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. Adidas NMD Korting .com) - On the bright side, either the Minnesota Wild or Buffalo Sabres will end their losing streak on Thursday night. Adidas Ultra Boost 4.0 Kopen . A broadcast source said the deal is for five years. The agreement calls for a minimum of 17 regular-season games as well as the East and West Division finals being broadcast annually on ESPN, ESPN2 or ESPNEWS. http://www.nmdtekoop.com/prophere-sneakers.html. -- Thirty years ago, the Detroit Pistons beat the Denver Nuggets 186-184 in triple overtime, a game that remains the highest scoring in NBA history. Adidas Ultra Boost Goedkoop . -- John Senden never imagined it would take more than seven years to win again. Adidas Falcon Nederland .A. remained bitter for Henrik Lundqvist and the Rangers on the long flight back home to New York.LONDON -- So often the beneficiary of late goals under Alex Ferguson, it seems everything is being turned on its head at Manchester United under David Moyes after his teams latest stumble in the Premier League. Deep into stoppage time at Old Trafford, Darren Bent plundered a goal in "Fergie Time" for Fulham to claim a 2-2 draw for the leagues worst team on Sunday. And a miserable first season for Moyes just keeps on getting worse, with the champions adrift in seventh, after winning the title by 11 points under Ferguson in May. "Today was probably as bad as it gets," Moyes said. But next up on Wednesday is a trip to Arsenal, which might have lost 5-1 at Liverpool on Saturday but is second in the standings. Bents intervention leaves United nine points adrift of the fourth Champions League qualification place, let alone the summit where Chelsea is 15 points ahead. Even more agonizing for Moyes is that his team had turned the match around to be in a winning position. Trailing from Steve Sidwells 19th minute-goal, Robin van Persie and Michael Carrick scored rapid goals to put United 2-1 up going into the final 10 minutes. Uniteds setback was compounded by Tottenham moving three points from fourth place on Sunday by dislodging Everton from fifth with a 1-0 victory over the Merseyside team. While Tottenham is experiencing a revival after changing managers, there is little appetite at United to dismiss the man who succeeded Ferguson after 26 years. Moyes will fight on, with the prospect of Champions League glory still in play, even if the squad doesnt look capable of connquering the European football powers these days.dddddddddddd What made Sundays draw so galling too is that it was masterminded by Fulham manager Rene Meulensteen, who was Fergusons assistant at United until May, and is enduring even more misery than Moyes with his bottom-place team. How relieved Meulensteen was to see Lewis Holtby, a midfielder on loan from Tottenham, rampage down the left flank before sending in a cross that the advancing Sidwell slid into the net. United was lacking a killer instinct in front of goal until it was almost too late. Juan Matas cross was turned in by the unmarked Van Persie in the 78th, and Carricks shot deflected off Scott Parker into the net. But Uniteds defence crumbled. A shot from former United winger Kieran Richardson was pushed by goalkeeper David de Gea straight to Bent who headed into an empty net. In a game where United sent in some 81 crosses to Fulhams four, and goal attempts were 31 to six in the hosts favour, the points were shared. And Fulham is four points from safety at the bottom. "We made it difficult for them," Meulensteen said. "United have got some problems of their own. They kept creating chances and crosses but we defended well and held them." It was a similar story at White Hart Lane in the days other game. Everton was in control but it was Tottenham who snatched all three points by scoring from its only shot on target. Emmanuel Adebayor controlled a free kick, taken swiftly and smartly by Kyle Walker, and went past Seamus Coleman before dispatching the ball into the net in the 65th minute. ' ' '