He didn't get grief for this, you guys are just making shit up. Curling fans are pretty easy-going. It's a very social sport that places a strong emphasis on courtesy, sportsmanship, and comraderie.
Not sure if you're being sarcastic, but just in case - Canadians and Brits spell "favourite" that way. There's a number of words that are spelt differently in Canada than in the US. "Centre" is another one that comes to mind.