We've hit the halfway point of the 2010 Tim Hortons Brier and to no surprise, Ontario's Glenn Howard is leading the way with a perfect 5-0 record. We'll get to that in a second but first let's talk about Saskatchewan.
Darrell McKee, Bruce Korte, Roger Korte and Rob Markowsky all curl out of the Nutana Curling Club in Saskatoon. I had a chance to speak with the guys before they left for Halifax and they were all pretty confident going into the Brier.
They felt that while it would be an uphill battle, it was possible to finally end the Saskatchewan drought and win the Tim Hortons Brier. Yes – the Saskatchewan Drought… who knew that when Rick Folk won the Brier in 1980 (3 years before I was even born!) that it would be the last time Saskatchewan would win it all. Skip ahead three decades and we're still waiting for someone to do it… will Darrell McKee be that guy?
Well it started to look that way after the first few draws. Saskatchewan got off to a lightning quick start with wins over Prince Edward Island and New Brunswick. Since then, it's been all down hill as they've lost to Newfoundland and Labrador, Northern Ontario and Alberta. So Saskatchewan is 7th in the standings with a 2-3 record after eight draws.
With six games remaining there is little room for error. Though if they play well, there's definitely a chance they'll be able to contend for a playoff spot. They should be able to defeat Québec, British Columbia, Northwest Territories / Yukon, and Nova Scotia. That would put them at six wins. I'm going to chalk up a loss against Ontario's Glenn Howard tomorrow afternoon though anything can happen. Manitoba's Jeff Stoughton will also be a tough draw but if Saskatchewan can upset them, they'll almost certainly be assured a spot in the playoff round.
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Fingers Crossed!
TIM HORTONS BRIER: STANDINGS (After 8 Draws)
Ontario: 5-0
Alberta: 4-1
Manitoba: 4-1
Newfoundland & Labrador: 4-1
Québec: 3-2
Northern Ontario: 3-2
Saskatchewan: 2-3
British Columbia: 2-3
New Brunswick: 2-3
Prince Edward Island: 1-4
Nova Scotia: 0-5
Northwest Territories / Yukon: 0-5
Does it surprise you to see the top four? Glenn Howard, Kevin Koe, Jeff Stoughton and Brad Gushue – the four favorites going into the 2010 Tim Hortons Brier.
There seems to be a "great divide" when it comes to curling in Canada. It used to be that anyone stood a chance at winning the Brier but that's not the case anymore. There's a huge difference between the teams that curl for a living in the WCT and those who don't. It's a double edged sword.
It's great for the sport as fans get to see some of the best our country has to offer. It can also be perceived as a negative as some players / teams may be discouraged from participating as the chances of moving on are slim-to-none.
Personally I'm a firm believer that the only way to improve is to play the best. To steal a great line… To be the best, you've got to beat the best. And at the end of the day this is our National Championship and we owe it to the sport to see the best teams in the country competing for the top prize in the land.
Which brings up my final point… should there be a "Team Canada" at the Brier?
The defending champions at the Scotties Tournament of Hearts are guarenteed a spot at the next year's tournament as they play as "Team Canada". That luxury doesn't exist at the Tim Hortons Brier. A luxury that the two time defending Brier Champion and Olympic Gold Medallist Kevin Martin would like to see in the men's game.
He makes a great point – it helps in the marketing of the Brier and it opens up a spot for that Province. With Kevin Martin and Randy Ferbey, it's been difficult for Kevin Koe to make it out of Alberta. In fact he's at the Brier this year thanks in part to Kevin Martin's team opting out of the Alberta playdowns to concentrate on the Olympics. Nothing against Kevin Koe but if the Martin Foursome were at playdowns – I'd be willing to bet they'd be in Halifax going for a Brier Hat-Trick.
The problem is which team gets eliminated. There is no Northern Ontario at the Scotties so that would be a natural place to look. I've never really seen the point in having two teams out of Ontario but I can understand it given how big that Province is and how many people are living there. Still, that would be my first choice.
The second option being floated around is a relegation format. The team that finishes in last place at the Brier has to sit out the next year. The year after that, the last place team gets relegated and the team that sat out gets promoted back in. It's a format similar to soccer but one that I think would hurt the game.
Yes you can argue that teams like the Northwest Territories / Yukon don't really belong at the Brier. They don't provide much competition and are traditionally found near the bottom of the standings. With that said, the loss of a Brier spot could hamper the development of the sport up north. Or what if Saskatchewan had a really bad tournament? Can you imagine a Tim Hortons Brier without Saskatchewan? Why bother even playing at the Tankard? It would be a disaster.
What do you think?
If I had a vote, I'd say it's time to bring in "Team Canada" and in the process eliminate Northern Ontario.
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