Ohhhh, baby! Hockey Night in Canada's Bob Cole gets behind St. John's Brier bid

Hockey Night in Canada's Bob Cole has another love, you know.

His passions cheat on hockey, once in a while, and the mistress is the sport of curling.

So it is not at all surprising to learn that the 81 year old play by play man is lending his name - and his voice - to the bid to land The Brier for Newfoundland & Labrador in 2017.

"Having Bob Cole involved in our bid means a lot to me," wrote Brad Gushue, in an email, just after an evening event at the Blue On Water Hotel, in St. John's. "He is a legend in Newfoundland and the rest of Canada."

At the event, designed to give the bid a push as it heads into the home stretch, Cole spoke to the crowd about Gushue's team, the importance of The Brier as a national event and the urgency around getting fans to sign up for tickets and plunk down a $50.00 deposit to show they're serious.

"It went over very well," wrote Gushue.

Cole, you may or may not know, was a pretty dandy shooter in his day. While he is not the most decorated broadcaster/curler (that honour obviously goes to Colleen Jones) to ever step on the pebble, he did have his time in the sun.

As Bob Weeks wrote in his book "Curling Etcetera:"

Gushue, who's been working at bringing a Brier to St. John's for more than two years now, counts Cole as a friend and an ally. He knows the beloved Cole will really help the campaign in its final push.

"Having played in the Brier twice and being a fan of the game, he knows what it would mean to the city and province," wrote Gushue. "Adding his legendary voice to our campaign will definitely make people take notice."

Gushue means that last part about Cole's voice literally, not just figuratively. Cole will use that sonic boom of his to narrate radio commercials that will begin to air this week, adding a little something more to the media blitz.

The Brier has not been held in Newfoundland & Labrador since 1972. While Gushue and his group have been working to ensure the economic numbers add up to make St. John's an attractive site for the 2017 championship, many see it as the sentimental choice, as well. However, there is stiff competition. Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, is also bidding for the 2017 Brier. It hasn't hosted nationals since 1990 and has reigning Olympic champions Brad Jacobs and his team spearheading the initiative.

Both of the campaigns have set the same deadline - March 31st -  for ticket deposits. After that, it'll be pitch time at the Curling Canada offices with the 2017 site likely to be named sometime this autumn.

(You can read more about the battle of the 2017 Brier bids here.)