Each week, The Reporters put their thumbs out to the good and the bad in the world of sports. This week they discuss Sepp Blatter continuing to run FIFA, a possible tolerance shift in professional sports, the virtually impossible spelling bee and a class act after a heartbreaking crash. Dave Naylor, TSN: My thumb is down to FIFA, international soccers governing body which this past week overwhelmingly re-elected president Sepp Blatter. This despite the fact international soccer is swimming in scandal and accusations of bribery and corruption. You may remember the old Soviet Union where they ran presidents in elections with no opposition. Well, FIFA thinks thats such a great idea that its kept that tradition alive. Blatter got 186 of 203 votes, which would have been an endorsement if there were any other choices. The fact that there were not is an indictment of him, FIFA and its members. Bruce Arthur, National Post: My thumb is up to the San Francisco Giants. Sports have never been the most universally welcoming place, but it feels like were in the midst of a major change. The Giants have become the first pro sports team to record an ‘It Gets Better public service announcement as part of a growing campaign that tells teens bullied by homophobia that suicide isnt the answer. The Cubs have announced they will do one, too. In the last few months several sports and media figures have come out as gay, and the reaction to NHL agent Todd Reynolds public opposition to gay marriage – something publicly supported by Sean Avery and Steve Nash – was powerful, to the point where Ive been told he has lost at least four clients. Theres tolerance springing up all over. Historys moving. Sports, it seems, is beginning to move with it. Cathal Kelly, Toronto Star: My thumb is up to Toronto eighth grader Laura Newcombe. Every once in a while when youre watching professional sport, you say to yourself, ‘Hey, I could do that. I might need hormone therapy and a time machine, but I think I could do that. I cannot do what Laura Newcombe can do. At this weeks world series of etymology, the Scripps Spelling Bee, Newcombe correctly spelled attacca, ingberlach, cheongasm and theopneustic - words that Im pretty sure arent actually words. She finished second, undone by sorites, which means a chain of syllogisms. I cant spell it. I dont even understand the definition. I can never do what Laura Newcombe does right now. What does Laura Newcombe want to do when she grows up? Be a writer. Great, that means Ive only got 10 more years before I have to find another job. Dave Hodge, TSN: My thumb is up to another second-place finisher, Indy driver J.R. Hildebrand, who could have won a spelling bee for swear words last Sunday, but actually...no. He didnt react to his colossal misfortune the way most of us would have done. He immediately apologized to his pit crew – he answered all the questions and then he thanked well-wishers on Twitter– he went to dinner with his family and watched himself crash all over again on Sportscentre, and he didnt turn away from the screen, or from the burden that others might want to place on him. He said the near-miss will not define him unless he lets it define him. Thats class, and I guess its exactly the way a race driver should see life when the cars in pieces and hes not, never mind the result of a race. nfl jerseys china .Y. -- Bills quarterback Thad Lewis missed his second straight practice on Thursday and remains questionable for Sundays game against the Kansas City Chiefs. jerseys from china . Major League Baseball medical director Dr. Gary Green presented ideas to executives, physicians and trainers at the winter meetings this week. Among the prototypes being studied is headgear made of Kevlar, the high-impact material used by the military and law enforcement and NFL players for body armour. http://www.cheapnfljerseys2015.us.com/ . Jim Thome twisting his body, trying to coax a liner to kick up chalk. Those tricky calls arent being farmed out to technology quite yet. wholesale nfl jerseys . Consensus among Canadian players is that they enter Tuesdays first-place showdown with the Americans as the clear underdogs following a shootout loss to the Czech Republic on Saturday and a white-knuckle, come-from-behind win against Slovakia on Monday. cheap jerseys . An official of the security department for the province of Buenos Aires, who asked not to be identified, said the traffic accident occurred in the Buenos Aires suburb of Ezeiza where Maradona lives.MONTREAL - Perhaps it will take a midweek trip to the west coast for the Montreal Impact to find their game.The Impact are in a tailspin as they prepare to face the Galaxy in Los Angeles on Wednesday night.The team that dominated Major League Soccer with a 9-3-2 record in the first four months has gone 4-8-5 since then. Now they are fighting just to stay in a playoff spot with three games left in the regular season.A 1-0 setback to the New England Revolution at Saputo Stadium on Saturday left them winless in their last five games, including three losses at home and three shutout defeats.At this moment it doesnt matter what formation we play, we have to put all we have into it, midfielder Felipe Martins said. We have three games left.In the last five, we didnt play like we played before, so something has to change. We have to get back to where we were before.Against the Revolution, the Impact looked old and slow, generating few quality chances on attack.For Felipe, the Brazilian who likes to go by one name, a livelier performance is needed to get back to what worked so well before.We have to move more, he said. The other teams know how we play now.They come here, they sit back. So we have to be like we were before. Keep moving. Move the ball quickly and try to find space. This is how we played (the first) half of the season.Coach Marco Schallibaum has decisions to make on whether to save some veterans for a more important Eastern Conference match at home Saturday against the sixth-place Philadelphia Union.The Union and the Chicago Fire have caught up to Montreals 46 points, but the Impact retained fourth place because they have played one fewer game. The top five in each conference make the post-season.Two decisions were made for the coach against New England, as both central defender Matteo Ferrari and midfielder Davy Arnaud drew their fifth yellow card and will be suspended one match.Fullback Hassoun Camara will return after serving a one-game ban.The question is whether Schallibaum will rest his 37-year-olds, striker Marco Di Vaio and centre back Alessandro Nesta. Midfielders Patrice Bernier (hip), who was clearly off form against New England, and Justin Mapp (groin) may also need a break.But resting that many starters mmakes beating the defending MLS champions at home a daunting task, even if the Galaxy will likely be without their top two weapons in Landon Donovan (ankle) and Robbie Keane, who has been kept by the Republic of Ireland for a World Cup qualifier Tuesday against Kazakhstan.dddddddddddd dont think we have the luxury of doing that, said Arnaud. Its very tight.Obviously next Saturday is a huge game because its a six-point game with Philadelphia, but Wednesdays game is an opportunity to pick up points.Fresh legs could also counter some of the psychological effects of the New England loss. The team had spoken all week about the importance of winning, then turned in a tepid performance.We didnt respond, Arnaud said of the defeat. Theres no other way of saying it.You cant sugar coat it and make it something its not. Well have to think about that as players.Options for the Impact include using younger, quicker players like forward Andrew Wenger and midfielder Blake Smith.We have to try to get all three points, said Schallibaum, who doesnt release his lineup until an hour before a game. They are looking for points as well, so it wont be easy.We lost, but we have to get back up.Impact academy graduate Maxim Tissot filled in for injured left back Jeb Brovsky against New England and will likely play again. Another academy grad, Wandrille Lefevre, should take over Ferraris spot, while Camara can also play in the middle.The Galaxy are coming off a bye week and hope to have some of their ailing players back, including midfielder Juninho and centreback Leonardo, two Brazilians who have been out with groin problems. Central defender Omar Gonzalez, defender A.J. DeLaGarza and midfielder Robbie Rogers are also on the mend from injuries.But Keane, with 15 goals and 11 assists, and Donovan, with 10 goals, are the Galaxys offensive motors. Donovan was sent home by the U.S. national team on the weekend with his ankle injury.They scored two goals each in the Galaxys last game, a 5-0 win over lowly Chivas USA that ended a four-game winless run.The Impact have done well on the west coast this season at 2-1-2 in all competitions, but their last trip went badly as they lost 3-0 in San Jose in the CONCACAF Champions League on Sept. 17. cheap nfl jerseys ' ' '