Thrilling final caps incredible Hearts week
Monday, February 25, 2008 | 05:41 AM ET
I went to work today with a sense of dread – the semi-final was too good, the final game can’t be near as thrilling. I am happy to report that I was wrong!
In a true testament to the great curling all week, the final was a nail-biter and too close to call until the final rock came to rest. Congratulations to Manitoba’s Jennifer Jones, Cathy Overton-Clapham, Jill Officer and Dawn Askin for a gritty, hard-fought Canadian championship. Go get 'em at the world championships in March!
What I loved about watching Manitoba in this final match was how they seemed so calm and relaxed. They did not over-react to missed shots or difficult situations. They spoke intelligently to each other and faced difficult situations with better shot-making. They pulled their weight as a team, each playing their roles and positions perfectly. They showed comfort, poise and positive thinking under pressure situations. In other words, they played like the champions they became and not like the underdogs that they were.
So, what happened to front-running, red-hot Alberta?
I felt that they looked nervous and uncomfortable throughout the final game. In the first half particularly, Alberta played cautiously and defensively. That was a different style of play from their aggressive, fearless, confident play all week. I don’t think being touted the favourite helped them in the final, because they waited to attack the opposition. When the opportunity finally came to gain the edge, it was on the last rock in the 10th end to win the game. Sometimes, that one shot will work out in your favour. But, this time, Team Alberta missed by a fraction of an inch and the opportunity was gone. What a heartbreaking end for them after a dream week at the Scotties.
For the uninitiated, the Scotties Tournament of Hearts may seem like just another bonspiel, with the winner winning a little more cash than the second-place team. In reality, this is far from the truth. The members of the second-place team at the Scotties win a trophy, a ruby ring and a $15,500 team cash prize.
Compare that to spoils won by the members of the winning team:
a trophy
a diamond ring
a $15,500 team cash prize
the right to represent Canada at the world championships (in Vernon, B.C., this year)
the right to participate in next year’s Scotties as Team Canada (in Victoria, B.C.)
the right to participate in the Continental Cup of Curling (in Camrose, Alta.)
the right to participate in the Canada Cup of Curling (in Yorkton, Sask.)
the right to participate in the pre-qualifier for the Olympic curling trials in 2009
valuable points in the Canadian Team Ranking System
increased exposure and team sponsorship opportunities
A carding for amateur athletes – $1,500 tax free, per player per month for two years
This is why curlers sacrifice so much of themselves to win at this game. The end prize is incredible and seems to get bigger each year.
It feels like I have been gushing all week about how wonderful every aspect of this particular event was. I know that it wasn’t because it was in my hometown (in fact, I would have enjoyed it more if I was away from all my home responsibilities!). It wasn’t because it coincided with the 10-year anniversary of our Olympic gold medal. It wasn’t because the final game went down to the last rock.
It was because of the curling – the dedication of the teams, the passion of the players, the wonderful level of play, the parity of competition across the provinces, and the fabulous group of women who play the game. Here’s to a great sport full of great people!
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The Extra End »
About the Author
Olympic curling gold medallist turned broadcaster Joan McCusker returns for her seventh season as an analyst on Championship Curling on CBC.
McCusker was part of a curling foursome that dominated the world of women’s curling in the 1990s. With her teammates Sandra Schmirler, Jan
Betker and Marcia Gudereit, Joan won three Canadian and three world
curling titles in 1993, 1994 and 1997. While balancing young families
and careers, the team rallied in the fall of 1997 to win the Canadian
Olympic curling trials and the right to represent Canada at the Nagano
Winter Games.
Drawing on her experiences as a teacher, mom, world and Olympic champion
curler and broadcaster, McCusker serves as a motivational speaker
focusing on how ordinary people can build extraordinary lives.
She resides in Regina with her husband Brian and three children.
Recent Posts
- No doubt about it: Kevin Martin is #1
- Monday, March 17, 2008
- Lost opportunities mean elimination
- Sunday, March 16, 2008
- Kevin Martin must solve a chemistry problem
- Saturday, March 15, 2008
- Excitement, nerves, laughs - the life of a curling fan
- Friday, March 14, 2008
- Grand Slam veterans have clear advantage at Brier
- Wednesday, March 12, 2008
- Subscribe to The Extra End
Archives
- March 2008 (8)
- February 2008 (11)
Comments
MAUREEN SCHWARTZ
Hi! What a great Scotties for me!!! To watch it with my Mom (only one in our large curling family who ever made it to Provincials) who is chronically ill, and see her so excited and animated was very special! Mom watches every game and calls all the shots - laughingly saying I am curling 110% again today. Her days revolve around the curling when it is on and I only hope we will continue to see more and more curling on the "tube". Sometimes we bet a loonie on a game but mostly we just have fun watching it together. Thanks for making her "curling days" special! Kudos to CBC!! p.s. Mom would appreciate if we could hear the comments of the curlers more when they are discussing their shot and not the commentators quite so much. Thanks for reading this. Go Jennifer, Cathy, Jill and Dawn - have fun and good luck to you all!!!!!
Posted February 29, 2008 04:00 PM
Mike Hart
What a great week of curling. Thank you to all the women on the ice. I could not wait for the next game all week.
Such great players and shots!
Congratulations to Manitoba’s Jennifer Jones, Cathy Overton-Clapham, Jill Officer and Dawn Askin.
I must say that Amy Nixon from team Alberta was great too!
Once again...Thank you !
Mike
Posted February 28, 2008 10:19 AM
Bryce J. McEwen
Winnipeg
Mike Harris is the best curling commentator out there. I don't find him negative at all. And it's not like I'm a doom and gloom kind of person- I'm pretty upbeat.
I also didn't find him to be a HOMER at all.
Posted February 27, 2008 06:39 PM
Jill
ontario
What a great week of curling. Both teams were great but I think Jennifer has been down the road and deserves to finish the trip. Mike must have been still in a sour mood after his lost in the Ontario mens tournament.
Why isn't the CBC covering the Strauss Cup? Not just final games!!!!!!!
Posted February 27, 2008 01:56 PM
Don
Toronto
One of the finest weekends of curling ever I think, capped off by stirring sensational comback. Made shots, missed shots, suspense. Can't say enough about Team Manitoba-they showed calm, poise and resilience to battle back from 3-4 early in the week, facing every game after that in a sudden death fashion. Sports is sometimes about surprises and comeback wins just when you think someone's out of it- like Canada versus Russia or the Red sox versus the Yankees. And the ability to hang in, not give up, and claw your way back to victory says a lot and has to be truly applauded in any sport. Just an amazing story by the Jones rink of focus, spirit, teamwork,guts, determination, skill and strategy, composure, steel nerves and concentrated purpose. It was so impressive and inspiring. Fantastic finish on Saturday and Sunday games too. Hats and hearts off to Manitoba and all the teams for a thrilling week of championship curling!
Posted February 27, 2008 05:19 AM
Susan Katanna
Winnipeg
The entire curling week was wonderful....even with some of the teams not having their best games, including Jennifer. If anything though, it just shows that persistence and ability can still win the big one! We're sure proud of Jennifer and her team here in Winnipeg.
HHowever, I have to agree with the fact that some commentators were very biased towards the eastern teams so I and other family members were not very impressed with some of the comments made and have to agree with what has already been mentioned by others. Hope somebody is listening.
Posted February 27, 2008 05:17 AM
Ron Harris
Great finish indeed! Jones deserves a lot of credit for staying cool as the 10th end was looking pretty sour for her team. One observation--if Kleibrink plays her 1st shot with more weight or better yet throws peel weight at her own stone at the top of the 12 (1045 position)and drives it into the Jones rock or off her own.... then all the backing could have been cleared out of there and Jones probably would have been up the stump as Kleibrink would have been able to pick or tap the last Jones rock out and get 2 or more....But the skip who can stay calm to the very end deserves the win and Jones handled the sitaution like a desrving champion.
Posted February 26, 2008 10:07 PM
Mavis Martin
Joan: Just wanted to mention your write ups have been interesting to read. Enjoyed them tremendously. The Sponge Girls made it back to the Hat safe and sound and were once again impressed to see us mentioned in your column. We are trying to get some "sponsorship" to head out to Victoria next February so hopefully will see you there. I actually had tickets for the Canada Cup in Kamploops this week but unfortunately am unable to attend. Take care from the Sponge Girls and hope to ss you soon.
Posted February 26, 2008 08:13 PM
Paul A. Hannah
A hearty, "Well done", to the CBC and the announcers' covering the final rounds of the Scotties. As a Yank who has thrown only a couple of rocks to-date and is still learning the nuances of the game, I so enjoyed the insights, especially from Joan McCusker, on the strategies and the options the skips had to consider during the games.
I too became a fan of the game during Sandra Schmirler's run in the Nagano Olympics.
I was in Vancouver on vacation for a couple days during the opening draws, and certainly knew I was in Canada when, in a pub, there was Women's Curling (TSN) on three of four big-screens!
Fortunately, we get the CBC here in Seattle, so I was able to watch that thrilling semi-final and (almost as exciting) final on Sunday. Again, thanks.
//Paul in Seattle
Posted February 26, 2008 06:09 PM
leanne christensen
Enjoyed the curling over the weekend. Too bad Alberta lost, but Jennifer will be a great representative at the worlds. Just one comment - Mike needs to lighten up. Majority of his comments are very negative. He needs to tone it down. Yes the curlers make bad shots, but we don't need to hear that from him.
Posted February 25, 2008 09:57 PM
Garry Parker
Winnipeg
That final yesterday was a good example of why 8 end games make sense. Those first 2 ends had no bearing on the outcome yet the host committee had to pay for about 45 minutes of national TV coverage.
Posted February 25, 2008 09:37 PM
Bill Gilmour
Hi Joan,
I couldn't agree with you more.
The girls put on a super-show at this years Scotties.
The final two games of the round-robin were great. Then playoffs were even better.
The semi-final and final was a tribute to hard work and consentration.
I hope the men put on the same show come the Brier next week.
Cheers too All the Players.
Bill
Posted February 25, 2008 09:17 PM
Kim Poelemans
I couldn't agree with you more!!!! I never really liked curling until a key shot in the late 90's caught my eye. Of course it was Team Saskatchewan I was watching with Sandra making the key shot. I was hooked. I watched whenever they would be on TV, I would read about curling, sleep curling, I was a curling addict. Then, it just seemed with Sandra's death I couldn't watch anymore, it was sad. About five years later I spotted Jennifer Jones curling on TSN, I was in awe. All I remember thinking is 'I haven't enjoyed curling this much since watching Team Schmirler and again I am hooked. Once Wednesday came Team Manitoba was like a freight train that noone could stop. What an entertaining Scotties'!!!!! I only wish they would televise curling more. Just airing Championship games is great but it would be better if we could see how they got there.
Posted February 25, 2008 08:28 PM
Denis Bergerman
I have to agree with Joan McCusker that the final game was too close to call and that Kleibrink played too cautiously throughout, causing all the marbles to come down to one last rock. I have to say I enjoyed the game as I bottled a batch of Australian Shiraz. I would have been happy to see either of these two outstanding teams win yesterday.
At the risk of sounding negative, I must comment on the "other" CBC TV curling commentator, "Mister-Know-It-All", Mike Harris...his commentary was almost consistently blatantly and annoyingly negative. He sounded "arrogant" and he came across as an obvious Ontario/Eastern Canada HOMER throughout the week. This guy spoils the entire show! Can't you find someone with a positive outlook on life to do this job? He has been getting worse every year and yesterday's Tournament of Hearts broadcast was the final straw for me. Do we have to put up with his arrogance and dismal view of the world during the Briar and the World's too? Is his contract up at the end of this season? I hope so.
Posted February 25, 2008 12:39 PM