Stars und Sternchen! » proud possessors of a win streak

Each week, The Reporters put their thumbs out to the good and the bad in the world of sports. This week they discuss the Philadelphia 76ers, Gregg Popovich, Royal and Ancient Golf Club and Bill Belichick. Bruce Arthur, National Post My thumb is up to the Philadelphia 76ers, proud possessors of a win streak for the first time since two weeks before the Olympics began. Any task worth doing is worth doing with commitment, and while you can argue whether tanking to get a good draft pick should be worth doing, thats the system, and the Sixers have been crafting a masterpiece. Before Saturday night they had lost 26 in a row, 29 of 30, and 36 of 39, and 27 straight losses would have a set a new record for consecutive defeats. But Saturday in Philly, the Sixers pulled one out, blowing out the hapless Detroit Pistons by 25 and getting a standing ovation. It was a raft in an ocean, a blip in the sky. But now, no matter what, they can say this: it could have been worse. Steve Simmons, Sun Media My thumb is up to Gregg Popovich, who just might be the greatest coach in the history of professional sport. And I dont say that lightly with terrific respect for the work done by Scotty Bowman and Phil Jackson and Bill Belichick, and yeah, certainly Vince Lombardi. Put your championships aside for a moment - this is the 15th straight season in which Popovichs San Antonio Spurs have won between 50 and 63 games in the NBA. To put that into perspective, thats the same number of 50-win seasons combined over that time that the Knicks, Celtics, Bulls, Warriors, Nets, Wizards, Pacers, 76ers, Bobcats, Hawks, and Raptors have won. Having Tim Duncan helps. But Duncan at 37 is slowing down. Heading to another 60 win season, Gregg Popovich doesnt seem to be. Michael Farber, Sports Illustrated My thumb is up to the R&A, for finally entering a new century. The 20th. The Royal and Ancient is urging its membership to allow women to become members of the venerable St. Andrews golf club in Scotland when it votes in September. This is a mere 260 years after the home of golf was founded, which qualifies as progress. Two other courses in the Open Championship rotation, Muirfield and Royal St. Georges, have yet to tiptoe down this perilous path to equality. By comparison, the nice gentlemen at Augusta National, which started accepting female members in 2012 - hello, Condoleeza Rice! - look like wild-eyed progressives. Dave Hodge, TSN My thumb is up to New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick, for making me seem less crazy than others think I am. I have been saying for years that the complexities of video review are confusing and unnecessary, and that a better system would be a very simple system that allows anything to be challenged. And no less an authority than Belichick is leading a push in this direction in the NFL. Never mind "this can be challenged under certain circumstances, but not that under any circumstances"--as Belichick says, "if a coach thinks his team has been victimized by a bad call, he should be able to question it, and its up to him to use the limited number of challenge flags with that in mind." As I say, "challenges might actually be fewer--same with wrong calls--and replay rules would be simpler. You can challenge those assumptions, but Bill Belichick wont. Buster Posey Jersey . -- Get a flow chart ready to follow the Packers quarterback situation. Brandon Belt Jersey .com) - Rakeem Christmas scored 21 points, B. http://www.sfgiantsrookiestore.com/Giant...al-Kids-Jersey/. Wiggins, a 6-foot-8, 200-pound forward who plays his first exhibition game on Wednesday against Pitt State, was the top prospect in the class of 2013. Austin Jackson Jersey . Almost 40 years to the day, the two teams will meet again, this time at BC Place, to celebrate the past and try to earn important points for the present. Jeff Samardzija Jersey . The triple gold medallist from the 2010 Paralympics tweeted on Tuesday: "Woke up with a virus yesterday. Timing couldnt be much worse. Not the ideal prep for the .LISBON, Portugal -- Tens of thousands of people turned out Monday to pay tribute to Portuguese football star Eusebio after his coffin was put on public display and taken in a funeral cortege through the streets of Lisbon. People filed out of offices and cafes on a rainy afternoon and applauded as the hearse with a police motorcycle escort passed by. Traffic was halted on the capitals main roads, and the cortege stopped for a ceremony at city hall. Earlier in the day, dozens of dignitaries and hundreds of fans, some weeping, filed past the coffin at the Lisbon stadium of Benfica, Eusebios longtime club. Some 10,000 fans at the Stadium of Light cheered and sang when the coffin was placed in the centre of the pitch. The government decreed three days of national mourning after Eusebios death Sunday fromm heart failure.dddddddddddd He was 71. Eusebio was an international star and national hero whose heyday was in the 1960s with Benfica and the Portuguese national team. He became one of the worlds top goalscorers and was widely regarded as one of the best players of all time. He was affectionately known as the Black Panther for his athletic physique and agility. The funeral was attended by Prime Minister Pedro Passos Coelho and many football players, including former world player of the year and retired Portugal captain Luis Figo, as well as Eusebios surviving family. Eusebio was to be buried in a cemetery near Benficas stadium. Authorities said they would consider moving him later to Lisbons National Pantheon, which contains the tombs of illustrious figures from Portuguese history. ' ' '