{ "blocks": [ { "type": "paragraph", "data": { "text": "Twenty years ago today, one of the most savage curling quotes was uttered." } }, { "type": "paragraph", "data": { "text": "It came from David Nedohin, last-rock thrower of Alberta’s Ferbey Four, shortly after he’d missed a shot for the win at the 2005 Canadian Open Grand Slam in Winnipeg." } }, { "type": "image", "data": { "file": { "url": "https://www.thecurlingnews.com/.image/c_fit,h_600,w_600/MjEyNDg4MjI2MzA3MzE5NDI0/05cdnopen-nedohin-throw_tr.jpg" }, "caption": "David Nedohin" } }, { "type": "paragraph", "data": { "text": "Nedohin tried a heavy wick-draw and just missed, handing Edmonton arch-rival Kevin Martin’s team an 8-7 win—and an extra $12,000 as part of the $30,000 winner’s cheque." } }, { "type": "paragraph", "data": { "text": "The event’s final weekend featured busy crowds, and as the spectators filed out of the MTS Centre (now Canada Life Centre) Ned dropped a few word bombs." } }, { "type": "paragraph", "data": { "text": "“It sucks. It’s brutal... it’s a bad loss,” Nedohin told the media, which yours truly was more-or-less in charge of as per my role with the Slam’s IMG founders." } }, { "type": "image", "data": { "file": { "url": "https://www.thecurlingnews.com/.image/c_fit,h_600,w_600/MjEyNDg4NTA4NzAxNDE5MDE3/05cdnopen_martin-howard-sf-hart-yell-alfie-snet_ted-richards.jpg" }, "caption": "Martin vs Howard in the semis" } }, { "type": "paragraph", "data": { "text": "“(Team Martin) never deserved to win, but whatever, it happens... we had a great game.”" } }, { "type": "paragraph", "data": { "text": "That was juicy enough. Then came the grenade." } }, { "type": "paragraph", "data": { "text": " “(Martin) thinks he’s God, he always will.”" } }, { "type": "paragraph", "data": { "text": "If you’re not familiar with the Ferbey-Martin rivalry, hoo boy. That’s a story for another day." } }, { "type": "paragraph", "data": { "text": " Current Slam owners take note: in the past, which you now steward, some guys really, really didn’t like each other." } }, { "type": "image", "data": { "file": { "url": "https://www.thecurlingnews.com/.image/c_fit,h_600,w_600/MjEyNDg4MjI2MDM4ODgzODQ5/05cdnopen-ferbey-martin_tr.jpg" }, "caption": "Ferbey and Martin: no love lost" } }, { "type": "paragraph", "data": { "text": "For the record, Martin appeared to be taken aback by Nedohin’s jab." } }, { "type": "paragraph", "data": { "text": "“I sure don’t think I am (God),” he responded. “But I sure do enjoy these big games.”" } }, { "type": "paragraph", "data": { "text": "The result was a boost to Martin, who had already been eliminated in 2005’s Alberta playdowns and would miss the provincial championship." } }, { "type": "paragraph", "data": { "text": "Team Ferbey would go on to win that Tankard, followed by another Brier—their fourth in five years—and a wild world championship title." } }, { "type": "paragraph", "data": { "text": "The 2005 Open final was a classic, with Martin coming back from Ferbey leads of 4-1 and 5-2. K-Mart also made a wild angle bullet off a stone near the boards for three in the seventh end to give himself a sniff." } }, { "type": "paragraph", "data": { "text": "They played 10 ends in the Slams back then." } }, { "type": "paragraph", "data": { "text": "The full match can be rewatched on YouTube, thanks to the stellar Curling Legends channel." } }, { "type": "paragraph", "data": { "text": "[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=htlb4DeqbT8[/embed]" } }, { "type": "paragraph", "data": { "text": "Naturally, that four-day Slam offered more than just the two finalists. " } }, { "type": "paragraph", "data": { "text": "Let’s go down memory lane—on a Throwback Thursday—with some amazing images, shall we?" } }, { "type": "paragraph", "data": { "text": "Glenn Howard lost the semifinal 7-6 against Martin. " } }, { "type": "paragraph", "data": { "text": "As I recall it was another titanic struggle between those two, who battled all the way to—and through—the 2009 Olympic Trials. " } }, { "type": "paragraph", "data": { "text": "Second Brent Laing, complete with necklace, leather wristband and fading frosted tips, looked glorious in his surfer phase." } }, { "type": "image", "data": { "file": { "url": "https://www.thecurlingnews.com/.image/c_fit,h_600,w_600/MjEyNDg4MjI2MDM5MDE0OTIx/05cdnopen-laing-surfer_tr.jpg" }, "caption": "Brent Laing in ’05" } }, { "type": "paragraph", "data": { "text": "John Morris lost the other semi by the same scoreline. " } }, { "type": "paragraph", "data": { "text": "His teammates were a younger Kevin Koe, with Marc Kennedy and Paul Moffat on the front end." } }, { "type": "paragraph", "data": { "text": " Just over a year later, Morris and Kennedy would be a part of a new Martin squad that would essentially dominate the next quadrennial." } }, { "type": "image", "data": { "file": { "url": "https://www.thecurlingnews.com/.image/c_fit,h_600,w_600/MjEyNDg4MjI2MDM4ODgzOTY4/05cdnopen-morris-koe-hair_tr.jpg" }, "caption": "Koe (right) and Morris in the semifinals" } }, { "type": "paragraph", "data": { "text": "Quebec’s Guy Hemmings, who is now a coach, TV analyst and even a pro hiker, was still hanging around. " } }, { "type": "paragraph", "data": { "text": "Guy was in his second season with Martin Ferland at third, and he still had big Dale Ness at lead stone, from those two Brier finals in the late 1990s." } }, { "type": "image", "data": { "file": { "url": "https://www.thecurlingnews.com/.image/c_fit,h_600,w_600/MjEyNDg4MjI2MDM4OTQ5Mzg1/05cdn-open-hemmings-throw_tr.jpg" }, "caption": "Guy Hemmings" } }, { "type": "paragraph", "data": { "text": "The fans cheered hard for their hometown heroes, of course." } }, { "type": "paragraph", "data": { "text": "Kerry Burtnyk qualified for the playoffs but lost 9-4 to young gun Morris in the quarterfinals." } }, { "type": "paragraph", "data": { "text": "Bubba, who is still not in the Canadian Curling Hall of Fame (?!) would win one more buffalo men’s title in 2009 before retiring in 2011." } }, { "type": "image", "data": { "file": { "url": "https://www.thecurlingnews.com/.image/c_fit,h_600,w_600/MjEyNDg4MjE4NTIyNjkxMjAw/05cdnopen-burtnyk_tr.jpg" }, "caption": "Kerry Burtnyk" } }, { "type": "paragraph", "data": { "text": "Vic Peters also made the quarters, losing to Howard, and he skipped an interesting squad. " } }, { "type": "paragraph", "data": { "text": "Vic’s son Daley played third—he was the two-time Manitoba junior skip at the time, with a very young B.J. Neufeld in tow." } }, { "type": "paragraph", "data": { "text": "There were two other Neufelds on Peters’ team, B.J.’s brother Denni and father Chris, who won the 1992 Brier with Vic. " } }, { "type": "paragraph", "data": { "text": "It still stings that we lost Vic Peters in 2016. " } }, { "type": "image", "data": { "file": { "url": "https://www.thecurlingnews.com/.image/c_fit,h_600,w_600/MjEyNDg4MjE4NTIyNzU2NzM2/05cdnopen-vic-peters_tr.jpg" }, "caption": "Vic Peters on home ice" } }, { "type": "paragraph", "data": { "text": "Another ’Toba Slammer of the times was Dave Boehmer. He was nicknamed “Night Train” because … well, ask someone for the story." } }, { "type": "paragraph", "data": { "text": "Suffice to say, this guy just loved to curl." } }, { "type": "paragraph", "data": { "text": "Night Train made it to a Canadian Seniors recently … I should try and find a pic." } }, { "type": "image", "data": { "file": { "url": "https://www.thecurlingnews.com/.image/c_fit,h_600,w_600/MjEyNDg4MjExODExODA0Njgx/05cdnopen-dave-boehmer_tr.jpg" }, "caption": "Dave Boehmer" } }, { "type": "paragraph", "data": { "text": "Norway’s Paal Trulsen also made the playoffs, losing to Martin 8-6. " } }, { "type": "paragraph", "data": { "text": "The big Norwegian looks like a bit of a serial killer in this image, but as everyone knows—or should know—he’s really just a fun-loving fellow." } }, { "type": "image", "data": { "file": { "url": "https://www.thecurlingnews.com/.image/c_fit,h_600,w_600/MjEyNDg4MjExODExODcwMjE3/05cdnopen-trulsen_tr-.jpg" }, "caption": "Paal Trulsen in ’05" } }, { "type": "paragraph", "data": { "text": "Wayne Middaugh was there, although he missed the money in Winnipeg—a rare thing for him." } }, { "type": "paragraph", "data": { "text": "Just two weeks later, his team would win the Ontario Tankard. Just a few weeks after the Brier—where they went 6-5—second Joe Frans was suspended for a doping infraction, and ended up serving a two-year suspension." } }, { "type": "image", "data": { "file": { "url": "https://www.thecurlingnews.com/.image/c_fit,h_600,w_600/MjEyNDg4MjE4NTIyODIyMjcy/05cdnopen-middaugh-mccarrell-frans_tr.jpg" }, "caption": "Team Middaugh" } }, { "type": "paragraph", "data": { "text": "Hope you enjoyed the amazing quote, images and brief notes from a past curling era." } } ] }

“Martin Thinks He’s God, He Always Will”