Each week, The Reporters put their thumbs out to the good and the bad in the world of sports. Air Max 95 Clearance Sale . This week they discuss J.R. Smiths antics, Dennis Rodmans trip to North Korea, Toronto FCs spending and the inspiring story of a California high-school basketball player. Bruce Arthur, National Post: My thumb is down to J.R. Smith, the illegitimate clown prince of basketball. The New York Knicks are their own unique brand of farce, but Smith takes it to a different, dumber level. This week he was fined $50,000 for trying to untie an opponents shoelace again, after being warned by the NBA, hey, dont try to untie an opponents shoelace again. This had literally never happened before. He had already been suspended in his career for fights, for drugs, and even for reckless driving causing a death, and he has said over and over, "Ive learned." But he never learns. Hes a player with talent, no desire to shape it, no thoughts of consequences, and the brain of a slow-ish ostrich. Someone should tie his shoelaces together, and be done with it. Steve Simmons, Toronto Sun: My thumb is down to Dennis Rodman and his bizarre egotistical nonsensical attempt at diplomacy with his latest visit to North Korea. This isnt the Richard Nixon days, when ping-pong began to unfreeze the relationship between the United States and China. This is today, and this is the clown Rodman, trying to look serious in a political arena. The situation becomes all the more troubling when you consider Rodmans patty-cake friendship with dictator and admirer Kim Jong-un. While in North Korea, Rodman suggested that American tour guide, Kenneth Bae, jailed 15 years for state subversion, was at fault for being held captive and after saying that, blamed his verbal outburst on drinking too much. Dennis Rodman is, was, and remains something of a sporting embarrassment. The fact he is playing a more difficult game here only makes it worse. Michael Farber, Sports Illustrated: My thumb is up to Toronto FC for its showy efforts at ending its culture of failure. This week the club repatriated Canadian midfielder Dwayne De Rosario. It then made a global splash by acquiring striker Jermain Defoe from Tottenham and signing another midfielder, American international Michael Bradley, who had been languishing at A.S. Roma. MLSEs $100 million moves faintly echo President Tim Leiwekes investment in David Beckham when Leiweke was in Los Angeles, although labeling MLS most dismal team a "super club" is wildly premature. The last Toronto team to "win" an offseason was the blue jays last winter. Howd that turn out? Dave Hodge, TSN: My thumb is up to California high-school basketball player Austin Hatch, and this story will explain itself. In two airplane crashes eight years apart that killed his father, mother, stepmother, brother and sister, Austin Hatch narrowly escaped death himself. The most recent crash in 2011 left Hatch in a coma for two months. 10 days earlier, he had committed to a basketball scholarship at the University of Michigan. This week, he played in a high-school game for the first time since the crash - his first shot was a three-point attempt, he made it - his schoolmates roared and his teammates jumped from the bench and stormed the court, causing an emotional celebration....and a technical foul. Hatch still looks forward to Michigan, where his scholarship will be honored. Thumbs up all around. Indeed. Kyrie Irving Shoes Wholesale . Klein went undrafted in the NFL last year following his senior season with the Wildcats. He was invited to the Houston Texans rookie camp, but was not offered a contract. Cheap Air Max 720 . Jonathan Crompton led the team to a 40-9 win over the Saskatchewan Roughriders. Crompton threw three touchdown passes - two to Duron Carter and one to Brandon London - and Sean Whyte connected on four field goals to power the Alouettes to the win. http://www.wholesalenikeshoesclearance.com/cheap-max-270-shoes/fake-air-max-270-black.html . Speaking on Leafs Lunch with Bryan Hayes and Jamie McLennan on Thursday, Bernier said it was "very hard" at times being entrenched behind Jonathan Quick and is now excited at the prospect of getting an opportunity to compete with Reimer for the top spot with the Leafs.HOUSTON -- John Isner apologized for his performance. Dustin Brown said it felt unbelievable. The top-seeded Isner lost to the dreadlocked Brown in the second round of the U.S. Mens Clay Court Championship on Wednesday night. It was Browns first career victory against a top-10 player. The German closed out a 6-4, 6-7 (7), 7-6 (4) win with a forehand winner. "Ive had a lot of matches where Ive played good tennis, where I was close, and youve just got to keep playing," the 29-year-old Brown said. "Ive got to play my tennis. If I start playing the tennis (his opponent) wants, thats not good for me. "Hes been in these situations much more often than me - I got a little tight in the second set, maybe at the end of the third - so I had to try to keep playing. It feels unbelievable." The 6-foot-5 Brown, who dropped each of his previous three matches against opponents ranked 10 or higher, has spent most of his career on the Challenger circuit, where he has won five titles. Air Max 97 Clearance Cheap. Isner, ranked No. 9, was the defending champion in Houston. He had 13 aces in the loss. The 6-9 Isner apologized following his post-match interview to a tournament official for a "pathetic performance - Im sorry you had to see that." "I just didnt feel it tonight," he said. American Sam Querrey also advanced with a 6-3, 6-4 victory over No. 7 seed Lleyton Hewitt. Querrey has been struggling, dropping to 82nd in the ATP rankings. Sixth-seeded Juan Monaco beat Somdev Devvarman of India 7-6 (4), 6-2 for his 200th career win on clay. Also advancing was Santiago Giraldo of Colombia. He made short work of Matthew Ebden 6-1, 6-2 to set up a second-round meeting with No. 2 seed, Tommy Robredo, of Spain. ' ' '