Olympic curling fallout: jacobs unleashes fury over eriksson's 'evil' video
Toronto – The simmering tensions from February’s Olympic curling controversy exploded anew this week, as Canadian skip Brad Jacobs publicly lambasted Swedish third Oskar Eriksson and the Swedish Curling Federation following the release of a video dissecting the contentious double-touch call that dogged his team’s performance.
A relit fuse at the rock league debut
The debut of the Rock League, a new professional curling circuit, was overshadowed Monday by the resurfacing of the Olympic debacle. While the league aimed to showcase the sport’s evolution, the chatter around the Mattamy Athletic Centre centered on the disputed call against Jacobs and his team during the Beijing Games. A video, initially reported by CBC’s Verity Stevenson, released by Swedish broadcaster SVT last week, presented Eriksson demonstrating the potential impact of a double-touch – the very violation he accused Canadian third Marc Kennedy of committing.
Jacobs’ scorched-earth response
Jacobs, who secured his second Olympic gold medal amidst the controversy, reacted with palpable anger. “I think it’s just ridiculous that this is still going on,” he stated bluntly after his team's Rock League victory. His frustration extended to Eriksson and the entire Swedish contingent, adding, “I have nothing good to say about Oskar Eriksson or that entire team, or the Swedish curling federation right now, so I’m not going to say anything at all.”
Eriksson’s perspective: “evil unfortunately wins sometimes”
Eriksson, speaking after his first Rock League game, defended his team's actions, stating through translation, “Evil unfortunately wins sometimes.” He maintained his belief that his team was justified in bringing the potential infraction to light, asserting, “For me, it’s quite clear and obvious what was happening.” While acknowledging Jacobs' team’s skill – “They’re a great team, they’re great curlers” – Eriksson stood by his assessment.
The world curling federation rulebook
The debate hinges on interpretations of World Curling Federation regulations. Rule 5(e) dictates that a stone must be clearly released before reaching the hog line, while Rule 9(a) addresses stones touched by the delivering team, noting that a double touch by the delivering player before the hog line is not a violation. Jacobs insists the call was baseless. “There was zero cheating at the Olympics and this is all just ridiculous.”
Beyond the feud: a silver lining?
Despite the ongoing animosity, Eriksson noted a surprising degree of sportsmanship from other teams. “All teams want to have a fair game,” he explained. “Dunstone’s team at the worlds, they were very positive to us. They thought it was funny first of all. Some controversy in the sport, it’s good for the sport.”
Hog line challenges & a focus on the bigger picture
Rock League is testing hog line challenges this week, allowing teams one challenge per game to scrutinize potential hog line violations or double-touches. Jacobs, however, remained largely unconcerned. “Hog line cameras? Not even a thought for me,” he stated, prioritizing the larger issues at hand. The controversy, he concedes, may have inadvertently drawn new attention to curling. “I guess the blessing in disguise is that a lot of people turned to curling that would’ve never otherwise turned to curling and got their eyeballs on it, that’s never going to be a bad thing for the sport.”
Edin’s quiet observation & a cold shoulder
Eight-time world champion Niklas Edin, typically reserved during the controversy, offered a measured perspective. “I can’t say I wouldn’t feel the same thing if I was in his shoes,” Edin remarked, acknowledging Jacobs’ frustration. However, a reconciliation between Jacobs and Eriksson doesn't appear imminent. “No, and I won’t be interacting with him, period,” Jacobs declared, signaling a prolonged period of frosty relations.