Too Close To Call
14/11/2008 04:20
Glenn Howard has the edge in curling's top rivalry, but maybe not for long
Leafs-Habs. Yankees-Red Sox. Celtics-Lakers. Federer-Nadal. Tiger-Phil. Martin-Howard?
OK, so maybe the last one lacks the sizzle (and international appeal) of the most famous active rivalries in sports. But in many ways, curling's top duel is no less compelling. And it could hardly be more balanced.
Over the last two seasons, Kevin Martin of Edmonton and Glenn Howard of Coldwater, Ont., have turned the world of elite curling into their own semi-private domain. Combined, the two skips have won the last eight Grand Slam events, the last two Briers and the last two world championships. Over that time, they raked in more than half a million dollars in prize money on the World Curling Tour, and they've collected another $116,000 already this season. Both teams have already earned a bye into next year's Canadian Olympic trials.
Heading into this week's Grand Slam series opener — the Masters of Curling in Waterloo, Ont. — there's little doubt that a bipolar order grips men's curling.
Martin's and Howard's "are the two teams to beat," CBC curling analyst Mike Harris says. "There's very little difference between the two of them, but they've separated themselves from the rest of the world."
Indeed, predicting a winner in any meeting between the friendly rivals is akin to calling a coin toss. Maybe you have a gut feeling, but the result really could go either way.
More from CBC Sports.
SWIVEL HIPS SAYS:
You just know that every match involving Howard and Martin is going to be a ring-a-ding-dong dandy.