Howard is Men's Players' Champion

Glenn Howard won the 2007 World Championship, and then Kevin Martin took the title this year. Both teams met in the Tim Hortons Brier final this year in a great match to determine Canada's best men's team. And with these two teams being clearly the top two teams in the world, you couldn't ask for a better match-up for the final game of the 2008 TYLENOL Players' Championship. Team Howard and Team Martin had the best average shooting percentages this week, with 89.9 for Team Howard and 88.2 for Team Martin, just a measly 1.7% separating these two great teams.

The 28,272 fans who filed into the Mile One Centre all week where in St. John's, Newfoundland, were in for some great action as these two heavy weights battled it out for the $25,000 top prize as well as the 40 CTRS points.

Martin appeared to be the clear crowd favorite, as the crowd roared when his name was announced at the start of the game. Glenn Howard won the pre-game draw to the button, givng him last rock advantage in the first end.

For the opening end, Howard tried to get back control of the house, which was clogged up well by one of Martin's stones in the eight foot, fully burried. With Kevin's first of his skip stones, he drew around his own burried rock to have two rocks completely burried. Glenn Howard, just looking to not give up a big steal, attempted to draw down and freeze on Martin's shot rock, which he did perfectly. But Martin, not to be out done, made an even better freeze. Howard, knowing that there was absolutely no way to remove Martin's stone, simply threw away his last rock and conceded the single point.

Richard Hart, third for Team Howard, made a nice run back double to get Howard out of trouble in the second end. After Kevin Martin burried his first rock of the end, Glenn Howard made perfect run back of his own to get shot rock. The great shot making by Team Howard allowed them to blank the end.

In the third end, Glenn Howard made a great draw down to the button to out-count Kevin Martin's stone and get a point on the board, tieing the game 1-1.

Kevin Martin had the hammer for the first time to start the fourth end. After Richard Hart missed a run-back, Kevin Martin threw a third rock into the house, looking to score a big end. His last rock was just caught the guard, giving up a steal

Martin had himself in trouble in the sixth end. Glenn Howard had three rocks in the house, with one biting the edge of the button and behind a bunch of guards. Martin tried a tough run-back to try and get a single out of the end, but his rock overcurled giving Howard a gigantic steal of three. The end moved Howard ahead to a commanding 5-1 lead.

With the game so far out of reach, Kevin Martin could not come back. Glenn Howard picked up another two points in the seventh end for a 7-1 final, crowing him the 2008 TYLENOL Players' Champion.

"We would've loved to have won the Brier," Howard said following his victory, "but winning the Players' Championship is the pinnacle of curling for us."

"The ice conditions here were fantastic, you could make just about every shot," he said, comparing this final to the Brier final, where ice conditions seemed to be a bit of an issue for Howard.