Well, Doesn't This Beat All

Here I am, ready to live-blog the final of the Scott 2009 Tournament of Hearts, and it still isn't on TSN. I see from the CurlCast website that the game has begun.

Thanks, again, Curling Association of Canada, for having negotiated such a fan-friendly broadcasting contract! (for those who need to be told, yes, I'm being sarcastic).

I just noticed on the TSN website that with over 5000 respondents, fewer than 20% think BC will win the championship. Both Ms. Eclectic and I disagree. But she got to pick first, so the bet (with breakfast tomorrow on the line) means I was left with Team Canada.... 8-)

I Do NOT Frick'n Believe This

TSN, TSNHD, and TSN2 are all carrying something other than the friggn' FINALS of the Scott Tournament of Hearts.

So we have to tolerate macho US southern accents while waiting for the curling final telecast to kick in???

And I thought it would be BETTER when TSN received the exclusive contract.

Curling Association: Please, PLEASE, get it into the contract that TSN must carry the draws from start to finish on at least ONE of their many channels!

Draw 17: So Much Is On The Line!

Well, whatdya know: the featured game on TSN does not include Saskatchewan!

But all four of the games are crucial for at least one of the teams.

1. Nfld needs to defeat NS to stay at only 5 losses and have a ghost of a chance of being in a tie-breaker.
2. Ontario needs to defeat Alberta to stay at 5 losses and to drag Alberta down to 5 losses.
3. Saskatchewan needs to beat Manitoba to avoid slipping to 5 losses and the monumental mess of tie-breakers.
4. Canada must beat BC to avoid slipping to 5 losses.

So far, in the featured game, Canada/Jones took two in the first end and forced BC to take one in the second end. The Jones rink looks both concerned and determined to me. So far, the TSN announcers are puzzled that Jones seems to be playing the BC game of keeping things clean. So clean, in fact, that they managed to blank the third end.

We just realized that if Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Canada all win, there will five teams tied for second with records of 7-4. Fun stuff!!

In the 4th end, Mallett (BC skip) made a perfect hit and roll, forcing Jones to draw to the 8' to take one, but her shot was way too heavy and so BC stole one.

2-2 after the 4th end.

In the 5th end, the Jones rink had a chance to sit for three, but Overton-Clapham's 2nd shot rolled out, so in the end Team Canada scored two.

Canada 4, BC 2

Time for the fifth end break. Second half in a new posting.

Sorry, Alan....

Ms. Eclectic just called and says that once again TSN is featuring Saskatchewan! What are the total numbers of times each team has been featured?

Plan for tonight: go home. nap. watch curling. order pizza. crack open some more cider.

Log Jam..... Again

Wow, isn't it fun to speculate about the standings, the play-offs, and potential tie-breaker games?

After Wednesday night's play, the BC rink had clinched a spot in the play-offs of the 2009 Scott Tournament of Hearts, but after that, there were two rinks tied at 6-3, followed by FIVE (count 'em, 5) rinks tied at 5-4.

When Alan and I were covering the Scott for CHRW news a few years ago in London, Ontario, this type of situation led to all sorts of fun, speculation, mathematical computations, etc. among the media as we discussed all the options. I'm sure it will be no different this morning in Victoria, and I'm sure the TSN telecasters will be going into orgasmic delight over the possibilities. It is loads of fun!

Unfortunately, I'll have to miss the first two draws today (on the road, again; first in Hanover, then in London; sadly, both in Ontario, not Europe). And after all the day's activities, I'll probably fall asleep before the 17th draw this evening at 9:30pm EST.

Maybe I'll take a nap when I get home...

The 2009 Scott: Draw #4

Alan says he was worn out from the excitement of the close matches in draw three, and so I guess that leaves it to me to do some updates on the fourth draw. The TSN featured game is between Quebec and PEI. Some opening observations:

1. Is it just me and the way I see things, or are the curlers wearing less makeup today than they were last night?
2. It looks to me as if several of the curlers are putting more handle (spin) on their rocks than I am used to seeing. Is there a reason for this?
3. At our club, the ice seems to slope downward toward the outside walls on the outer sheets. I wonder if that happened there yesterday.

End#1:
A nice come-around by Belanger set the end up for Quebec to force PEI to take one.

End #2:
Nice hit-and-roll by PEI set up the end early, and the Quebec second couldn't really get the long-guard run-backs. But the vice made a good double peel of the guards, followed by a good run-back tap-and-peel. MacPhee (PEI skip) really muffed her first shot this end, taking out HER shot rock. She tried to redeem herself, going for a double, but took out only one Quebec rock, leaving Quebec with an easy draw for two.

Quebec 2, PEI 1

End #3:
The end started as a mess with a bunch of center line stone for both teams. Quebec was definitely in control this end, until MacPhee (vice) made two doubles, peeling the guards and then driving two Quebec rocks from the house. Larouche nose hits a PEI rock on purpose, MacPhee-skip comes up short, and LaRouche taps up her own center guard but leaves a hole for R.MacPhee to draw through for one.

Quebec 2, PEI 2

End #4:
Lemay (Quebec 2nd) made a great tap up to put Quebec in a dominant position, and MacPhee (vice) came up short with her first shot. But then Belanger (vice - Que) essentially whiffed on a take-out attempt. PEI set up more guards, leaving a narrow port for Quebec, but Quebec instead opted for a double peel of two PEI guards. Nice guard by PEI skip, leaving Que skip a double bump attempt which she barely missed (over curled due to too little weight). PEI goes with an aggressive attempt to steal, but touches the guard. Larouche finds a small port, and drives a double tap back to bump out the PEI stone to score three. Exciting shot. Ray sounds as if he might be having a heart attack!

Quebec 5, PEI 2

End #5:
Lots of guards and run-back opportunities with Quebec sitting 1-2. And Quebec just keeps putting up guards. Looks almost like club-level curling at this point. With all the guards, PEI is left a difficult double-raise double-take-out. Hit perfectly but a tad light. Steal of one for Quebec.

Quebec 6, PEI 2

End #6:
As the end opens, Quebec gets lots of rocks in play, and PEI struggles to do much of anything. In fact Quebec even removed one of its own guards, to keep things cleaner.

Meanwhile, Team Canada smokes NS 9-1.

Quebec seemed to dominate the entire 6th end, but Larouche was three inches heavy, leaving a tap for two for PEI, but it was a bit wide. Another steal of one for Quebec.

Quebec 7, PEI 2

-----

Oops. A break for dinner and to wring our hands about CUPE's latest, and when we come back to the curling, we see that TSN has given up on the Quebec-PEI game even though PEI stole one in the 7th and now trails 7-4. TSN is focusing on Alberta-Manitoba, where Alberta leads 5-4 in the 9th without the hammer.