1999 Brier
SLAM! Sports
SLAM! Curling
1999 BRIER
ON THE ROCKS
INTERACTIVE
ALSO ON SLAM!
They've got Brier hopes, they've got Brier hopes...
When the winningest skip in curling history packed his bags and moved his act to New Brunswick - a province mired in a 59-year Brier drought - they were all but dancing in the sheets.
"It's like winning the lottery, having Russ (Howard) come to our province and curl with us - that's what it feels like,'' said Grant Odishaw, competing in his third national championship.
"All of a sudden you believe you really have a chance to do something special.''
New Brunswick, one of only three provinces to never win a Brier, normally shows up at these things just hoping to be competitive. Their lifetime record here, coming in, was 265-427.
Suddenly, with Howard, they have as good a shot as anybody.
"We have so much confidence in Russ, he has so much experience and so much talent, that we really believe we have a chance,'' said Odishaw.
"But first things first, our goal is to make the playoffs and then we'll reassess our situation. We're having a lot of fun, though, our chemistry is outstanding.''
In Odishaw's first two Brier visits, the rink went 4-7 and 5-6. They're already 5-2 this year.
"In your third Brier you expect a little bit more.''
And when Russ Howard is the skip you expect a lot more.
"It's great for us, but it's still a four-man squad and everybody has to curl well to win,'' said Rick Perron, who's also been to two previous Briers.
How did they end up landing such a coveted free-agent franchise player?
"We found out he was coming in September,'' said Odishaw. "He asked a few people who he should talk to.
"A few people mentioned my name and he gave me a call. I said we'd love to have him play on our team, that we would rotate the players underneath.
"But I also told him I'd introduce him to all the top curlers in the province and let him make a decision (on) who he wants to play with.''
He picked Odishaw, Perron, Jeff Lacey and Wayne Tallon and the joyride began.
They entered a couple of small cashspiels shortly after forming and won both.
"He's going to be really good for curling in New Brunswick,'' said Odishaw. "Russ is going to bring up the level of the teams. They'll have to (improve) if they want to compete.''
IT'S ONLY A CRUTCH:
It looks like a plumbing experiment gone horribly wrong.
Or a cross between a curling broom and a some schoolyard monkey bars.
Manitoba second Garry Van Den Berghe - who fashioned the rectangular eyesore out of plastic pipe - calls it the Crutch.
"I made it a couple of years ago at a bonspiel where the ice was really heavy,'' said Van Den Berghe, who uses it to lean on when delivering rocks, as does teammate Doug Armstrong.
"I wanted a little bit better balance and I've used it ever since. I remember the first one we made had a broom head at both ends. It looked pretty funny.''
Unlike the current version, which always gets a few strange looks when people see it for the first time.
"I remember once when we were playing in Saskatoon. A couple of old people were saying 'That shouldn't be allowed! That broom shouldn't be allowed! That's cheating!' But the CCA took a quick peek at it and said there was nothing illegal about it.''
Any chance this thing will catch on, like The Hammer revolutionized curling brooms?
"Oddly enough there's not a big demand for them,'' he chuckled. "They're not lined up asking how to get one.''
MONEY ROCKS:
The Canadian Curling Association might not feel like paying its players serious money, but Rudy Ramcharan does.
Ramcharan, who throws second stones for former Brier champ Kevin Martin's rink, is putting the finishing touches on a massive, star-studded money spiel scheduled for next winter in Edmonton.
First place is expected to be in the $250,000 range, making it the largest event of its kind in Canada.
"You're looking at taking another week off work next year,'' said Manitoba skip Jeff Stoughton, who took a week off for the Brier, where he'll earn about $1,200 to cover expenses. "But if there's $250,000 up for grabs...''
Ramcharan plans on unveiling his project at a news conference tomorrow.
"He has something that's close to being reality,'' said Warren Hansen, director of competitions for the Brier.
"My main concern with anything is that you do it right. Make sure the sponsors don't get burned, that television doesn't get burned. It's really important that everything is kept on the high road. At the building stage that's extremely important.''