Strauss Canada Cup Missing Some Things

Hello. Congrats to Jennifer Jones and Randy Ferbey for winning the Strauss Canada Cup this weekend. I only saw the women's final, so I cannot comment on all the action. However, Jones looked very solid beating Cathy King.
Some things I noticed:

1. Was it just me, or was the ice poor for the 2nd event in a row? It's unfortunate because the ice has been so good in recent years. Poor ice now sticks out like a sore thumb.
2. Mike Harris, I missed you! Joan McCusker was left to die by herself with a cold. If the Jones game had gone an extra end, she may not have made it. Mr. Whitman, you of decades of curling broadcasting experience, where were you to fill in the gaps? Did you not want to reveal how little you know?
3. Speaking of people MIA, where were Glenn Howard and Kelly Scott? Scott was of course in Japan for the start of the women's world championships. Howard was taking a break after winning the Brier. Unfortunate for Strauss that the reigning top teams are absent, but it revealed how deep curling is in Canada by the field. Maybe some rescheduling is in order.

Regards,

Steve