Curling
Glenn Howard is clear world title favourite, but who's next?
Glenn Howard is expected to capture the 2012 World Men's Curling
Championship in Basel, Switzerland. There, I said it. At the risk of
giving them the Kiss of Death, anything other than a victory will be
very disappointing for Team CanadaEleven other teams, however, will try to spoil my prediction of a Canadian victory. Here's a breakdown of the field.
Curling
Howard, Koe renew Brier's Ontario-Alberta rivalry
A familiar storyline unfolds as the 2012 Tim Hortons Brier gets underway in Saskatoon this weekend: Ontario vs. Alberta.Ontario skip Glenn Howard, the 2007 Brier and world champion, and his
rink are once again one of the two favourites to capture this year's
Canadian men's curling championship. The other front-runner is the Alberta team skipped by Kevin Koe, who's looking to win his second Brier title in three years.
Curling
Defending Scotties champ Holland struggling
It may sound unusual, but the favourite to win this year's Scotties Tournament of Hearts is not defending champion Amber Holland and her rink from Kronau, Sask.
To say Holland's team has struggled this year as the reigning champion
would be an understatement. They currently sit 83rd on the World Curling
Tour money list, with $900 in winnings in five events. I think it's
safe to say they're hoping to turn things around at the Scotties in Red
Deer, Alta.
Curling
Big 3 hitting stride for BDO Canadian Open
With the young guns starting off so quickly this season, there was some
anticipation that we would see a changing of the guard in curling. John
Epping had a great run at the Capital One Grand Slam season opener in Sault Ste.
Marie, Ont., making it to the finals of the GP Car and Home World Cup of Curling - his first Grand Slam as a skip - before falling to Glenn Howard.Having said that, heading into this week's BDO Canadian Open in Kingston, Ont., I believe that all
things old are new again. Back on the top of the list of favourites are
Howard, Kevin Martin and Jeff Stoughton.
Curling
McEwen the favourite in Grand Slam opener
For the first time in several years, the No. 1 team in the world
rankings, no matter what you use for a measuring stick, is not Kevin
Martin's or Glenn Howard's.
With his victory last week at the World Curling Tour's Cactus Pheasant
Classic, Mike McEwen of Winnipeg has taken over top spot on both the Order of Merit and the money list.McEwen is also the defending champion and, in my opinion, the favourite at the opening Grand Slam event of the season, this week's GP Car & Home World Cup of Curling, being in Sault Ste. Marie, Ont.
Grand Slam of Curling season preview
What's new in the world of curling for the upcoming Grand Slam season?
Well, there are a few lineup changes worth noting, and we'll find out
which teams are the ones to beat as we head towards the 2014 Olympics in
Sochi.
Here's what to look for on both the men's and women's tours in 2011-12.
Stoughton has only 2 real challengers
As Canada's Jeff Stoughton prepares to step onto the ice in Regina, the only real question is who he'll be playing in the world men's curling championship final next Sunday.This may be one of the weakest fields we've seen in years, as it appears only two other countries - Norway and Sweden - have sent teams that have a real chance of winning the title.
Howard looks to shake Brier bridesmaid label
This year's Canadian men's curling championship features many of the top
teams in the country coming together in London, Ont., but there are
three clear favourites who will almost assuredly make it into the
playoff rounds.Here's a breakdown of those teams, plus a look at how the rest of the field will shake out.
Young skips look to crash old boys' club
The best curling on the planet will once again be showcased at this week's BDO Canadian Open, with all the top-ranked teams in Canada vying for the $25,000 top prize in Oshawa, Ont.Grand Slam events provide a great opportunity for fresh-faced teams to make a splash, and maybe Rob Fowler or John Epping can join Mike McEwen in crashing the old boys' club.
The new kids in the hack
Mike McEwen's young Winnipeg-based rink is the hottest on the planet at the moment, with wins in their last three events - including the season-opening Grand Slam, the Grey Power World Cup of Curling.And they haven't even reached their peak as they head into the final Slam of the calendar year - The Swiss Chalet National in Vernon, B.C.
Mike Harris
A relatively unknown skip when he stunned a star-studded field at the 1998 Canadian Olympic curling trials, Harris went on to capture a silver medal at the Nagano Games. Still a regular on the cash spiel circuit, Harris now makes his living as a golf pro in Ontario and moonlights as an analyst on CBC's broadcasts of the Grand Slam of Curling series.
