Curling, Etcetera_ A Whole Bunch of Stuff About the Roaring Game - Bob Weeks [49]
• She spent several years as a commentator on broadcasts of World Curling Tour events on Rogers Sportsnet.
• In 2006, she ran for the position of mayor of St. Catharines, finishing third out of eight candidates.
• Through marriage (when she was known as Marilyn Darte), she helped operate a family-owned funeral home, leading the Globe and Mail to start a story on her with the following line: “The only things certain in Marilyn Darte’s life are death and curling.”
• In 1987, as defending champion, Bodogh was in Lethbridge, Alberta, to promote that year’s national championship. She attended a press conference at a Lethbridge curling club, and when a photographer suggested going onto the ice to take some pictures, Bodogh walked out, interrupted a game being played by some seniors, put a rock on the button, and then, despite wearing a skirt, did a cartwheel behind the rock. The photographer got his shot.
• Bodogh almost always wore a kilt when playing. As well, she wore green bloomers underneath.
• In 2008, she played in the Ontario senior championships for the first time, finishing second.
• Bodogh works as a motivational speaker.
HOG WILD
Prior to the introduction of the electronic hog line sensor, officials called violations on curlers who slid over the line without releasing the stone. The curlers who were called for the violations almost always disagreed,who and some did so vehemently. And the more significant the event, the more they disagreed. Here are two of the most controversial hog line decisions:
• At the 2001 World Curling Championships in Lausanne, Switzerland, Canadian skip Randy Ferbey was playing the semi-final against Switzerland’s Andreas Schwaller. Ferbey was called three times for hog line violations, with the penalty being the removal of his rock. The official was Swiss, and for some unusual reason, that week, most of the violations came against the opponents of the Swiss team. Canada lost the game 6-5 to Switzerland, and Ferbey made his mark by chewing out the official after the third pull. Television replays show Ferbey clearly releasing the stone before the hog line. “It’s unfortunate that something like that got to dictate the way of the game going,” Ferbey said. “All week long I had one hog line call and all of a sudden I have three. I definitely question how they came to determine how I was over the hog line.”
• In the semi-final of the 1987 Ontario championships, Paul Savage played Russ Howard. In the eighth end of a close game, Savage played a takeout for two points, but before the stones were kicked off, an official came out and called Savage for a hog line violation. Instead of Savage scoring two, Howard took one and went on to win the game. Savage was livid for a number of reasons. First, sliding over the hog line on a takeout was nearly impossible, and Savage didn’t slide very long at the best of times. Second, instead of the necessary two hog line officials—one on either side of the sheet—there was only one. Third, in his many years of curling, Savage had never been called for a hog line violation. Even Howard said after the game he was surprised the rock was pulled.
Curling Fact
At the first Brier, there was only one team from Western Canada, Ossie Barkwell’s rink from Yellowgras , Saskatchewan . The foursome earned the invitation by winning the Manitoba bonspiel that year, and a week after that victory they left for Toronto, taking their own rocks along with them.
SINGULARLY REWARDING
Although curling is a team game, each year, many of the major championships hand out individual awards for various achievements. Here is a look at the awards and the criteria for winning:
PHOTO CREDITS
Page 6: Ontario Curling Report
Page 17: Denis Drever / Ontario Curling Report
Page 27: Powell Photo / Estate of Doug Maxwell
Page 31: H.C. Fortier Limited / Estate of Doug Maxwell
Page 32: Courtesy Marco Ferraro