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Tankard Times
Jones waves the flag Rock Solid COVERAGE on ‘Canada’ concept For complete coverage of the 2010 Tim Hortons Brier, read sports reporter Monty Mosher’s stories daily. LARRY WOOD Tankard Times Editor Proud sponsor of the 2010 Tim Hortons Brier
F
unny thing about curling. Old saws keep resurfacing. Tall foreheads in back rooms think changes are necessary and when those changes are shot down the first time, the modus operandi of the moguls is to keep bringing ’em back in one form or another. And bringing ’em back, and bringing ’em back. A lot of the changes on the current table are questionable. From the standpoint of growing the game, though, the proposal of adding a defending champion (Team Canada) to future Brier fields makes some sense. What’s that? Don’t think so? Let’s check with someone who has been there. None other than Nova Scotia’s own Colleen Jones, skip of five Team Canada entries at the women’s version of the Brier, the Scotties Tournament Of Hearts. “I think they should bring it into the Brier,” says Colleen, without taking as much as a second to think about it. “From a marketing standpoint, I think it’s a necessity.
I mean, you have a two-time defending champion who is not here. That’s a shame. In terms of ticket sales, having the Kevin Martin team at the Metro Centre would mean automatic ticket sales. “I think, as we try to take the game to the next level, to not go with a Team Canada on the men’s side, and to not start to market our stars, is a mistake. The CCA has been hesitant to market the stars of the game and it has been up to the World Curling Tour and to sponsors that use people like Jennifer (Jones) in commercials. But the more the Team Canada concept is used and the more billboard faces of the game are produced, the better off the game will be. “I just think the argument is so sound for the men’s side. I think if Martin was here after the Olympic high, they would have filled the place every time they were playing. Right now the place doesn’t feel that full, and there’s a postOlympic blues, but you know NHL games will still draw, and it’s all about making stars and always making sure the best always are at your event. And I think the public perception in Canada right now is that the best guy in Canada is not here.” Public perception isn’t off base here, of course. But the Team Canada concept on the women’s side has had its detractors over the years. “I think it has helped the women’s game enormously,” argues Jones. “When they introduced it (1986 with Linda Moore’s ’85 champions) it
created buzz and hype almost immediately. And it gave host committees something to market. “I mean, Charlottetown already knows Jennifer Jones is going to be there next year. So they are going to be able to attract people from Manitoba, as well as the home crowd, plus anybody else in the country who wants to go there to watch Jennifer play.
“A men’s Team Canada would help thne Brier just as it has helped the women” Colleen Jones, who skipped five Team Canada entries at the Scotties
“There always are four names you know at the Brier that are great, but we’re returning to the haves and havenots of curling because the current system rewards those who have the sponsorship dollars to do all the travelling. So those teams are getting a lot better and the other teams
can’t do that kind of travelling. A men’s Team Canada would help the Brier just as it has helped the women.” Some observers and some participants argue the constant return of the same defending champions tilts the competitive balance. “Team Canada gets used to the pressure,” says Jones. “So those teams go in with the added bonus of been-there, done-that, wrote-the-book, I-am-not-afraid, and they become somewhat invincible, And, yes, that’s the downside. “The other teams are hungry to have what Team Canada has and they put a lot of pressure on themselves to win and compete and that changes the whole psyche of the approach to the game because they’re trying to win at all costs. You might even see Kevin Koe succumbing to some of that here. I mean, he’s finally made it to the Brier after all these years, now he really wants to do it. He doesn’t know when he’s going to get back because Martin’s going to be back in the Alberta playdowns next year.” But what about the maple leaf — that large red target on your back? “That doesn’t matter,” scoffs Jones. “It’s a free pass and it’s a good one to have and I don’t see how it hurts curling. It benefits the game from a marketing point of view. The host committee has somebody to promote.”
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