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Each week, The Reporters put their thumbs out to the good and the bad in the world of sports. This week they discuss Steve Nash, the Spirits handling of Terry Traffords passing, Ralph Krueger and NHL shootouts. Bruce Arthur, the National Post: My thumb is up to Steve Nash, who was shut down this week with nerve pain, which has been limiting him since a harmless-looking collision early last year. Hes only played 10 games for the Lakers this season and he looked like himself once. If this isnt the end of his 18-year career, then were getting close. So why thumbs up? Because of how hes facing it. Nash is making short films for ESPNs Grantland that are incredibly honest - jarringly so, at times - about what its like to face your athletic mortality and was incredibly honest again when I spoke to him this week. Nash and I are the same age; we both came from B.C.; we both played basketball and thats where the comparison ends. And again, hes showing me what it would be like. Steve Simmons, Sun Media: My thumb is down to the eerie silence that has engulfed the Saginaw Spirit in the tragic wake of the passing of 20-year-old Terry Trafford.There are questions here – but, to date, no answers coming from the prominent junior hockey people, coach Greg Gilbert or general manager Jim Paliafito. We know, from Traffords father, that the Spirit sent Terry home for what Roy Trafford calls “disciplinary reasons.” And we know, from the same conversation, that the time away from the team was supposed to be temporary, a few days. Then something changed. What changed? We dont know. Telephone messages were left informing Trafford that he was no longer welcome to return to the team. What we dont know and may never know - is why. To date, the only people who have those answers arent sharing them. Michael Farber, Sports Illustrated: Forget the Dos Equis guy. My thumb is up to the truly most interesting man in the world, Ralph Krueger. Less than a month after being the big-ice guru for the Canadian mens Olympic hockey team, Krueger has switched continents and sports. He is now chairman of Southampton FC, having jumped to the rarified world of English Premier League soccer without prior experience in the game. Krueger can match resumes with anyone. The Manitoban played pro hockey in Germany, built the Swiss national program, coached the Edmonton Oilers before his premature firing and boosted Team Canada. He also is an active member of the World Economic Forum. Now, soccer. Bartender, Ill drink what Kruegers drinking. Dave Hodge, TSN: Thumbs down to the NHL and its inability to deal with its dislike of the shootout. At the GMs meetings in Florida, the NHL continued to look for ways to decrease the number of shootouts. One way would be to change overtime from four-on-four to three-on-three, but if youre making a list of ideas that are less popular than the shootout, start there. The NHL will consider a change of ends for overtime to put skaters farther from their benches, as they are in the second period, which, statistically, is the highest-scoring of the three periods. Okay. Keep trying. The easy solution would be for the NHL to give up and decide it likes the shootout. Oh, but as with visits from grandpa, it does - there just shouldnt be too many of them. Kirk Gibson Jersey . - Ryan Spooner scored twice to lead the Boston Bruins to a 6-1 victory over the New York Islanders in a preseason game Friday night. Sandy Koufax Jersey . The Toronto Argonauts running back hurt his left ankle during the teams practice Friday afternoon at Rogers Centre. http://www.ladodgersprostore.us/Customized/ .com) - Baltimore Ravens running back Justin Forsett is active for Sundays matchup with the Miami Dolphins. Maury Wills Jersey . His Brazilian opponents said he produced miracles. There is no doubt that Mexico goalkeeper Guillermo Ochoa was the one responsible for spoiling Brazils hopes of another World Cup victory at its home tournament. Fernando Valenzuela Jersey . You can watch the game on TSN at 7pm et/4pm pt and listen to the game on TSN Radio 690 in Montreal. After starting the month of November on an 0-3-1 slide, the Canadiens have recorded wins in three of their last five outings (3-1-1).PHILADELPHIA -- Here come the Philadelphia Phillies a tad too late. Pinch-hitter Grady Sizemore hit a go-ahead two-run homer in the sixth inning, helping the Phillies beat the NL East-leading Washington Nationals 8-4 Wednesday night to complete a three-game sweep. Marlon Byrd hit a two-run homer and Jimmy Rollins hit a solo shot to back Kyle Kendrick (7-11). The right-hander allowed four runs and seven hits in six innings. The last-place Phillies went 7-2 on their best homestand this season. "Were scoring runs, starting pitching has been good and the bullpen is putting up zeroes," Kendrick said. "Everyone is doing their jobs." Denard Span was 3 for 4 and fell a triple short of the cycle for the Nationals. Doug Fister (12-5) allowed a season-high 10 hits and five runs -- four earned -- in 5 2-3 innings. The Nationals had won 12 of 13 before losing three in a row in Philadelphia. They still have the best record (75-57) in the NL and a comfortable 6 1/2-game lead over Atlanta in the division. "We always have the same approach, win or lose," Nationals manager Matt Williams said. "We look forward to the next one. We know if we do things correctly, we have a good chance to beat the other team." Byrd started Philadelphias rally in the sixth with a leadoff single. Domonic Brown lined an RBI double to right-centre to cut the deficit to 4-3. Two outs later, Sizemore drove an 0-2 pitch into the right-field seats for a 5-4 lead and his first career pinch homer. "I fell behind, just trying to put a good swing on it," Sizemore said. "With two strikes, just looking to battle and protect." Fister left after hitting the next batter, Ben Revere, with an 89 mph fastball on his right arm. Revere went down in pain, but stayed in the game. Byrd connected off Ross Detwiler in the seventh for his team-high 24th homer. The Nationals took a 3-2 lead in the third when Jayson Werth singled in Span, who led off the inning with a double. Span ripped a 427-foot homer off the railing in the second deck to make it 4-2 in the fifth. It was Spans second homer thiis season in his 512th at-bat.dddddddddddd Rollins hit a towering drive into the right field seats for his 17th homer to cut it to 2-1 in the first. Chase Utley followed with a single to centre. He scored when Span misplayed Ryan Howards single. The ball rolled past Span for an error and Howard ended up on second. Howard added an RBI single in the eighth, finishing 3 for 5. TRAINERS ROOM Nationals: 1B Adam LaRoche was back in the starting lineup after being held out due to back tightness on Tuesday. He went 0 for 4. Phillies: OF John Mayberry Jr. (right wrist) is expected to be activated when rosters are expanded Monday. RHP Mike Adams (shoulder) is rehabbing at Triple-A Lehigh Valley and hopes to pitch in September. UP NEXT Nationals: RHP Jordan Zimmermann (9-5, 2.93) starts the opener of an interleague series at Seattle. Felix Hernandez, the 2010 AL Cy Young Award winner, goes for the Mariners. Phillies: RHP David Buchanan (6-7, 4.21) starts the opener of a three-game series at the New York Mets on Friday night. Hes 0-2 with a 4.26 ERA against the Mets. GRAB THE BROOMS The Phillies only have six sweeps this season, but two have come against division leaders Washington and Milwaukee. They also swept Atlanta on the road in July. Their last sweep over the Nationals was Aug. 24-26, 2012 in Philadelphia. NATS STATS The Nationals fell to 63-8 when scoring four runs or more. ... Span was 0 for 8 in the series before busting out of his slump. He leads the NL with 50 multi-hit games. ... Fister has lost consecutive starts for the first time this year. CELEBRATING MONE The Phillies honoured Mone Davis and her Taney Dragons teammates on a day the city gave them a parade downtown. Davis, who was featured on the cover of Sports Illustrated after becoming the first female pitcher to win a game in the Little League World Series 68-year history, and her 11 teammates each threw out a first pitch to 12 Phillies players. The Dragons represented the mid-Atlantic region in the World Series. They won their first two games before being eliminated, losing to Las Vegas and to eventual U.S. champion Chicago. ' ' '