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CALGARY - This could be the year Mike McEwens curling team shakes the label as the best team never to play in a Brier.McEwen, third B.J. Neufeld, second Matt Wozniak and lead Denni Neufeld won six of eight events in the first half of the season, including wins over Olympic champion Brad Jacobs in the finals of both The National in November and the Canada Cup in December.McEwens Fort Rouge Curling Club rink from Winnipeg is running away with the No. 1 ranking on the World Curling Tour with $114,000 in prize money so far.A team at a crossroads in February after losing its fourth provincial final in five years — and falling one win short again of a trip to the Canadian mens championship — decided to remain intact for an eighth season and reinvent itself.Very slowly we kind of gathered our thoughts and decided what we had together as a foursome was still very strong and important, but we had kind of lost our way as far as growing as teammates and as athletes, McEwen said Thursday at the Continental Cup.We made a commitment to find how to do that again.The four men began working with the Canadian Curling Associations sports psychologist Kyle Paquette to heal the trouble spots in their game. They stepped up their physical fitness with a personal trainer.Theyve been a solid team on the WCT since their formation in 2007 and were among the eight Canadian mens teams who qualified for the 2013 recent Olympic trials.But winning Manitoba and representing the province at the Brier means beating world and Canadian championship Jeff Stoughton to get there.Stoughton eliminated McEwen from contention in four of the last five Manitoba provincials.We had too many weaknesses, McEwen said. We were good before but we had some things in certain situations that were cutting us off at the knees when we really needed to be our best.We had gotten really good and then kind of stopped getting better. Other teams are obviously pushing the limits and we hadnt figured out how to keep growing as a team.Under Paquettes guidance, McEwen says he and his teammates have forged a stronger team chemistry. Theyre committed to sticking to their plan, win or lose.His approach has made us really change how we think and how we operate as a team, McEwen explained. Hes really challenged us to be more accountable. Its really hard to re-wire the brain, but thats what weve been attempting to do.Were very much more supportive and understanding than we ever have been. Were more of a team now than we ever have been. We got a little individualistic at times and it hurt us.Youve got to look at your fitness, health, eating, physical training, mental focus and how you practise. Its like any other sport. Curling has grown into having a really high degree of professionalism. Just like hockey or anything else, if you leave holes you will get bit when maybe it really matters.The Manitoba provincial mens championship is Feb. 4-8 in Brandon. The winner advances to the Tim Hortons Brier from Feb. 28 to March 8 in Calgary at Scotiabank Saddledome.I dont want to just play in it. If Im going to the Brier, Im going there to win, McEwen said.Stoughton, a two-time world and three-time Canadian champion, will be in the field again in Brandon.There was a time when oh man, we have to play this guy or that guy but now I get more excited than ever to play a top team, McEwen said. Whether its Glenn Howard, or Brad Jacobs or Jeff Stoughton, now Im excited for the challenge more than I ever have been.McEwens team is part of the Canadian side at this weeks World Financial Group Continental Cup of Curling in Calgary. Theyve substituted Ben Hebert in at lead as Denni Neufeld and his wife were expecting a baby this week.The Continental Cup is a chance for McEwen to have his wife Dawn as a Canadian teammate. She plays lead for Olympic champion Jennifer Jones.The tournament features Canada against Europe in a four-day competition of team, mixed doubles, hot-shots and skins games.Canada took an early five-point lead over Europe after three draws Thursday.In the third draw, McEwen edged Scotlands David Murdoch 5-4 in mens play, while John Morris led his rink past Norways Thomas Ulsrud 6-3. In womens competition, Jones and Scotlands Eve Muirhead tied 4-4. In Draw 2, Canadians Carter Rycroft and Lori-Olson Johns hammered Swedens Oskar Eriksson and Russias Ekaterina Galkina 10-3 in mixed doubles.Ryan Fry and Emma Miskew downed Swedens Niklas Edin and Russias Anna Sidorova 9-6. Rachel Homan and E.J. Harnden split a point tying 5-5 with Norways Torger Nergaard and Swedens Maria Pryz.In the morning team competition, Jacobs beat Edin 4-1, Homan picked up another point for Canada with a 7-2 win over Swedens Margaretha Sigfridsson. Sidorova saved a point for Europe with a 7-2 win over Val Sweeting.The day after losing yet another provincial mens final to Stoughton on Feb. 2, McEwen flew to Sochi, Russia, to cheer on his wife and teammates en route to their gold medal. The couple were married in July of 2013.Dawn McEwen has noticed a change in her husbands body language at the rink this season.Hes definitely more confident, Dawn said. I can see it in him. Just the way he carries himself and how hes playing out there, hes definitely stepped up the confidence on the ice and off the ice as well.I think its amazing. Theyre a great team and theyre finally getting . . . in the curling world, their competitors know theyre a good team. Now the fans of the curling game are starting to see and recognize the team more.Note to readers: This is a corrected version of an earlier story. Torger Nergaard and Thomas Ulsrud are both from Norway, not Sweden as previously stated. 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The team announced Monday that Adams had died, saying he "passed away peacefully from natural causes." The son of a prominent oil executive, Adams built his own energy fortune and founded the Houston Oilers.MEXICO CITY -- The game between the San Antonio Spurs and Minnesota Timberwolves was postponed Wednesday night because of smoky conditions inside the Mexico City arena. The matchup will be made up in Minnesota at a later date. The arena was evacuated about 45 minutes before the scheduled 9:30 p.m. EST tipoff when a generator malfunction outside the arena sent smoke pouring into the building, according to NBA spokeswoman Sharon Lima. Mexico City Police said in a statement there was a fire in the generator room on the fourth floor of the modern glass-clad arena that opened in 2012. "What happened was provoked by a short circuit in the room of generators," the statement said in Spanish. About 15 minutes after the scheduled start, the Spurs bus pulled away from the building. The Timberwolves bus followed soon after. While the teams were warming up for their regular-season matchup, lights went out in parts of the arena and smoke began coming out of vents in the upper deck. The court quickly became cloudy. "I thought they were practicing fireworks, Spurs TV analyst Sean Elliot said. "A lot of teams do that before introductions. But then the smoke just kept creeping and it wasnt white smoke. It was like a brown dark smoke and it started taking over the whole court.dddddddddddd It was surprising." Fans had not yet been allowed into the arena for the NBAs first regular-season game in the country since Houston and Dallas played in Mexico City on Dec. 6, 1997, when the evacuation was ordered. The teams went to their buses, still wearing their practice gear. Spurs guard Manu Ginobili said there was a lot of smoke in their locker room. Standing outside the Timberwolves bus in shorts and practice shirt, guard Ricky Rubio had no idea what happened. "They just told us to leave," Rubio said in Spanish. Both teams were scheduled to travel home right after the game. The Spurs next host the Indiana Pacers on Saturday night. The Timberwolves, who play the Miami Heat on Saturday night, were coming off a stretch in which they played a franchise-record 18 games before Dec. 1. The postponement gives them a much-needed break. Coach Rick Adelman was unhappy that his team had to give up a home game in Minnesota. Now, the Timberwolves will likely make up the game after the return of key bench players Chase Budinger (knee) and Ronny Turiaf (elbow). Adrian Perez, marketing manager for the arena, said fans will be reimbursed. ' ' '