As Canada's best curlers prepare to decide eight months from now which teams to send to Sochi, Russia in 2014 for the Winter Olympics, a changing of the curling guard might be happening right before our eyes.
The 2013 Canadian Scotties was won not by the favourite, Jennifer Jones, or another household name, Kelly Scott, but by 23-year-old Rachel Homan of Ontario.
Two weeks later, the Tim Hortons Brier was held in Edmonton and while the pre-competition question was Martin, Stoughton, Howard, or maybe Gushue?, the answer turned out to be Brad Jacobs, 27, of Northern Ontario.
Homan and Jacobs? This was Wayne Gretzky not winning a scoring title in the 1980s. This was Secretariat showing up as an also-ran in 1973, or Babe Ruth popping out to short in 1927.
Brad Jacobs? Rachel Homan? Really?
Curling fans were somewhat aware of Jacobs before he won the Brier by hammering Manitoba's Stoughton in the final. This year was his fourth consecutive Brier (with one playoff appearance to his credit), but he and his muscular crew of third Ryan Fry, second E.J. Harndon and lead Ryan Harndon (Jacobs's cousins) were ranked no better than fifth going into the week-long event.
One would think winning the Brier would make Jacobs a favourite for the aforementioned Olympic berth, to be decided this December in Winnipeg, but in actuality, the Brier champs have yet to nail down a spot in the eight-team competition. Only three men's rinks - Martin, Stoughton and Howard, who else? - have qualified so far. Winning the world championship, which starts later this week in Victoria, would go a long way to putting the Jacobs foursome into the Trials, but otherwise, he'll have to win a couple more bonspiels this spring, or win the single berth available from the Pre-Qualifying competition in November to get in.
While Jacobs may not have a berth in the Trials yet, the RBC account manager has a bit more money to play with. The Sault Ste. Marie rink won $40,000 for winning the Brier, is eligible for $144,000 in funding from Sport Canada over the next two years, will pick up $40,000 for training and competition expenses from Canada's 'Own the Podium' program and - this will buy a lot of coffee - $10,000 for wearing the Tim Hortons crest at the worlds.
They might give it all up in exchange for four round-trip tickets to Sochi.
Scott Ostler in the San Francisco Chronicle, after Dennis Rodman returned from a visit to North Korea, only to have that country later threaten to nuke the U.S.: "Dennis Rodman has shown much growth over the years. Once he was known as a team-wrecker, but now he is a planet-wrecker."
Comedy writer Jim Barach: "A survey says that March Madness costs businesses $134 million each year in lost wages from people watching games while at work. Even new Pope Francis I says he isn't doing a thing on the job until Notre Dame is eliminated."
R.J. Currie of sportsdeke.com: "A new study says after age 60 we begin losing our sense of smell. For fans enduring the Maple Leafs championship drought, at least they don't stink like they used to."
Another one from Currie: "A brawl reportedly broke out at a New Hampshire retirement centre during a bingo game. It was like a hockey fight, except with more teeth."
Scott Feschuk of Sportsnet Magazine: "(Winnipeg) Jets signed Olli Jokinen and Alexi Ponikarovsky, meaning they're set at 'floater' for years to come."
Greg Cote, Miami Herald: "Affirming that reality TV has run out of ideas, ABC has a new celebrity-diving series, Splash, hosted by Greg Louganis. Divers will include Detroit Lion Ndamukong Suh, who presumably will bring back the cannonball and rabbit-punch and kick other contestants."
Adam Rank, NFL.com: "There is a small part of me that believes John Harbaugh was forced by his parents to trade Anquan Boldin to his little brother after beating him in the Super Bowl."
Norman Chad of the Washington Post, after the Nationals named Stephen Strasburg their opening-day starter: "However, in order to preserve his arm, he will be limited to throwing out the ceremonial first pitch."
Dwight Perry of the Seattle Times: "Out-of-work slugger Manny Ramirez, 40, has signed to play for $25,000 a month with the EDA Rhinos in Taiwan. Or as Ramirez's marketing arm immediately spun it, Manny being Mandarin."
Janice Hough of leftcoastsportsbabe.com: "So with the USA bounced out of the World Baseball Classic does that mean we need to put an asterisk on 'World Series' champions?"
Jack Finarelli of SportsCurmudgeon.com, after Yankees first baseman Mark Teixeira sprained the ECU tendon in his right wrist: "Who knew that there was a tendon named after East Carolina University?"
Cote again: "The Panthers have the worst record in hockey . . . (and) Florida will be moving in NHL's realignment. Way things are going, Cats are lucky they didn't land in the Defunct Franchise Division."
(Care to comment? Email brucepenton2003@yahoo.ca)
