Martin keeping busy at Brier

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This article was published 06/03/2010 (5904 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

HALIFAX — They wheeled Kevin Martin and his golden teammates into this maritime town on Friday to promote the Brier and it seemed odd that the world’s best curling team wasn’t about to take part in our national championship.

"That’s a great reason for there to be a Team Canada at this event and it’s something we need to do soon," said Martin, who was here along with third John Morris, second Marc Kennedy and lead Ben Hebert. "And as much as I’d like to be out there, mentally I don’t think I could do it. I won’t get on my soapbox about this right now."

Since wrapping up the Olympics with a gold-medal win over Norway last Saturday night, Martin and his crew have spent little time on the ground, figuratively and literally. On Thursday it was off to London to promote next year’s Brier and then into Halifax on Friday for some glad-handing before Martin was scheduled to escape for a few days.

"My wife and I are going south to do some golfing. I need a break and a chance to relax," said Martin. "In 1992 I played in both the Olympics and at the Brier and I started that year at 207 lbs. like I always do and finished up at 167. It takes a lot out of you. This year I’m only down about seven pounds so I guess I’m getting better at it."

Martin described his return to Edmonton on Monday following the Olympics.

"It was a gong show. My wife and my youngest daughter met me there and we spent about an hour-and-a-half signing autographs," said Martin. "Then I told my daughter to make a bee-line for the elevator and to not stop for anyone. As she started to move away, I was able to say to people, ‘my daughter’s getting away, I have to follow here.’ That’s the only way I could get out of there."

The next morning it was off to his daughter’s school.

"I went for show and tell and I took the gold medal with me," said Martin. "Those little kids, they had such great questions and you hope you can inspire them to get into sports and do good things with their lives."

Morris says leaving the house has been a little crazy lately.

"I’ve basically only been home for one day. But those five-minute trips to get a coffee or those 15-minute trips to the grocery store, they’ve turned into two- and three-hour marathons," said Morris.

Kennedy was asked about his favourite moments from the Olympics.

"We went to the gold-medal hockey game and we sat about seven rows up from behind the U.S. net," said Kennedy. "After the Americans scored the place was so quiet but after Sid (Sidney Crosby) scored, the place went nuts and we were celebrating way more than we did when we won our own gold medal."

Martin had his own Crosby moment late Sunday night.

"They had this international zone in the athletes village where we could all get together and around three in the morning — I’m getting old, you know — I’d had enough and began to head home," said Martin. "Sid had to play Buffalo the next night and so he decided to call it a night at the same time as me.

"We walked home down the street together for about 15 minutes and all I can say is what a nice person he is and how impressed I am with the way he carries himself. I’ve watched lots of guys up close including (Wayne) Gretzky and I was just as impressed with Crosby as any of the rest of them."

gary.lawless@freepress.mb.ca