Championship Game - Early

Five minutes before gametime the arena is not yet full, though it is turning into a bit of a freakshow, with kilts all over, and various forms of self-decoration celebrating Canada and Scotland. I suspect it will be VERY loud at times.
I want to thank Charl Schwartzel for preventing extra holes at the Masters; birdying the last four holes is certainly an impressive way to win the Masters.

The loudmouth seems to think it remarkable that this game is being broadcast 'not just coast to coast, but around the world'. Well it is the World Championship, is it not?

And not five minutes later this place is pretty packed, and the mere march of the teams onto the ice is deafening. I cannot hear the bagpiper (which may be just as well, in the opinion of some).

The Scottish cheering section (absent this afternoon) is here, and over to my left is what I infer to be the family of Tom Brewster's wife (who is from Edmonton). And Tom just got one hell of a birthday greeting from the crowd in the form of applause. Well, I thought it was loud until they announced it was also Jonathan Mead`s birthday.

END:1: The media benches, essentially empty this afternoon, are packed and adjustments have disrupted my attention a bit.
Well this is not yesterday evening`s Scotland; there seems little reluctance to put rocks in play. Brewster`s last shot is a brilliant runback which cleans the ice of relevant Canada rocks, where it had looked as if Stoughton had rocks somewhat buried. Stoughton draws against five - needs full four. He`s heavy, but there are so many Scotland rocks in the house one happens to get in the way. :-) The crowd goes wild though Canada has just been foreced to take one.
CAN 1 - SCO 0

I love Russ Howard's comment about Brews's last shot - "He cleans them out better than my telestrator did".

END :2: Drummond makes a terrific double; it leaves two Scotland rocks open in the twelve, doubled away by Stoughton. Exchanges of hits and a blank.

Between ends the Proclaimers' '500 Miles' comes on again, eliciting some clapping from the Scottish audience. Actually a rather nice little tip of the hat to Scotland.

END #3: Scotland make some early misses giving Canada a chance to pile up some rocks behind cover but a small miss by Mead allows Scotland to hit a triple. Stoughton draws in behind a Scotland guard in the front twelve but it looks exposed to me. Brewster hits it but rolls out. Stoughton hits a wide Scotland stone, conceding two to Scotland.
SCO 2 - CAN 1

This is decidedly not the Page 1-2 Scotland team.