Each week, The Reporters put their thumbs out to the good and the bad in the world of sports. Cheap NCAA Jerseys . This week they discuss the Paralympic spirit, a good day for King James, the future of football in Toronto and one truly ugly game at Staples Center. Bruce Arthur, The National Post: My thumb is up to the Paralympics, which began Friday in Sochi, or, more specifically to the Paralympians involved. There were calls for athlete boycotts after Russia sent troops into Ukraine the day after the Olympics ended, but an athlete boycott was a silly and callous idea; it would have no effect on the invasion except to deprive those who push the edge of human possibility from something they deserve, even in a diminished spotlight. Instead, at the opening ceremony Friday, we saw a significant political statement from Ukraine, which sent just one of its 23 athletes to march in the opening ceremony. We didnt see anything that meaningful two weeks ago; Im glad we saw it now. The Paralympics, and Paralympians, deserve whatever spotlight they get. Steve Simmons, Sun Media: My thumb is up to LeBron James, and not for being the best player in the NBA or for the career-high 61 points he tossed up the other night. LeBron travelled last night to Cleveland, between games and against the advice of the Miami Heat, so he could be part of the ceremony that honoured his former Cavaliers teammate Zydrunas Ilgauskas. LeBron played more games with Ilgauskas as a teammate than anyone else he has played with in his 11-year career and he wanted to be there for his good friend and to see him honoured. In an NBA world in which selfishness reigns supreme, King James showed another side of himself last night. A surprisingly likable side. Dave Naylor, TSN Radio: My thumb is up to the Buffalo Bills who this week pulled the plug - at least for one year - on the Bills in Toronto series. For something that once stirred rabid debate across this country, the Bills playing in Toronto turned out to be much ado about nothing. The product was lousy, the prices too high and – oh, yes - that infamous news conference. But what also became obvious was the disconnect between Torontos sports fans and somebody elses NFL team. I dont know if there will ever be another NFL game played in Toronto, but the only way it makes sense is if one of the teams playing is Toronto. Dave Hodge, TSN: It was going to be "thumbs down" to the LA Lakers for the worst game in their history - that would be Thursdays loss by 48 points to the Clippers - but really, it should be "thumbs up" to the Lakers for their contribution to the anti-tanking movement, which seeks to change the NBAs draft lottery. Theres no proof that the Lakers tanked against the Clippers, except the scoreboard, and the 18,000 eyewitnesses at Staples Center, and the open encouragement of a "Riggin for Wiggins" campaign. The NBA needs to act, and the NHL needs to follow before next season a strategy unfolds that could be known as "Lose honor, get Connor". Cheap Baltimore Ravens Jerseys . Bruce Arthur, National Post: BC Lions- Since Labour Day theyve been the best team in this league by a mile and I dont think this game will be particularly close. http://www.cheapjerseys2014.us.com/YOUTH-JERSEYS.html . Canadian Lance Gibson is happy to oblige with the former UFC light-heavyweight champion some tough love.Russia has announced its roster for the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia. Alex Ovechkin, Evgeni Malkin and former New Jersey Devils sniper Ilya Kovalchuk highlight the 25 names unveiled by the host nation. The roster features 10 players currently playing in the Kontinental Hockey League in addition to 15 NHLers. Canadian NHL clubs will be well represented with the Montreal Canadiens Andrei Markov and Alexei Emelin, the Edmonton Oilers Anton Belov in addition to Toronto Maple Leafs winger Nikolai Kulemin. The Russian team named 18-year-old Dallas Stars rookie Valeri Nichushkin to the roster but did not name 20-year-old Oilers forward Nail Yakupov. The complete Russian roster is as follows: Goalkeepers: Sergei Bobrovsky, Semyon Varllamov, Alexander Yeryomenko. cheap jerseys 2014. . Defenders: Anton Belov, Alexei Emelin, Andrei Markov, Evgeny Medvedev, Nikita Nikitin, Ilya Nikulin, Fedor Tyutin, Slava Voynov. Forwards: Artem Anisimov, Pavel Datsyuk, Denis Kokarev, Ilya Kovalchuk, Nikolai Kulemin, Evgeni Malkin, Valeri Nichushkin, Alex Ovechkin, Alexander Popov, Alexander Radulov, Sergei Soin, Vladimir Tarasenko, Alexei Tereshenko, Viktor Tikhonov. The host Russians will be looking to rebound from a disappointing performance at the 2010 Olympics in Vancouver that saw the team finish sixth. They were defeated 7-3 in the quarter-finals by Canada. Russia will be joined in Group A in Sochi by Slovakia, Slovenia and the United States. ' ' '
