Sask. curlers say controversy at Winter Olympics bringing more attention to the sport

A pair of Saskatchewan curlers say the controversy surrounding Canadian curling at the Olympics is bringing more attention and viewers to their sport.

Marc Kennedy, the third on Brad Jacobs’ Team Canada rink, which also features Regina’s Ben Hebert, was accused of hog line violations for touching the granite of the rock in the team’s round-robin showdown against Sweden. Since then, the sport has been thrust into the spotlight, with World Curling providing an updated stone monitoring protocol.

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Kirk Muyres has represented Saskatchewan at the Brier seven times, including games against Kennedy. The St. Gregor curler said he doesn’t believe the Canadian team is guilty of cheating.

“One of the best analogies I’ve heard so far is that it’s like a penalty in hockey. Maybe you broke a rule and should be penalized by taking the rock off when it happened, but to call the Canadians cheaters is not right. I think I can speak for all the curlers out there who have competed against Marc for years. No one would say he’s a cheater,” Muyres said.

“But at the same time, those are the little rules that need to be addressed by the officials and the powers that be, I think.”

Kennedy had a few choice words, including some profanity, in response to the accusation, which Muyres said wasn’t all that surprising.

“I’ve played against Marc for 15 years, and from the outside looking in you don’t see it about Marc, but he is an animal on the ice,” Muyres said.

“You don’t go to three or four Olympics now without being an absolute animal on the ice. He wants to win and he goes there to win. When you have the pressure of the Olympic Games, when you go into that event, tensions might be high. If someone comes at you in an event like that, you might lash out a little bit. I’m sure he wishes he chose his words a little differently, but it was a crazy, entertaining thing to watch.”

While accusations of cheating could rock the confidence of a team, that doesn’t seem to have been the case for the Jacobs rink. The team is sitting at 7-1 and has already locked in a spot in the semifinal.

“It’s not making them crumble; it’s making them play better. I think it solidified the group a little bit, and they are playing with a chip on their shoulder,” Muyres said.

“You notice it out of guys like Jacobs and Benny over the years. They like playing with that chip on their shoulder. I don’t want to say they like being the bad guys, but they obviously don’t hate it. I think the team has rallied around it a little bit and said ‘Hey, maybe this is who we are, and we are going to prove to everyone we are still the best.'”

Despite the controversy, Muyres said it’s a fun time for the sport of curling.

“I don’t go on social media much, but I was on there the other day and every video I see is someone making fun of this, and I think that’s just funny,” Muyres said.

“Other sports and pop culture and these things in our society get these huge, viral moments, and I don’t think curling’s ever really had one like this. This has just gone crazy.”

Skylar Ackerman, who recently announced a return to competitive curling in the province, agreed that the controversy seems to have brought more eyes to the sport.

“I think it has increased some viewership. I’ve had friends who definitely haven’t really watched curling before reach out to me and say they have been watching, which I think is a good thing,” Ackerman said.

“Good to see players are having some intensity and stuff out there,” she added.

“I don’t really have much of an opinion of what’s right or wrong. I think it’s good that it’s bringing some light to sport and (getting) more people interested in the sport.”