Monday, February 02, 2009

Can anyone stop Howard?

Glenn Howard starts the defense of his fourth straight Ontario TSC Stores Tankard at 2:00pm eastern today in lovely Woodstock, Ontario... and some are suggesting that Howard might have to develop a rather bendy delivery – see Capital One photo by Anil Mungal, above – to lose the 2009 title.

Brian McAndrew of the Toronto Star discusses the matter, pointing out that Howard has cashed $130,000 this season while the rest of the Ontario field has grossed just $34,845.

We’ve also got a local community story here plus check out this stop-motion photography of the transformation of the venue from a house of hockey to the palace of The Roaring Game.

As for TV, check out the Ontario Curling Association website for the televised draws, but keep in mind only The Curling News TV Curling Guide (in the February print edition) tells you which matches were intended for coverage, at press time. “So there” and “ahem”.

As for the talent, veteran play-by-play man Dan Dunleavy of Fan590 Sports Radio will be there, with rinkside commentary provided by Marilyn Bodogh. Rogers TV sports broadcaster Matt McCooeye will host the broadcasts.

Meanwhile:

• Here’s a Bismarck, North Dakota story on the Brazilians, written after their first match. They didn’t last long, losing all three matches in emphatic fashion, but kudos on their debut appearance nontheless. The United States, thanks to Todd Birr, is back in the Ford Worlds in Moncton ...

• Edmonton’s Heather Nedohin took three in the ninth, stole the 10th (showing her grit), but couldn’t quite do it again in the extra frame and lost the Alberta final to Cheryl Bernard.
Sounds like there was a bit of a collapse for Shannon Kelibrink, too ...

• There were lots of tears in Saskatchewan, and this didn’t even involve the winning team. That was Stefanie Lawton, who is back in the STOH ...

• In Ontario, Krista McCarville won her third final in four years, making her Ontario’s dominant team of the decade. But is she ready to make the playoffs in Victoria?

Bob Weeks found an opportunity to mention curling on his SCOREGolf blog ...

• And finally, this guy loves the USA Curling “Buy the Button” eBay promotion ...

1 comment:

Jeff Norman said...

Also McCarville has been in the Ontario STOH final the past five years. I don't know what it is, but she's been super-consistent in the Ontario STOH. I don't know why that consistency doesn't show in the Nationals... maybe this year will be different.