling Chronic

Canadian Ladies 6 - 3

Team China. Skipped by Bingyu Wang. This team has won the World Championships before but it will not be this year. Sitting at 4 - 5 with their most recent win being against Latvia, 5 losses is most likely too many.  But they are a tough squad and now they can play spoiler. This is the team that Canada will face next. And Canada is just coming off a win against Switzerland. This was a big win for the Canucks. I have to hand it to Tirinzoni, she made some fantastic shots but so were the Canadians and in the end, they finished early. But, the Canadian gals will have to carry this elation to the next game because it will not be an easy one and they will have to continue to play well.

It seems to me that the Canadians have found their mojo. They look to me more confident now, especially Rachael Homan. That's a good thing because when they are in the zone, they can beat anybody.

The Swedish ladies are guaranteed a play off spot. This is an awesome team, I am really impressed with Maria Prytz, she's a pistol!

Scottish Team Eve Muirhead is in second place now but still looking very strong. Russia just suffered another loss so they sit at 3 losses as well. I really like this Russian team. They have come on really strong this year and it is good to see.

So it's a tough road ahead for our Canadian champions but they are up for the challenge. A cup of focus and a few crumbs of confidence goes a long way. C'mon you Canucks, bring home the hardware!

Rock On!

The Curling Chronic

Team Mitchell Threepeats!

The Robb Road Express. Always a bridesmaid, never the bride. The team of Ben Lemieux, Robin St Jules, Dan Horton and Lloyd Wilton had an excellent year and a great play off run but they were stopped short of the finish by the ever-consistent Mitchell crew...Dave Mitchell, Gator Fortin, Richard Olmstead and Scott Smith. That's three in a row for Team Mitchell. Great job guys and congratulations on another successful season. They'll be back next season and I'm sure there will be a lineup of squads looking to unseat them. In the meantime, that's two finals in a row that the Robb Road Express has lost (and to the same team!) But they really didn't lose, they had an excellent season and even scored an eight-ender. This crew has been together a long time and they enjoy their Thursday night Mens Curling. They have already won, as has everyone else that participates in this league. The BRCC Thursday Mens is a big league and is usually spread over three nights of the week. Always lots of good games and certainly lots of good laughs. Well, I do lament the end of the season for this league, but the Men's Closing is just 1 day away and we'll all be back together again for one last hootenanny before everyone gets lost at the golf course and at camp.

The Tuesday Ladies finished off last night with their last night of play. This league enjoyed a successful season as well. I have not yet heard officially who the top team is so i will wait for the official word before I post that result.

Meanwhile, the Canadian Seniors is still going on in Summerside, PEI. Northern Ontario's Team Vicky Barrett sits at 3 - 3 at the mid-week mark. On the Men's side, Team Bruce Munroe is 1 - 5, most likely out of the play offs.

In the Womens Worlds, the Canadian gals took a loss to Sweden to go 4 - 3 but rebounded with a win against Germany and they now sit at 5 - 3. I'm sure three losses is close to the bubble in terms of making the play offs so really, another loss could be to their detriment. They did play a better game against Sweden but man, that Maria Prytz makes alot of shots and she really kept her squad in the game. It sounds like the there is a struggle with the ice and mis-matched rocks. I'm sure there is a difference in the ice conditions but they will have to adapt and overcome if they want to be around for the end of the week. Sweden and Scotland both sit at 7 - 1. They will be hard to get by but if Homan can pick up her game, they can beat these teams all day long. The Canucks will face Switzerland (Team Tirinzoni) today at 12:30 pm ET. Right now, the Swiss sit at 4 - 3 and are in a 3 - 3 tie with Germany (8th end) as I type this. This Team Tirinzoni are no push overs and Team Homan will have to find her confidence and pull it all together and get to 6 - 3. This game could be a real morale booster so they have to pull it out.

And that's it for another day of curling. Congrats once again to Team Dave Mitchell, once again the current BRCC Mens Champs.

Rock On!

The Curling Chronic

Mitchell / Lemieux Final in the Mens

The Thursday Newfie Bullet. Red Bum Award for last night's performance in the semi-final of the Mens Club Championship. And so it becomes Team Mitchell going up against the Robb Road Express. This is a repeat of last year's final. Both are deserving teams and it would be hard to predict the outcome. The Mitchell squad are the defending club champions but the Robb Road Express have been formidable this year and could easily take it. One way or another, this outcome will be decided tonight. Looking for some entertainment, check out this game. It'll be a good one! I have pals on either side in this match so I cannot root for one team over the other so that said, good luck to both teams.

Meanwhile, the Monday / Wednesday Leagues finished off last night with some curling and some snacks. Excellent vittles! Michel Rivard showed up with some kind of wieners in tangy sauce. It was awesome! Michel not only knows ice...he can cook too!

The BRCC Belles will wrap it up tonight as they play their final games. They will have their banquet on April 4 to finish out for the year. Tickets are available at the bar or speak to Jamie Ellmore, Paula Sommers or Jennifer Stanton Smith.

The Mens League will be having a pizza and wings night on Thursday, March 28 @ 6:30 pm. Come play some cards and/or hang out with the guys.

The BRCC AGM was yesterday and a new board was elected. The directors for this upcoming year will be: Kristy Blanchett, Christie Hagger, Lorraine Liss, Christine Scholburg, Al Viel, Glen Austin, Bob Villeneuve, Ryan Hagger and Michel Rivard. It will be nice to see some new faces on the board. It is always good to have fresh faces and fresh ideas coming to the table. Thanks to the outgoing board members!


At the Women's Worlds, Canada sits 3 - 2 and as I type this, are playing against Italy. They will most likely win this game but they are uncharacteristically tentative, I find. They do not look completely comfortable out there and as we approach mid-week, it will be imperative that they settle down and get to the job at hand. The Homan rink is an awesome squad. They will have to bear down though as they are meeting some tough teams coming up. One of those teams is Sweden, who are still undefeated. Also, Germany lies ahead as well.

Getting excited yet?! The Men's Closing is just a couple of days away now and BRCC's premiere event will kick off. This is always a huge tournament and what a good time. This spiel is famous...and it sure is a tough act to follow.

Rock On

The Curling Chronic