i honestly expect canada v.s norway or if andy kapp ever gets into the zone that he did in 2007 when he won 4 straight to get to the final germany v.s canada in the final.
and i would actually prefer anyone but scotland v.s canada because just as (i think) it can get boring seeing the same country win all the time it gets boring seeing the same 2 countries in the finals all the time.

Didnt see the telecast stuart but i think by his own admission DM is calling a very aggressive game. Sco are not there to medal they are there for the gold and they are calling the game they think it will take to beat martin. I dont think they need to be that aggressive personally but who are we to argue. These 4 guys are certs for the olympics so i dont buy the pressure argument. Some days you lose, it happens.  On the few games i have seen the ice looks like it favours negative curling but as it improves as the week goes on I cant see past Sco and Can.
From a neutral point of view it would be good to see norway win but i think DM has the indian sign over them in the big comps. If Ulsrud can avoid sco in the page he has a chance IMHO.
I would also like to see switz get to playoffs or i fear another nation will start going down "the selection" road.

Stuart
I thought i was pretty much in agreement with what you say.....   but mistakes happen.
I agree that it is more important to win the game than prepare for what is ahead but i wouldnt say there are any easy games out there. China beat canada in the round robin last year

I dont think that is necessarily true JJK - It certainly was the case at the start of the Comp when the ice was a bit iffy and they were swapping threes and fours by playing (by his own admission) a very aggressive game. He also admitted that it wasnt good for the nerves!

IMHO i think that from a couple of days ago, they have gone back to a more "normal" game - you can see that from the line scores where there are lower scoring games, more blanks and they are forcing singles on opposition hammer rather than going for aggresive steals.

That may be playing into these lower teams hands as by "controlling" the game - one mistake and the opposition have a chance, and they are never far enough behind to really dishearten them. It would be my own thinking that DM should be playing a very aggressive game against the lower teams and really piling on the pressure. One big end along the way and its handshakes all around.

I would imagine it would be the opposite tactics when playing KM - keep it tight and you will always be in with a shout - if you mix it up and play aggressive with K-Mart as they all do in the slams etc - he is untouchable- it would be playing into his hands.

But i am probably speaking out my @rse - DM is after all scottish champ by a country mile !

Just Looking at the Martins scores and after 7 games they have not had to play 10 ends! (well may have started but not completed).  They beat Norway 9-2 in 6ends the 2nd place team!  Perhaps the Canucks have already started playing only 8 end games!  At this rate only one team going home with the Gold.

jjk - there is also a saying about a fat lady singing! 

But if we take the Scottish Championship as another example and something that has been debated on the forum at length. The Scottish Championship Trophy has been going to one team and barring any major problem will be going to the same winner next year!!

Sport is unpredictable and that is what makes it interesting but at this point in time I will be suprised if the team at the top of the table does not stay at the top.

Canada v Finland live at http://watch.tsn.ca/live-on-tsnca/clip158243#clip158243

This is a pretty silly argument - "ooh they beat us because they practice a lot and it's not fair!!"
Come on now!
What sport does not have the best people practice a lot?

What are you suggesting instead - some sort of handicap system?

It may well indeed make them far better than anyone else, but that means the bar is just set higher for anyone else - to call it unfair is hardly sound logic!