As these Olympic Games wind down, the talk of who should carry the Canadian flag at the closing ceremonies will soon commence.
EMAIL
| PRINT
| REPORT TYPO
| SEND YOUR FEEDBACK
|
Popular sports columnists take a shine to Canada's Bernard
- February 25, 2010 10:35 PM |
- By Erin Valois
Story provided by
By Eric Koreen, National Post
As these Olympic Games wind down, the talk of who should carry the Canadian flag at the closing ceremonies will soon commence.
With Canada starting to pad its medal total, there will be several options. The most obvious would seem to be Alexandre Bilodeau, the moguls skier who won Canada's first gold medal on home soil.
Gold medalists such as skeleton's affable Jon Montgomery, ski-cross's Ashleigh McIvor or snowboard-cross's Maelle Ricker are also potential choices. And if she is up for it, nobody has represented the Olympic spirit more than figure skater Joannie Rochette, no matter how she does in Thursday night's free skate.
However, there is one choice that would certainly excite a few novice curling fans: the skip of the Canadian women's curling team, Cheryl Bernard.
The 43-year-old Calgarian has been praised for her curling prowess, as well as her more superficial charms in media outlets on this side of the border. It is the latter that has drawn the attention of a few American writers.
Kansas City Star and foxsports.com columnist Jason Whitlock has taken an interest in Bernard, calling her "hot."
"Canada back on!!!" Whitlock tweeted on Tuesday. "Bernard is [why] I love curling."
He is not alone. ESPN's Bill Simmons, arguably the most popular sports columnist in the United States, is also a fan of Bernard. Simmons coined the term "curlgar" -- a play on cougar -- to describe Bernard.
"I've said it a million times," Simmons tweeted on Feb. 20. "Any time Canada and Denmark battle in women's curling, you know you're in for a special night."
It is unlikely that Bernard will get the nod to carry the flag. However, Whitlock and Simmons will have at least one more chance to watch Bernard and her rink. After a win over Switzerland on Thursday, Bernard will go for gold on Friday.
About the Author
- Bruce Arthur Bruce Arthur is the National Post's national sports columnist. A Vancouver native, he has been with the Post since 2001, and a columnist since 2005. He is covering his second Olympics, after the 2008 Games in Beijing. He expects these Games to be slightly less propagandistic, and for China to win slightly fewer medals.
- Joe O'Connor Joe O'Connor is a roving sports feature writer with an open-ended beat. He joined the National Post in 2002, and has spent the past seven years bouncing from sport to sport, offering fresh perspectives and delivering unique stories wherever he goes. Whether it has been getting Don Cherry to open up about his love life; George Chuvalo to talk about heartbreaking loss; or racing down the side of a mountain with former Crazy Canuck, Dave Irwin, the veteran Postie chases a story wherever it leads. Before joining the newspaper he was a two-time silver medalist at the National Magazine Awards. Vancouver will be his first Olympics.
Recent Entries
- To Iginla, Crosby's call sounded like gold
- "Iggy!" It's a scream Jarome Iginla has heard many times in his career. But never this loudly, never with so much urgency.... Continue reading this post
- Olympic Memories: Heartbreak and triumph
- For all the moments that made you so damned happy you wanted to cry -- the triumph of Alex Bilodeau and his brother Frederic, the delirium of Marianne St-Gelais as she watched her boyfriend Charles Hamelin win gold, the pure... Continue reading this post
- Olympic Memories: The strength of a lion
- It happened in a blink. A skier was skittering down a steep and icy slope at Whistler Olympic Park and disappeared into the woods.... Continue reading this post
