Rob's space

THE EPILOGUE

I sipped on my steaming coffee as I sat in the back of Jake’s truck. The snowflakes floated gently in the air and blanketed us in a comforting silence. Our team was quiet as we all reflected on the week away from home. A green sign rapidly approached to our right and it grew larger…. “St. John’s 726 km”. In an instant, the sign was gone as it quickly disappeared in the rear view mirror.

My time in Stephenville felt that it had passed as quickly as that road sign. The anticipation of a potential trip to the 2009 Labatt Brier was now vanquished by the reality of returning home without a victory. However, I knew that I would see my lovely wife Lori in a few hours, and that any disappointment of not fulfilling my curling dream would be quickly eased by her comforting smile.

Tuesday evening. Two days after returning home, the hectic pace of life has returned. The stress of placing a rock three feet short of the house in the 10th end has now been replaced by the newest client deadline. A week of work awaited me and it is time to dig in for a long winter in the finance world!

A few hours ago I read “the final word” by Rob “The Rocket Launcher” Thomas.  It appears that one of the guys who has been a household name on the Newfoundland curling scene for decades is hanging up his slider. He said “…..I can’t shoot like I used too”. Well folks, all I can say is that RT made a hell of a lot of runbacks in the past three years!!!

With my 4^th Tankard in the books, I’m not sure where I go from here. I do know that in my reporting to you, I’ve thought more about the game of curling than ever before. Curling is really a microcosm of life…… no one can curl 100% all the time. Sometimes, we flash a hit, crash a guard on a draw attempt, or hog a rock. Basically, we all make mistakes both on and off the ice ….I know I’ve made my share of them (heck…….I burned a rock in the Branton game which cost us a few points….sorry guys)!  I’ve also been known to yell out the scattered “4” weight call as the rock sails through the house into the hack.

However, despite the ups and downs of the game and life, I’m sure we can all admit we’ve met some of our best friends through curling. In addition, the thrill of watching a 44 pound piece of granite just edge by a guard and bury, or of sweeping your guts out on the last rock of the end to make it count, or of making that angle raise double……that’s what keeps you coming back. In addition to that, hopefully in the future, old Sporty’s blog will keep you coming back as well.

In the words of Sammy Hagar, you’ve got to “finish what you started!” Hopefully, this is the first Provincial or National curling blog of many.

Until next time…..ladies and gentleman, Sporty has just slid out of the hack.

As the final few grains of sand flow through the hour-glass of my Men’s curling career, I reflect back and it’s certainly not “the agony of defeat” that comes to the forefront, but rather “the agony of de-knee”!!  

It was a long 8 days for me at this years Open and Provincials and despite Steph’s best acupuncture effort, the bum knee, or should I say leg, won the battle!   On my return visit after the week’s competition, Steph commented it was “like sticking needles in to concrete”!! And ya’ know what… at my age, playing in that much pain just isn’t worth it anymore!

I was only 15 years old in 1976, the year Newfoundland won it’s only Brier to date, when I accomplished something that I guess 95% of kids never-ever do, and that was to make it to my first curling National Playoffs!  At that time they were known as the Canadian School-boy Play-downs and I found myself playing with Geoff (Jake) Cunningham, (funnily enough, that is who I was playing for this year too!)  and with a huge win against the front-runner Alberta in the final round robin game we won 4 games at that Nationals… but at 15 years old, we came away with a sense that we were pretty darn good at this game!! Three years later in 1979, at the now called Pepsi-Cola Juniors, we missed being the first Junior team to win a Canadian Title for Newfoundland by less than an inch!  That was the defining moment that I found out that curling can certainly be a humbling sport, and for the next 8 years, although I competed in 6 or 7 Men’s Provincials, I never reached that pinnacle that we call The Brier!  Then, in 1987 I met the person who I still to this day credit any mental and/or teamwork talent I may possess: Randy Perry. Randy brought out the real competitor in me and I was handsomely rewarded from his mentoring with a trip to the 1987 Brier where, under Mark Noseworthy we donned the Bronze medal. 

When I reflect back on the people that I played with I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention some great room-mates like Gene Trickett, Gary Rowe and Donny Ryan… but the mere mention of those names to all that know them denotes that I could not possibly expand with any stories!!  There was also the person who taught me what the game is really all about, and how to play hard but still prioritize it in your life; Mark Ward of course comes to mind there. I’ve seen full careers come and go in my tenure!  I saw a hockey player come to the rink one year not knowing if the sport was fit to eat, and some 4 or 5 Briers later now coaches the better part of the 2006 Olympic Games Gold Medalists!! (That of course is The Silver Fox, Glenn Goss.)  I’d like to think I was part of the team that launched who I believe is one of the premier leads in the Province right now….. Keith “Rusty” Jewer’s Men’s career where in 2000 at The Don Bartlett there was never a doubt he’d make it to The Show at some point! (Later of course he did see his Brier with Ken Peddigrew. Ken is one player that I regret not getting to play a men’s year with for sure!) I watched as Newfoundland and Labrador nurtured a Jr. Men’s Canadian Championship team and eventually an Olympic Gold Medal Team, (Brad Gushue, Mark Nichols, Jamie Korab and Mike Adam)… and then watched as the Junior Ladies skipped by Stacey Devereaux took Newfoundland’s first Junior Women’s title!!   

I know I’ve missed so many people that I’ve played with, and I could never name them all, but, greats like Joe Power, Brother Ken (never played with Jeff in Men’s) Mutt Hollett, Gary Oke, Carl Strong and Frank O’Driscoll have been amongst my team-mates…  It’s been a long 28 years and, again, as most know, I moved around a little bit from team to team!!  And that brings me right up to my current team… Very possibly, if memory serves me, the ‘only’ team I have played with, in fact, for 3 consecutive years in my Men’s career, which not only says a lot about their patience with me (cuz’ I certainly can’t shoot like I used to ya’ know!) but it says even more about three great guys with whom I have had 3 incredible years to finish this chapter of my curling life!  Thanks Jake, Gary Tiller and Steve “Sporty” Bragg!

So to summarize… besides the ever increasing pain, I really have had a great 28 years! Certainly the Bronze Medal in my very first Brier in1987 was one of the big highlights but there have been many… coaching my Daughter Noelle with Jen Guzzwell, Shelley Nichols and Steph LeDrew to a National Junior final was truly a dream come true.  Being named Newfoundland’s “Team of The Year” in 1988, what an honor! What else can I say, 2 Juniors, 3 Briers, 24 or 25 Men’s Provincials and on top of that, back to back Bon Voyage wins in the mid 90’s!!  But seriously, I have been blessed by our great game, seen every Province in Canada, was invited and played in Switzerland, met countless friends across the Nation, but most of all, established the core of my lifetime friends right here in St. John’s and all across Newfoundland and Labrador!!

Does this mean I won’t show up in some capacity next year at the Men’s Provincials at Bally Haly … well…never say never, but it will be a late pick-up or a fifth at best! As I’m sure “Sporty” would tell me right now  … It’s in your blood!!

Thanks for reading!!   

Rob

TEAM CUNNINGHAM ELIMINATED….THE BRIER DREAM IS OVER

Ladies and gentlemen, Elvis has just left the Caribou Curling Club.

In a must win this afternoon, Team Cunningham started with 3 against Dean Branton in the first end. However, we were unable to hold on and we lost 8-6 to Branton…….that put us to 5 losses and eliminated us from the 2009 Labatt Tankard.

Tonight, we played Baz Buckle and Jake made a run back double in the final end to win the game and push our record to 3-5.  By the way, I’d give the A. Harvey Highlight of the Night to Jake on that shot, but since this is my blog, I’ll give it to me for the two corner guards that were exactly across from one another and lead to a 3 ender in the third!

Tomorrow, we play Gary Oke in a game that has no playoff implications…….it is basically all about pride. In the game against Buckle, we started off in a 4-0 deficit but managed to come back and win. As Rob said, “now I know what it is like to play team Cunningham!”

As I reflect on this week, I realize that the difference between winning and losing in a Tankard is extremely fine. A roll here, a run back there and my dream may have been realized.

Anyway, there is always next year. However, this year has been a great ride. Even though we have been eliminated, we’ll play hard tomorrow. As well, it was really cool tonight that we sat around and had a few beers with Team Branton, Team Rowsell and Team Peddigrew and we talked about the week. I think we all looked at each other knowing that everyone had left it all on the ice. Rick and company are still alive…..and I wish them the best. For the rest of us, despite the setback this year, whether you’ve been to a Brier or not, the thrill of the competition and the comraderie of the curling fraternity is something we all enjoy. If you are a competitive curler, as old Rocket Launcher Thomas said, “it is in your blood”.

For three years. Team Cunningham has had a good ride. As we sit in the hotel room at almost 1 in the morning, drink some beer and wine and watch concerts on a 90 inch screen, I realize that we have gone about this in the right way. We’ve conducted ourselves with class on the ice, we’ve competed hard and we’ve had fun.

This week I was a competitive curler chasing a Brier dream. However, also, for one week, I wasn’t a numbers guy (other than trying to ensure there was enough in the team account for a good steak meal when we return!)……I was a sports journalist.

Who knows……maybe the next stop for old Sporty is a writing gig on TSN. Maybe not. One thing is for certain…..I’ll be back to the Tankard…….and if I am………tune in. If I ever get to a Brier, it will be one hell of a blog! My word…………………………..

TEAM CUNNINGHAM STILL MATHEMATICALLY ALIVE DESPITE TWO TOUGH LOSSES

“Do you have any raspberry vinegarette” I asked. As soon as those words came out of my mouth, the laughter ensued from Jake, Rob and Gary. Our energetic waitress added fuel to the fire with a very quick response… “Are you crazy? Where do think you are, the mainland or something”. She continued “I suppose you are going to order some Perrier water or flavored coffee too!” She then smacked my head with the menu (not exactly I technique I’d recommend in the service industry!) The laughter continued.

However, inside, I was doing anything but laughing. We were sitting in the Stephenville mall for lunch and I had ordered a club sandwich and a salad. Our team, after the tough loss to Ken Peddigrew the day before, was in the midst of a three game moving day. We had just played Rick Rowsell…..and after jumping out to a 4-0 lead, we fell apart like a cheap suit. Rowsell scored an unanswered touchdown (including a deuce with hammer, and then subsequent steals of 2 and 3). Down 7-4, we managed to score a deuce, but in the words of one the best bands of all time (AC/DC), “we’d been thunderstruck!”.

As we sat there, it felt like library period on Day 6 of my Grade 8 schedule. All were silent. At 1-3, it appeared that 4 losses would be the bubble, and our next battle was with Brad Gushue.

I’ll summarize the game briefly……we came out and gave the fans at the Caribou Curling Club their money’s worth. Up 4-2 after 6 ends, we got into the “junk game” in end 7. The result, there was more granite in the rings than in a marble kitchen top manufacturing plant. Ultimately, Brad made a good hit and roll and scored three on a measure to go up 5-4.

That is symbolic of this week. The guys on all of the teams here are playing their guts out and their fates can be decided by fractions of an inch. A team can go 2-7 this week and be 5-4 or 6-3 in a heartbeat. But that’s curling……..and that what you sign up for if you journey to the Tankard.

Back to the curling. In the eight end of Brad’s game, Gushue missed a pick attempt on one our rocks that was half frozen tone of his and he left us with an open draw for two. Again, the curling gods were testing our intestinal fortitude (another wrestling reference for the boys at home). We had a great split on the rock but about halfway down the ice it picked. Instead of being up 6-5 going into the ninth end, we were tied at 5. Brad would score 2 in 9….he actually had a shot for 3 but also narrowly escaped jamming and giving us 1. We couldn’t get the deuce in ten.

At 1-4, and with two losses already under our belt, we had to play our third game against Keith Ryan. My Brier dream was fleeting. However, if there is one thing I can say about myself, I don’t quit…..and neither does this team. If we could run the gauntlet and go 5-4, we could potentially find ourselves in a tiebreaker riding a 4 game winning streak.

Keith Ryan was up 4-2 after the 5^th end break. We were playing on ice 2 and Dean Branton was playing Gushue on ice 1 and giving him everything he could handle. In the other games, they had ended early so our two games were now the focus of the curling fans. To quickly summarize, we found ourselves going to an extra end needing to steal to win the game. That’s what we do on Team Cunningham….after two tough losses, and in danger of elimination, we needed to steal an extra end to stay alive. Granted, we had come back from a 4-2 deficit and Keith Ryan and his team are not only good guys, they’re good curlers! We would have our work cut out for us.

Dino and Brad’s game had just ended and Brad had scored a 4 in nine to comeback and win. As we were about to start the 11th end, I looked behind the glass……the once plentiful crowd had dissipated to a smattering of fans. In fact, one of the guys on Ryan’s team joked, “I guess they weren’t here to see our game!” Oh well, it was late, and as usual, we found ourselves in the only game on the ice fighting to stay alive….and we did. A steal in the 11^th moved us to 2-4 and gives us a small glimmer of hope as we enter Friday. With two wins against Branton and Buckle, we could find ourselves playing a very meaningful game against Gary Oke on Saturday morning.

Stay tuned Team Cunningham fans……..it will be a wild ride for the next 24 hours!!!!

CUNNINGHAM LOSES IN AN EXTRA END

Wednesday at 12:43 PM. After having lunch at the Stephenville Airport, Jake and Rob decided they wanted to watch an airplane takeoff. I’ve never heard of it but it was called Flair Air.

Wait for it, wait for it……….all I could think about was Ric Flair, 14 time wrestling heavyweight champion. In his famous words….. “to be the man, you have to beat the man…..wooooooooooo!”

Well, in my opinion, this afternoon we were playing the man……good old Ken Peddigrew. For my money, Ken is one of the grittiest competitors on the Newfoundland curling scene. I’ve known Ken since junior curling, and I knew after Gary Oke had beaten him to drop his record to 0-2, it was like poking a rabid dog with a sharp stick. We had our work cut out for us.

It was a typical Cunningham-Peddigrew battle. To make a long story short (partly because I had a blog already today and partly because we have three games tomorrow), Ken stole in the 11^th end to beat us. Now, we sit at 1-2.

We have Rowsell, Gushue and Ryan tomorrow ….so, tomorrow is moving day. After a tough loss today, in the words of Axel Rose, “all we need is a little patience” (that was for my buddies back home again).

See you on Friday….hopefully with a few more wins to report!