BIG QUESTIONS
The Olympic Games are over, so now it’s on with the Tim Hortons Brier, a mustwatch for anybody serious about curling in this country. Here, then, are some of the major questions hanging over the event as it pushes from the hacks:
NEW KIDS ON THE BLOCK: There are a few of them, but one in particular is worthy of attention. Ontario’s John Epping has been banging on the door to get into the Brier for a number of years, and has finally broken through to make his first appearance. And while his team has had some success on the Tour, this is a big step up in prestige. How will they handle it? They should perform pretty well. It took Manitoba’s Mike McEwen years to finally push through the barrier, and he was a dominant force at the Brier. Epping should be one of the stronger teams this year.
SWEET 16: The field has expanded to 16 teams this year, including a wild card team, so you’ll probably need a program to keep up. The curlers at the Scotties in Penticton weren’t nuts about the new format, but the fans seemed OK with it. Saskatchewan curling fans are the best anywhere, but will they like the new format? The chatter in the Brier Patch will tell all.
WILD CARD: The wild card spot was claimed Friday night, and it was always going to provide another good team. The wild card team at the Scotties, Kerri Einarson, was so good, it steamrolled all the way to the final before being derailed. Will the same happen here? The wild card format is something that has worked out wonderfully and should have a place in any format for years to come.
HOME-ICE ADVANTAGE: We all know what playing in front of a home crowd did for Brad Gushue and his St. John’s team last year. The supportive crowds helped lift the team to the Brier championship, only the second for the province. Can the home crowd do the same for Saskatoon’s Steve Laycock? You won’t find better football or curling fans than those in Saskatchewan, so Laycock will have all the support he needs. The rest will be up to him and his teammates.
THE NORTHERN FACTOR: Curling Canada’s new 16-team format allows for all three northern regions to participate, but will they be competitive? They weren’t at the Scotties, but the women were all-in every game, and the fans appreciated that. They were also great sports. Say what you want about the north having full representation, it didn’t do anything to hold the Scotties back. Best team won.
NO KEVIN KOE: The Brier will be missing one big name this year, although there was no guarantee Kevin Koe of Calgary would have qualified through Alberta anyway. But his crack team was away at the Olympics where it had its struggles and came home empty-handed. Will his great team be missed this week or is this field strong enough on its own?
OLYMPIC HANGOVER: Will many of the curling fans who were glued to their flat screens for two weeks watching the Olympic suffer from an overdose of the sport? Here’s betting they won’t and will embrace the Brier as always.