Breaking Up Is Hard To Do

17/04/2009 19:55

Competitive rinks' lineup adjustments sometimes controversial, or occur with bitter feelings

It's amazing that someone hasn't come up with a soap opera based on curling, a sport that has more twists and turns than The Young and The Restless.

The scripts essentially write themselves.

"Yeah, you're right. It would be a Canadian cult classic, followed right across the country by rabid curling fans," said a chuckling Marc Kennedy about the proposed show.

Take this week, for example.

Heather Nedohin is throwing third stones for Cathy King, whose team offically broke up with former third Lori Olson, which also means coach Randy Olson, Lori's dad, is gone.

Rumour has it that Lori, away from the team after having a child two months ago, was more than willing to return to the rink for the Grey Power Players' Championship this week in Grande Prairie.

The team suggested that since it's the final event of the year, she should just continue to rest. The decision, apparently, didn't sit well and coach Olson told King that if Lori wasn't playing, she was walking.

"It was a little bit of a shocking breakup. She came to us and said she'd like to make the move and we said, 'Good luck,' " an emotional King said of the disintegration of the five-year team, which includes Raylene Rocque and Tracy Bush.

Olson is at the Players' Championship in the role as a fifth player for Crystal Webster's team, as Webster is due to deliver a baby -- as opposed to curling stones -- in early June.

"Last Saturday, we had a meeting.

I think we would have had the meeting after the Players' Championship, but because the other team had asked me to come, it made the meeting sooner," Olson said of the confrontation.

"I wish them all the best and I'm sure they are going to pursue all their goals they have set out for them. I had a baby two months ago and I think that presented some difficulties this year in terms of our schedule, and we mutually decided to go our separate ways." Olson said leaving King's team is difficult because "those girls are like my sisters.

"Eventually, all good things come to an end at some point," she added. "Unfortunately for us, it was a little short of our goals as a team, but that's OK." Lost in all the movement is some of the emotion that transpires in difficult personnel changes. Geez, even the men are going through it now.

More from the Edmonton Journal.

SWIVEL HIPS SAYS:

Frankly, folks, I’ve never liked the Cathy King team with Lori Olson playing third. I have never felt they had a chance at winning anything. Olson is just not the 'big chucker' that's going to get you out of any trouble.

I think Heather Nedohin is a much better fit, and a lot of the success that Team King has enjoyed in recent times has been with Nedohin playing third for King. With Nedohin’s lack of success in recent years skipping her own team, do you think she can possibly be persuaded to come back into the King fold? I say go for it Cathy!