February on fire

Crazy month, this is.

Men's provincial championships underway, a new issue of The Curling News, and don't forget curling's own "Extreme Grandpa" on Deal Or No Deal tomorrow (Thursday) night.

First up, the new TCN (cover photo left). It's a whopper – you should see the size of this month's Curling TV Guide – and you'll need to subscribe to get it fast. Also in this issue:

• The Scotties TOH preview
• the Trials of Jennifer Jones
• the return of Doug Maxwell; he's unimpressed with the modern-era Brier
• Larry Wood calls for a UEFA-style Champions League of curling
• Team Ferbey goes international in our monthly Newsdesk
• Teri Lake, en route to the Scotties, is praying her pants look good
• They Said It, our popular collection of curling quotables
• February is Sandra Schmirler Foundation month
• Grand Slam Winnipeg: we were there
• The Dominion of Canada 50th Anniversary Retrospective
• The Curling News Store is open
• Rodger Schmidt wants a few curling changes
• the return of Asham Club Corner

And what else, you ask?

• Here's the lineup of Canadian men's provs, some now underway and ending Sunday, others kicking it next week and wrapping up on Feb. 18:

– British Columbia
– Alberta
– Saskatchewan
– Manitoba
– Northern Ontario
– Ontario
– Quebec (with a webcam here)
– New Brunswick
– Nova Scotia
– PEI
– Newfoundland and Labrador

• DID YOU KNOW: there's a great poll on the front page of CurlingZone right now? (Look to the right.) It asks "Which (men's) team has the best chance of upsetting their provincial favourites?" Very coolio ...

• DID YOU KNOW II: that curling is a demonstration sport at the 16th annual Deafalympics, now underway in Salt Lake City? Five men's and four women's teams are vying for medals, with first-round scores seeing Canada's men defeat China 15-4, and the women whup Croatia 23-1 ...

• Peja Lindholm and his new Swedish team won their national championship last night, and are off to Edmonton for the Ford Worlds. But before that, they're involved in something special that's going down this Saturday, Feb. 10. Watch this blog on Friday for the scoop ...