MONTANA’S BRIER WATCH PARTY – IT WAS FUN!
On March 9, 2025, we hosted a watch party for the finals of the Montana Brier. “I watched the Brier with folks who know about curling. I didn’t but learned some interesting terms. Flirting with the Flush, Send the rock down by ⅞’s, Button, Come Around. I also learned how they score and I learned we have folks who not only understand curling, but know the players. I am glad I stayed. And as always the Bar was open and everyone brought goodies to eat. It is always fun to hang out with sports minded folks.” – Tracey S
Here ‘s What happened and What they Said
“The 2025 Montana’s Brier came down to Sunday’s late winner-take-all championship draw.
The finale between Alberta’s Brad Jacobs and Manitoba’s Matt Dunstone — won by Jacobs in thrilling 5-3 fashion that came down to the last rock of the event — capped what was another stellar week featuring the best of the best of the nation’s top male athletes in the sport.
…The championship draw boiled down to two very worthy adversaries — not a surprise given the depth of Canada’s curling teams on the men’s side. Truly, it’s a stacked measure, with so many stars combining to form super rinks that line up against each other, separated only by small margins. So we knew what was coming Sunday evening would be an epic meeting of two major teams, with little to distinguish between them but ‘one being on the right side of the inch’ — a phrase heard often in curling circles, for good reason — to claim the Canadian men’s curling championship.
Case in point, it was Jacobs falling on the right side of the inches in Sunday’s afternoon semifinal, earning a 7-5 win to knock off defending three-time champion Brad Gushue. After executing a number of key shots in the semi — including a pin-point angle-raise double-takeout in the eighth end to count three — the super skip from St. John’s, N.L., was heavy with hammer in the deciding 10th end, allowing Jacobs to hold on to the victory.
“That was a heavyweight bout,” Jacobs told reporters. “It’s so rewarding as an athlete to be part of that … and then what can I say? We got the biggest break of the year.”
Added Gushue, “A lot of disappointment and a lot of heartbreak for my teammates. Obviously when you have a shot to win the game and you don’t do it, you feel bad for your teammates, because they put me in a position to win that game and I threw it six feet harder than I needed to throw it. Just unfortunate.”
