Each week, The Reporters put their thumbs out to the good and the bad in the world of sports. This week they discuss the NHL paying Wayne Gretzky, fighting in hockey, the "Group of Death" and the Buffalo Sabres disaster season. Bruce Arthur, National Post: My thumb is up to the NHL for finally paying Wayne Gretzky the money he was owed when the Phoenix Coyotes descended into bankruptcy way back in 2009. Gretzky was paid the $7 million he was owed plus interest, so it was closer to $8 million, and all it took was the utter exhaustion of all other avenues - primarily chasing former Coyotes owner Jerry Moyes in court - plus a $5.2-billion tv deal, which must have helped ease the financial strain. It is sad though, that that the league essentially exiled its greatest living player for four years while trying to solve the problem of a team in a ridiculous market that probably never would have existed without Gretzky spreading the hockey gospel in Los Angeles in the first place. Steve Simmons, SUN Media: My thumb is down to the continuing human tragedy that centres around long term fighting in hockey. Just this week the sad and troubled stories of two longtime NHL fighters, Gino Odjick and Scott Parker - career penalty minutes 3,266 - came to light. How their lives have been inexorably altered primarily because of their involvement in fighting and the numerous concussions that have come along with it. Time was, I was ambivalent to the ongoing fighting debate. But not anymore. And Im not sure how anyone, even those in the pro-fighting camp, can sit back now and be witness to so many lives in turmoil. This is beyond being a sporting issue now, this is a social issue. And we dont need to be party to any more tragedies, not when we know they can be prevented. Michael Farber, Sports Illustrated: My thumb is down to the World Cup draw, and not merely because FIFA spent $11 million on an over-the-top exercise that it could have done for a thousand bucks, depending on how fancy the Danish tray. No, my thumb is down because now, like in every quadrennial, we are besieged with the most trite and soul-sucking sports cliché, the Group of Death. Death? Really? In 2012 1.6 million Americans died of cancer. Theres your group of death. This is soccer. Certainly the round-robin competition will be fierce, but can we please start referring to Germany, Portugal, Ghana and the United States as, say, the group of gastrointestinal discomfort? Dave Hodge, TSN: My thumb is down to the complete disaster that is the Buffalo Sabres 2013-2014 season. The owner, Terry Pegula, made this comment when he fired general manager Darcy Regier and coach Ron Rolsto – “If you want to win in this league, you have to draft first and get Sidney Crosby or draft second and get Evgeni Malkin.” Well, the proponents of the fine art of tanking would applaud Pegulas mission statement and his methodology - he should have fired Regier and Rolston prior to the season - they should have been replaced by now. Ryan Millers future should have been determined. The Sabres will promise something better to next seasons ticket-holders - but they have ignored the importance of support from the current customers, and will almost certainly draft first or second. Kobe Bryant Shoes For Sale . The 24-year-old right winger has one assist in nine games this season with the Sabres. In his career, he has three goals and six assists in 43 NHL games. Kobe Bryant Shoes Deals . Pospisil, the seventh seed, saved match points in each of the last two sets before falling to the unseeded Dutchman. "I wasnt very happy with the way I was playing,"said Pospisil. https://www.cheapkobebryantshoes.com/. Curtis Davies and Robert Koren secured the victory with goals inside 35 minutes of the fifth-round replay against the second-tier side. Kobe Bryant Shoes From China . PETERSBURG, Fla. Wholesale Kobe Bryant Shoes . “Im not sure well get Melky Cabrera at all,” said Gibbons. The 29-year-old left fielder struggled all season with knee and hamstring problems. Cabrera was first on the disabled list from June 27-July 20 with tendinitis in his left knee.FORTALEZA, Brazil - With tears streaming down his face after being kneed in the back, Neymar was carried off the field on a stretcher. He wont be coming back. Not to this World Cup, anyway. The 22-year-old Brazil striker, the one with the hopes of a nation on his shoulders, was ruled out of the rest of the tournament after fracturing his third vertebra during Fridays 2-1 quarterfinal win over Colombia. "Its a big loss for us," Brazil midfielder Fernandinho said. "We need to find a way to stay together and become stronger after losing our greatest player. We will try to win this World Cup and for sure we will dedicate it to Neymar." Neymar is the biggest football star in Brazil, and one of the biggest at the tournament along with Argentina forward Lionel Messi. His face has been plastered on billboards and shown on television continuously, leading many of his staunchest supporters to copy his dyed-blonde fauxhawk. His millions of fans had expected Neymars World Cup to end with him holding the trophy, not being carried off the field in tears. Neymar was kneed by Colombia defender Juan Camilo Zuniga late in the second half at the Arena Castelao. He was taken to a private clinic and was released a short time later. He was not expected to need surgery, Brazil team doctor Rodrigo Lasmar said, but he will also not be able to face Germany on Tuesday in the Woorld Cup semifinals.dddddddddddd "He will not be in condition to play, he will need a few weeks to be fit again," Lasmar said. "He is very, very sad." About 50 Brazil fans, many still wearing the teams jerseys, crowded outside the clinic where Neymar was taken, while the ambulance that carried him remained parked in front, lights blazing. Neymar was hurt in the 86th minute, falling to the ground in pain after Zuniga jumped into him from behind. Brazil teammate Marcelo quickly called for medical assistance when he saw Neymar writhing in pain. Neymar stayed face down until team doctors arrived and put him on a stretcher. "Everybody knew that Neymar would be hunted," Brazil coach Luiz Felipe Scolari said. "Its been happening in the last three matches and we had been talking about it. But nobody listens to us." Fridays match ended with 54 fouls in total — 31 by Brazil and 23 by Colombia. Scolari said Spanish referee Carlos Velasco Carballo should have done more to take control of the match. According to Hulk, another of Brazils striker, Neymar needs more protection from the officials. "Every time is like this. Players always come after Neymar," Hulk said. "The referees need to do more to keep this from happening." ___ Associated Press video journalist Renata Brito contributed to this report. ' ' '