Bruce Arthur, Toronto Star: My thumb is up to small mercies for Toronto Maple Leafs fans. Every year, ESPN the magazine ranks 122 North American sports franchises, and this year, the Leafs ranked dead last. They were 119th last year, 122nd the year before that, 120th, 121st, 120th - well, you get the picture. ESPN uses a mixture of factors, but the Leafs are persistently rotten in both affordability and wins, the first of which has no chance to changing this season. But theres an upside to the bottom of the barrel: it cant get worse, right? Well, of course it can. Beer prices could rise, a meteor could strike, some league could add an expansion team. But numerically, this is as bad as it gets. If youre a Leafs fan, well, thats got to count for something. Steve Simmons, SUN Media: My thumb is down to the National Football League - I know, its an easy target these days - for its inability to see success, celebrate it, and understand the moment. On Thursday night, Devin Hester - now of the Atlanta Falcons - broke Deion Sanders remarkable record for most return touchdowns in history. Hester did so with style, with Deion in the building and he did so by paying tribute to Sanders by high-stepping the final yards to the end zone. For that, he should have been applauded for both respect and his acknowledgment of history. Instead, he was penalized for unsportsmanlike conduct. The NFL, in need of an moment it could call good news, flagged itself on the play, spoiling the celebration. Michael Farber, Sports Illustrated: My thumb is up to the other referendum in Scotland this week. By a resounding margin of 85 to 15 per cent, the Royal & Ancient voted to allow women members at St. Andrews. Nice of these gents to enter a new century: The 20th century. Please hold your applause. Finishing runner-up to Augusta National in the category of social change is only mildly praiseworthy. At an existential level, golf is the most egalitarian sport. The only thing that matters is the number on the scorecard. But getting to post that number, getting through the figurative gates to the first tee in this exclusive sport, can make an otherwise great game exasperating. Dave Hodge, TSN: Once more before he plays his last game, my thumb is up to Derek Jeter and the way he has conducted his career. Im not suggesting hes a) the greatest shortstop or b) the best person in baseball history … a) hes not and b) hes probably not. But Derek Jeter has represented himself, his team, his city and his sport about as well as you could want. If you were writing a handbook guide for future athletes, Jeter could be chapter one. Who knows how many would turn out like him, but the number would be greater because of the opportunity to witness what he has done, and to learn from it. Dont make him an idol--the sports world has too many who arent. Make him a good example--the sports world has too few who are. Uomo/Donna Scarpe Onitsuka Tiger Mexico 66 Nere/Bianche .C. -- Benn Ferrieros familiar with scoring important goals, just not in back-to-back games. Asics Gel Kinsei 6 . Among the teams moves was trading one of the teams two third round picks, no. 83 overall, to the Chicago Blackhawks for Brandon Bollig, a six-foot-two, 223-pound left-winger who had seven goals, seven assists, and 92 penalty minutes in 82 games last season. http://www.scarpeonitsukatiger.it/onits ... ation.html. - The Washington Redskins have signed free agent offensive lineman Mike McGlynn. Asics Gel Lyte V Nere . The judge sternly instructed the prosecutor to restrain himself and he apologized -- then went right back to trying to pick holes in the testimony of the double-amputee runner. It was a harsh day of cross-examination for Pistorius, challenged relentlessly about his account of the moments just before he killed Reeva Steenkamp, as well as circumstances related to several firearms charges against him, including the firing of a gun in a crowded restaurant. Onitsuka Tiger By Asics Mexico 66 Bianche/Blu/Rosse - Uomo/Donna .com) - John Wall had 15 points, 12 assists and four steals as the Washington Wizards defeated the New Orleans Pelicans 92-85 on Monday night.SAN DIEGO -- Tanner Roark of the Washington Nationals probably wishes he could face the punchless San Diego Padres a few more times this season. Roark pitched three-hit ball for eight innings, struck out a career-high 11 and walked none, and Anthony Rendon hit a two-run homer Friday night to lead the Nationals to a 6-0 victory against the Padres. In two starts against the Padres this season, he has allowed only six hits in 17 scoreless innings, struck out 19 and walked one. "Everything felt good coming out of my hand," he said. "Thats a plus." The right-hander took a one-hitter into the eighth before Rene Rivera hit a leadoff single and pinch-hitter Tommy Medica had a one-out base hit. Roark (4-4) beat the Padres 4-0 at Washington on April 26th, throwing a three-hitter for his first career shutout. He struck out eight that game, his previous career high. Roark said the key was throwing first-pitch strikes. "That really gets a hitter on his heels and gives you confidence," he said. "I dont try to strike guys out. I just try to make quality pitches. Strikeouts happen. Today everything was working." Said manager Matt Williams: "Hes just been pitching like that for us all year. He just continues to pound the zone, all of his pitches. Pretty impressive." The Nationals won their fourth straight and for the sixth time in seven games. "Same thing he showed over in Washington," Padres manager Bud Black said of Roark. "Mixed his pitches, changed his speeds, commanded his fastball a little bit different than in his start in Washington. In Washington, he used his curveballs, more changeups." San Diego has just 15 hits in five games. On Wednesday, Everth Cabrera bunted for a single in the first inning for San Diegos only hit in a 3-2 victory against the Pittsburgh Pirates. "You have to keep going through it," Black said. "You have to keep your nose to the grindstone and keep working. There is no magic formula to this. YYou keep working, you keep busting your butt in the cage, you keep watching video, you keep your confidence, you keep telling yourself youre going to have good at-bats, you stay together as a team, you hang in there in the hopes that it will turn.dddddddddddd." Padres starter Tyson Ross (6-5) had a bad night. He walked Washingtons Denard Span to open the game and then allowed Rendons homer to left field, his ninth. Rendon, the third baseman, came out after grounding out in the sixth. He was struck in the right hand trying to field Carlos Quentins smash in the fourth inning and committed a throwing error. He committed a fielding error the next inning. Williams said X-rays were negative. Ross was chased during a nightmarish four-run sixth inning in which he had a throwing error, wild pitch, walked two, hit a batter and allowed two hits. Ross allowed an RBI double to Wilson Ramos that bounced over the fence in right-centre and then walked Ian Desmond to load the bases. Ross hit Danny Espinosa on the left knee to force in a run and Nate McClouth hit a two-run single to right to end Ross night. Ross allowed six runs, five earned, on five hits in 5 1-3 innings. He struck out seven and walked three. NOTES: The Padres placed 2B Jedd Gyorko on the 15-day disabled list with plantar fasciitis in his left foot, retroactive to Wednesday. Gyorko has struggled after signing a $35 million, six-year contract extension in April. Hes hitting just .162. Manager Bud Black says Gyorko had an anti-inflammatory shot, will use a walking boot and will wear a strap when he sleeps to keep the arch stretched out. ... LHP Eric Stults was activated from the bereavement list. Hes scheduled to start Sunday. ... The Padres will make two more roster moves Saturday, when RHP Andrew Cashner (2-5, 2.35) is due to be activated from the disabled list and start against the Nationals. Hes been out with a sore elbow. ... The Nationals will counter Saturday night with Blake Treinen (0-2, 1.40). Cheap NFL Jerseys Wholesale Jerseys Wholesale NFL Jerseys Jerseys From China Wholesale NFL Jerseys Cheap NFL Jerseys Cheap Jerseys Cheap NFL Jerseys ' ' '