Dein erstes Forum » Mike Santorelli Feb.

Each week, The Reporters put their thumbs out to the good and the bad in the world of sports. This week they discuss Kyle Lowrys All-Star blessing, Coach Q, unheralded undraftees and leaving the NFL playoffs alone. Cathal Kelly, Toronto Star: My thumb is up to the 14 NBA coaches who decided this week that raptor Kyle Lowry doesnt deserve to be on the All-Star team. Theyre wrong, of course. Badly wrong. According to reports, the player who pipped Lowry for the last bench spot was Brooklyn Nets forward Joe Johnson. Lowry is out-averaging Johnson in every statistical category - including rebounds - and Johnson is seven inches taller. In making this mistake, however, those coaches have done Raptors fans a huge service. From here until the end of the season, Toronto not only has the best point guard in the East, they now have the most motivated point guard in the East. Steve Simmons, Sun Media: My thumb is up to Joel Quenneville of the Chicago Blackhawks, who this week moved up to No. 3 on the all-time list of coaching victories in the National Hockey League. Its impressive enough to make the top three. Its even more impressive when the only coaches ahead of you in wins are named Scotty Bowman and Al Arbour. Quenneville, for some reason, doesnt get a whole lot of attention, doesnt make a lot of headlines, rarely gets mentioned for coach of the year, which he won once more than a decade ago. But here he is behind a nine-time Stanley Cup champion and a four-time Cup winner. And nobody else. Yeah, hes an all-time great. And when have we ever said that about Joel Quenneville? Michael Farber, Sports Illustrated: My thumb is up to Edmonton goalie Ben Scrivens, for impenetrability. Scrivens stopped a record 59 shots in a shutout of the Sharks, a dash of good news in a city unaccustomed to seeing a goalie make 59 saves in a week. Scrivens stellar game underscored the notion that goalies dont need pedigree. Undrafted out of Cornell, Scrivens once played in the East Coast Hockey League. Ex-Calgary Hitman netminder Martin Jones of the Los Angeles Kings, also was undrafted and played in the Coast as did the Rangers Cam Talbot, out of the University of Alabama-Huntsville. Another thing they have in common: among NHL goalies with at least 12 starts, they are one-two-three in save percentage. Dave Hodge, TSN: My thumb is down to the likelihood that the NFL playoffs will be expanded to include 14 teams, up by two from the current 12. Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones delivers the argument for more playoff teams this way: "How exciting is it for fans of a .500 team to see that team in the playoffs with a chance to win the Super Bowl?" Well, heres whats more exciting - two teams like Denver and Seattle, with 13-3 records, showing off their season-long excellence at the Super Bowl. Jerry Jones needs to improve his team, not the League. But the guy in charge of the league, Roger Goodell, supports the idea of more playoff teams, thus more playoff games - get ready for wild-card "week". Cheap Air Max Website . "I wasnt waving the pom-poms to be involved with it to start with," Carlyle said after a 5-2 win over Carolina on Sunday night. "Its been a trying time. "Specifically we havent played as well as wed like to hang our hat on. Cheap Wholesale Air Max .Y. -- Mark Steenhuis scored four goals and added two assists to lead the Buffalo Bandits over the Toronto Rock 12-10 in National Lacrosse League action on Saturday. http://www.wholesaleairmaxfreeshipping.com/ . The trade deadline is Monday, Mar. 2 at 3pm et/Noon pt. TRADES COMPLETED SINCE OCT. 1, 2014: Feb. 15, 2015 Toronto Maple Leafs acquire: F Olli Jokinen, F Brendan Leipsic, 1st Round Pick (2015) Nashville Predators acquire: D Cody Franson, F Mike Santorelli Feb. Cheap Air Max Wholesale .com) - Cincinnati Reds pitcher Mat Latos had an arthroscopic procedure performed on his right elbow last week, the teams official site reported Wednesday. Cheap Air Max Sale . And it showed Thursday night. The Canadiens, playing in their second game in as many days, however, got a good performance in the end from their backup goaltender as he filled in for an injured Olympic gold medallist .BARCELONA, Spain -- Neymar scored in his first clasico and set up Alexis Sanchez for an exquisite decider as Barcelona beat fierce rival Real Madrid 2-1 at Camp Nou in the Spanish league on Saturday. With Lionel Messi oddly quiet, Neymar opened in the 19th minute from close range after receiving Andres Iniestas pass as the Brazil striker outshone fellow newcomer and adversary Gareth Bale. "Scoring a goal in a clasico is very special," Neymar said. "Its a game that everyone wants to play. It was like a dream come true." While Neymar has lived up to his 57-million-euro transfer this summer, questions over the wisdom of Madrids 100 million euros payout for Bale will continue after he failed to produce a shot on goal before being replaced by Karim Benzema with half an hour to go. Benzema went on to hit the woodwork as Madrid threatened to equalize before Alexis took Neymars pass and sealed the victory in the 78th with a brilliant chipped shot. Substitute Jese Rodriguez got Madrids consolation goal in injury time after a lightning counterattack. Neymar followed in the footsteps of former Brazilian standouts Romario and Rivaldo, who scored in their first matches for the Catalan club against Madrid. And his playmaking echoed Ronaldinhos assist in his first clasico. Barcelona coach Gerardo Martino, also making his clasico debut, was careful not to overpraise Neymar, while also giving credit to Messi for his work in defence. "The transcendence of this game and the goal he scored magnified the level of his performance," Martino said about Neymar. "But I think he has had better games than tonight. As far as what (Messi) did for the team to recover the ball, I give him a superlative mark." Madrid had improved in its recent visits to Camp Nou, including a 3-1 win in the Copa del Rey last February, but Barcelona restored its home dominance over its traditional rival for the league crown. The victory was Barcelonas ninth to go with one lone draw in the league this season, lifting it a provisional four points clear of Atletico Madrid which hosts Real Betis on Sunday. Madrid was left a full six points adrift of the pacesetters and with reawakened doubts over the direction of the team under new coach Carlo Ancelotti after losses to both of its league challengers. It lost 1-0 to Atletico last month. "II think we showed good football in front of a fantastic team," Ancelotti said after his first clasico.dddddddddddd "At this moment it was a good test. We are improving." Bale made his second start of the season since being hampered by muscle injuries, but he didnt prove to be effective in attack with Cristiano Ronaldo. Ancelotti further tweaked his starting 11 with Sergio Ramos in midfield, while Martino chose Cesc Fabregas to accompany Messi and Neymar in attack. Neymar struck the ball into the arms of Madrid goalkeeper Diego Lopez in the games first shot on goal in the 17th. Two minutes later, Iniesta dribbled into the area and laid off for Neymar on the left flank. Madrid appeared to have him hemmed in, but he used his right foot to slip a shot between the legs of Dani Carvajal, with the ball taking a deflection off the defenders thigh before trickling in. It was Neymars fourth goal in 14 matches since joining from Santos this off-season. While Neymar sparkled, Bale was limited to a pair of harmless long-range attempts as Madrid failed to muster a shot on target until a minute before halftime. Madrid gained ground as the second half wore on and Barcelona appeared to tire, leaving Benzema unmarked to rip a shot off the woodwork in the 72nd. But Neymar helped Alexis secure the three points when he spotted the Chileans run after he came on for Fabregas in the 70th. Alexis pulled up outside the area with Raphael Varane in front of him and coolly lofted the ball over the defender and the diving Lopez, who was caught just off his line. "I didnt have any other option," Alexis said. "I saw the goalkeeper coming forward and I had to try it. Fortunately it went in." Neymar received an ovation when he was substituted six minutes from time before Rodriguez fired under Victor Valdes, who plans to leave Barcelona next summer and could have played his last home game against Madrid unless the teams meet in the Champions League or Spanish cup. Before the match, Camp Nou displayed a giant mosaic with the message "Forca Tito" ("Stay Strong Tito" in Catalan) in support of former coach Tito Vilanova, who had to step down this summer as he fights throat cancer. Also, Celta emphatically broke a four-game losing streak with a 5-0 rout at Malaga, while Granada won 1-0 at Elche. 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