Regina’s Ben Hebert is still flying high after sharing in the 2008 men’s world curling championship.
Hebert flew from Grand Forks, N.D., to Toronto on Monday, a day after Canada’s Kevin Martin, John Morris, and Marc Kennedy beat Scotland’s Dave Murdoch 6-3 in the gold-medal final at the world championship.
Ever since curling became sanctioned as an official Olympic sport, we Canadians have been inundated with propaganda that Americans are flocking to this “cross between shuffleboard and cleaning your kitchen” in droves. Supposedly, this is why Grand Forks was chosen to host the 2008 Men’s World Curling Championships.
Yes, Grand Forks attracted the largest crowds ever to a curling championship held in the U.S., and the World Curling Federation may be pleased. But that is more due to proximity to the Canadian border as evidenced by the dominance of red and white flags over red, white and blue.
Grand Forks Herald | IN THE MAIL: Where were all the American curling fans?
He doesn’t have the hardware to prove it, but Glenn Howard believes his curling team has played just as well this winter as it did during its world championship run last season.
“I actually feel this year we’ve probably played better for the entire year. The only blemish on the resume was the Brier
Defending champion Jennifer Jones on the brink of elimination following consecutive losses Wednesday to open the Tylenol Players’ Championship curling event.
The Winnipeg skip dropped her first match to Montreal’s Eve Belisle 6-3 before falling 6-5 to Edmonton’s Cathy King.
Jones will meet Heather Strong of St. John’s on Thursday in an elimination match featuring a pair of 0-2 squads.
The Canadian Press: World champ Jennifer Jones nearing elimination at Grand Slam of Curling event
Canadian Kevin Martin earned his first men’s world curling championship Sunday, downing Scotland’s David Murdoch 6-3 in Grand Forks, N.D.
The Edmonton skip scored two in the fifth end for a 3-1 lead and never looked back en route to his first international victory in six attempts.
“There are clear messages everywhere around the lower bowl of (Winnipeg’s) MTS Centre urging the importance of turning off your cellphone ringer,” a Winnipeg Sun columnist wrote last week.
“However, the ban does not include any devices that are 33 times louder than your ringtone, such as cowbells, moose calls and some sort of Newfoundland fog horn or something.
“Another reason curling rules.”
Grand Forks Herald | OUR OPINION: ‘Another reason curling rules
Scottish skip David Murdoch said it’s never easy being Team Canada in a world curling final.
With the sport meaning so much to Canadians, Murdoch said, there is pressure involved in trying to close out a world championship.
It was a victory celebration 22 years in the making.
Kevin Martin’s routine takeout in the 10th end gave Canada a 6-3 victory over Scotland’s David Murdoch at the men’s world curling championship Sunday. After the shot the usually stoic Edmonton skip raised his arms in celebration, tossing a load of frustration and failure off his back.
“We hadn’t finished one off,” Martin, 41, said about his string of five international events where he failed to win. “We’ve been to so many international events over the years. It’s good to finish one off and put all that to rest.
The Canadian Press: Martin shakes monkey off his back to win men’s world curling championship
Team Canada burst ahead 5-1 and never looked back in beating Germany 9-4 in nine ends at the world men’s curling championship in Grand Forks, N.D., on Tuesday night.
Kevin Martin’s Edmonton rink scored three points in the opening end and two in the third to put German skip Andy Kapp on his heels, and allow Canadian alternate Adam Enright to shake off a little rust.
Skip Kevin Martin, also known as the Old Bear, and his young cubs continue to maul the competition at the World Men’s Curling Championship.
But Thomas Ulsrud, of Norway, managed to at least scare the powerful Canadian crew yesterday as Martin needed an extra end to secure a 9-8 victory in the morning draw. The Canadians later had no trouble dispatching Germany’s Andy Kapp, winning 9-4.
Old Bear Martin shows his curling cubs how it’s done at worlds
