Trials AM coverage on CurlTV

As first mentioned on this Blog, Edmonton's STATUSfirm recently approached CBC regarding the rights for CurlTV to webstream morning draws from the Olympic Trials.

Well, guess what: CBC has now gone two-for-two in granting sub-licenses – the obvious return of TSN being the other – and CurlTV is now confirmed as the morning game Trials broadcaster.

The two end sheets, A and E, will be considered each day. The action starts this Saturday at 9:30am eastern time with either Sherry Middaugh vs. Jo-Ann Rizzo or Marie-France Larouche versus Shannon Kleibrink.

On Sunday morning, at 10am eastern, you will see either Glenn Howard versus Mark Dacey or Randy Ferbey versus John Morris.

CurlTV is a subscription-only service. They are "on-air" via your computer every weekend, on the World Curling Tour and now at their first CCA Season of Champions event. The technology is great, and they will even archive games for later viewing, and burn games to DVD for members.

Sign up NOW here.

Still with the Trials, Sportsnet is sending two of their curling talent, play-by-play man Rob Faulds and colour analyst Marilyn Bodogh, to Halifax for daily reports. This is the first time Sportsnet has sent their Grand Slam game-day talent to do on-site reporting at a CCA event. What's next... Vic and Ray reporting from the BDO Classic Canadian Open in Winnipeg?

Also, the Sunday magazine TV show also labelled CurlTV (Sportsnet at noon eastern) will be taping from Halifax, and TSN morning draw gal Cathy Gauthier will indeed be a part of the TSN crew this season, handling on-ice (and off-ice) assignments such as athlete interviews etc. Gauthier told the Winnipeg Sun that it will be "bizarre" to be on the ice, virtually right next to the team she qualified for the Trials with, but not in uniform.

This will be the hardest week I've ever had to experience. This will be the first time they will be at something that I earned a spot into going after the same goal (Olympics) that I wanted to go after.

It will be just impossible to disengage. And it will be tough no matter what they do. And if they don't do well, that doesn't mean it was because I wasn't there.