HALIFAX — They should make it a separate promotion. Maybe give fans those eye-holes-punched-out pictures of Glenn, Russ and Steven on a stick to put in front of their faces while they watch the game. Or give everybody free Howard bobble-head dolls.
Something like that.
It’s becoming an annual deal.
Last year at the Calgary Brier, for the first time since 1942, it was brother vs. brother skipping teams — an act Jamie and Kevin Koe have copied this year.
Last year Steven, son of Russ, played for his father, skipping New Brunswick, for the first time against uncle Glenn.
Back with a twist
Monday, they brought the same show back with a twist.
Glenn was still skipping Ontario, but Steven became a full-time third for James Grattan this year instead of a part-time rotate-in-and-out-of-the-line-up lead. And Russ was up in the colour commentator chair in the TSN booth he’ll take over full time when Ray Turnbull retires at the end of the season.
At least this year at the Howard Family Picnic, Steven didn’t have to go through the process of having his dad shout at him at 9 a.m. in front of his favourite uncle. Not to mention having to watch his dad bust his broom in three places like he did in that game.
Just like last year it turned out to be a very special day in Canadian sport as Old Yeller, the now 54-year-old Olympic gold medal winner who put ‘Hurry Hard!’ into the vocabulary, combined with his now 25-year-old son Steve playing lead and 47-year-old uncle Glenn did it again.
“It was fun. Obviously it was a closer game than last year,” said Glenn of the 7-4 win over New Brunswick, which combined with a 9-3 win over host Nova Scotia in the evening, left Ontario free and clear with a 5-0 record out of the gate at the 81st Brier.
Last year it was a 7-2 Ontario win.
“It’s always fun playing against Stevie,” said Glenn.
“And we had a bit of fun together with Russ doing the game up in the broadcast booth.”
“They carved me in the fifth end,” said Russ. “Glenn called me a fossil.
“I told Steve I was playing in Briers before he was born. He said: ‘at least I have hair.’ ”
Russ said that’s the first thing he noticed when he did a morning draw game with Glenn earlier in the week.
“The overhead camera shots aren’t very flattering.”
Steve still has his hair. But he doesn’t expect to have it long.
“Five more years,” he said. “It’s going to be soon. Glenn said when he turned 30 it was gone. Dad doesn’t have much, either.”
World championship
For 17 years, Russ played with his brother Glenn in winning a couple of Briers and a world championship as well. In all, old Hurry Hard Howard made it to a record 14 Briers as a skip and won the most games at 113.
Glenn is here for the 12th time, won another Brier (and Worlds) as skip and will have been holding the broom for 60 games himself if he makes it to Sunday’s final where he certainly appears to be headed again.
With what we’ve watched from Steve so far here this year, you have to believe the Howard tradition is going to continue long into the future.
Steve finished the game tied for fourth among thirds at 81%.
“He was 91% in his first Brier game at third. He’s got the shots and he’s got the talent,” said Russ.
“You look at his percentage and you can figure out he belongs. I talked to James Grattan during the game and he said Steve has been making everything,” said Glenn.
Until this one.
Last year, both Steve and Glenn curled 92% in the game in which his dad ended up at 77%.
This year Glenn was at 89% and Steve down at 71% leaving his dad in a position of having to carve him in the broadcast booth.
“I was hoping to have a day a bit better than it was,” said Steve. “I didn’t play very well.”
Dad said that made it tough to do the game.
“I had to be a little hard on Steve. He didn’t have his best game.”
terry.jones@sunmedia.ca
