The curling landscape shifted dramatically over the last month of the 2013-2014 season. Kerry Wood Jersey . When Kevin Martin and Jennifer Jones won the season-ending Players Championship, many rinks – especially on the mens side – had played their last game together. A legend retired, a skip left his Brier-winning team, old friends reunited and the best stayed together. With this being an Olympic year, many curlers felt it was necessary to join a new squad at seasons end in order to have a better shot at competing in the 2018 Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea. With all the changes, which rink do you think is the favourite going into next season and beyond? Lets start from the beginning. Going into the mens world championships in Beijing, China earlier this month, Canadian champion Kevin Koe announced that he was leaving his team to join a new rink next season, comprised of Marc Kennedy and Ben Hebert from Martins team as well as Brent Laing from Glenn Howards rink. This group is an interesting one. They definitely have a lot of experience as Kennedy and Hebert won Olympic gold with Martin back in 2010, while Laing captured world titles as Howards second in 2007 and 2012. Laing and Hebert will remain in their familiar positions, but Kennedy will be bumped up to third stones after spending the last 11 years throwing in the two hole. Is Koe the favourite despite a third who has never played the position professionally? As a result of his team finding new homes and – more importantly – a lack of desire to devote four years to an Olympic run, curling legend Kevin Martin retired at seasons end. Martin played 26 seasons, racking up four Briers, one world championship and, of course, Olympic gold in 2010. Pat Simmons, Carter Rycroft and Nolan Thiessen will return to the Brier in 2015 as Team Canada after winning the national championship this season with Koe at the helm. With Koe jumping ship, the threesome were able to convince John Morris to join them as their skip. Morris had previously skipped Jim Cotter, Tyrel Griffith and Rick Sawatsky to the finals at the 2014 Brier where they lost to Koe. The 35-year-old, who had planned to take a year off from curling unless a good opportunity presented itself, will play a limited schedule due to work commitments next season. Hes a two-time Brier champion (2008, 2009), a world champion (2008) and an Olympic champion (2010). Will Morris be able to keep this team back at the same level? Another veteran skip on the Grand Slam circuit also made news recently. Glenn Howard, 51, will reunite with an old friend next year, as Richard Hart will come out of retirement to play third. The pair were able to capture a Brier and world championship together back in 2007 before Hart decided to leave the game in 2011. Howard is also bringing in Jon Mead to replace Laing at second after he played third for Jeff Stoughtons rink for the past five seasons. Craig Savill will remain the teams lead. After a disappointing year for Howard, will there be a revival of past success with these changes in 2014-2015? Then there is Jeff Stoughton, who had his entire team leave him this season. Mead went to Howard, Mark Nichols left to throw third stones for Brad Gushue (they won Olympic gold in 2006 together) and Reid Carruthers will skip his own squad next year. With Morris taking the Team Canada position, Stoughton had to start from scratch. According to the Winnipeg Free Press, the 50-year-olds new rink will be comprised of Rob Fowler at third, Alex Forrest at second and Connor Njegovan at lead. Can Stoughton surprise some people with this new group? One of the few teams that is staying pat is Brad Jacobs Sault Ste. Marie rink. The foursome is coming back for another shot at Olympic glory. Will they continue to roll or will an Olympic hangover set in after reaching the top of the sport at such a young age? As seen above, Gushue will have a new/old look next year. Does he have what it takes to get back to the top of the sport with the move? Then theres a few under-the-radar teams that may surprise some people. Is there a chance Mike McEwen, who finished atop the money standings this season, Jim Cotter, John Epping or Steve Laycock could make some noise on the curling circuit? It should be an interesting season of rock throwing next winter. With all the changes, which rink do you think is the favourite as we prepare for another run at Olympic gold? As always, its Your! Call. Mark Grace Authentic Jersey . -- Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Percy Harvin will have minor shoulder surgery soon to address a nagging injury he played with last season. Fergie Jenkins Cubs Jersey . And it showed Thursday night. The Canadiens, playing in their second game in as many days, however, got a good performance in the end from their backup goaltender as he filled in for an injured Olympic gold medallist .Each week, The Three-Man Weave will fill the lanes and Weave To Achieve on the News, Views and Truths of the NBA and beyond. The unit will be led by Will Strickland and Duane Watson, hosts of TSN 1050s basketball radio show, 1 On 1 with Will & Duane. This week, international comedian and basketball fan Frankie “Trixx” Agyemang joins #3MW as they discuss the NBA Playoffs, which have gotten off to a rousing start. Adding to the excitement are the gritty Toronto Raptors, who are in the midst of a historic journey through the NBAs second season. Should the Raptors take Terrence Ross out of the starting line-up and start Landry Fields? Trixx: I do think they should take Terrence Ross out for a more defensive player. And although I think Landry Fields is as valuable as a broken bike reflector, his defence may be valuable... Considering what theyre about to face in BK!Watson: No. Despite Ross lack of ability to slow down Paul Pierce, or get his shot going, you still stick to what got you there. If Ross struggles stem from his inability to adjust to the post-season level of play, benching him is only going to affect the sophomores psyche. Fields was exactly what the Raptors needed on the defensive end, but Coach Casey can regulate his minutes off the bench.Strickland: Yes. Ross shouldnt look at this as a demotion, but rather a way to help him get back as a primary scoring option off the bench on track while helping the team better defend Joe Johnson. Jason Kidd sadistically attacked DeMar DeRozan with the seven-time All Star in Johnson during Game 2 in Toronto. The Raptors were able to overcome Iso-Joe with stellar defence in the most important scoreless 18 minutes of Landry Fields life... and maybe even the Dinos record breaking season. Do the Raptors have enough to take two wins on the road in Brooklyn? Trixx: I feel the Raps can win at least one and they shouldnt get ahead of themselves! Just focus on Game 3, and the possible bullet holes members of M.O.Ps crew may send into most of their dressing rooms! Masai might wanna consider staying in Long Island or perhaps New Jersey for this one... Juss sayin!Watson: Toronto took a much needed Game 2, but still have adjustments to make. For the intensity, noise and energy that Air Canada Centre showed, its going to be interesting to see how the Raptors respond being showered with chants of "Brroooooookkkklllllllyyyyynnnnn" from the Barclays Center faithful. Coach Caseys group were road warriors this season, setting a franchise high with 22 road wins and should be able to take one of the two games.Strickland: Absolutely. Toronto had 40 turnovers in the first two games of the series, so valuing each possession is paramount to success in the playoffs, especially against a veteran team like the Nets. If the young Raptors team can limit their affinity for offering fresh baked pastries to their older opponents, there is an ever greater chance of flipping Brooklyn into "Crooklyn" and steal a game or two games on the road. Is Frank Vogels job in jeopardy if the Pacers lose before the Eastern Conference Finals? Trixx: If the Pacers lose and are eliminated in round one, I dont think theyll necessarily fire the coach, but I do think things will be shaken up! Lance (Stephenson) will probably be gone for his antics and Roy Hibbert thinks Paul George is selfish from those off-court issues. The line-up will definitely be shaken up! Watson: Jeopardy? Yes, not entirely sure if he will get fired, the Pacers looked like they were playing out of Tankers Life Fieldhouse for the second half of the season and couldnt get it together in Game 1 against the Hawks. This team is in a free fall and is in danger of making it out of the first round, when the NBA Finals were the goal. Larry Bird is going to be forced to make some kind of change.Strickland: In our Playoff Preview on #1On1, a wise hoops sage whose name rhymes with "Will Strickland" predicted that the Pacers were primed for an upset by the No. 8 seed Atlanta Hawks, who had destroyed Indyy is the last game of the regular season. Mark Grace Cubs Jersey. . That said, Frank Vogels squad has been punched in the mouth again by the Hawks, are now down 2-1 in the series after a rollercoaster season of dysfunction and infighting, and are being asked questions they may be unable to answer. Now, if Indy loses this series, much less doesnt advance to the NBA Finals, Vogel might as well place a listing to sell his home there. Are the Washington Wizards for real? Trixx: The Wizards are no joke and they may do more damage than expected in the playoffs... John Wall and the other guys or as I like to call them, "Destinys Child feat John Wall," have no pressure. Theyre just loose and theyre just playing, there are no expectations for them so they have nothing to prove. This makes them very dangerous! Theyve already overachieved by winning more than 10 games this season! Watson: They are about as real as the Raptors and Bobcats are, all three teams overachieved this season and finished above .500. However, the Wizards are facing a tough defensive team with veteran experience and finding ways to win. Theyre getting balanced production, with solid contributions from their bigs in Nene and Marcin Gortat, scoring and speed out of Bradley Beal and John Wall and three-point shooting out of the playoff savvy Trevor Ariza. If the Pacers fall, the Wiz can possibly end up in the Eastern Conference final.Strickland: Along with having backcourt mates of the future in All-Star John Wall and Bradley Beal, the Wizards also possess the calming effect of crafty veteran Andre Miller off the bench, NBA champion utility man Trevor Ariza, the surprising coaching job of perennial hot seat candidate Randy Wittman and a better-than-advertised defence. Under-recognized are their bigs up front in Nene and The Polish Hammer, Marcin Gortat. Washingtons Twin Towers Of Power are a huge reason why nooooooooobody who wears a Bulls uniform beats the Wiz in Chicago yet and Washington has a chance to close the deal in D.C. Which series so far has proven to be must watch TV in the NBA Playoffs so far? Trixx: The most awesome series is hard to say. I know the series nobody cares about and will probably go straight to DVD is the Chicago/Washington series. Two words from Masai made the Raptors/Nets series personal and I must admit, as expected, the OKC/Memphis series has had some pretty good games! Hard to say, but Im enjoying a lot of round one right now! Watson: As soon as the series were set, it was little secret the Golden State Warriors vs. the Los Angeles Clippers was going to be electrifying and it hasnt disappointed. The Warriors ability to score and make big shots whenever needed makes them a team you cant count out; the Clippers are deep and talented with big game players as well. Stephen Curry and Blake Griffin are two of the most exciting players in the NBA and aside from the Game 2 Clippers blowout, the other two games have been decided by six points. Defence will not be the order of the day here.Strickland: Rockets-Blazers, no question about it. LaMarcus Aldridge became a bonafide star in Portlands sweeping of the first 2 games in Houston, flame broiling anyone pretending to guard him to the tune of 44.5 ppg, 12.5 rebs and 2.5 blks. Despite James Hardens poor play thus far, the eyes of the many are trained on Dwight David Howard, who cried his way out of Orlando to the Lakers, came up woefully short of expectations in a drama-filled season in LA and left $30 million on the table to win a title in Houston. On paper, the Rockets are one of the most talented teams in The Association. But the games aint played on paper and the Blazers looked as poised as their sophomore PG Damian Lillard is to launch the Rockets into an early summer vacation.The Three-Man Weave contributors are co-hosts of TSN Radio 1050s 1-on-1 with Will and Duane, Will Strickland (@WallStrizzle1) and Duane Watson (@byDuaneWatson) and guest hoops fanatic and rising Canadian comedic superstar Trixx (@ComedianTrixx) wholesale jerseys cheap jerseys ' ' '
