More Random Thoughts as I Return to the Routine

So it turned out to be a reasonably successful trip to Melita, on the ice. Off the ice it was completely successful - the chance to curl with my sons and to visit with old friends and family are the main reason for the annual trip but once the games start, anyone with a semi-competitive bone in their body would call me a liar if I said it didn't matter. Of course, it matters while the game is on and this year with Mike and I sharing the skip duties we were able to win 3 out of five and take home the second event trophy (well there's not really a trophy but you get the point). Along the way we gave Murray Warren and his brothers their annual opportunity to beat us (in a pretty good game) as their preparation of the Safeway Championship. My dad declined the opportunity to participate on-ice but I'm pleased to say he still isn't shy on advice. "I thought you waited a little too long before you went behind on the fourth end," and similar comments are great education for Mike, and since I happened to be skipping that game, for me too. Thanks to Mike, Matt and Dave Wells for joining me again this year.
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And there is another proud grandfather in Melita these days. Bill Coleman is justly busting his buttons over the success young Jim has had with David Kraichy. I assured Bill that the team is probably at least as good as Jim has been telling him they are (and I suspect they may be better than Jim has told him).
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Olympic timing being what it is - the conflict of the Scotties with my weekend bonspiel meant I didn't see much of the televised action, except for parts of the TV games between draws. I salute the now back-to-back-to-back champions Jennifer, Cathy, Jill, and Dawn. Obviously, this makes them one of the greatest teams in Manitoba curling history. Lloyd Gunnlaugson is the only other Manitoba skip to win three in a row of any Canadian Championship - and he had one line-up change in the middle year. At some point, years from now, there will be a discussion whether or not this was 'the greatest' team. The problem will always be that they didn't have to win Manitoba to advance so they will not appear in the Manitoba history books as Manitoba champions. A future researcher is going to have to look at the national record books for an indication how good this team really was.
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I had planned to make the return trip from Melita through Glenboro to catch the final of the Manitoba Firefighters Championship but didn't make it. I see by www.mffca.ca that the locals won the championship. Congratulations to Skip Mike Johnson and his team of Cliff Cullen, Rob Gudnason and Jesse Janz. A brief article and photo are included elsewhere on the website.
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The first qualifiers for the MNP Mixed championship in Stonewall came out of the berth bonspiel on the past weekend in Neepawa. Kelly Robertson (Neepawa) and Scott Barenz (Charleswood) are the first entries with a chance to represent Manitoba at the Canadian Mixed in Morris in November.
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A Correction .. I did Brian MacKenzie's St Vital team a dis-service last week when I reported they lost to Harold Hamilton in Winnipeg Masters zone playoffs. In fact McKenzie won the A-B finals and won the Zone 14 berth.
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I'm looking forward to Steinbach and the Safeway championship where I'll be doing my regular championship reports for CKLQ Brandon, draw-by-draw updates at www.safewaychampionship.ca, and regular comments here at www.thecurler.com. Join Mitch Tarapasky and myself Monday (Feb. 8) on RockTalk - CFRW 1290 AM, www.cfrw.ca - for a preview of the Safeway Championship. Former champion and 2010 zone winner Randy Dutiaume will guest with insights into the teams, the draw and the chances of a new, young team winning - OR will a former champion return to the Brier from Manitoba?