シムソンズ：動画対応ブログが人

Chicks With Sticks?

No, it's not the sequel to Men With Brooms, it's a Japanese curling movie called Simsons, which follows four girls in their attempt to qualify for Japan's 2002 Olympic curling team. Apparently, two of the actors are athletes and will compete for Japan next month in Turin. The movie isn't even out yet – it's scheduled for a Feb. 18 release – but the film's videoblog is raising quite a ruckus in Japan, crashing servers with over 50,000 daily page views. Here's the story.

Whoops... sorry about that, here's the story in English ;-) And another one here.

There's lots more happening on a vibrant Monday, so without further ado...

• The town of Chilliwack in British Columbia will host the fall return of curling's Ryder Cup, aka the Continental Cup, or so sayeth the local blat;

• There's a domestic hullaballoo brewing, with the source dishing two somewhat differing stories in the public forum. Both versions concern the funding problems of the Canadian Curling Association and focus specifically on a junket four CCA exes took to Germany during December's Olympic Trials. First, Ontario Curling Report editor Bob Weeks ran an editorial, which is posted here, with irate consumer feedback following and also posted here. Today, Weeks' Globe and Mail story is clearly more balanced – for starters, it's not an editorial – and includes quotes with CCA chief Dave Parkes. Naturally the curling public – still giddy over their unexpected victory in lobbying for the return of TSN coverage this season – shall be the judge, jury and executioners...

• British Olympic skip Rhona Martin is done talking about her personal problems and wants to focus on training; the story also points out that there has been no national Scottish curling sponsor either, since the Bank of Scotland shifted gears a year ago...

• Canada's Global National newscast did a weekend piece on the new school curling curriculum in Manitoba, which you can read about in the next issue of The Curling News;

• Two-time world champion Marilyn Bodogh is back in the Ontario provincial for the first time since 1999. This season also marks the two-decade anniversary seasons of both her wins, in 1986 and 1996 (a sign?). As a Sportsnet commentator she may have her detractors, but as a player she still gives good quote. One example:

I'm surprised I've lasted in the game this long. I shouldn't be playing. I should be getting kicked around by a lot of good young teams, but there's not enough of them. They're not as committed, not the way we were 20 years ago. We can't have just one Jenn Hanna. We need five Jenn Hannas, 10 Jenn Hannas, but somewhere across the bridge something's been missed in that transition from junior.

And Fort Frances (the provincial) is six hours by plane and car and that's ridiculous. Nothing against Fort Frances – I can't wait to get there – but you'd never see the men put someplace like that.

• Calgary's Shannon Kleibrink went 3-4 in Berne while Winnipeg's Jennifer Jones won the event. Jones actually eliminated Kleibrink in a C-side qualifier en route to the title...

• New Zealand's first-ever Olympic curling team won the Big Chief Bonspiel in Brantford, Ont. yesterday – second Dan Mustapic is a former Brantford and Thunder Bay Canuck – and they're off to Winnipeg this week for the legendary MCA Bonspiel. The squad left the Pacific between Christmas eve and Jan. 6, will train in Canada (mostly Calgary) and Japan before heading to Turin, and will not return home until March 2. Said third man Hans Frauenlob, the only Olympic curler to win two MLB World Series rings: Hopefully, we'll still have our families and jobs (when we return)...

• More fallout from Cassie Johnson's outdoor curling appearance in Central Park: officially here, unofficially here and also from this guy, who states that "Cassie's hot but I wouldn't want to date her"...

• And finally, a where are they now? story from the hockey world spotlights another curler with a victory ring in another sport, and the WCPA's Paul Boutilier is quoted nicely:

Curlers are great people with terrific personalities who simply need to become more well-known. It's now my job to get them the exposure and the opportunities they deserve. There isn't a better job in the world.