Canada’s crack third busy cracking wise

Mead and men loose on eve of big bonspiel

By: Paul Wiecek Posted: 1:00 AM CDT Saturday, Apr. 2, 2011

REGINA -- They're the home team, at an event where anything but a first-place finish will be regarded by Canadians as a disappointment.

Read this article for free:

or

Already have an account? Log in here »

To continue reading, please subscribe:

*Billed as $5.77 plus GST every four weeks. After 52 weeks, price increases to the regular rate of $19.95 plus GST every four weeks. Offer available to new and qualified returning subscribers only. Cancel any time.

REGINA -- They're the home team, at an event where anything but a first-place finish will be regarded by Canadians as a disappointment.

Read unlimited articles for free today:

or

Already have an account? Log in here »

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 02/04/2011 (5537 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

REGINA — They’re the home team, at an event where anything but a first-place finish will be regarded by Canadians as a disappointment.

But if Jeff Stoughton and his Team Canada are feeling any pressure as the 2011 World Men’s Curling Championship officially gets underway, it was nowhere on display Friday as the foursome got its first look at the ice during a one-hour practice session at the 6,000-seat Brandt Centre.

Canada third Jon Mead, in particular, was loose and laughing as he was swarmed by media eager to get an early word from a man who became the No. 1 story at the Brier in London, Ont., last month with a week-long curling performance that was one for the ages.

Mead opened his scrum with a good-natured dig at the media who ignore the cash circuit — “Where are all of you during the Slam events?” — and then kept right on going.

Asked whether he’s changed since he last appeared at the worlds in 1999, Mead quipped: “My underwear? A few times.”

Asked what impact having former world champion Rick Lang as his team leader was having, Mead went with: “I haven’t seen him take his wallet out yet for a round, so I don’t know.”

Mead’s stand-up routine was typical of a Stoughton team that appeared on Friday just as loose and carefree here at the worlds as they were on practice days at the Brier in London, Ont., and the Manitoba provincials in Beausejour.

And that would seem to bode well for a team that has won so much this winter at least in part because they have consistently seemed less daunted by the prospect of losing than their opponents.

Mead summed up the team attitude to curling at this event — or any other — this way.

“This is really, really important, but I also know there’s a lot of great things we have in our lives. So it’s not going to change our lives one way or the other.

“But when we’re between the hacks out there, it is life and death from a curling perspective. So I just think we have good life balance — and that’s the key.”

Canada opens its 11-game round-robin with a pair of games today, taking on Switzerland’s Christof Schwaller this afternoon and Denmark’s Tommy Stjerne tonight.

Stoughton was blunt when asked if he was going to win it all here next weekend.

“That’s the plan,” he said. “Our expectations here are as high as they were at the Brier and we’ll be very disappointed if we don’t come out of here with a gold medal.”

Stoughton was also asked if his Canadian team is the favourite to win it all this year before what should be a large, loud and partisan Canadian crowd.

“Oh yeah, I think so,” said Stoughton. “We feel we’re definitely one of the favourites.”

Mead agreed, sort of.

“On paper, sure,” said the Brier all-star third. “But that’s about all that’s worth. We’ve got to play well.”

paul.wiecek@freepress.mb.ca