How much green is gold worth?

Fry about to find out how Olympic glory translates into cold cash

By: Paul Wiecek Posted: 3:01 AM CDT Sunday, Mar. 9, 2014

KAMLOOPS, B.C. -- So what's an Olympic gold medal worth in cold hard cash?

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KAMLOOPS, B.C. -- So what's an Olympic gold medal worth in cold hard cash?

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Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 09/03/2014 (4468 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

KAMLOOPS, B.C. — So what’s an Olympic gold medal worth in cold hard cash?

Winnipeg native Ryan Fry — the third on the Brad Jacobs foursome that took down gold in men’s curling in Sochi last month — is about to find out.

The Jacobs foursome capped off an insanely busy week of national media appearances — and hiring the team’s first agent — by putting in an appearance at the Tim Hortons Brier on Saturday.

Wong Maye-E / The Associated Press
Curler Ryan Fry and his gold-winning teammates have been kept hopping since their return from Sochi a few weeks ago. — Wong Maye-E / The Associated Press Curler Ryan Fry and his gold-winning teammates have been kept hopping since their return from Sochi a few weeks ago.

If the hundreds of curling fans that lined up for over an hour at Interior Savings Centre Saturday just to get the famous foursome’s autographs is any indication, there is definitely a market right now for all things Jacobs.

So, Fry was asked afterward, are you about to do the impossible — Get rich off curling?

“I doubt it,” Fry laughed. “It’s more that we created a brand for ourselves. I think we’re one of the first teams that’s starting a trend to bring curling a little more young and bring that demographic down.

“With the fitness and everything that our team brings, we’re trying to really reflect the brand we’re establishing. And we felt we really needed an agent to help us develop that brand even further and make sure we’re lining ourselves up with the right companies that are going to try and help grow the sport.

“That’s something that’s really important to us and I think with the win (in Sochi), that responsibility does fall on us a little bit. And we’re happy to have that responsibility.”

Fry said the magnitude of his team’s win in Sochi is still sinking in.

“When we got back from Sochi, we took about a week off,” said Fry. “And now we’ve kind of geared it up again. We had a full media day in Toronto (last week). Now, we’re here and then the Slam (in Fort McMurray, Alta.) and then a couple more appearances after that…

“But I think our team is pretty down to earth. We keep everyone on the straight and narrow. But it’s great — the amount of pride that’s coming from all the Canadians and fans that we met is phenomenal and we appreciate every bit of it.”

While Winnipeg’s other curling gold medallists from Sochi — the Jennifer Jones team — have been all over the city in recent weeks making appearances, Fry said he won’t finally return to his hometown until early May, when the 1979 Brier champion team skipped by his father, Barry, will be inducted into the Manitoba Curling Hall of Fame.

“I’m going to come into town that first week of May and then we have to do a thing in Toronto again on May 8,” said Fry. “So I will probably be there for a week or so.”

paul.wiecek@freepress.mb.ca Twitter: @PaulWiecek