Each week, The Reporters put their thumbs out to the good and the bad in the world of sports. Shoes Sale . This week they discuss Jason Collins ignoring homophobic slurs, Sam Tagesons big day with the San Jose Sharks, Alex Rodriguez in the news again, and Sidney Crosbys Hart Trophy case. Bruce Arthur, National Post My thumb is up to Jason Collins of the Brooklyn Nets. Remember Jason Collins? Big guy, sets screens, commits fouls, plays defence, and recently the first openly gay player in any of North Americas four major sports leagues. He never did much as a player; he still doesnt. And in his first 10 games since signing with Brooklyn, Collins hasnt been a distraction, hasnt created a media circus, and says that only one opposing player has thrown homophobic slurs his way. And how Collins reacted to that was important. He could have named names, damaged the guys reputation, and cost him a big league fine. Instead, in the manner of Jackie Robinson, Collins ignored the slurs. He just played, with dignity. By doing nothing Jason Collins showed that nameless idiot what mattered, and that it wasnt him. Steve Simmons, Sun Media My thumb is up to the San Jose Sharks, and not because theyre my pick to win the Stanley Cup. Well get to that in another show. This week the Sharks made the most meaningful transaction since the trade deadline. They signed 17-year-old Sam Tageson to a one-day contract, and turned one day into a lifetime of memories for many. Tageson was born with a debilitating heart condition that prevents strenuous activity. But against his doctors advice, he has never stopped playing hockey. The Sharks signed him to a one-day deal, had him practice with the team, dress with the club, hang around the players, and then skate out through that gigantic shark head and stand at the blue line for the national anthem. The crowd, the bench, the building, went crazy. For one night, there was crying in hockey and everybody loved it. Dave Naylor, TSN Radio 1050 My thumb is down to Alex Rodgriguez, who once again is embroiled in controversy, this time over supposed unpaid legal fees racked up while he was trying to defend himself from the season-long suspension. If you thought we could look forward to this baseball season to some respite from more A-Rod controversy, well, think again. Theres some disputing the legitimacy of this weeks reports, with suggestions that A-Rod fully intends to pay his bills. And since he has a net worth reported at more than 300 million, why wouldnt we give him the benefit of the doubt? Wait a minute … Alex Rodriguez? Benefit of the doubt? Oh, nevermind. Dave Hodge, TSN My thumb is up in agreement with Pittsburgh Penguins coach Dan Bylsma, who thinks Sidney Crosby is due to win the Hart Trophy for the second time, though I will take issue with Bylsma when he says there is "no question" that Crosby is the NHLs most valuable player. I do think theres a question – Im not sure why when the Penguins captain is running away with the scoring race and has appeared in all of Pittsburghs 70 games to lead the Pens to a certain Metropolitan Division title, but NHL watchers seem to want to consider other candidates. One problem with that - theres no answer to the question: who else should win? The next time you want Crosby to be better, name someone who is. Shoes Outlet . It led to his downfall on Tuesday. The Major League Soccer club fired Rennie after a second straight up-and-down season that saw the Whitecaps start strong before limping across the finish line. Black Friday Shoes . Coach Randy Carlyle didnt know the severity of Bozaks injury. Bozak left the bench and went down the tunnel early in the second period, returned to play a handful of shifts and then did play in the third. https://www.fakeshoeswholesale.com/ . Four years after winning gold on home ice in Vancouver, the Canadians will get a chance to make it two in a row Sunday against Sweden after beating the United States 1-0 in the Olympic semifinals Friday at Bolshoy Ice Dome.The Asian Cup will be part of a rapid getting-to-know-you phase for the bulk of teams and their coaches in Australia, adding an extra layer of difficulty — and intrigue — to the continental championship.There are plenty of new players for the quadrennial tournament starting Friday, and more new faces in the coaching ranks — only six of the 16 teams had the same coach at the end of 2014 that they started the year with.Defending champion Japan arrived over the weekend missing one of its stars — and with a new coach.Defender Atsuto Uchida, who has not fully recovered from a tendon injury in his right knee, will remain with his German Bundesliga club Schalke 04 for treatment, coach Javier Aguirre said. Uchida, who has 71 caps, was a member of the team that beat Australia in the 2011 Asian Cup final.Aguirre was hired in August to replace Alberto Zaccheroni after Japans poor World Cup campaign in Brazil last summer.The Japanese begin their title defence against the Palestinian team in Newcastle on Jan. 12, three days after the tournament opener between Australia and Kuwait in Melbourne.South Korea also has a new coach, former Real Madrid midfielder Uli Stielike, who replaced Hong Myung-bo in September after a similarly disappointing World Cup performance. Hell be attempting to bring the continental trophy back to South Korea for the first time since 1960.South Korea arrived in Australia with six European-based players for the tournament, but there was no place for former Arsenal striker Park Chu-young. Park, who left Arsenal early in 2014 and fared poorly at the World Cup, recently joined Al Shabab of Saudi Arabia.The South Korean squad includes Son Heung-min of Bayer Leverkusen, one of four players from the Bundesliga, and midfielder Ki Seung-yeung of Swansea City in the English Premier League.Performances in last months Gulf Cup also resulted in Kuwait, Iraq, Saudi Arabia and Bahrain all firing their coaches.Bahrains coach had the shortest tenure of them all. Adnan Hamad, one of Asias most experienced coaches, was appointed in August only to be fired three months later after his team failed to advance to the knockout stages of the Gulf Cup.Kuwait started the Gulf Cup in promising fashion but fired Brazilian coach Jorvan Vieira following a loss to Oman. Vieira, who led Iraq to the 2007 Asian CCup title, was replaced by former Tunisia midfielder Nabil Maaloul. Fake Shoes For Sale. Saudi Arabia has changed coaches more than 20 times since reaching the second round of the 1994 World Cup. At nearly two years, Juan Lopez Caro lasted longer than most, but was let go after losing the final of the Gulf Cup in Riyadh to Qatar.Romanian Cosmin Olaroiu, formerly in charge of United Arab Emirates club Al Ahli, took over as the new Saudi coach.Iraq also fired its coach, Hakeem Shaker, following a last-place finish in its group at the Gulf Cup and replaced him with former national player Radhi Shenaishil.Host Australia is still getting used to its new coach, too. Since Ange Postecoglou was hired in October 2013, the Socceroos were knocked out in the group stage of the World Cup and have won only once in their last 10 matches.Postecoglou included 16 of the 23 players he took to the World Cup in his final 23-man squad for the Asian Cup. Seven of the players took part in the last Asian Cup in 2011, including Tim Cahill, captain Mile Jedinak, Robbie Kruse and Tommy Oar.Its been almost six months in the making since the FIFA World Cup, Postecoglou said. Weve had a series of games where there have been some pretty clear objectives, particularly in terms of broadening the pool and seeing whether we could get some better balance in the squad and more depth.The tournament hosts have slid to No. 100 in the world rankings, and are just 10th among the Asian teams. But New York Bulls striker Cahill said that wasnt such a bad thing.OK, our rankings have dropped, our football has improved, Cahill said of Australias strong opposition in the past year.We could have played Qatar, UAE and Japan in Australia (for) possibly two out of three wins. Our rankings would have stayed up a bit and everyone would have been happy. It would have put a smoke screen over what really we should be learning about.Jedinak, the last Australian player to arrive in camp following his Premier League duties with Crystal Palace, feels the Socceroos have a legitimate chance of winning the Asian Cup.I think 100 per cent weve got the right blend, Jedinak said. We know whats happened in the last year, in terms of the games ... its all been built up toward this point.___Associated Press writer John Duerden contributed to this story. ' ' '