Random Thoughts Before My February Break

You know, if you`ve been reading my scribblings at thecurler.com for the past few years, the most important event on my curling calendar is still the Melita Bonspiel. That happens this weekend and when I hit send on this posting, it`s the last you`ll hear from me until Monday. You`ll have to rely on TSN or the local newspapers to tell you that Jennifer Jones or Jill Thurston won the Scotties Tournament of Hearts.              

It started as a family team with my dad and my two sons. Dad says, at 93, he`s a little too old to be playing this year - although we`ll give him the chance. None-the-less the Coutts team with the Elva Curling Club crests will play with the help of Dave Wells, who subbed in last year and once against we`ll chase the elusive bonspiel championship - or more correctly, I guess, the elusive second win in the main event. I fear my time as skip of the team has passed. Son Mike and his team finished the recent MCA Men`s `spiel with a 4-4 record. That`s two games and a win more than the Magnusson team. So maybe it is time for Mike to replace me as skip just as I took over from my father some years ago.

Second son Matt arrives from Toronto on a late flight tonight with his size large curling shoes in his carry-on. It`ll be good to see him and to curl with him again. I`m also looking forward to hearing about the Toronto (TCA) Bonspiel. Second largest and most likely second oldest bonspiel in the world, Matt curled in it this year. He has never played the MCA so a comparison isn`t possible but I`ll be interested in his thoughts on how that event works.

**
BY THE WAY - IT WORKED: Team Magnusson decided to enter the MCA this year in the hope that it would gets on a roll into the Masters Zones which started the next morning. We played enough to begin to feel like we can still play the game but not so much as to be tired out. And it worked out just fine. Norm made an absolutely outstanding draw around a centre guard to bite the button on an extra end. The result was a steal and my first provincial championship berth in 30 years. Instead of talking about it - I`ll get to play in one for a change. When I give Norm credit for a great draw, I also have to pat Brian Kushner and John Jopka on the back for an outstanding sweep. Me - I was just standing there saying to myself - I hope it gets by - I hope it is strong enough. Oh yeah - I can yell SWEEP pretty loud when I want to, too.
**

CONGRATULATIONS, DON: I have had the privilege in my lifetime of curling with some quality people but none of a higher standard than Don Newbury. (Well, higher may not be the best adjective to describe a guy who is somewhat vertically challenged - but he`s definitely one of the finest people I have played with). That`s why I was so delighted when Don won his first-ever provincial championship berth at the age of 59. Curling with Jim Kirkness, Don, Reg Steckler and Rick Pullen all won their first-ever and they`ll be in Steinbach for a Wednesday afternoon game against defending champion Jeff Stoughton. They won 9 and lost two between Thursday evening and Monday midnight and I have to admit if I had played 11 games in those four days and a bit, I wouldn`t have been getting out of bed for a week.
**

The Burketts - My Last Bonspiel Story: I enjoyed the work I did on the bonspiel both for this website and curlmanitoba.org and I have appreciated the comments I have had during and since the bonspiel. One story I was encouraged to write, however, I didn`t get around to. I explained at the time I was being encouraged that I never plan any of my bonspiel coverage - I write about the teams I play against and the  `stories` I discover wherever I happen to be in the bonspiel. The approach gives me the opportunity to showcase a variety of bonspiel stories on the web and on my radio show. Anyway, I dropped in at Valour Road on Monday afternoon to watch Randy Dutiaume and Doug Riach - and there on the outside sheet was Bill Burkett and his family team (two brothers and a son). They won that semi-final game to advance to their seventh bonspiel event final game. Their record going into that final was 3-3 and they were hoping to get on the positive side of the ledger. Not to be this year - but they`ll be back. As Bill Burkett told me this is their big event - their Brier.They know they`re never going to play in anything bigger than this and that`s just fine with them. Team Burkett will be in the MCA Men`s again and an again - they`re what the bonspiel is all about in most cases. Friends and family playing the game for the sake of the game and the competition and the challenge of making it to (and hopefully winning) another bonspiel event final.
**

Scotties - What odds on a Jones-Thurston Playoff game: An up and down week - but mostly up for Jennifer Jones and her team and there they are in the Page 1-1 game against PEI. PEI has been impressive but you have to think the Jone`team`s greater experience should be an asset in that playoff game. Team Manitoba has done better, I think, than most might have projected. A 7-4 record is a good one but just good enough for a tiebreaker. They`ll have to beat Ontario and BC to get to the semi-final for a match with Jones, if Team Canada loses the 1-1 game. And if Jones wins that 1-1 game, Thurston is going to have to beat Ontario, BC, and PEI to set up the Thurston-Jones re-match of their opening game in Sault Ste Marie. The odds aren`t good that it will happen but then, I didn`t think the odds were very good that the Thurston foursome would make the playoffs.
**

Keep the Pledges Coming: Elsewhere on this website, youll see a story about Brent Strachan and his team`s plan to make a per win contribution of $50 to ALS (Lou Gehrig`s disease) Research for eveny game they win at the upcoming Provincial Seniors in Branodn. We challeneged others to join in the effort and so far we are up to $225 per win along with a few pledges on the other side of the equation. I invite you - enourage you - to add your name to the list of supporters. I had an nice email from `Brent`s brother Dallas yesterday saying thanks to everyone who is supporting the effort. The fact that Dallas has ALS is the motivation for Brent and his team to do something to raise research and awareness. I`d love to hear from you with a bump for the initiative.