Wednesday, January 5, 2011

Chris Daw: "I sat out Paralympics for my wife and daughter"

Curious about why Torino gold medal skip Chris Daw wasn't at the helm four years later in Vancouver? Tonight on Global TV News, Chris told reporter Mike McCardell that it wasn't becasue he didn't get along with the coach, or that he had a falling out with the program.

Daw: I didn't give any explanation why, because it was my, it was my personal need, you know, to be with my family at the time.

(McCardell: But there was no conspiracy. Why he wasn't at 2010; a matter of love, and the heart, and family.)

Daw: My wife was pregnant with our first daughter, and my wife said can I sit 2010 out for the Paralympics, and I said absolutely, anything for you, and for the birth of our daughter, and that's why we moved here and took the job.

McCardell: So that's why you weren't in the last Olympics?

Daw: And that's the absolute God's honest truth. That's why I wasn't in the last Paralympics. It's no conspiracy theory, anything like that. It's just my wife asked my sit one out and I sat one out for her and my daughter.

The news report ended with the studio anchor saying Chrs plans to be back for Sochi, 2014.

Timeline

December 10, 2007  -  Chris Daw asked that he not be considered for selection for the 2008 World Championships, and requested a "temporary leave of absence" from the National Training Program through the end of the season. He cited personal reasons as well as increasing demands on his time as Development Coordinator for the CCA's Discover Curling initiative. 

"This is entirely his decision and I have nothing else to say," said assistant coach Wendy Morgan

December 18, 2007 - Vancouver Sun reports: "I really like this (2008 Worlds) team ... they're very coachable, very easy to get along with, they're sponges for information and they're really flexible," said coach Joe Rea of Prince George. "There isn't an ego on the team and from a coaching perspective, that's a huge thing for me."

Chris Daw wins gold at 2008 Ontario Paralympics throwing 4th stones for Ken Gregory's Team Bradford, but loses to Chris Rees in 2008 Ontario Provincials.

October 22, 2008 - Jim Armstrong declared eligible to compete in WCF events.

October 30, 2008 - Chris Daw breaks hip in ATV accident.

December 17, 2008 - Armstrong chosen to skip Team Canada at 2009 Worlds.

March 24, 2009 - Chris Daw skips Newfoundland/Labrador at Nationals

May 29, 2009 - Canada's Paralympic team has Armstrong at skip, with Neighbour, Forrest, and Gaudet. Bruno Yizek added at official announcement October 8, 2009. " Wendy Morgan says: "This has been a three-year journey in a comprehensive selection process. It has been a difficult process at times, as it is not exclusively a skill-based decision but encompasses team dynamics, peer assessment, performance in competition and positional aptitude."

July 2009 - Chris Daw moves to BC as manager of the Vancouver CC. 

February 23, 2010 - Chris and Morgan Daw's daughter born.



39 comments:

. said...

My thanks to an anonymous commenter to the 2010 Review thread, tipping me to the Global TV interview.

Anonymous said...

Okay people, do we not have anything else to do with your time than this.

Chris did what he did, who cares about the timeline. He was in there, they won, who cares.

Anonymous said...

It seems to be a little longer than usual pregnancy. Come on, Chris, let's get real.

Go win Nationals with Jim,and maybe youcan start your rehab journey.

Anonymous said...

So much for the accuracy of the news.....

Anonymous said...

"he plans to be back in Sochi".

Great goal, but let's see how realistic his goal is.

Anonymous said...

I firmly believe, that under Jim's tutelage, he can make the comeback. Biggest issue will be with the political interaction between Chris and the Program. I have to ponder if Jim drating him for Provincial trials is his first step of is comeback, and on whose initiative.

Anonymous said...

How on earth, is this seen as news, so long after the Paralympics?

Is there a chance that Global is going to chronicle the alleged re-emergence of Chris on the international scene????

Anonymous said...

Any chance Chris will be the heir apparent to Jim after Jim retires? My guess is that Jim will take over the coaching reigns after he has completed all he wants on the ice, and, given the age of Darryl and Bruno, it just could be a fit. Jim has always been a stickler for team comraderie on ice, and a couple of years dealing with Chris would HAVE to rub off on Chris.

If so, whose idea? CCA? Chris? Jim? Certainly wouldn't be Joe.

Anonymous said...

Okay, something is up. How can this hit the News, out of nowhere? Where did this come from, and were is it going?

VCC said...

Ok, So I was here at the club when Global walk though the door to speak with Chris.

And I can tell you first hand, 1 sixth of what they taped made it to air. I know Chris well from working with him. There is allot in that story that does nto come up. Like the illness of his mother, the ATV accident was mentioned, etc.

Chris was asked to sit the games out by his wife and they had been trying to have a baby and got a very beautiful one.

Global came in to see him not the other way around and serious folks why is this such big news.

You can write novels with what does not make it on the news, and you can write novels with stuff that Eric nevers publishes on this blog. Seriuosly who cares?????

Chris is playing again and from the look of the shot in the video well. His is play with Jim and Darryl whihc is a strong team, very strong!

Focus on other news which has affects on w/c curling. Duffy and everything around that.

Is global going to track is come back, NO. It was a 1 shot deal asking a question and Chris answered it.

But again, WHO CARES!!!!!!!!!!

Focus on rela news stories here Eric, do we not have anything better to do?

Anonymous said...

With all due respect, Chris, this came out of no where, and I can't believe Global is so tight for news that they had to send a News crew from Burnaby to Vancouver without motivation. So what is that motivation?

The fact thatyou are playing with Jim and Darryl IS news, it suggests a genuine atempt to get back, WITH some sort of support from one half of the starting Team Canada lineup.

That makes some news

Anonymous said...

YOU HAVE GOT TO BE KIDDING.

HOW IS THIS EVEN NEWS? CHRIS HAS NOT THROWN A TRULY COMETITIVE ROCK IN OVER TWO YEARS WHEN HE GOT RUN OFF OF TEAM CANADA.

WHAT WAS THE INITIATIVE TO THE STORY, ERIC?

Anonymous said...

Even a tree minute "feel good" clip is better than no clip at all. And, Eric, this is where your "grass roots" or die concept fails. B.C. had the imagination of our sport yesterday, due to an interest in a "former" high competitive player. We don't see this coverage with some smuck that just rolled out on the ice.

All sports advance as the competitive side advances.

Anonymous said...

If Chris wants to get back to curling and once again rise to the top, all the power to him. I wish him the best of luck.

It's good that the VCC is backing Chris. But, to say look at what Duffy is doing to the sport is in bad taste. If you want to cast a stone at him, take a look in our own back yard. Jim Armstrong has plead guilty to a lesser charge than drug smuggling across the U.S.A. boarder and is waiting the outcome to the charges ( Jan.28,2011 ) He has also put our sport and us Canadian under a dark cloud.

Anonymous said...

A Daw comeback is indeed positive. I just can't see Joe Rea buying into it. It appears Jim is prepared to give it a shot by inviting Chris to play with him in wat I am sure, will be the BC team at Nationals.

So th obvous question is what will Joe do in their re-working the Program in the next couple of years if Chris wins his way back on the radar?

Anonymous said...

Having read the threads, I still cannot get my head around why this is even news. Is the VCC blogger actually Chris? If so, who conacted who?

VCC said...

Ok, guys. Seriuosly here, I was there and global real did just walk though the door on a wim.

Nothing more and nothing less.

Fact is Chris was working and was late getting in that morning and 10 minutes earlier they would have missed him.

Ask the Senior men league that was playing at the time.

Why can no one on here just believe that Global happen to walk in. Even if they did seek him out, good for them. The blogger above makes good points. A "feel good" clip is better than no clip and has good exposure for the sport in a time it needs it.

And I will point out it was the boardcaster not Chris who said he would be trying for 2014

Anonymous said...

McCardle's pieces are often synoptic, off the wall little publicized, warm pieces.

I also wonder, though how Chriss even landed in his crosshairs.

Anonymous said...

Hey, VCC, just blog as Chris, and tell us how you feel you will fit with Jim and Darryl? You know these two are really tight. IF you FIT, there is the male portion of Team Canada for a few years.

Anonymous said...

You know, it matters not who or why. It is unexpected publicity for wheelchair curling. End of discussion.

VCC or Anonymous said...

Well I would blog as Chris if I was Chris but I am not so....

I think Chris makes it very clear when he writes on here. He signs his name. As I do on the occasion.

I will ask Chris if he would like to make comments, if you like but I think as he told me...he is to busy!!!!!

I am just following what most do, not placing my name. I liked to keep my job.

Anonymous said...

Get hold of Guinness Book of World Records....a 26 month pregnancy

Anonymous said...

if you watch the piece you can tell the interview is cut and pasted all over the place, let's move on....can we.

I mean for a guy not even in the program for 3 years he sure can draw a lot of heat.

Anonymous said...

Absolutely right, let's wait, and crucify him IF he gets back in.

Anonymous said...

Naw, let's crucify him now, just for thinking of getting into the Program.

Anonymous said...

It does seem that anyone involved with the Program will be crucified here.

Anonymous said...

If you are in the Program, you are open to some hits.

Anonymous said...

But Chris is not in the program, remember that, he is only curling in Provicials not national program far from even consideration.

Anonymous said...

Yeah, but he wants to, so this website shouldn't play favourites, and crucify him for wanting to.

Anonymous said...

No doubt, Armstrong will win Provincials, and be odds on to at least make the National Finals. By definition of the CCA qualifying guidelines, this alone should get Chris a serious look for inclusion to the National Pool, post Nationals.

Further, why would Jim choose Chris, if he didn't think Chris was good enough?

. said...

Alas comments on this thread have begun to descend into nastiness, so I am going to only allow those that say something new.

Chris clearly did not leave the National Team Program in 2007 because his wife was pregnant. Had his reason back then been starting a family, there would not have been the deafening silence from those running the program, or from Chris.

Let's give him the benefit of the doubt and say that another interpretation of the interview is that he decided not to attempt to rejoin the program in time to have a chance at selection for Vancouver, because by then his personal circumstances had changed. If he wants it to be known that it was his decision for family reasons not to try out and compete in Vancouver, that's fine with me.

Going forward, given that Canada are committed to at least two females on the 5 person team, and Jim and Darryl look as though they have a lock on the back end, it's hard to see on present form how anyone breaks in. Would Chris do a better job as a 5th player than Bruno, even if Chris demonstrated the skills necessary to climb onto and up the performance charts?

Though Team Canada are not particularly forthcoming about how they organise the program, there is enough information out there to know that challengers need to demonstrate high drill percentages, as well as the personality that the present coaches value as necessary to be a good team player. Right now whoever breaks in replaces Bruno, so when you're thinking who that might be, think what your choice would bring to the team that replaces what you'd lose not having Bruno.

Or would you make the argument that Sonja should be 5th, and that the new recruit should play lead? Or should Ina play lead with Sonja at 5th?

It might be a narrow mould, but it will be tough to break.

Anonymous said...

You have put some sense to this, Eric. I believe that Chris would like a shot to at least be seen, but the game has developed quite a ways in the three years he has been away. That said, there is no need, nor should there be, for him to even be considered for back end. This eliminates any changes to strategy that he may have missed of late. If Darryl was called to skip, with all respect, Team Canada would be an entirely different, "middle of the pack" team, in my opinion, and having seen what Armstrong does to the opposition's strategy, pressed to medal internationally.

Team Canada HAS to start developing for at least post-2014, since all three guys (jim the youngest!) have all hit their sixties. Thus, PERHAPS Chris gettin back on some type of developmental team, MAY make sense. He still has to convince the decision makers that attitude is no issue, and that is the biggest hurdle, I believe. He has the technical ability, he DOES NOT need to skip, or be responsible for skipping, so he has to develop (or at least prove) people skills on ice, and he should be back in the mix

Anonymous said...

Eric, we know this is not a "hang Chris" or "marry Chris" thread. That said, Chris's apparent interest in resurrected his career is good. Is he now good enough? Who knows. BUT he is an athlete, and everyone knows how far Jim Armstrong has technically developed in three short years, obviously ignoring the ice reading, strategy, etc. that he brings. If Chris can convince Armstrong to advance him technically and strategically, AND he can prove he has turned over a new chapter in his life, Chris COULD be the answer to Team Canada after 2014 transition for years to come.

The best part, is even if this occurs, there now is enough talent to keep everyone's nose to the grindstone, working hard, and that is all healthy

Anonymous said...

These last two guys have nailed it. Chris CAN be again, technically strong enough, but make no illusions, he does have to sell himself to the staff. Everything should be in place to give him a look. If the likely Team BC does not at least come close at Natinals, then he does not deserve a look. Jim has brought him along for a reason, I suspect. I also suspect it is an acid test for Chris's apparent new found attitude, without CCA Chris.CA taking a chance and endorsing this trial. It has nothing to do with ability, simply attitude.

Good luck, Chris.

How about a personal blog from Chris in this adventure?

Anonymous said...

I believe that the only knock (and not major) with the last selection process was how does someone on a developmental team go up against Jim?

You cannot come close in strategy, ice reading, and in all fairness, technical ability. So some poor schmuck gets the assignment (as did Austgarten in Richmond), and you are used for target practice by the existing team. Let them win the Worlds this year, and park Jim as a player, and let him be a consultant during the evaluation process.

You will be able to see what Darryl has learned, and put everyone else on a more level playing field for evalution.

Anonymous said...

Good point. Let's really use the next evaluation process to look past 2014.

Anonymous said...

The point was, let's be ready for 2014 and beyond (younger players for the future)

Anonymous said...

I am convinced that the above is the VERY reason Gerry missed selection. How can you go on ice against Jim and look solid?

If Jim were temporarily taken off ice to allow a more fair evaluation, I am sure some on here would be back to saying he then got air-dropped back into the Program.

Anonymous said...

Reality is that once the selection continues in earnest, Jim should take on more of a coaching role, and let the selectin carry on as fair as possible. If you pick two teams, having Darryl skip the other one, based on results, he would be pressed to make the team again.