Each week, The Reporters put their thumbs out to the good and the bad in the world of sports. This week they discuss LeBron James apparent endorsement of flopping, the Chris Williams situation in Hamilton, the Chicago Cubs pitching staff and the Philadelphia Phillies "classy gesture" towards Jacoby Ellsbury. Cathal Kelly, Toronto Star: My thumb is down to LeBron James. As per usual, LeBron James has played phenomenally through this playoff run, but he has to begin to understand that everything he says affects the game of basketball. Everything he does affects the game. This series between Indiana and Miami has been largely defined by diving. James has been a culprit, but the worst thing he did is to seemingly endorse the practice, saying after a game, "any advantage you can get over an opponent so be it." That is absolutely wrong. Other players listen to what James says. We dont want basketball to become international football. At this point, cheating can never be endorsed and certainly not by the best player on the planet. Steve Simmons, Sun Media: My thumb is down to Kent Austin and the front office staff of the Hamilton Tiger-Cats for not finding a solution to the Chris Williams situation. Williams was the most dynamic player in the Canadian Football League last year, offensively catching touchdown passes, running six kicks back for touchdowns, doing everything you would want from a football player. He is not in camp right now because he wants to go to the NFL, and his contract with the Ticats doesnt pay him enough to stay in Hamilton or report this year. What the Ticats should do is sign him to a new contract, pay him more or double his salary for this year, then let him go at the end of next year. When you have a Chris Williams, you have to find a way to get him in the lineup because the CFL needs Chris Williams a whole lot more than Chris Williams needs the CFL. Michael Farber, Sports Illustrated: My thumb is up to the Chicago Cubs pitching staff, and not for the way the Cubs pitchers pitch, its for the way they hit. This week, Travis Wood hit a grand slam home run. The Cubs pitchers in 105 at-bats have five home runs and 19 RBIs. For comparison purposes well take, say Adam Lind, the primary DH for the Blue Jays. He has 127 at-bats, five home runs and 12 RBIs. Im an old, National League guy. This is the best argument I have against the designated hitter. Dave Hodge, TSN: I hate to do it, but my thumb is down to the Philadelphia Phillies for their so-called "classy gesture" in the wake of Jacoby Ellsburys five stolen bases against them on Thursday. The Phillies decided they would honour Ellsburys red sox-team record performance by giving him a commemorative sixth base. They took the actual second base off the field and sent it on to Ellsbury. I wonder how Phillies catcher Erik Kratz felt about that? He might have preferred to direct attention away from Ellsburys record, lest other base runners who can prey on him decide theyd like to try for gifts from the Phillies, too. Grant Hill Jersey . PETERSBURG, Fla. Shaquille ONeal Jersey . After taking two big hits this week -- losing at home and dropping back-to-back games for the first time all season -- Indiana struck back by playing its most complete game of the year. http://www.magicbasketballprostore.com/kids-melvin-frazier-magic-jersey/ . Numbers Game looks into the Canadiens securing the services of Thomas Vanek in a trade with the New York Islanders. The Canadiens Get: LW Thomas Vanek and a conditional fifth-round pick. Mohamed Bamba Jersey .C. - The Carolina Hurricanes have placed backup goalie Anton Khudobin on injured reserve with an unspecified lower-body injury. Terrence Ross Jersey . -- Jonathan Drouin gave Halifax the boost it needed to edge host Sherbrooke Phoenix 3-2 in a shootout in Quebec Major Junior Hockey League action. ATLANTA -- Dustin Johnson launched a drive on the practice range at East Lake and some 320 yards away, saw it take one hop off the green meshing on the fence. Not satisfied, he teed up another and let it fly, this one clearing the fence.This is what makes Johnson so appealing. But its not what makes him so good.Look back to Riviera Country Club on a rainy Wednesday in February, when Johnson finished his pro-am round and headed out to the range to try using a computer model for the first time -- but only for his wedges. He got those dialed in this summer, and he suddenly looks hard to beat.Thats why Johnson is a U.S. Open champion and the No. 1 seed going into the Tour Championship, making him the favorite to win the FedEx Cup and its $10 million bonus.Hes kind of figured out the way hes supposed to play golf now, Brandt Snedeker. You look at him, and he checks all the boxes of what a No. 1 player in the world looks like. Its been fun to watch him evolve into that player.Johnson is coming off a victory in the BMW Championship, his third of the year.But with the points being reset at the Tour Championship, anyone has a mathematical chance of claiming the FedEx Cup, and the top five players only have to win to take home the biggest payoff in golf.THE TOP FIVE: Aside from winning, the goal in three FedEx Cup playoff events leading to Atlanta is to get into the top five. Those are the one who have a clear shot at the $10 million prize.Johnson won the BMW Championship. He is followed by Barclays winner Patrick Reed, Adam Scott, world No. 1 Jason Day and Paul Casey. Missing from that group is Rory McIlroy, who won the Deutsche Bank Championship but wound up as the No. 6 seed.Casey went to No. 5 on the strength of successive runner-up finishes, while Scott went to No. 3 by finishing fourth in all three playoff events.THE HISTORY: This is the 10th year of the FedEx Cup, and if history is any indication, most of the field can stop dreaming about ways to spend $10 million.The No. 1 seed going into the Tour Championship won the first three years -- Tiger Woods twice and Vijay Singh. The No. 2 seed has won the last three years -- Jordan Spieth, Billy Horschel annd Henrik Stenson.ddddddddddddOnly twice has the FedEx Cup champion come from outside the top 10 -- Jim Furyk was No. 11 in 2010, while Bill Haas was at No. 25 in 2011.THE COURSE: The PGA Tour decided to switch the nines at East Lake to make for a more compelling finish. So instead of that long, uphill par-3 closing hole, the finish now is a par 5 in which tee shots have to be in the fairway to have any chance at reaching the green. Theres a pond, but its about 80 yards from the green and mostly comes into play when someone tries to clear it from the rough.It should make for a little more excitement, possibly even an eagle.PGA Tour Commissioner Tim Finchem said last year that if it comes down to the wire and attracts more TV viewers, it will take longer to play a par 5 than a par 3, and the audience might stick around longer. Thats one case of simple math in the FedEx Cup.THE PICK: Still to be determined is the final American to be picked for the Ryder Cup, and the Tour Championship could go a long way in sorting that out.U.S. captain Davis Love III invited Bubba Watson, Daniel Berger and Justin Thomas to Hazeltine over the weekend to play the course, and its clear hes looking at all three of them to return next week when it counts.THE OTHER BATTLE: Dustin Johnson and Jason Day are the leading candidates to be PGA Tour player of the year, which is a vote of the players after the Tour Championship. Day figures he will have to win at East Lake to have any chance, and if he does, he thinks that will be enough to win the vote.That would give him The Players Championship, the Tour Championship, the Arnold Palmer Invitational and the Dell Match Play, along with being the FedEx Cup champion. It might be enough to win the money title, provided Johnson finishes worse than third.Johnson, meanwhile, is in good shape to win the Vardon Trophy for lowest adjusted scoring average, and his three victories are the U.S. Open, the Bridgestone Invitational and BMW Championship. Advantage, Johnson.At least until the Tour Championship is over. Discount Jerseys NFL Jerseys Wholesale Cheap NFL T-shirts Cheap NFL Womens Jerseys Black China NFL Jerseys Disocunt Football Jerseys Cheap Jerseys Throwback Wholesale Jerseys From China Cheap NFL Jerseys Wholesale Wholesale NFL Womens Jerseys Cheap Stitched Jerseys Discount NFL Jerseys Black China NFL Jerseys Cheap Jerseys Store Stitched Jerseys ' ' '