The 2013 Season of Champions Curling Championships

[judgejudy27]

Jennifer Jones won the Money list on the World Curling Tour for 8 straight years from 2005-2012. She was the best on the planet for 8 years. Probably would have made it 9 had she not had a baby and missed most of this season. Nobody in the history of curling was that dominant. Some even rate Norberg above Jones, but that is a huge mistakes, as Norberg could not win the Money list on the World Curling Tour even once, so even in the years she was winning those World and Olympic titles Jones was always better. Someone who was best in the World 8 years is always better than someone who was 0 years. Schmirler was amazing but was best in the World about 4 years- 1993, 1994, 1997, 1998, maybe give her 5 since in 1995 she dominated most of the season even though she fell at the Scotts. Colleen Jones was the best in Canada in a weaker Canadian era, probably benefiting greatly from the tragic passing of the great Schmirler, but was generally owned by the top European teams of her time.


Anyway back to the Brier I thought the Stoughton and Martin game was a tenative game by both teams, but glad Stoughton was able to win. Gushue looks on fire early on. He might surprise some people this week. Glenn Howard was very sluggish it seemed in his 1st game but still won. It is hard to guage how he will do as he struggled at provincials, but he struggled last early in the Brier and by the end of it was playing some of his best ever curling. However this year he hasnt had as good a season as he had last year by a long ways, and his nemisis Kevin Martin and Stoughton were not in the Brier last year.

[AragornElessar]

Nothing really... just observations/encounters at a few events over the years, plus a good friend who works in sports media has told me some stories about her that make "wonderful and classy" seem kind of farfetched.

Good game between Martin and Howard tonight. Gushue played lights out in both of his games today (granted, against weaker opponents).

Same here, only w/me it's been more than just *a* friend who has experienced what she's really like. As I said, my cousin got a front row seat to what she's like and then we've got Family Friends who have been to the last few Scotties and pretty much confirmed what most think of Her Highness.

Anyway...

My boys from the Soo are doing really well so far. Fingers crossed it keeps going on.

Great game between Nlfd and New Brunswick tonight. We had company most of the day, so really didn't get a chance to see much of things, but what we did was pretty great curling. Oh and one embrassing spill by Jamie Koe during the game against Quebec. His face was a pretty great match to the red of his uni.

[kylet3]

NL and Quebec are both off to really good starts including Quebec not just beating Alberta but beating them handily! 1-2 is probably not the way Martin and the boys thought they would have started but they really seem to be having issues with the new stones and reading the ice which has given way to a few picks this way. It doesn't get any easier this way either when they face Team Bicep er uh Northern Ontario today, but if they can get a handle on things like they did last night then I think they'll start to get it going.

Glad Glenn was able to knock off Stoughton. This could very well be a preview of the Trials Final in December. I think tomorrow will really start to give us an idea of where the teams are heading. Gushue is perfect but has yet to face any of the top guns right now. Will be interesting to see what happens!

[Dave of the North]

Glad Glenn was able to knock off Stoughton. This could very well be a preview of the Trials Final in December. I think tomorrow will really start to give us an idea of where the teams are heading. Gushue is perfect but has yet to face any of the top guns right now. Will be interesting to see what happens!

Gushue's last 4 games are against MB, AB, ON, and QU. Could be a rough end to the week...

[clarie]

Gotta love those Northern Ontario boys.....what an upset against Kevin Martin. Am rooting for them and for the Howard team. Go Ontario......either one

[kylet3]

Wow, the boys are just NOT getting their read on the ice and stones, they have yet to face either NL or Ontario now... They could be in BIG trouble if they don't run the table.

[Dave of the North]

Wow, NB beats Alberta - have they ever beaten Kevin Martin? Keeps their very outside chances alive for the playoffs, and puts another nail in AB's coffin.

[kylet3]

7-4 can STILL get Alberta a tiebreaker but they have got to get their act together. Grattan certainly earned his win today, and deserved it, but with Newfoundland and Ontario still to play... I fear it may be too late for the boys in blue and yellow. It's unfortunate because it is in his hometown, it's embarrassing to say the least, but I also think that this team may be coming to the end of their partnership. Certainly there is still the Olympic Trials, but they clearly aren't the team they once were. They've been together as a team for nearly seven years which in curling these days is an absolute eternity. I think Martin will be done after the Trials if they don't win. He wants to be on the links in Palm Springs, I can't blame him, he's won absolutely everything there is to win in the sport, but they aren't the dominant team they once were.

Interesting to see where this is going... Newfoundland, Manitoba, Northern Ontario, Ontario and Quebec seem to be the contenders at the moment...

[judgejudy27]

Martin absolutely owns Howard and Gushue in head to head play at the Brier over the years. If he can win his next 4 vs seemingly very beatable teams, and have recovered close to his best form by then, he could well still win 6 in a row and make the playoffs. Not saying it will happen though.

[Dave of the North]

The hard part starts tonight for NL, facing Jeff Stoughton. (Also for NB, facing ON. A win would be huge, if unlikely ...). I was a little worried today PEI hung in there against NB right up to the end.

I guess CCA doesn't want anyone from the east Coast watching the late draws the rest of the week - starting 10:30 our time...

[clarie]

Yep, the last telecast of the Briar is too late for us early risers. So NL lost their 1st which I figured they would...they have some of the more "fightin" teams to play now, I believe. Howard still hangin' in, woot woot. I hope NO rallies and comes back strong today. Could care less about Martin, although he seems to be improving his record against a couple of the weaker teams........what a whiner.

[kylet3]

I think Martin is looking for excuses to justify the lousy play. A lot of times when things don't go someone's way, they look for something to blame. Granted these stones and the ice by comparison to past events (and I live in this city and have been to the arena many times) have been pretty lousy, but the other teams are adjusting and getting the information they need on the stones. Looking at the schedule, they can certainly still make a tiebreaker, but they HAVE to win out, realize what made them the best team in the world for 3 years, and get back to that level, because if they don't, they face the possibility of a losing record, which would be beyond embarrassing. Ontario and Manitoba are looking the best so far. Nothing too flashy but just solid and consistent so far.

[Habs]

Ontario and Manitoba are looking the best so far. Nothing too flashy but just solid and consistent so far.

I would add NL to this list as well. Other than a bad end in last night's game, Gushue & co have been playing extremely well with very high percentages.

[Seerek]

I saw that Canada's junior women managed only a 3-6 record in the round robin at Junior Worlds (5-4 record would have gotten the team into a 5-way tiebreaker)...

[Alixana]

Managed to make it home for the last 5 ends of ON/NL. Some great shots by both teams but ON pulls it out in the 10th to stay undefeated.

[clarie]

What a great game between Ontario and NL.........curling at its finest.

[kylet3]

Yeah our junior women have struggled not just this year, but we haven't won a junior women's world title since Marilese Miller (Now Kasner) made an insane angle run back against the US women in the final in 2003 to win it, there's been silver and bronze, but no title. So another year goes by that we don't win.

I'm starting to think that 7-4 just may get a tiebreaker, which for Martin would be an absolute miracle after the week he has had here. It's still up in the air as to who will be in the playoffs. Quebec, Ontario, Manitoba, Newfoundland, Northern Ontario, Alberta and Saskatchewan all still have a chance, though one of Alberta or SK will be eliminated from that equation tonight when they play each other. Northern Ontario is still struggling a bit, I think with chemistry and what seems like Ryan Fry ganging on on Jacobs, blaming a lot of their problems on him which I don't think his fair. Ontario and Manitoba are still playing the best. NL has yet to beat the big guns right now.

[Habs]

Martin beat Gushue this afternoon... he's still in it.

[kylet3]

Martin beat Gushue this afternoon... he's still in it.

As well as a Territories win over Manitoba. These boys are talented, if they could get out of the north more often, they'd be contending consistently, but the costs and time away from family doesn't allow that. I am pulling for Martin and the boys to at least get into a tiebreaker, this is the ONE time they'll get to play on home ice at the Brier.

They need help though. Northern Ontario really helped themselves out by winning last night against Stoughton. There are a ton of scenarios that can get him in or keep him out. Ontario is by far the best team. Glenn is making great shots, but the team behind him is really making great shots to make his job easy. They'll either be unbeaten or 10-1 at the worst. Going to be an intriguing final draw tonight!

[kylet3]

Barring a miracle, I think the playoff teams will be Ontario, Newfoundland, Northern Ontario and Manitoba I think Alberta is pretty much eliminated unfortunately. Manitoba plays BC and Northern Ontario plays Nova Scotia. I highly doubt MB or NO lose to NS or BC.