1999 Brier
SLAM! Sports
SLAM! Curling
1999 BRIER
ON THE ROCKS
INTERACTIVE
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Hemmings brings credit to the sport
If Quebec wins.
Charismatic Quebec skip Guy Hemmings is a good-guy hero, despite the black Stetson he wore to yesterday's gunfight with The Big Man, flatland skip Gerald Shymko of Saskatchewan.
Hemmings makes you want more good guys.
The past few years have been filled with so-called bad guys. There's B.C. businessman Merv Bodnarchuk, who pays U.S. cash to hire out-of-town gunslingers to play on his teams.
There are the sellouts who accept maverick Merv's greasy G-notes; this list is long and most recently headed by 1998 Brier semi-finalist Dale Duguid.
There's U.S. champ Tim Somerville, a guy who may have single-handedly prevented his country from sending TV cameras into the Olympic curling arena.
Even some of our Brier champs, such as Kevin Martin and Wayne Middaugh, have seemingly unshakeable reputations for arrogance.
There are a bunch of bland guys, too. Colourless, odourless, they may throw great rocks but there's no sizzle.
Hemmings' opponent, Manitoba's Jeff Stoughton, fits into this category. So did the vanquished Shymko, despite his massive size and gentle nature. It's not so much their fault ... it's Hemmings' fault for carrying himself in such wildly Technicolour fashion.
He was at it again yesterday, hamming it up for the crowds and cameras, eliciting cheers and adulation. And this response from a staunch prairie crowd ... for a Quebecer.
I remember how I had first heard of this Guy. As the story goes, Hemmings suddenly appeared at the McCain Superspiel in New Brunswick some four years ago. After the pre-game handshake ritual with Oakville's John Base, one of Base's teammates realized he had missed someone. The Oakville player turned around to look for this Hemmings fellow -- who was standing right there -- and let out a bloodcurdling shriek. Hemmings' wild hair and dishevelled appearance had literally scared the hell out of him. Everybody laughed, while Hemmings just grinned.
Later, after veteran Pierre Charette joined the squad in the summer of 1997, Hemmings won $40,000 on the circuit and appeared in the skins game. They made it all the way to the Brier final before losing, but Hemmings was a smash hit with the fans and media. He nailed a national sponsorship deal with Canadian Club whiskey, and was flown back to Winnipeg for a series of jam-packed autograph sessions.
Through this year's cashspiel season, curlers discussed the Hemmings phenomenon. Some dismissed his 1998 success as a fluke, with others insisted he was the real deal. Everyone agreed that his teammates had blossomed and that they were rapidly turning into an impressive four-man outfit.
Hemmings is legitimate, a draw player with ever-escalating confidence. Two teammates were voted all-stars in Edmonton. A victory today will clarify this for everyone, but back-to-back Brier appearances -- in the final -- are good enough for me.
Sadly, a loss may ruin Hemmings forever. Rumours say that only a Brier victory will keep Charette on the team, and if they lose he might get his walking papers. Charette is widely credited with adding much to the squad's successful resume, and if his time is up, Hemmings could slide backward into the pack of wannabes.
However, a win would assure the team staying together for a full three years, up to the 2001 Olympic Trials. Three more years of charisma and salesmanship, the likes of which curling hasn't seen in years.
If that is the case, score one more for the good guys.
George Karrys' curling column appears Sundays. He can be reached at gkarrys@iname.com