Matheson, Jack

Year Inducted / Année Intronisé:

2004

Province / Province:

Manitoba

Category / Catégorie:

Builder

Biography / Biographie:

Jack ‘Matty’ Matheson began to cover curling for The Winnipeg Tribune in the late 1950s. His first Brier was in Fort William, Ontario, in 1960 and between then and 1955 he missed only the 1964 Brier. He also covered the world curling championships from 1968 to 1996.

Matheson’s colourful style of writing, coupled with his uncompromising honesty, earned him a host of friends—and enemies. He told it like it was, and if you didn’t agree with him, then so be it: Matheson didn’t water down his commentary because it was politically incorrect or because it might offend someone.

During his years at the Tribune’s sports editor, Matheson’s love of curling ensured that the newspaper’s pages were heavily devoted to curling in the winter, just as they were to football’s Blue Bombers in the fall. Matheson’s coverage forced the competition Winnipeg Free Press to give more space to curling than it might otherwise.

Matheson also delivered his pungent remarks on radio, gaining him even more attention. He provided regular curling commentary on radio CJOB Winnipeg from 1980 until 1995.

One of the founding members of the Canadian Curling Reporters, Matheson won the Scotty Harper Memorial Award for best curling story of the year on three occasions.