Hogline Violation Podcast

Episode 24: Brier Recap & Women's Worlds Preview

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Join us for another episode of the Hotline Violation Podcast!

- Brier Recap

- Women's World Curling Championship Preview

SPEAKER_00

Hello, everybody. Hello, and welcome to the Hogline Violation Podcast. This is your voice of Ryan Lambswood. How's it going? Full name Ryan McNeil Lambswood, full real name, Foster Ryan McNeil Lambswood. I am here, joined by Joel Kratz, Daniel Bruce. We are ready to talk some curling. How are you doing, Joel?

SPEAKER_02

I'm doing fantastic. You know, we're back potting after a little hiatus. I've missed like a I missed a week, but you know, during the Briar last year we didn't have one. So it's been a while. So I'm really excited to talk some curling. There's been a lot that has been happening. Um, and yeah, we're ready to talk some all forms of curling tonight.

SPEAKER_00

Lots of forms, so many forms of curling. A lot of uh well, one form in particular, but multiple forms in many different senses. All right, how are you doing? The other man on the mic, Daniel Bruce. How's it going?

SPEAKER_01

I'm doing great. Um, got to take in a whole two weeks of a lot of Kratzy and Team New Brunswick curling um at the Montana's Breer and in the beautiful St. John's Newfoundland. They did a great job with the event. The crowds were pretty well basically full for all the Brad games, and even for uh Pool B, it was very surprised with how full it was for the most part of the games. I think they're still raking in like 45 to 5,000 people for those draws as well, even during the week. So that was really impressive. And I mean, just a it's a really cool week of curling. Um, lots of high quality shots being made. Um couple of good performances by the the hometown boys. Um both Newfoundland teams represented really well. Um, so yeah. Absolutely.

SPEAKER_00

Go curling is right, always feels hard not to be biased, of course, as uh natives of Newfoundland and Labrador, but it always feels super, super special whenever the Briar is in St. John's Duke and Labrador, Newfoundland and Labrador, even though it's only been 2017 and this year, uh it's felt absolutely nuts to be a part of just a tur, an absolutely amazing atmosphere. Every bit of that was so so good. It was so awesome. And we end up with the man himself, the man who needed to exercise some demons. The guy who we labeled as a choke artist in the biggest moments has broken through. He has come out on top, he gets to shove it in our face. Matthew, money, Dunny is money, Dunstone. He gets it done. He's your Briar champion. He was so good. That team played so well. Uh they were very, very driven. They had a mission going in, they knew what they wanted to do, and they were able to get some really, really quality wins. Uh, they played some amazing curling. Matt Dunstone gets his first, you know. If it wasn't going to be this year, it was gonna happen eventually. Uh, he knocks it off, uh, you know, probably sooner than what even I thought. I thought that it was gonna be one of the big dogs, uh, and then eventually Matt would get his first down the line, but he picks one off here this year. What are your thoughts on that, Joel?

SPEAKER_02

I love it really. Like these guys have been playing so well, and it's just like, like Matt said, and like we've all seen, it's unfortunate how many heartbreak situations they have had. Um, because obviously they're very good enough too and deserving enough of winning. Um, Matt and Colton were ridiculous all week. We had the chance to play them, they were very good. Um, and there was three 100% games of the week. Matt with two, Colt with another one. Just so happened that they did it in the same game at one point against Tanny McEwen. Poor Sandy, honestly. That's like just so gross to be able to do that. Whole back end, eight four shots an end were 100%. Um EJ, he won the MVP award, and uh, which I thought was amazing and for a lot of reasons, but just the fact of his play, I think he was like, if I was like looking and making estimates somewhere in the mid-90s in the playoffs shooting, plus, I mean, the amount of stuff he does with the stone as it's coming down the sheet with his brother Ryan is just like insane. And look, I feel probably the best for like in terms of the Briar, probably like Matt, I would say, Matt and Colton, they've been really close a number of times. And then when you think about on another scale of like Ryan Harden, who I feel really great for, because I mean he's had that success with Jacobs before, and that has been a while, and now he's been close. Like, you forget that Jacobs with Kennedy and the Herndens lost the trials final in 2021 to Braguju. And that's just like Ryan Harden's been in a lot of big games recently, and he's always number one, like first team all-star, like every time. I know at the Briar they do some media things that like decide that basically, but for the most part, he's always number one for the week. It's pretty exciting. Um, they're gonna be a great representative in Utah.

SPEAKER_01

Absolutely. And and one thing that I really liked was after the one-two game loss to Kui, after like Dunstone probably thinks he's winning that game before Koei throws his second last rock. I mean, who makes that? Who makes that like one guard run double with like zero margin for air and sticks it perfectly? After that, Dunstone must have been shell-shocked. He's like, this isn't happening again. And after the game, which I loved from Dunstone, he's like, you know what? Last year in the Briar, we won the one-two game, we ended up losing anyway. So maybe, maybe fate goes this way where we end up um playing Cupsy in the semifinal and uh and getting it done. Like, who knows? Exercise those demons dunny. And I don't know, and and he just seemed in control um with the way he was throwing the rock, like he usually does. But um, even with that little knee tweak, I think he was talking about he sort of tweaked his knee in the hack. Um, and was kind of dealing with a little bit of something, but maybe that's maybe that's what he needs, maybe a little knee tweak, and then uh sort of, I don't know. He mean he looked like he was just dialed in like that team the whole week, and like Joel said when they were playing him, I was at that game as well. They just they're such a good defensive team, they really just don't give you much, like they hit so well through the lineup. You have EJ, Colton, and Dunstone back to back to back. Like, if you want to limit offense um in any type of game, um, that's the team to do it. And and they did in the semifinal against Cupsy, because those are two teams that kind of play the game sort of similar. Don't take many risks, try to get their dudes with hammer and try to get forces. Um, and they were the better team all week, the best team all week. Um and uh I don't know if you guys want to talk about uh a great performance by the guy who came in second place. Um it's pretty pretty amazing, pretty absurd stuff that was happening on the curling ice.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah, just like a highlight real week for Kevin, just left, right, center making shots that were just ridiculous. That blank that he had. I mean, what a joke! Like you have you he probably was right to try it and play it, but to actually pull it off was kind of insane. Just those types of shots all week, and he was clearly feeling something that he hadn't felt in a long time. He was getting a lot out of Tyler uh and his throws. I think Tyler's uh switch to third and Sly Bombs, Aaron Sluczynski sliding down to second. I think that really activated Tyler and Cuey was getting a lot out of Tardy there uh in those games, and they nearly wrote it to a Briar title. Uh, I can't help but go back to I mean, you're just how are you gonna beat Team Dunstone three times in a tournament like this? I mean, to beat that team, the number one team in Canada, three times in a row, uh, it's just so hard to do, and the odds are incredibly stacked against you there. Uh, and it ended up going, you know, Dunstone's way.

SPEAKER_02

I um Kevin, like, as everyone knows on paper, and I'm just gonna say it, Kevin is my favorite curler ever, and it was pretty uh insane to be watching that. And when we we had the opportunity to play them, we didn't play our best, it wasn't our it wasn't our best game. Um, but we saw how they were playing, and they were like that the whole week for sure. And it was like, I swear to god, it was 2016 again with Kev.

SPEAKER_01

It was so awesome. Like, yeah, he he when he gets his confidence up, like I I think they were talking to Sluczynski. Um, I think he had a brief hiatus during the season for like a month or so or a couple weeks. And I think Kevin was really having a tough year. I think even one game, Kevin was struggling so much. I think Tardy was throwing last rock. They had the three minute show going. Yeah, he just really wasn't feeling himself at all. And sort of not saying that Slybomb's the reason that Slybomb wasn't playing and he found his game because obviously Slybomb was playing in the Briar, and he was the best we've seen him in like a while. But Slybomb was saying Aaron Suchinski that he was gone for a month, came back, and then and Kevin was making everything, and he was looking, he was like, What's going on? He's like, This guy is unbelievable. Like he couldn't get over it. He was like in shock with how like much he just improved on like straight up just confidence. Um, and and and Kevin's always been kind of a field player, I feel like, too. Um, with the way he kind of throws the rock. It's not like it is pretty technically sound, but he just, I don't know. He he's just a shot maker, and and once he gets that confidence going, is he's tough to beat, as it was shown in the brother. They only lost one game all week. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00

Man, it just having a look at some of the teams that uh like on Kevin's schedule that he beat. He beat all the, he beat BC UConn on Northern Terror, Northwest Territories, he beat you, Joel, Jim Gradton, who finished five and three, beat Magic Mike McEwen, beat Braden Calvert, beat Matt Dunstone in pool play, proceeded to beat uh gold medalist Brad Jacobs, proceeded to then beat Dunstone again to get in the final. And guess what, Kevin? Your only loss of the entire week is in the Briar final against the team that you played already twice in a row. Like that he Kevin just he he needed Brad to not hog that guard. He needed to just have a breakup with like he needed to either lose to Dunstone in pool play or just not have to play him three times. The three times is killer. It's just too many times to play Matt Dunstone and be able to beat him. That sucks for Kevin.

SPEAKER_02

One loss the whole week. 51 years old, like what an impressive thing to be doing at that age to run through a Briar like that. Number one skip, no question. I'm pretty sure that was his first first team all-star award, also, surprisingly enough. But that's like a pretty cool thing to also do uh at 51.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah, in an event with Brad Gushu, Brad Jacobs, Matt Dunstone. He's the first skip. I mean, it is Kevin Cuey, but like at his age and everything, with like all those other players, pretty much not Gu, I guess, but the way Cubs he's been playing and Dunstones in his prime, like that's that's impressive.

SPEAKER_02

We've seen, like, we'll we'll get into this too with with the goo. Uh, but it was kind of it felt like 2017 again when you had Kevin undefeated in pool A or pool B, and then you had Brad Guju undefeated in pool pool A. It was pretty cool to have them both undefeated going into the playoffs. And I really thought it was like gonna be a collision course in that one-two game for them. But unfortunately, Brad had that miss, so we'll never know. But I like Kevin was just it was something fun to watch.

SPEAKER_00

The did you want to do Cubsy first or just hop right over to Bradley Raymond?

SPEAKER_01

Um, we could we could go with Bradley Raymond, I think.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah, yeah, me as well. That's definitely probably the next big story, maybe even like one of the bigger stories in a different way, other than the championship. Kind of kind of, you know, our boy, our guy for the last little bit in terms of being able to cheer on from our home province, Bradley Raymond Guju retires. Uh, he goes out, unfortunately, losing uh in that game. Oh, that's just it was emotional. Oh man, I I'll say it. Can I say it when they showed that video tribute in uh the arena? I was there, I cried. I shed a couple tears. I did. I did too.

SPEAKER_01

I was on my couch, I was on my couch, hand up, I teared up too like tears were falling down my face a little bit there. I'll say it as a as like a curling fan. I think a lot of people were crying, even not from Newfoundland. But we're all from Newfoundland, and like Brad's the main reason that I think, well, at least the driving force for why we got into the game, like it's it's it's just emotional, and it's not even like it's that like it is time. I think we can all agree it's it's it's his time at this point. Um, I don't really see that team um doing much if they stuck together with Brad. Like, I think he's just he's gassed out a bit, I think, which we saw in the Briar there, but it's just everything he meant, the crowd and everything, like that scene is just something that doesn't happen. It doesn't. And at his hometown, his last prior, it's enough to make a grown man cry, and we are grown men, and we were crying.

SPEAKER_00

It was uh it was absolutely nuts, yeah. And I mean we can talk about the tournament a little bit, just for him to seem to be in a bit of a groove, but just basically running through his pool and having most of that first game against Dunny. Like, I feel like if he gets that guard over, he has a really, really good chance of winning that game, you know. It obviously it's really, really tough to call it down, boil it down to one shot like that. And of course, Matt's shot that he made to win was beautiful, like it was a great shot. And Dunny was money on that shot, but man, if you take that shot away, like he does he make the next shot. Uh, and then Brad, it's so such a it's such a ripple effect moment there, you know, you never know what happens, but that's the game, I guess. Chalk that one up to the game. You gotta you gotta get your guards over the hog line, I guess. Unfortunately.

SPEAKER_02

I mean, it's very emotional. Pretty much our whole life. Brad has been the best curler that New Flynn has ever seen. Um easily something to look up to and aspire to do. Uh and when that all comes to an end after he's just been there literally forever for us, and then all of a sudden you're we watched his last game the other day.

SPEAKER_01

You know, it's difficult. Very difficult. And you know Rose, I'm like, I don't know, I want to break away from like I don't want to break away from like the Brad conversation totally. I know Ron probably has something to say, but like I was pretty like sad for Mark Nichols as well. Um, I don't know if we get me again that right now, but like it was it was definitely really emotional for him, and like Mark is like there's no Brad Gushu without Mark Nichols, like there's no Mark Nichols without Brad Gushu. Like Bam Bam as like an absolute legend, like just can absolutely chuck heat down the ice. Unfortunately for him, I had a little bit of a tough week, but that's like I think that goes for the whole team. Um, and just seeing him standing there as well, it's pretty emotional as well. And and you'd even, I guess you could say that for Jeff as well. He's been there for like what 15 years now. It's just crazy. It's just like that's hard to believe sometimes too. Yeah, it is like Jeff too. Like, and Brett, like way back in the day, like Brett was also there. Yeah, so it's like that team, the team that won the 2017 Briar in St. John's, was all in that game right there. Yeah, sort of just like it was meant to be. I don't know. Unfortunately, not in the right way, but maybe that was how it's it was how it's supposed to be in. And if you lose to Cupsie, like Cupsy said, I'm happy that they lost to us if they're gonna bear out because that team is something else.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah, it's just like it feels like I lost one of the like teams that like when I when I turn on a hockey game, like I'm cheering for the Montreal Canadians, you know, like that's just the team that I gravitate towards, and I have a hardcore like rooting interest in. As far as curling goes, like I was pretty much like a super fan of like team Gaju. Whenever they were on TV and playing games, I would probably be cheering for them. So just to basically have the team that you like rooted for your from your knowledge of being able to understand what curling actually is, to now like guess what, buddy? Like, they're just not there anymore. You're gonna have to just kind of cheer for good curling, I guess, from here on out. Like, I guess I'll try to hope that good people win, but as far as like a heavy rooting interest goes, it's I just watch mine walk out the door. So that's a little bit of an interesting uh thing with this exit. Uh, but I mean just a crazy career. Like, if we want to get into a little bit of career talk, like six six Briars, two trials, two Olympic medals, gold and bronze, however many grand slams, like 15. 15, there you go. That's that's pretty that's pretty impressive. And to be able to people put aside just him being able to dominate his province the way that he has, that's I think a little bit underrated almost. Because he he could have had like a situation like Northern Ontario had this year with Sandy McEwen. That could have happened any of those years. You know what I mean? But it didn't because Brad didn't like let it happen. He refused. He just said, I'm not going to ever allow that to happen. And won his province forever, got the reps that he needed at the Briar, went through some heartbreaks and broke through in the most absolutely insane way in St. John's 2017. Like you can't write. The only thing that would have been crazier is if he won this one. Like that would have been the only thing way that it would have been able to have been topped. But 2017 stands alone as just the most like insane storybook moment, and we'll remember that for a lifetime.

SPEAKER_02

He was uh like it was he won six of his last nine Briars, and of like it was a run of six in eight years. Um like kind of insane. And like the fact, like, I like that you bring up that he had to win, like he made sure that he won the province uh every year was like previous to winning this, like and previous to 2016, like the team was like not at the level that it it has been. And while that during this run that they've been on, really like after Mark Nichols came back um in 2015, it was like you know, he had the he was working to make sure that he was there, and but he was always there. Literally, the one year he missed in his whole career, he was at the Olympics.

SPEAKER_01

You know, that's yeah, just consistency is like one of the more amazing things about Brad, just how hard he worked every day. Um, he just wasn't gonna be defeated. I think that's what uh a lot of people in like that closing montage, like all the skips and everything, Jacobs and all them, they just you know pushed everybody to become better. Because like Brad became the standard. Um, I'd say like after 20, or like maybe before 2017 as well. He was in the final in 2060 and won Grand Slams and stuff. Like just didn't miss really, like, he didn't make any silly mistakes on any of his throws, like they were always close, and yeah, that's something that you gotta really respect about Brad. I think he's probably maybe the best drawing skip of all time.

SPEAKER_00

Like Brad was never a high hard one skip, like he never make like the the peel waiters like a CUI or like those insane which kind of made his games a little extra entertaining in that way, because you knew that he wasn't gonna throw you like a five-second like blast down the sheet. Like he would have to be a little he kind of played the game more, you know, which is which I love.

SPEAKER_01

Played it with a paintbrush, as some people would say. It was art.

SPEAKER_02

That's why like you would definitely consider him one of the smartest skips of all time as well, because you could just like manipulate the game. He was so good that he could manipulate the game in whatever way to make sure that he was throwing his types of shots at the end, you know, normal weight doubles, back weight chases, bumps. Draws for four, you know, things like that. You know, he was making sure he was making those shots. And he played strategy to do it. And it was like always, like you said, it was always entertaining, especially when you got to play a guy like Kev, who or like a Jacobs, who makes all these crazy shots. That it's like, yeah, that's fine. I might give up a three here or there, but I'm gonna get a lot more threes in my favor, you know, as long as I can get this game to go a certain way.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah, and sort of playing like I feel like very good at getting skips, deuces. Like, if you ever give him a little pocket of rum to freeze a draw in there or something or get shot rock, he was making it, especially his intern draw as well. Just insane. I don't know. I mean it's insane. Go ahead, Ryan.

SPEAKER_00

We could we could talk about we could talk about Brad all day. That might need to, we might how about we we can uh fully conclude the Brad talk toward the end of the podcast. How about we how about we keep going on our on our Briar recap? So if you if you want to hear more Brad talk, uh tune in toward tune in uh to the end of the podcast if you are truly a sicko and dedicated listener and also a brad gajou lover. Moving on though from Bradley Raymond. Bradley, you are appreciated. Bradley Raymond. Now on to a new Bradley, other Bradley, Bradley Jacobs, Olympic gold medalist most recently, also the Olympic gold medalist in 2014. He was able to make it to the semi, ultimately losing to Dunstone. I'll tell you what, I watched that 3-4 page up close in person. That Jacobs team looked unbeatable. Like they waxed Brad's Brad's squad, like Brad Guju's squad up and down the lineup besides Brad, I guess. Guju. This is so I'm sorry. Brad, Brad. Um Jacob's team looked unstoppable. I thought for sure that they were gonna run through every team, they were just making everything look easy. Jacobs when he's when he's like making everything, makes his delivery is so pure. It's awesome to watch. And they were after that 3-4 game, I thought they were gonna run right through. I thought nobody was gonna have a chance against them. But ultimately, bowing out in the semi. Any thoughts on the reigning Olympic gold medalists?

SPEAKER_02

Fun fact, I sat next to him on the airplane across the aisle the other night on the way to Calgary. Um that is all in the exit row. Did you say hi? Yeah, yeah, he uh he was showing the gold medal to other people. Not you, people that were interested.

SPEAKER_01

Oh, Kratzy wants to get his own. Okay, I see how it is.

SPEAKER_02

Anyway, it was cool though. The gold medal is pretty nice to see, especially after watching the journey they've been on and how good they've been, and then just like a medal is there.

SPEAKER_01

Pretty cool. Oh, so next to Cupsy sick, though. Like, you gotta love Cupsy. Was he doing like his typical Cupsy stuff?

SPEAKER_02

No, it was Ben. What? Oh, sit next to Ben. Oh, I think Cupsy?

SPEAKER_01

I might have said Cupsy Cupsy. Oh, well, I meant Ben. Oh, now I'm disappointed. Well, Ben's Ben's amazing too, but like it's that's a much more uncomfortable plane ride, isn't he?

SPEAKER_00

Like bigger, like stockier than Cupsy. Well, I was across the aisle, like we both had aisle seats.

SPEAKER_01

Oh, okay. Okay, if it was Cupsy, I feel like you would have talked to him more. No offense. Um, yeah, a lot.

SPEAKER_02

I I would have I would have 100% asked them about the fasting. Yeah. Man, oh what a missed opportunity. They were in the same locker room as us at the Briar, but we never we were in the other pool, so we never saw them at all, which was unfortunate.

SPEAKER_01

We noticed at the Briar last year. You're basically playing two separate events at the start. It's it's not, it's two briars. It sucks. Joel says the briar sucks. Joel hates the briar. Yeah, I mean really hates Montana's Brier.

SPEAKER_00

Joel hates curling.

SPEAKER_01

Joel hates curling, doesn't want to see Ben Ever's metal, fucking hates the Briar. Joel. Now he hates curling. Ooh.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah, five and three went there. Uh, did we want to just move down the so you like any overall uh final cups he thoughts? I thought that they played really, really well. Like, that's a team that was completely gassed. Like, imagine how Brett was sick all week. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01

I would say um at the end of the week, there's like one player that I noticed that was struggling. I think that was Mark Kennedy. He didn't really have his best stuff in those last two games. I think both games he was 79%, and that never happens for Mark Kennedy, so he had to be just out of gas. What is he, like 44 years old? Um, that's a lot. That's a lot. When you're sweeping too and like trying to like play third and make all those high quality shots, I feel like you can sort of hide away at like the lead in second position like a little bit. Um, but yeah, I don't think it affected Copsey too much. He was still pretty freaking good, but um, you could see a little bit of a decline in Mark, which is totally understandable.

SPEAKER_02

It was unfortunate. They were very good for a lot of games. Um, but like you said, that's uh a lot of curling. And um these 10 end games, it's just it takes a toll like after a while. Like that's a lot of 10 end games in a row. Um and it's too bad that he was that low for a guy that's like up until very recently, and uh possibly he may still have it. I just haven't checked in a couple years. Uh, but he would have had a he was the only person ever to have a 90% average at the Briar, like lifetime. Like at least, yeah, like at least up until like two years ago. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01

Like he was close to 90 the whole week, I think.

SPEAKER_02

I think he probably two or three have affected that, but like he was 85.

SPEAKER_01

I mean, like yeah, he finished 75, 79, 79 last three games.

SPEAKER_02

Okay. Now I don't know how that affects his average down all that, but he was at one point up until like, I don't know, say three at least four years ago, that he was 90% lifetime at the Briar, which is insane.

SPEAKER_00

That's currently 90%.

SPEAKER_01

That's not fair to like other curlers. Awesome. When you're good at good, I guess. Somebody else is a pretty good third, too. We we don't need to get into that yet. EJ with four briars.

SPEAKER_02

I know we already discussed Dunstone, but EJ with four briars is a lot. We didn't mention that.

SPEAKER_01

Really impressive. He had a hell of a week, too, like you were saying earlier. Um, great for him. Seems like a great dude. Um, good family man, you know.

SPEAKER_00

Another retiree. Uh, we can we can do a little retiree uh recap. Did we want to run down the rest of the playoffs? Uh Jaden King, we can do a little bit of Jaden King talk. Uh young 23-year-old skip, making the playoffs, giving Brad a little bit of a game, you know, for a little bit there. Uh any thoughts on Jaden King? That this was the squad that had all the runner-up finishes, correct?

SPEAKER_02

All the runner-up finishes?

SPEAKER_00

Like they they had multiple runner-up finishes. There was two, I think.

SPEAKER_02

Yeah, two. Yeah. Two and four years or something, whatever it was.

SPEAKER_00

Oh, there you go. I no, like this year on like tour, like events that they played in. Oh, I played runner-up finishes. They were playing well though. Like we were what we were following them. They were, I don't know exactly what they were doing, but they were playing good curling, ultimately breaking through in Ontario. And they we can have a little bit of a we should definitely have a discussion about the pools after we finish through the playoffs and start talking about some of the rest of the pools. Uh, and say what you want about the pools. It is what it is. The format's the format. Uh, you can't really blame them for the format. Uh, and they took advantage of it, you know. It could have been any number of teams that ended up being them, and they got a game against Brad Guju that uh they ended up fighting pretty hard in, you know, they got a lot to be proud of. Good week for them. Any thoughts on Mr. Jaden King?

SPEAKER_01

Um, yeah, I I thought they like even the most impressive thing for them is I think they're a better team than what they showed the week, too. Um obviously, first Breyer and everything, um, that's a lot to take in. Um they're all really good players. Um, you see there was some frustration at points in the week, or just rocks weren't getting in quite the right spots. But what really like brought me on the Jaden King train um as like a shot maker is his first game against Brad um in the pool play. I think he made an angle slash right to the button to lie shot. Brad makes uh a nice freeze tap, I think, or or makes a guard or something like that to lie shot rock. And Jaden does like this like quarter rock angle slash right across the top, half the top eight rock down to Brad's first shot and like to get one. I was like, this guy's played Gucci in like one of his first games at the Briar in St. John's, and he's making those shots. Like, I can see why he won the and had such a year and won the Ontario Tankers. It seems like he just has stones, like he's no pun intended, he's just a shot maker, and uh they're really young. That experience is only gonna make them better. Um, and like they finished five and three, like they they beat out Menard, who's like a really solid team too for a playoff spot. So hell of a week for them. Um yeah, really impressive. I think the potential is definitely there for them to do some damage in the future.

SPEAKER_02

They seem like they're gelling very well. I noticed that a lot, just like seeing them around the hotel, like um really enjoying like what they're doing and how well they're playing for sure. Um, they did start 3-0 and then drop to 3-3, but they managed to win the key one there against Menard and then clinch it in their last game, which I think was Kelly Knapp, which is also a very like very good competitor as well, like with Jonesy. Like, I mean, that's like a great friggin' team. So uh great for them to get out of that pool and grind out those last games.

SPEAKER_01

Don't bring up Jonesy now, don't do it.

SPEAKER_00

Yep. That was yeah, bowed out Mr. King bowing out in the in the 3A versus 4 game, and then of course in our other 3B, third place B versus 4 game, uh Jacobs Cups C versus Brayden Calvert. Uh this was an entertaining game for the first half. Uh I kept not the TV game, uh, but this was one that uh I was in the building for, saw a bunch of, and it should have been the TV game. It was kind of awesome. This for the first half, and then kind of the the little bit uh Cubsy eventually ended up kind of taking over there for the last little bit as Cubsy does, he's pretty nice, but overall, uh nice week for Braden Calvert, the same record as uh a New Brunswick team that shall remain nameless. But uh that's the system they got in. Uh Braden Calvert's first Briar. I'm sure he was pretty pretty pleased with being able to, even if he didn't make the playoffs, five and three record, you know. It's pretty pretty darn good. Uh his cows gave birth, you know, that's gotta be exciting. Uh it apparently I saw an absurd number on like the number of uh calves, I think technically that were birthed from his cows. I guess he has a is this a cow farm that he has? I saw like 18. Is that a is that a true number?

SPEAKER_01

What'd you say?

SPEAKER_00

18.

SPEAKER_01

18 what calves.

SPEAKER_00

Like he had multiple cows that were getting the first week.

SPEAKER_02

The first week it was 20. I don't know that I don't know the final numbers.

SPEAKER_00

What?

SPEAKER_02

Well, I mean that makes sense. He probably has a big cows. Yeah, that's pretty cool.

SPEAKER_00

Wow. That's that's a gigantic number. He's gonna be stressed about the cows. He's gonna be no well, he's back there now.

SPEAKER_01

He has that all looked after. No, I wouldn't worry about that. What do you think he was doing during the points bet? No, it wasn't the points bet the pre-trials and the he's got it all down to a science, trust me. B cow's not slacking on his on his cows.

SPEAKER_00

That's right. That's very, very fair.

SPEAKER_01

He's not gonna lose any sleep. They're gonna be mooing, they're gonna be doing their stuff, you know. Cows are just mooing, like really, like they're just a like they're tough to describe what like they are. Like, what's a cow, anyways?

SPEAKER_00

I have large dogs.

SPEAKER_01

They're kind of sick. I get a pet cow. Just get like a shed and put it in there, and just like I don't know.

SPEAKER_00

What would you let's do a little okay? Here's a game to describe Calvert's week. Uh give it a let's give him a letter grade, just off the top of the head, not planned. Uh, we'll give Calvert a letter grade and then final thoughts, and then we'll jump into the pools. How about that?

SPEAKER_01

I I'd give him an A minus. I I was thinking between B plus and A minus, but if you told him beginning of the week you'd beat up McEwen for a playoff spot, like and Grad. Yeah, yeah, Grad and two, but I mean like three like three slam teams, and then he comes out on top of like one of the like McEwen. I I think that deserves an A minus. I mean, the minus is kind of tough, but like you can't get really him. He lost the first playoff game, so yeah.

SPEAKER_00

I'm gonna give a B plus a little bit harsher of grade, very, very similar, not the same. B looks worse than A.

SPEAKER_01

Modus looks worse than plus.

SPEAKER_00

You know what? He didn't win. I'm giving him an F. No, I'm kidding. I will stick with a B plus. Uh, it looks different. A B instead of A, so slightly worse. But I think that it's hard not to look at that week as a success, you know. Uh first Briar, it's hard. Like it's not easy. It's a tough environment. It's a pressure cooker, it's uh a lot of eyeballs on you, and just an environment that you can't really simulate. So for him to go into that and be comfortable enough to manage to qualify, beat out, like you said, some really, really high quality teams. Uh, I think it's I think it's pretty impressive. All right, you got a letter for us, Joel.

SPEAKER_02

Yeah, I would say A plus. I mean, that was oh, sorry win the thing. A plus. I would say A minus. Sorry, I don't know where my mind went just then. I was thinking about my answer instead of the A and the letter. A minus. Sorry, I was gonna go with that. That that that's a mess for me.

SPEAKER_01

What it copied my grade.

SPEAKER_02

Yeah, so well, you know, they had a tough playoff matchup, but they managed to get through the pool very nicely. I will say, like, I mean, the draw of the button was a deciding factor, and they were very good at that. I mean, like, I think they were only second to Bradley Goose team in the event, I think, which was obviously that's I mean, you're probably not beating that, but second in the event. Um, it was important and they got him in there, and then they ended up having that tough playoff matchup, so but they played pretty well there too, even so.

unknown

Yep.

SPEAKER_02

It was awesome to play Corey Chambers.

SPEAKER_01

Top favorite. Corey Chamber actually had a really good week, too. Yeah, um, you played against him firsthand. I don't know if we want to touch on the fourth place team or I guess fifth place team and that's that's crazy. Fifth place team five and three in that pool. Um that's what it should have been, though. Yeah, we can it makes sense.

SPEAKER_00

Like you you bring up the pools there. Did you want to start with uh for pool talk? Did you want to start with pool A or pool B? Or did you want to start with how it's formatted and how you probably aren't the biggest fan of it, Team Grad and member?

SPEAKER_02

Well, I was more so disappointed with the um the fact that we're not in Brad's pool. Uh because I mean experiencing that would have been, I mean, yeah, that's a little bit selfish, but I mean, like, we obviously saw what the crowds were like in those games comparative. Like, not that our pool was didn't have great crowds, but it was just it's it's different. Um and then also we did there was five Atlantic teams in the in the uh event. We didn't play any of them. We were we call it the Western pool. So um, but it was very fun. I thought the pools, the pool was it was a fun pool. We had great games with some teams. Um so yeah, it's nice to meet some new people there.

SPEAKER_00

Well, if we're if we're starting with pool B, uh the final standings, of course, Kui on top, Dunstone second, beat up on some people. Then of course, we had on our current podcast a member of the log jam at 5-3. We had Mikey, Michael McEwen, not so much magic this week. Uh Brayden Calvert, and of course, Jim the Kid, Gratton at 5-3. Ultimately, uh, you, Jewel, ended up losing out on the draw, and so did Magic Mike. Did we want to do a little touch on Magic Mike? Like, not much magic there. Is he gonna take a break? Is he gonna stick with it with a new squad? What's kind of where's his head at, do you think?

SPEAKER_01

Um, yeah, that's a really good question. Obviously, a very disappointing week for Magic Mike and Co. Um, I don't know. That team, they're a good team, but they never really inspire me much. Um, no offense to the the Marshes, they're they're great players as well, but I feel like you need some like I I don't know. They they they don't have like many difference makers like throughout their lineup, I find like Flash is really good. I guess you can count him as a difference maker. I don't know if his shot making at the third position would qualify him as that. I think he's probably best slotted as like a really high quality second who can sweep. Um but yeah, there's uh there's some to be desired. They're like if Mike's on his best game, like that's a team that obviously if you have one of the best skips in in the game playing well, you're gonna win a lot of games. But if Mike has a little bit of an off week like this, we didn't really stand a chance. Um, well, I guess for anybody at the skip position, but yeah, just not very overly expiring inspiring. I caught a few of the games because I was at most controls games, so just didn't really seem like they had much going on. I I know they had a couple crazy games. I think they beat Tanaka like 11 to 10 or something, something crazy like that. I don't know. That was fun for the fans, but sure Mike wasn't too too pleased with it. But yeah, just in other mojo at all.

SPEAKER_00

Any thoughts on Magical Mike from the player's perspective, Mr. Kratz?

SPEAKER_02

Um I don't know. He didn't seem like he was throwing the hits that well. I know um uh I mean like at that age, Andy's also at the hip, you know. I mean, like in a tuck slider, it's like it's a lot on the body, you know, same thing Brad Guju went through, and same thing a lot of other players go through as well. Um like that has to be affecting something, right? And like they they can get on one, you know, they showed that to that team. Um, but they didn't quite have it this week. We got smoked by them, by the way, though. I'm as I say all that.

SPEAKER_01

So it's pretty good to be we got destroyed. Somebody got to skip in that game, too. A couple had to get Mike.

SPEAKER_02

It was an honor to play Mike at the Briar, though, like in the ranking. Is that your first game against Mike? I talked to Langer a bit.

SPEAKER_01

Is that your first game against magical? Uh yeah. Oh, that must have been cool. Yeah, it was cool to play legend.

SPEAKER_02

Probably the best person to ever win one, best player ever.

SPEAKER_01

To never win. To not win one. No, that's what I'm saying.

SPEAKER_00

Oh, oh, sorry. Yeah, that's a that's a fun conversation. Uh we'll have we'd have to do some research for that, but a different day. Uh all right, let's round out uh the pools, and then Joel, you can give uh well, no. What did you want to just save your thoughts like right? Let's finish pool A and then you can give your pool A. Yeah, do whatever you want. Uh all right. We Jim Grant, of course, ending out the five and three crowd. Northwest Territories, Jamie Kuey, uh two and six. Uh, this is the rest of pool B, by the way. Couy two and six, Sandy McEwen, uh two and six, Thomas Scoffin one-seven, Cody Tanaka one and seven. Uh I mean, Sandy McEwen made the best shot in curling history. So awesome. Uh, if I was Sandy, I would have that playing on video in my basement on loop just constantly. That was an absolutely insane shot. That was worth the trip just for that for sure.

SPEAKER_02

We got smoked. I think that was the mic game. Yeah, it was. And then we went over to the patch at noon. So then I watched it in the patch. It was awesome. The place went nuts. Awesome.

SPEAKER_01

He threw some really good rock, too. He was making a lot of shots this week, keeping them in a lot of games. Yeah, okay. Oh, for sure. Um Cresh of Sharm by the Sandman.

SPEAKER_00

Any any thoughts uh on kind of the bottom half of this pool from you guys? Anything that's stick out to you?

SPEAKER_02

Tanaka could have done more, I think, if they could have had a redo.

unknown

Right.

SPEAKER_02

For sure. Um they had the some more potential there. Obviously, Thomas Goffin was four and four last year, but didn't really couldn't find the magic this week. Um and the same thing with Jamie Cooy. His last Briar was a five and three and in the playoffs, and now two and six this year, you know.

SPEAKER_01

So didn't happen. It's kind of like the result of how tough the pool was, to be honest. Yeah, exactly. There was no games off. Not like the rest of the prior, usually, but um yeah, and like Tanaka, it seems like they just didn't have their juice. They just they first prior also. We can relate, me and Lamy. And Joel, your first prior, you probably can relate a bit too. It's a lot to take in. Um, a lot of people say the first is just for the experience and just getting like taking it all in because it's something you're not used to. Um and it can affect your plan ice as it obviously did with them. Um, unfortunately, but yeah, they they definitely could have gave more for sure. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00

All right, pool B. See you later for now until a member of Pool B talks again. Uh, now we move on to Pool Alpha pool that includes the top of the pool man himself, Mr. Bradley Raymond Guju. Uh you had Brad Jacobs coming in 7-1. Of course, then you had the couple of teams, Ontario, Jaden King at 5-3, and Jean Michel Minard at 5-3 as well. Of course, uh Jaden King, like you said earlier, Joel, managing to win that matchup against JMM ended up being massive. Kind of, if I'm being honest, from a curling perspective, that comes from somebody that's watched a lot of Jean-Michel Minard. I was a little upset that they weren't able to qualify for the playoffs. Good thing it didn't come down LSD. No shade uh to Jaden King.

SPEAKER_02

Good thing it didn't.

SPEAKER_00

It came down to LSD.

SPEAKER_02

No, good thing it didn't for Jaden King. Oh, because if it did, Menard would have been in there.

SPEAKER_00

Uh right. Oh, yeah, geez, there were eight. You're right. Yeah, I'm looking at it there now.

SPEAKER_02

So we'll see. Well, we won't see. It's done.

SPEAKER_00

Just just tough. Yeah. I it'd tough to see Jean-Michel go. It didn't he retire like before though, and then came back. So this is why I think like curling retirements are so you know, whatever. Like you could just come back tomorrow. Like, this is why I think Brad's gonna come back. Brad to come back. Yeah, I know you do. You want Brad to come back.

SPEAKER_01

He's going to after all of that. That's gonna be he can't come back soon, though. Like, if he comes back to the city, not soon, he's gonna take a couple of years off. What was all that Briar like final Briar things for?

SPEAKER_00

Like, we'll he'll probably win the 2030 gold medal. That's my hottest take. Well, we can we can get we can talk about that more later, but to see JMM gone, Martin Kret gone, GIF, JF Trapanier gone, just a lot of really cool people, you know?

SPEAKER_01

Well, we played against them in Quebec and added like a couple of beers of them. They're just just a couple stand-up guys. Totally, just really cool dudes.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah, would have been cool to see them make the playoffs, but wasn't meant to be.

SPEAKER_01

They could have beat anybody in the playoffs, like in one game, 100%. Yeah, Brad did not want to see them in that in that game.

SPEAKER_00

No, definitely not.

SPEAKER_01

Did not.

SPEAKER_00

Uh yeah, just running, keeping on going down. You had Tyler Smith uh being the next crowded guy at three and five, three man, Tyler Smith, with Hedrick White, uh just doing the doing the bulk of the work. Uh he must have been gassed. Um Kelly Knapp uh coming in at three and five. Uh Nathan, of course, Nathan Young, Newfoundland Labrador representative, provincial champion at three and five. Uh I guess we can touch on Nate for a bit. I mean, that TV game against Brad, he was in that. And honestly, I thought that he was gonna beat him. He had him for a bit.

SPEAKER_02

Oh yeah.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah, if Brad doesn't make that insane in off to get a two steal, like who makes that shot? Like, he's in like an eighth of the rock and sticks it to lie too, and Nate must have been like, Well, what can you do? Like, what can you do at that point? They had they played a hell of a game, and like they put like played Cupsy real tough, too. They were down by one in the tenth end. Yeah, like I feel like Nate was just making shots at the right time, um, which which will win you games out there at the Briar. He good for him, good for them. They played really well. Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_00

It kind of looked like Nate found some juice at Provincials, and so he continued at various points throughout this Briar uh to show off a little bit of that juice, uh, which is exciting, you know. Like New Plan Laboratory Curling wants to see good shots made, and he was able to put on a bit of a show for a little while there. I mean, it must have been a cool experience for him. I would be lying if I said I wasn't quite jealous, of course. But that's what should have played better curling. He he played better curling and got the chance, uh, and he made the most of it, man. He got a couple of really nice highlight real shots going on there.

SPEAKER_01

It's impressive how like they read they adapted like the crowd and stuff too. Like that's gonna be a little bit of pressure, but I feel like they just sort of carried them because they played like definitely their best appearance at a briar yet. I think the other gears, I think they won two and one game or one and one. Yeah. Um, so yeah, good for nating them. Um, he's only like what 24 now, he's already been to three briars. So I mean really impressive stuff. Pretty good.

SPEAKER_02

Yeah, he's um they were like, I remember sitting in the patch again uh at some point, and they were like they they were at three and two, I think, and then they were listed as third place in the pool. Like it was pretty cool to see like Brad and Nate in the top three of the pool, like in a playoff spot at the time. It's pretty cool.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah, absolutely. Uh so yeah, shout out Nate. Uh we're just rounding up the pool. You have uh Kendall Thompson uh at two and six, and uh Derek Samagowski not able to pull off a victory. I thought for sure that Derek was gonna be able to nip off one. Unfortunately, wasn't able to. Any thoughts on the Nova Scotia representatives from the Nova Scotia boy, Halifax boy, Joel? How do you think Kendall's looking at his week?

SPEAKER_02

They were great in the last four games. I mean, Stewart especially was he was playing, I think he finished like eight, like round eighty for the event. Like it was pretty uh pretty good stuff from him, and then just took Kendall a couple games to get into it, and by then they were like in a tight game, and like they let that one against Menard go. But um they were in a lot of the games, especially against uh some of the big teams later in the week. They almost beat Brad, too.

SPEAKER_01

They were tied in the next well, they went to an extra end. Yeah, and Kendall got the plus on Bradley Raymond that game, too. So yeah, that doesn't happen very often. That's actually really cool.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah, that's crazy. Kendall. What a player. Um, all right. That is kind of the recap. Matt Dunster, your champion. I don't really have many more uh thoughts. I guess we could do some overall final thoughts. Uh, and then Joel, why don't you just do your Joel thoughts now?

SPEAKER_01

Yeah, we should turn to Cradsey.

SPEAKER_00

He kind of would just Joel, of course, being the member of Team Grattan the third, was able to not only uh go five and three and be tied with one of the teams that made the playoffs, just unfortunately was put out by the playoff system, whatever. That's the way it's set up, that's the way it is. Uh five and three, that's pretty damn good. And not only that, got a few ends at skip where you were able to get on TV with a couple nice shots against Magical Mike. That'll do. Not bad, not bad. Where are your thoughts at? Uh, after what I would say is a very successful Briar.

SPEAKER_02

It was it was a really fun week. I tell everyone that it was just really enjoyable to play curling. Um, and like like you said, the fans were great. Like our goal was to well make the playoffs, but our goal was to go five and three, and usually that'll get you in the some sort of situation. Just didn't work out for us on the uh draw numbers. Um, but it was really cool to uh uh have a winning record. That was really what we wanted to do. And um I learned afterwards that apparently this is the first time New Brunswick's had a winning record since 2014 when James was uh six and five. So that was pretty cool. Um playing some of these legends like Koei, who's like like you don't know if he's retiring or not, like he won't tell you, he'll just do it. So you don't know if that was the end for him, and then obviously like playing Dunstone or the Briar, like he's like such a Briar legend, too, like even though he only has his first one, but like certainly a legend now after this, um, is pretty cool. And then like Magic Mike, who's like I said, probably the best Canadian to not win a Briar, I would say, as curler. So it was great. I mean, like, of course, like you play both cooies in a pool. Um, was really fun. And Sandy was just like, like you said, he was electric all week, and that was a really fun team to play too. Um yeah, it was really fun. Really happy with uh the way I played myself as well, but also just like as a group being able to rally and get to five and three is is awesome.

SPEAKER_01

Well, you were top three, top four most of the week until the last game, whatever. That that doesn't matter. But you were I think 86 going into that game or something, which is like insanely good. Like really freaking good. It was a lot of shots being made by Kratzy. His out turn was was like, I don't know, it's like peanut butter and jam. Yeah, yeah. Um yeah, it was it was like uh I don't know, like some people would say like sex on ice or something. I don't know. It looked pretty good to me.

SPEAKER_00

I don't know, but I was I was just saying butter.

SPEAKER_01

Butter, okay. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00

You went to intercourse.

SPEAKER_01

Hey, I mean it was it was that good. Um, it was that good. I was getting a little like hot and bothered in the crowd. I was like, what the fuck's going on right now? I was like, this guy is like insane. Move over, Mark Kennedy. We got a new guy, crat.

SPEAKER_00

What's gonna be give us like a top like two, three, like you don't have to rank them necessarily, but give us just like two or three things that are gonna stick out in your head.

SPEAKER_02

Uh first one is probably um wasn't even an on-ice moment, but it was like the opening night. We had to like we made sure we went over to watch the opening night there, and like Alan Doyle sang the national anthem, and it was like really cool. And then like Brad was getting standing ovations, and it was like so awesome. Um I I don't know, I'm not really going in an order, I'm just starting from the beginning and going to the end of the briar. I would also say um in that great game we had against um Calvert, which was like one of the most fun games I've probably been a part of ever, like just back and forth and just like a lot of great shots being made. Like I just remember like being there with Corey Chamber, and he like makes a slip, nice slip double, and then I had to make it up into an angle raise, like that, or um like a run back. It was pretty cool. It was just really fun game, and that was like wow, there's so many shots being made. Like James's draw for two was just ridiculous. If you saw that, like I couldn't believe it that he made that shot.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah, yeah, we saw that.

SPEAKER_02

Is that the in-turn like through the port? In turn through the negative port, yeah, it was crazy to like an inch of space. Yeah, it was awesome.

SPEAKER_01

That might have been my favorite TV game of the week. That was curling. That was insane. Like both teams were playing out of their minds. It might have been both teams like almost the best games of the week. Like they played really well, too.

SPEAKER_02

James was like 95 up until the last couple ends. I'm not sure when those misses happened, but anyway, he was pretty good. And like everyone was high 80s, basically.

SPEAKER_01

So you didn't even get the plus on Corey Chambers, and you played like 89, and he was 88. Yeah, he was great, yeah.

SPEAKER_02

It was a fun game. We hadn't had a briar, like in my time with James and the three Briars, like we hadn't really like with you guys, we had like one right down to the end, but like we kind of felt like we were on the back foot a lot of the time in that game. We just kind of snuck it out. So, like with this one, is like you're going back and forth, and like you have the advantage, and you give it back, and like it was kind of a really fun game. Like, first time at a briar, like a game like that, it was so fun.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah, I was working and I that's awesome. I couldn't get my face out of my phone like that whole game. Sorry, yeah, sorry. Uh, well, I mean, obviously I was working still, but like, how could you not watch that?

SPEAKER_02

Well, yeah, they missed a double for three early, and then we missed a double for three, so it was like it could have been a lot like who knows what could have happened, but it ended up being tight right to the end, so extra end.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah, I hope you got that TV game on some type of recording device.

SPEAKER_01

You'd probably be able to watch it on YouTube, yeah.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. You should have it though. I mean, like you've got like save it yourself. I whatever, you don't have to. You don't have to. You can watch it, you can watch it anytime. Okay, we're gonna want to move to the things we want to talk about.

SPEAKER_02

Is that enough with the Briar?

SPEAKER_00

Yeah, yeah, yeah. As long as uh you don't have any other thoughts. Uh, I'm all thought it out. Congratulations, Matthew Dunstone. Uh, you are a Briar champion. Uh, congratulations, Briar Champion for life. Did we want to move to talk about some retirements and continue a little bit of Briad Gajou?

SPEAKER_02

Sure.

SPEAKER_00

What were you thinking?

SPEAKER_02

I don't really, I don't, I was just thinking whatever you're thinking. Let's let's talk about some retirements. That's great.

SPEAKER_00

There was a number we can save uh we this is probably gonna be a Briar exclusive one, you think? Like we can save all of the Grand Slam stuff and all the team stuff. Like that feels like its own bag uh bag of tricks there. So let's keep this, I guess, to the Briar. And uh if you guys are okay with it, we can talk about just the fact that we're losing E.J. Arnden, we're losing Brad Gu. We're losing Mark Kennedy, we're losing giants of our sport like that have been around for ages. Uh, who else? Who am I missing? Help me out.

SPEAKER_02

Maybe Kevin Cooley, maybe Mike McKeown, maybe Mark Nichols. That's a lot. It's the end of an era. It is. It's end of the quad. And like who knows?

SPEAKER_01

Like what happens right now.

SPEAKER_02

You might see some of those people go like year for year, but that could just be like one year. You know?

SPEAKER_00

Yeah. It's crazy to think about just some of the some of the way that teams are gonna shake up. Uh, this is I guess gonna be an exciting time for us. It's gonna give us a lot to talk about for sure. Uh, but I mean it's just sad in the fact that you've watched, you've known these faces, and you've expected when you turn on curling, like there's gonna be probably one of those guys on TV, maybe if it's a especially if it's a Canadian curling event, and uh these guys have been involved with high-level Canadian curling for pretty close to as long as we've been closely watching curling. So the fact that we're just losing household names is uh, I mean, it's like you're saying it's an end of an era. It really is. Uh I guess do we want to speculate on any of like do we think Mark is gonna take a year off? Or what do we what do you think?

SPEAKER_01

I mean, it's been like radio silence for America and like any of that. I don't think he really has any idea. Um I can see it being it for him, if we're being honest. I think this is it.

unknown

I don't know.

SPEAKER_02

I feel like he would play for the right if he got the right call, but I think it would have to be the right call, you know. Like it wouldn't he wouldn't just be grinding out in tier two events and stuff like that, you know. Right, right, like whatever it might be.

SPEAKER_00

I think that's I think that's very, very fair. Yeah. Yep, sad to see so many faces go and still so many so many unknowns. Uh mentioned, of course, the Quebec boys as well earlier. Uh do we want to talk more, Brad? I don't know. What where do you guys want to go? We don't have too much to add, I guess.

SPEAKER_01

No, I feel like I feel like we hit on Brad pretty good. Um yeah.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah, I just like in uh even from my last, I guess, thought on it is uh I don't think he's gonna it's his last like curling. I think that he's gonna come back, of course. I think it this is coming from a place he said he's at peace with it. He's probably at peace with the fact that he doesn't have to practice for like a year. I think that he is gonna get the bug back so hard. He's going to get the itch. He's gonna start watching curling, and he's gonna be like, I am better than these people, I am the best, like pure thrower of the stone, probably that's ever existed. The shot maker extraordinaire, and he's going to be in however many years just as good uh as he is now, and he's gonna see that he's the best and he's gonna come back.

SPEAKER_01

I we're not ruling that out. We're not ruling that out. It seems like he is the best. He is he didn't believe it. I don't think he definitely said he's not going back. Well, he did, I guess.

SPEAKER_00

He's retiring, but I think he technically believes it right now himself. If he wants to, though, if he picks up a tidy like media spot where like broadcasting somewhere, which I think probably uh is a pretty nice transition, I would think for him, then I would I would jump off that take. I would just I retire that take.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah, he's gonna kill him in the media game too, because you don't really hear Brad talk about like other teams that much. I'd be very interested to see his perspective on like some teams and like just strategy within the game. You just don't like when he's playing, like you don't really get that insight. So I think that'll be really cool. Um pretty exciting.

SPEAKER_03

I really hope that adds.

SPEAKER_01

Pretty exciting to see him in the booth, to be honest. Like, like he can just kick curling kick rocks and just like just go to the booth and maybe come back at some point.

SPEAKER_00

Yep. All right, how long does anyone have the time? Like, I don't know how long we've actually been going.

SPEAKER_02

It's like another hour. All right, okay. We've got to touch on a couple other things. We got the world women's. We're just yeah, we're gonna cut this off right now. We're gonna go to the world women's. We're rambling. A lot of different teams in the world this year. We have none of the medalists at the Olympics in Cortina are in the event. Um, so we're gonna we're gonna see how this shakes out. Uh, any teams you're really excited about that are either new or returning?

SPEAKER_01

Um, I think Junior Schwaller is gonna be fun. I think that's gonna be a young team that's that's been really good all year. And um, obviously walking into your first worlds is it's a little bit of a shock, I'm sure, but they did just beat Alina Pets in the best two at a three. So if the stakes don't get much higher than that, um that's a team that could really surprise. I don't think surprise teams, I think they're pretty known by this point, but just in terms of their age, I think they're all under 25 years old, I think. Something around those.

SPEAKER_02

Yeah, only like two years out of junior. So I mean, like they've and they did like four world juniors, so they're not like they know the international environment.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah, and they also have that dog as their coach, too. So yeah, bringing in that experience. That's a pretty sick. I like that team. I don't know. I think you might watch them play.

SPEAKER_02

Yeah, they like to mix it up, and John obviously is a great strategist in that way, too, in terms of mixing it up. So um might get some big highlight reel shots out of them potentially. They throw a lot of spinners too, so we might see that too.

SPEAKER_01

Who knows? Genius throws a ton of handle, it's pretty fun. Yeah, Yun Gim is gonna win.

SPEAKER_02

For sure. I mean, they've been a great team over the last couple years. Is that all you need? Thoughts on that, or just that just that statement?

SPEAKER_00

Uh, I think they're gonna win. Uh, but uh I want Carrie to win. I think it's the obvious thing from a Canadian perspective, I guess, but k Carrie needs to. It's so such a it does so much for her curling career if she can knock off a women's worlds. If she can make it happen and get it done, and Carrie gets to call herself not only like a Scotch multiple time in a in a row and multiple times Scott champion, but she gets her worlds, it would just it would be massive. And it would be massive for Canadian curling to be able to have Rachel win worlds and then have Carrie come in and also get worlds, that'd be huge for Canadian. Canadian women's curling and Canadian curling in general. And we need something like that to happen. We need her to win. I need it to happen.

SPEAKER_02

I need it. They got a tough matchup to start the uh opening draw, draw one. They are playing Isabel Arana, who is also one of the teams that I'm I that I'm excited to see this week, too. Um they've been great, they've won a players' championship before. Um, and they've just always been um the second team to Hasselberg as Ross White is to Malit, and so on. Like it's just so they're getting their chance now, and I think it's gonna be great. She's fresh off the gold medal with her brother in the doubles. Um that has to go a long way in terms of your confidence, and she's already a shot maker, so I mean this is should be a pretty fun week for them, too. Long round robin, though, so it's an interesting type of event.

SPEAKER_01

But they have played Euros before, so sneaky team that I think could do some like sneaky damage is Madeline DuPont. I think that's a team that could definitely get into the playoffs um and and cause cause some issues for some teams. They have a ton of experience this year playing the Olympics, they were doing well spieling this year as well. That's a team that I think you gotta look out for. And uh there's also a pod favorite um that has scared some teams at some points. The turkey team, Dill Sat, Yieldie's nuts. Um, just always kind of a shot maker, and I'm kind of like hopefully they knock off a couple decent teams. It'll be fun to watch them play again.

SPEAKER_02

Yep. I said it to you the other day, Danny, in the chat. I was like, yeah, they're gonna they could be making the playoffs. I mean, like, use that like they've been in the world like five times. That's like gotta go, that's gotta mean something, you know.

SPEAKER_00

It'll be interesting to see. Uh I'm unfamiliar with this Delaney Strauss team. It'll be interesting to see uh a women's American team uh at one of these world events that's not Tabitha. Uh I mean, I am unfamiliar with Delaney Strauss's game. Uh I am quite prepared to become familiar.

SPEAKER_02

She was at the World Juniors when I went. She was she also won the bronze medal that year. They're they're decent. They they've lost the Nationals like twice to Tab in the last in this cycle, I think. So I mean they could be good. They were in the slams for like a minute there a couple years ago, like three or four in a row.

SPEAKER_01

So they're a team to watch Ope for. I would think so. I think a lot of the teams are teams to watch Ope for.

SPEAKER_02

I like the format with the six teams, not only because that's a higher chance Carrie gets in, but also because you get a lot of opportunities to get in the playoffs. And for a team like Dil Sat, you might need a lot of those opportunities. Like six.

SPEAKER_01

Even like oracle Bjornstad, too. Yes. Like, not too familiar with their game, to be honest. Good for them, though. I mean, maybe maybe they're nasty. The Norwegians know their way around a curling surface. Satsuki Fuch's always in this event, too. Wow. The field is great. It's a fun field. It's very fun. That's what I would say. You don't know, you kind of don't know what's gonna happen. Extremely fun. Anything could happen. This is why we love curling. Literally, anything can happen on the surface. Yeah, there could be crazy shit happening. Crassy's gonna be there, so take it in.

SPEAKER_02

It'll be fun.

SPEAKER_01

Are you at like an Airbnb right now? Yes. Yeah, I was like, this kind of looks like your house. I was like, it's not a hotel room.

SPEAKER_02

Oh no. Cool table, too.

SPEAKER_01

Is it just you?

SPEAKER_02

Uh in the basement portion, yes.

SPEAKER_01

Oh, okay. Pretty electric.

SPEAKER_00

Alright. Uh any last thoughts on the women's worlds before we move on?

SPEAKER_02

We are very excited to watch Carrie kick ass.

SPEAKER_00

Yes, go carry. Go team Canada. All right. Did you want to touch on the uh wheelchair crawling as well?

SPEAKER_02

Yeah, someone touch on that.

SPEAKER_00

The doubles is almost over, I think, like the gold medal game. Oh my goodness.

SPEAKER_01

The doubles is over, isn't it? Yeah. Uh China ended up winning the gold in the doubles. That was team Man Shuang and Ying Yao Yang. They ended up winning 9-7 over the Koreans in the final in the mixed doubles. And crazy enough, Latvia ends up getting the bronze medal in an 11-10 barn burner over the US. Oh my gosh, I love it. Latvia gave up a four in the first end and then proceeded to get five in the second end. Five-four after two ends. That doesn't fire up. I don't know what does. They give up two four-enders and still one. Wow. That's that's that's amazing to get that bronze medal. I think it's a deal too. That's sick. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00

Yes. You gotta love it. And I mean it's uh I don't know. I can't lie, I didn't I didn't watch a lot of it, but I can speak like uh I have been helping out uh with the Special Olympians a little bit, so I've been doing a little bit of stick curling, and I can't do it standing up, let alone watching Buddy on Team Canada be able to make that absolutely absurd shot through the port.

SPEAKER_01

What a shot!

SPEAKER_00

Like I can't I can't do that, and I and he just steps up and pulls that off. It's absolutely the precision that these folks are thrown with is really, really impressive.

SPEAKER_01

A hundred percent John Thurston, it's tough because there's no sweeping either, and they're yelling, they're yelling the line call too, which is the best thing I've ever saw in my life, because I'd be doing the exact same thing. If like I can't affect what the rock's doing, I'm gonna be yelling like straight, straight, or like curl, it's sick. I love it. I ate that shot, it was something else. John Thurston. I'm thirsty for Thurston. Oh, I mean, I am too after that shot. What a shot! Oh my god. Um, so yeah, the Canadian team in the four person is currently in first place with a 7-0 record. So good start for the Canada chaps. Um, not surprised because Canada's the best at curling. Um, led by Mark Idison. Um, so yeah, yeah. Going great.

SPEAKER_02

The best numbers for the week, too. 67% for the week is the top. They they went on a run too. They were like um 74, 72, 79, 73 run, too. 79 is insane. That was the game. That was the game against China. Uh China's been the best team in the doubles for the last couple Olympics and now and world championships, and finally Canada whooped them 9-3, I think. So let's hope that's for the playoffs.

SPEAKER_01

Kind of won the doubles, so yeah. Yes. Yeah. But really cool. Um, hopefully they can keep it going. I'm I'm sure they will. Um, yeah, good for Eidson and Co.

SPEAKER_00

Alright. Did anybody else have any last curling thoughts before we kind of move to wrap it up here? Joel, is there anything outstanding that we've missed so far?

SPEAKER_02

No, I think we're we're good. It's been uh a lot of curling talk. Um, the Briar was a lot of fun. Um lot of big events still yet to come. Um, and then of course the pending Rock League situation. Um, also EJ is backed out of that, by the way, unfortunately. Um I found out that today he is no longer in the Rock League. But that's fair. He's gonna play with it. So I hope that they have a great world. So I hope he's world champion again. Yeah, not again, first time it would be actually because Brad only won silvers. Oh did he win with Jacobs? No, they got no, they were silver that year too. He's at like four silvers now, three, three silvers. Okay, okay.

SPEAKER_00

Um yeah, I mean, congratulations, Matthew Dunstone. He won the Briar. That is a big deal. You are going to probably be a very good representative at the world championship.

SPEAKER_01

You will be. We're we're gonna be all rooting for our boy Maddie. Maddie, you can do it, buddy. We've got your back, buddy. We're Canadians, let's go.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah, eh? Canadian eh? All right, good work, everybody. Congratulations, Matt. Go carry. I'm thirsty for Thurston. Let's let's wrap this bad boy up. It's been a pleasure to talk curling with you folks. Uh, I hope everybody enjoys. Uh, if you're on the west coast of Newfoundland and you're a teacher, I hope you enjoy your snow day tomorrow. Uh, but if you're not, which you probably aren't, then just have a good Thursday. That's it for me. See you later.

SPEAKER_01

Peace. Oh burn fadden.

SPEAKER_02

Hog line violation.

SPEAKER_03

What a fucking dog show.