Stoughton's Spin

End Ender: The difference between the WCT and Grand Slam guys and the Maritimes is apparant but it is not in their inability to make shots, it is a lack of experience playing in big events. When you play 25 events a year, playing of 25,000 bucks you learn what you need to do to make that shot, if you play that shot once year, sometimes you make it, most times you don't. Out west, when a low level team can get 20,000 in sponsorship money and the Maritimes someone buys you a jacket for sponsorship you just don't get to play enough.

Finally, if these guys are so outclassed, why doesn't Russ Howard or Mark Dacey just represent the province every year....oh yeah they lost to these teams.....i watch the Brier to see other teams make it, if i wanted to just watch the big money teams i might watch a WCT event...and i don't and no one else does either.

I have never been a real big curling fan as are some friends of mine. I did watch a number of games this week on TSN then the final tonight on CBC.
When the final rock was played and it looked like it was good, the camera pulled away and showed the curlend.ers. We were not sure if the rock stopped on the button or what.
It was at least fifteen minutes before we actually saw the completed shot.
I could not believe they didn't show the rock till the end.
I will be hard pressed to watch the final next year after coverage like that.
Regds Ron

Nice job on the final cbc. I especially like the way the camera pulled off the last rock thrown by Kevin Martin before it stopped on the button. It looked like it was too heavy but we never saw it come to a stop as the procucer thought it was more important to see the boys celebrating.

I was watching the 2nd end of the Brier particularly the last 2 rocks thrown; one by Glenn Howard, where he completed a double, and one by Kevin Martin where one of the 2 AB rocks just removed from the house was supposedly still in play. I am fortunate enough to have a PVR w/ slow motion replay (1/4 & 1/15) and was able to rewind and review Glenn Howard's double and its complete aftermath; the red rock, that eventually forced Kevin Martin into taking a single, may actually have been out of play thus constituting removal as it appeared to come in contact with the side board. Circumstances like this could change the entire outcome of a game; perhaps an official time out could be initiated to review controversial plays much like a booth review in hockey. This one may have ended up as inconclusive but the camera view was excellent (Good Job Cameras!)and it sure looked like it came in contact w/ the boards (Check out the spin of the rock and watch the gapping between the rock and the side board) and as such should have been removed from play.

Great Brier and entertaining coverage by both TSN and CBC. But I have one pet peeve about the coverage.Why do the announcers feel compelled to yack on about what nice guys the curlers are? They would not go there when covering other sports.Why curling? And of course they are dead wrong about most of the curlers - especially the best ones. Martin, Howard and Gushue are typical of elite performers. They are self centered brats.To the extent they comeoff as nice guys it is strictly an act for the cameras. If you are going to talk about their personalities at least get it right.

Deep Inn...With exception of maybe Quebec, the final standings are what should have been expected. Y/NWT, NB and NS were, to put it simply, outclassed. With all due respect, they are all a great bunch of guys but you could tell who belonged at the Brier. The bottom rungs are not the caliber of the Grand Slam or WCT teams and were just not good enough. This event is not the Good Ol'Boys club it was 40 years ago. The really good teams are professionals in their field and it shows. Jeff just told it like it is.

watched the Martin & Simmons game and thought Simmons really had his draw weight in his pocket--he had nearly the whole four foot to draw to to win---can't see why he chose to hit--but is easy to critize

All to often a team go unbeaten in a competition, which game will Alberta lose the one tonight which puts them up against Ontario whose team is just as good or will they win tonight and lose the all important final you can bet Alberta will not be a perfect 13 and 0. One has to wonder if Morris will throw another temper tantrum and break another curling broom if things don't go his way! Any way the final plays out Canada will be represented by a great team.

Nice work Jeff. I used to be a Burtynk fan. I was absolutely disappointed in Burtynk & the negative way he managed his team. He needs to take a look at Ursel who kept so positive & supportive of Cotter when he struggled early in the week. Great curling this week !! Alberta Sask in the final !

Lets go Alberta!!!!!

keep up the good work!!!

go kevin martin

Saskatchewan already has the Grey Cup. If we had both the Grey Cup & the Brier, people would be trying to move to Saskatchewan. Just so they could brag, how good we are.

Stoughton,

I hope the cellar dwellers do take offense to your misery remarks. They were good competitors and this year's Brier was especially unkind to them. They deserve some good commentary after your backhanded remark.

My favored team was Rafuse. This team has considerable history at the Brier, Mixed and Seniors levels and yet they got practically nothing for media coverage. TSN should be ashamed for not televising one of their games.

Rafuse took Burtnyk, Gushue, Ursel, Cowan to an extra end and very good showings against Simmons, Martin and Howard. Any of those games could have upset the result of the Brier and yet it seems as though the Curling hot shots need only say it was an expected result.

I expect the winner will be one of a few certain teams. Any one of them will deserve it but the losers should get respect.

I think Stoughton disrespected the low placing teams. Shame on you.

It only saddens me that Team Canada is not at the Brier. For once the Women are ahead of the men in a sports arena!

I am a fan of yours Jeff. I was really hoping to see you this week, maybe next year. Great job on Stoughton's Spin. I really enjoyed reading your comments.
Even though I live in Ontario I am really hoping that Martin takes it all.
They have been curling great all week and really deserve this Brier title.

Am enjoying Jeff's blog

Great work Jeff. I think your predictions are bang-on, and I don't see this Martin team getting any weaker. If they stay motivated and keep the chemistry going it is hard to imagine anyone beating them at the Olympic trials either. I'm rooting for Simmons as he has been banging on the door for a while and the team keeps getting better, I just don't think they will beat Martin once, let alone twice. Team Ontario, and NFLD have been a little bit off, so I say BC over NFLD, Ontario over BC, ALTA over Sask, Sask over ONt, then ALTA on Sunday. Great work on the blog Jeff.

Jeff I think you have made great predictions here although I would like to see Simmons make it all the way but I think the pressure of passing his previous best will create a "deer in headlights" syndrome. This, if he gets passed Howard, could lead to a boring Brier final on Sunday. On a side note I think this blog was a great idea. Keep up the good work!