Ford World Men’s Curling Championship: Jury still undecided if Scottish plan is genuis or folly

VICTORIA _ Scotland is doing something very different at this year's Ford World Men's Curling Championship. The jury is still deliberating on whether it's genius or folly.

The first thing the Scots have done is have insert David Murdoch, the two-time world champion, as the team's skip. Tom Brewster, who skipped the team to back-to-back world championship silver medals, is playing third. Scotland is also using a five-man rotation which means every player, with the exception of Murdoch, swap positions or sits out a game.

"I want everyone to be ready to play," said coach Soeren Gran. "We are going to do the first eight games on the rotation schedule. Then we will have to see who is going to play for the last three games in the round robin."

Gran admits that for many curling traditionalists his approach is as alien as having all NHL games played four-on-four, or adding a fourth down to the CFL.

"I don't think I have too many people who are behind me about this," said Gran, who represented Sweden at two Winter Olympic Games. "I don't think it's a new thing.

"That's not why I'm doing it either. I have five great, talented players. I think they are the best five players who can bring medals to Scotland. I want to have the best for Scottish curling."

Murdoch will skip all week, unless the Scots lose some early matches. In games Brewster sits out, he will be replaced by Greg Drummond. Drummond, Michael Goodfellow and Scott Andrews will alternate at front end.

Brewster picked his words carefully when asked about the changes.

"It's never easy," said the 38-year-old manager of the Aberdeen Curling Club. "When you work a five-man team like this, a rotation, it's not normal.

"There's not many teams that have done this sort of thing. These things take a wee bit of getting used to. At the end of the day it's about winning curling games. If we are part of a winning team, then everyone is happy."

Parachuting a new skip onto a team can cause bruised egos and frustration. Murdoch, who was the alternate on Brewster's 1995 world junior championship team, said the two men remain friends.

"I think a lot of people are making more of a big deal out of that than what we actually are," said Murdoch, who has won two silver and a bronze medal at the world championship.

"We get on absolutely great."

Gran points out former Canadian skips like John Morris and Wayne Middaugh have made the transition to playing third on world champion rinks.

While his rotation may be unconventional, Gran believes the team has adapted.

"There has been no team dynamic problems at all," he said. "Everyone is accepting what we are doing."

Rick Lang, Canada's national men's team coach, sees advantages in what Gran is doing, especially during a long competition like the world championship or an Olympics.

"You can get tired mentally and physically," said Lang, who won three Briers during his career.

"Give a guy a day off and rest, I can see that as a benefit."

Canadian curlers are conditioned that they are replaced during a competition only when they are sick or are curling poorly. Lang worries about the physiological affect of introducing a rotation.

"In our culture it's like having somebody there ready to take your place," he said. "That wouldn't be good for the guy's confidence.

"We're not used to that."

Results will be the biggest factor in determining if Scotland's rotation experiment is a success. A medal in Victoria would do much to silence the critics.