Facing former teammate will be ‘just another game,’ says Jennifer Jones

Posted: 4:00 PM CST Friday, Feb. 11, 2011

WINNIPEG - Jennifer Jones says she’s genuinely happy for a former teammate, but is prepared for the media circus that surely awaits her arrival in Charlottetown next week for the start of the Canadian womens curling championship.

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Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 11/02/2011 (5538 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

WINNIPEG – Jennifer Jones says she’s genuinely happy for a former teammate, but is prepared for the media circus that surely awaits her arrival in Charlottetown next week for the start of the Canadian womens curling championship.

“They’re having a great year and I really am happy for them,” Jones said in an interview today in her first public comments since her former third Cathy Overton-Clapham won the Manitoba womens championship last week.

“But yes, we know it’s going to be an issue. We’re prepared for that, just like anytime you go to one of these things.”

Nathan Denette / The CAnadian Press
Skip Jennifer Jones (right) and third Cathy Overton-Clapham look on while playing against Scotland during playoff action at the World Women's Curling Championships in Swift Current, Sask., on Saturday, March 27, 2010. — Nathan Denette / The CAnadian Press Skip Jennifer Jones (right) and third Cathy Overton-Clapham look on while playing against Scotland during playoff action at the World Women's Curling Championships in Swift Current, Sask., on Saturday, March 27, 2010.

This won’t be just like any other time, however. Jones made headlines last spring when she fired Overton-Clapham from her three-time defending Canadian champion squad.

The move raised eyebrows, in part because Overton-Clapham is a hall-of-fame curler still playing at a very high level but also because it is so unusual to remove a player from a team that has won three straight Canadian titles.

Jones said the move was necessary as she considered the long term interests of the team with a view to qualifying to represent Canada at the 2014 Winter Olympics.

But the move rankled Overton-Clapham, who went public with her displeasure at losing valuable perks this season that came with surrendering her spot on the defending champion Team Canada, including an automatic return to the national Scotties Tournament of Hearts in Charlottetown.

And so with the two teams now set to collide in Charlottetown for the first time since the breakup, the likelihood of a media circus breaking out in Prince Edward Island is about on par with the possibility Charlie Sheen might have a beer or two on a Friday night.

But while it might be an issue for everyone else, Jones is steadfast that it is not an issue for her.

“It’s just another game in the round-robin for us,” Jones said of Team Canada’s matchup with Manitoba’s Overton-Clapham on the evening draw Feb. 23. “It’s no different than any other game.”

Jones said she chooses to recall the monumental accomplishments of her time with Overton-Clapham, which included Canadian titles in 2008, 2009 and 2010 and a world championship in 2008, over any bitterness now.

“We’re so proud of everything that team did together. It was a wonderful time and hopefully we’ll always remember the good time and the good things we did together.”