by Dalene Heck
TSN graphic composite by Anil Mungal

CALGARY – Here’s what the people are saying about The Shot. Yes, that shot.

Click the above graphic to zoom in!

We’ll start with the athletes and then move onto the public… and some of them via Facebook!

“An angle-raise, in-off double and stick it and throw your arms in the air and run around like an idiot. It was a one-in-a-million.”
– Glenn Howard

“I’m really sorry I’m the guy who set him up to play it.”
– Joel Jordison

“Collectively we weren’t our best. I let the boys down, it was my worst game of the week and somehow miracles happen.”
– Glenn Howard

“Call it an angle-raise double re-direct.”
– Richard Hart

“Makes me want to lose some hair and grow two feet.”
– Cheryl Bernard (Pro Picker, Calgary)

“It was a pretty epic shot.”
– Tara Runquist (Alberta fan)

“What a moment…
Wouldn’t it have been fantastic to see that shot happen in the final for the championship?!?! Sure… but it is unlikely that Ontario’s opponent in the final would have allowed that moment to happen. I love witnessing great moments and unfortunately this one began with a tactical error by a top-notch team from Saskatchewan.
The real part to focus on however is that all the variables required for that moment to happen… did. The fact that the rocks were positioned perfectly, inviting perfection was appetizing. Then factor in that it was Glenn Howard in the hack. The moment requested greatness and that’s why my arms rose to the air along with Glenn’s.
What a moment…”
– Dean Joanisse (Pro Picker, Vancouver)

And now to the people… via Facebook!

Steven Lobel thinks that the Ice Man no longer owns the best shot in curling. But still the most important.
(Whitby, ONT)

Sebastien Robillard just saw the best curling shot ever! DAMN.
(Montreal, QUE)

Jesse Ruppell says nice shaaaaat!
(Ottawa, ONT)

Brian Chick can’t believe SASK left that for him… it was wired.
(Toronto, ONT)

Darryl Nodwell in/off slash raised triple for the win – wow …
(London, ONT)

Rich Ashford I call it the Tim Horton’s shot…a double-double!
(Pittsburgh, PA)

Dean Gemmell thinks he just saw about the best shot ever to win a curling game.
(The Curling Show)

Leigh Armstrong is just witnessed the best shot in curling ever! Go Team Ontario!!
(Oakville, ONT)

Earl Andrew Washburn is OMG, craziest curling shot ever! Glenn Howard is God!
(Ottawa, ONT)

Mike Aprile I think he’s insane in the membrane after that shot!
(Whitby, ONT)

Jill Officer is holy s**t, what a shot!
(Winnipeg, MAN)

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CALGARY – Fellow blogger Margo and I have been debating for the last few days over whether we are trashy enough to write a post about who our all star “HOT” team is.

We have decided that yes, we are that trashy. Hey, if Joan McCusker can blog about it for CBC last year, then why can’t we?

Here are our picks… which are surprisingly different. Note that our definition of “hot” goes beyond good looks and includes perceived personality, attitude, and in my case, resemblance to a Raging Bull.

Dalene’s All-Stars

Skip – Nova Scotia’s Mark Dacey it is. There’s something to be said for the intense, bad boy vibe he’s got going on.

Third – sorry J Mo. I know other bloggers have previously commented on your “movie star” good looks, but I’ve got a huge star crush on Robert De Niro, which makes my choice for New Brunswick’s James Grattan the only logical one available. See composite image of Bob the Babe and Jimmy The Kid above, and discuss my logic at your whim.

Second – Tough choice between Alberta’s Marc Kennedy and Saskatchewan’s Aryn Schmidt. I think I’m going to have to give the edge to Schmidt because I’ve never been a fan of blondes.

Lead – Gotta go with Ontario’s Craig Savill. I know, I know… first a car, now this. Can you believe it’s only been a couple of years since he wiped out and fell on the Hamilton Brier ice, to much derisive laughter?

Margo’s All-Stars

Skip – Jean Michel Menard, Quebec. He seems like such a nice guy and I tend to like guys with no hair.

Third – John Morris, Alberta. This was a tough one. Honourable mentions go to Jon Solberg of the NWT (er, should that be Yukon?) and Mark Nichols from Newfoundland.

Second – Brent Laing, Ontario. Again, I like the short/no hair. I’m not totally sold on this one. I’d like to demote a few thirds down to second for a week.

Lead – Mark Olson, British Columbia. He’s curling up a storm, which is always kinda hot. And he’s a baby-faced cutie too.

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When I weighed myself this morning I was three pounds lighter than I was yesterday morning. My intake for the day included one large malt, one piece of Hawaiian pizza and about 15 vodka and diet cokes.

Ugh.

So this is my post-patch update. I wish I could tell you I remembered it all. But I can’t… I started off the night playing “flips” with some friends. For those of you not familiar with this game, it’s a Brier Patch favorite.

Four people play odd-man-out coin flipping until there is only one person left. That person buys the round. I played five times and lost four. Do the math, people.

At $6.00 a drink that’s $96.00. My $80.00 budget for the night was no longer sufficient and I found myself at the Patch bank machine in no time. Needless to say, I stopped flipping and starting buying two drinks at a time for myself.

Fellow blogger Dalene Heck and I spent some time with Ontario’s classy Richard Hart (I think I’m coming around to cheering for Team Ontario, ha ha!) We also threw in a couple high fives with Craig Savill who looked like he was having a great time.

And we had a couple minutes to buy Jamie Koe of the Northwest Territories a Bud Light or two… he needed it after yesterday’s 0-2.

I ditched the morning draw in favour of hanging out with my family, but am on site at today’s action. Might make another Patch appearance tonight, although I can pretty much guarantee it will not be a do-over. Ouch.

Patch entertainment tonight? The Ryans, aka three-time Brier champion skip Pat Ryan (photo above) and his hawtie daughter Lynsay Ryan, who is an orginal Women of Curling calendar girl, too.

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CALGARY – Get yer Brier picks here! We got Scotty Pfiefer! We got Cheryl Bernard!

We got Grandma!

There are two kinds of picks in the sport of curling. One occurs on the ice and causes mayhem and anger. The other takes places in the days before a big event – like the Tim Hortons Brier – and it involves picking the winners. As in winners of games, champions of the entire event, et cetera.

Lots of “picks” have been made in the media in recent days. Many features have tried to analyze the two major combatants while others allow the players themselves – like Russ Howard – to articulate their own chances at success.

Othrer features seem to diminish Kevin Martin’s chances of repeating, just because the repeat doesn’t happen very often.

Of course, The Curling News features a repeat victory from 51 years ago in our latest issue… have you seen it yet? Anyone know if “Tay” Turnbull has seen it yet?

Research is also a key. Look at the cool Brier features at the National Post “Posted Sports” webpages… with team breakdowns here and this very cool Roadmap Through The 2009 Brier. This kind of stuff can be helpful.

Then, of course, there are media predictions themselves. And here are some from Winnipeg (here and here)… and from Toronto (see the sidebar alongside the main story)… and, of course, from Calgary.

But now… without further hesitation… what do the pros think?

Looking to make a little money on the games this week and need some help with your picks? Well, look no further! We’ve assembled a panel of local experts to assess the field and give their predictions as to who will walk away with a checkmark in the win column for each game. Check back every morning for each day’s picks!

Our esteemed experts are:

Cheryl Bernard – Cheryl has 4 Scotties hearts to her credit, and was Alberta’s representative at the Scotties held in Victoria just last week. Cheryl’s team has also been a dominant force on the Asham World Curling Tour, having placed sixth or higher in each of the last three years.

Dean Joanisse – A former Canadian Junior Champion, Dean has also made two Brier appearances, representing British Columbia in both 2001 and 2007. On Thursday night he managed to squeeze into that ancient World Juniors sweater – that’s right, sweater! – for the ceremonial first rock at the World Juniors now underway in Vancouver, his hometown.

Kevin Koe – Kevin is arguably one of the best Canadian curlers that has never competed in a Brier. Instead, he’ll have to settle for the $150,000-plus that his team has won on the Tour in only the last two years.

Scott Pfiefer – Five-time Brier champion, four-time World Champion, a couple of Canadian Junior titles, a few hundred thousand dollars won with Team Ferbey… need I say more?

My Grandma – That’s right folks. I can’t think of any other person in the world who has watched more curling then my Grandma, and boy, does she have an opinion! I’m throwing my support behind her picks, and if she happens to win me some money this week, then I might finally forgive her for the time she bet against me in junior provincials.

Brothers, boyfriends and hometown favourites aside… here are who our panel of experts are picking to win today’s games (see above, click to enlarge)!

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