World Curling Championship: Did cheerleaders throw Canada off their game in loss to Japan?

Stunning. That's what it was. Canada's first ever loss to Japan at a World Curling Championship. In five previous men's games, the world's dominant curling power had never lost to Japan.

Wednesday's 10-8, extra end, win for skip Yusuke Morozumi was more than a trifle unexpected, with Canadian skip Brad Jacobs shouldering the blame himself. However, an on-line oddsmaker is volunteering to take share in that.

Bodog Public Relations Director Ed Pownall sent along the picture, above, with the caption: "The reason Canada lost to Japan at curling!?"

Pownall went on to explain that "The Curlies," as they're known, are making the rounds in Victoria this week.

"They were there to support Canada yesterday against Japan & Russia," Pownall wrote in an email, adding: "Security moved them right to the back for the Russia game but maybe that proved good for Brad & his boys! Security didn't like them very much."

Jacobs and his Canadian crew bounced back after their loss to Japan, beating the Russians, 8-5, to catch a piece of top spot in the standings, tied with Scotland.

Although Bodog revised its championship odds after Canada's loss - installing Scotland as the 3/2 favourite and Canada next at odds of 5/2, Jacobs - who's team proved itself with an impressive victory at the Brier last month (The Iceman Returneth) - need not necessarily worry about an unexpected loss like the one to Japan.

Last year, Glenn Howard's world championship team inexplicably lost a round-robin game to New Zealand, before tracking back to the top of the podium.

As for "The Curlies," they won't capture the imagination of curling fans in the same way "The Sociables" have, but Pownall claims they signal the bookmakers' desire "to do more in Canadian sport."

With that in mind, a nice step might be to do more than list curling in the "other" section of their website.