r anything like that.” Hutchison wants to be reliable and a

Each week, The Reporters put their thumbs out to the good and the bad in the world of sports. This week they discuss Maple Leafs defenceman Paul Ranger, Floyd Mayweather, the Washington Capitals decision to let Alex Ovechkin participate in the Olympic torch relay and the Washington Redskins nickname. Bruce Arthur, National Post: My thumb is up to Toronto Maple Leafs defenceman Paul Ranger. Ranger was a top-four defenceman for Tampa Bay when in 2009 he asked for a leave of absence from the team and for his salary to be withheld. He didnt come back. After two years he resurfaced to help coach his old bantam triple-A team in Whitby. And last year he asked Toronto for an AHL-only contract and excelled. Now hes a Leaf. He wont say what specifically kept him away, but he talks about how strong he feels inside, how the mental side of the game is so important and how proud he is that hes come this far. Were not hard to root for people in this business, but Ill say this: for Paul Ranger its not hard to make an exception. Steve Simmons, Sun Media: My thumb is up to Floyd Mayweather Jr., the only breakout star left in the dwindling attraction that is boxing. Money Mayweather was at his best Saturday night in Las Vegas putting on another clinic of both pugilism and commerce winning just about every round against the capable Canelo Alvarez and taking home a guaranteed purse of $41.5 million to boot. Mayweather was as slippery as ever in the Super Welterweight title bout, nearly impossible to hit, counter-punching, utilizing his incomparable hand speed. The only downfall to the one-sided win was one of the ringside judges, C.J. Ross, myopically scored the fight a draw. Anyone who watched from around the world knew better. Michael Farber, Sports Illustrated: My thumb is up to simple common sense, which the Washington Capitals showed in the not-insignificant matter of Alex Ovechkin and the Olympic torch relay. The Capitals are allowing Ovechkin a quick trip to Greece to carry the torch from Mount Olympus even though it will occur only two days before the team opens – eight time zones away – in Chicago. Washington might have a travel-weary captain against the Blackhawks, but my guess is this conspicuously proud Russian will be energized by the torch honour. Ovechkin had a slow start to his Hart-winning 2013 season. This Olympic hors doeuvre is the thing that might light a fire under him. Dave Naylor, TSN: My thumb is up to the growing number of voices calling for the Washington Redskins to find a new nickname. Recently the chorus of those crying for change added two prominent American journalists: Peter King of Sports Illustrated and Christine Brennan of USA Today who, among others, said they will no longer use the word in their work. More significantly, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell appears to be changing his tune, talking about the "need to be listening" and to "do the right thing." Many, including Goodell, have pointed out that the Redskins name represents an important piece of the NFLs history. But history is exactly where that name belongs. Terrell Owens Cowboys Jersey . DArnaud hit one of three doubles for the Mets as they took a 4-0 lead in the first. Then the catchers seventh home run of the season broke the game open in the fifth. The 41-year-old Colon (10-8) retired the first 20 batters in his last outing Wednesday against Seattle, eventually allowing two runs on three hits in 7 1-3 innings in a 3-2 win. Leighton Vander Esch Jersey . The (11-11-4) Jets are seventh in the Central Division with 26 points. Fifth place Dallas and sixth-seeded Nashville also have 26 points, but the Stars have three games in hand on Winnipeg while Nashville has two. http://www.cowboysfootballgearshop.com/terrell-owens-jersey/ . Already owning gold from competition in Vancouver in 2010, Loch posted a combined four-run time of 3:27.526. That included a track-record third run of 51. Connor Williams Cowboys Jersey .Shipulin pulled away from Martin Fourcade of France, Simon Eder of Austria and Fredrik Lindstrom of Sweden to finish in 35 minutes 16.8 seconds. Fourcade was 1.2 seconds back in second place to reclaim the overall World Cup lead, with Eder another 0. Michael Gallup Jersey . Still, Encarnacion felt a sense of relief. He felt a pop just before crumpling to the ground after running out a groundball in the first inning of Saturdays game. It could have been worse. “Its going to take maybe two weeks,” said Encarnacion. “It depends how Im going to be and how Im going to be day after day, feeling better or not.TORONTO – Drew Hutchison wants you to know that hes healthy. He will dispel any notion to the contrary when its used to try to explain his inconsistency. “I feel the exact same every time Ive taken the mound this year,” said Hutchison. “Its frustrating because I expect myself not to be inconsistent and thats what I get. Its frustrating.” Hutchisons injury history has been well chronicled. As a 21-year-old, Hutchison was an early season call-up in 2012, less than three years after he was drafted out of Lakeland (Florida) Senior High School. He impressed in 11 starts between April and June, but was lost for the season upon tearing the ulnar ligament in his pitching elbow. He underwent the famous Tommy John reconstruction surgery and returned, pitching in the minor leagues, late last season. This season, hes already surpassed his innings total of last year. The Blue Jays have already negotiated their rotation to afford Hutchison extra rest on one occasion and its likely other spots will be cherry-picked through the year. Hutchison has pitched much better on the road than at home. He has been better on extra rest, five days or more in between starts, than he has been when pitching on the regular four days of down time. He simplified his Sunday struggles, during which he allowed five earned runs in only three innings of work in the Jays 5-0 loss to St. Louis. Hutchison pitched on regular rest. “I made some mistakes and they got hit like they should,” said Hutchison. “I left a change-up up. I hung a slider. Those are pitches theyre going to do damage with. Regardless of anything else, if I throw a hanging slider on two days rest or eight days rest, its going to get drilled.” At home in five starts, Hutchison is 1-3 with an 8.72 ERA, seven home runs allowed and 21 strikeouts to 13 unintentional walks. On the road in eight starts, hes 3-1 with a 2.03 ERA, three home runs allowed and 46 strikeouts to 10 walks. Hutchisons two finest outings of the season occurred away from Rogers Centre. He tossed a three-hit shutout in Texas, outpitching Yu Darvish in a 2-0 win on May 16. Then, on June 3 in Detroit, Hutchison went pitch-for-pitch with Anibal Sanchez. He got a no-deecision for his seven scoreless innings, but the Jays got the win when the offence opened up on the Tigers bullpen.dddddddddddd. The start in Texas was on normal rest. The start in Detroit was on seven days of rest. Yet Hutchisons take on the appearances versus the Tigers is different than the layman observers. “I didnt think I was lights out that start, either, until about the fourth or the fifth,” said Hutchison. “I didnt think I had very good tempo and I didnt think I was locked in.” Hutchison is a command pitcher, at his best when hes working the corners with his fastball and mixing in his slider and his changeup to keep hitters off balance. The modus operandi isnt exclusive to Hutchison, of course, but because he doesnt throw a high-90s fastball, hes less prone to get away with mistakes. If its not about fatigue and it isnt about health, could it be about a 23-year-old still learning the ropes? “I mean, sure, thats fair to say,” said Hutchison. “For me, I dont really look at things that way. Im more take the ball and I expect to give us a good outing every time I go out there, regardless of my age or regardless of what level Im at or anything like that.” Hutchison wants to be reliable and admitted hes angry that hasnt always been the case. Theres frustration at the inconsistency. “Thats been the biggest difference between the good starts Ive had and the bad starts - my rhythm and my tempo has been good in my good starts and it hasnt been in my bad starts, so I think thats something Im more focused on than anything else,” said Hutchison. RASMUS UPDATE Colby Rasmus, on the disabled list since May 13 with an injured right hamstring, has made enough progress that his rehab schedule is becoming better defined. Rasmus continues to perform baseball activities at the Blue Jays facility in Dunedin, Florida and may get into an extended spring training game early this week. The Triple-A Buffalo Bisons are scheduled to open up a four-game series in Toledo, Ohio, against the Mudhens on Thursday. Rasmus will join the Bisons there. Its not yet clear how many games he will play before being activated off the disabled list and rejoining the Blue Jays. ' ' '