Gregory Strong

Brad Gushue often plays the clip of his famous Brier-winning shot in 2017 at public speaking appearances. When he hears Vic Rauter's voice on the call, Gushue gets chills every time. My story on the TSN broadcaster's retirement after 53 years in the biz: timescolonist.com/national-sport…

The curling season should end once the Olympics are complete. Fans/athletes are gassed after a compact, busy season. A climax at the Games and then start fresh in the fall. No juice left in April of an OLY season. It looks like 'Dress Like a Red Seat Night' at worlds in Ogden.

That’s all for me, curling fans. I may chime in again later this year if the Blue Jays go on another playoff run. Until then…..arrivederci! 🇮🇹

And finally, curling would really benefit by figuring out its merch problem. A fan attending a big event should be able to buy things like a Manitoba hat, a Kerri Einarson uniform or a Team Dunstone warmup jacket. Just like any other sport. Long overdue!

Enjoyed our interview @GregoryStrongCP: Athlete stories can go untold due to shrinking media presence at Winter Olympics thestar.com/sports/olympic… via @torontostar

Ever wonder why Team Gushue generated so much media play? Winning all those titles helped of course. But Brad was also unflinchingly honest, answered all questions, avoided cliches, called people back, and wasn't afraid to ruffle feathers. Curling brand building 101.

Thoughts on Rock League: Some good news with CBC on board after rough start with US/Europe plans scrubbed and 6-week sched cut to 7 days. Intrigued to see if fans buy in on team format with mishmash of players. Tough to move needle with Dodgers-Jays WS rematch in town that week.

How will we know when curling has truly arrived? When powerbrokers don't sound off on socials when they see posts they don't like. Imagine Auston Matthews replying b/c someone posts the PP is weak. Or Jays GM posting b/c someone criticizes the bullpen. Comes with the territory.

Great to see new scribes on curling scene. Not great to see so many bylines on remote work. An unfortunate sports media trend from the pandemic. Curling offers opp to do original reporting. Bylines for sure in those cases. But not when you say ‘told so and so’ or ‘told reporters’

After a wild and memorable Winter Olympics, where does curling go from here? The Brier has the potential to be an all-timer. After that, the Olympic hangover may set in. If the world champs in Utah are well attended, you’ll know it hasn’t.

@rockchannelcurl Story here: tsn.ca/olympics/artic…

“For anyone who called us cheaters, for anyone who said negative things about Marc Kennedy, about our families… I hope that the image of us on top of the podium… smiling from ear to ear is burned into your brain forever.” - Brad Jacobs

Sports media rule that for some reason curling has a hard time with: you can’t be friends with the curlers you cover. Friendly - yes. For sure. But friends, no. Usual rules apply. 😀 No cheering in the press box. No cheering on Twitter. And you def can’t call Jacobs ‘Cupsy’ 😂

In general, it would be great to see more curling reporters at live events. Four-row media risers used to take up full sections at major Cdn events. Now it’s down to a single bench. It can be tough to travel and the biz has changed. But on-site reporting makes a ton of difference

Atmosphere at Cortina Curling Olympic Stadium was incredible. Players raved. It’s amazing what a full, lively barn can do for the product. Hot crowds aren’t guaranteed just b/c it’s the Games either. You could really feel the history (1956 OLY host) in the building too. 9.5/10

The number of hot quotes in Cortina was simply off the charts. It was like peak Gushue but better. Notebooks filled every single day. Some days there would be six or seven absolute screamer quotes. Next level.

I’ve had a request for a few more curling takes…

"Nothing was left behind today. The sweeps were hard. The lines, they were really close. You could tell there was no letting go (for) these girls. They were going all the way." - Canada's Rachel Homan wins Olympic bronze - my story from Cortina: tsn.ca/olympics/artic…

“With everything that we went through, I think that this is the most deserving win I’ve ever felt in my entire life." - Canada wins men's curling gold at the Winter Olympics - my story from Cortina: tsn.ca/olympics/artic…

There is a full media riser at the Cortina Curling Olympic Stadium. Scribes on bottom row, broadcast crews on second row, cameras on the top. Every sheet has its own broadcast crew. HBO Max has live and replay coverage, with an option to go directly to key shots. Next level.

First F-bomb of the game on the Eurosport feed comes after Canada vice Kennedy stuffed a runback. Hot Team GB crowd here at Cortina Curling Olympic Stadium for gold-medal showdown.