Each week, The Reporters put their thumbs out to the good and the bad in the world of sports. This week, they discuss poor injury alibis, the cutting of Michael Sam, MLB rosters and the NFL preseason. Bruce Arthur, Toronto Star: My thumb is down to Josh Shaw: USC cornerback, NFL prospect, and raconteur. As dutifully published by the official USC football web site, Shaw explained his two sprained ankles by saying he leapt from a balcony to save a drowning nephew. He was hailed as a hero right up until the story turned out to be fake, at which point Shaw lawyered up, and there may be a darker explanation coming. Now, what have we learned? First, state media in sports is about what youd expect. And two, at USC, somebody needs to teach “Alibis 101”. What happened to saying you got hurt on a dare? Or while drunk? Instead, your excuse is: “Sorry, guys, I was just an incredible hero.” That, like Josh Shaw leaping from a balcony, was never going to fly. Steve Simmons, Sun Media: My thumb is down to ESPN for its ludicrous and somewhat insulting coverage of Michael Sam. We all know the story by now; How Michael Sam became the first openly gay athlete to try out for an NFL team. We also know that as of yesterday, he didnt make the St. Louis Rams and may end up on the clubs practice roster. But what ESPN did earlier in the week, having since apologized for it, is air a story with a reporter asking players about Sams showering habits, whether he showers alone or with any of his teammates, as if any of that matters. This sent veteran Rams coach Jeff Fisher into a deserved lather but the best response regarding the situation saw came from Chris Long of the Rams, who tweeted: “Dear ESPN, everyone but you is over it." Michael Farber, Sports Illustrated: My thumb is down to Major League Baseball, which insists on playing with different sets of rules. No, this is not a rehash of the DH argument or a lament about separate trade deadlines, waiver and non-waiver. My line in the sand is the annual September 1 roster expansions, when teams can add as many as 15 players. Of course, theres value in extra arms and a few bench guys, but it remains absurd that MLB has not harmonized September roster sizes so a team with, say, 28 players isnt facing one with 34. At the biggest time of the season, a league that prides itself on parity legitimizes imbalance. Dave Hodge, TSN: My thumb is down to Thursday night of this week, the part that saw 32 NFL teams reach the end of their horribly boring and meaningless pre-season schedules, the goal of which, according to Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Roddy White, is to "stay healthy". Most of the stars manage to do that by not playing very much. Thus, it should be understood that NFL teams are insulting their fans. Those who boo, as they did in Buffalo while watching the Bills fail to score a point against the Detroit Lions, would be quite right to object if they did so from home. If, by protesting in person, they think the NFL will hear their displeasure, they miss the point that the NFL is oblivious and is more loudly cheering its ability to collect their money... for nothing. Mike Foltynewicz Jersey . Listen to the Raptors vs. Jazz live tonight on TSN Radio 1050 at 9pm et/6pm pt. The Raptors are 1-1 so far on the five-game junket after defeating Denver and losing to Portland. John Smoltz Jersey . At 11:06 of the first period, Neal struck Marchand with his knee when Marchand was down on the ice. Marchand remained in the game. Neal was assessed a kneeing penalty for his hit on Marchand. http://www.thebravesteamshop.com/Braves-Dale-Murphy-Kids-Jersey/ . TSN was honoured with several awards, with Rod Smith and James Duthie sharing the win for Best Sports Host for SportsCentre and the NHL: Season On The Brink coverage, respectively. David Justice Jersey . Jose Bautista homered for the fifth straight game in the sixth inning, following a two-out solo homer by Melky Cabrera. Edwin Encarnacion led off the seventh with a homer to tie the game 3-3 and, with two out in the seventh, Munenori Kawasaki came through with the two-out single to score pinch-runner Steve Tolleson with what proved to be the winning run. Chipper Jones Jersey . "It was a little weird looking over and seeing all the green uniforms," he said of his first game against the Boston Celtics.TORONTO - When Matt Black was a 16-year-old playing in the Ontario Varsity Football League, younger brother Eric was the teams water boy. Thats as close as the Blacks — separated by six years — have come to playing together, until now. The Toronto Argonauts selected Eric with the 38th overall pick in Tuesday nights CFL draft, six years after they drafted Matt — the latest and most exciting chapter in the siblings story. "It was crazy. Its hard to talk about it," Eric said Wednesday. "Its something Ive been working for and dreaming about since I watched my brother do it. And to get drafted to any team, let alone my hometown, with my brother, its just a team come true." Eric, 23, and 29-year-old Matt met with the media at the Argonauts downtown office on Wednesday, their first duty together as teammates. Matt helped Eric thread a television mic down his shirt, joking "He cant even dress himself." The brothers were following the draft together their parents Toronto home when Erics name came up alongside the Argos. Their mom Marlane cried. Dad Donovan said: "Its time to get to work." "I leapt up. . . Im staying home, Im staying home," Eric said. The brothers, who both attended Torontos Northern Secondary School, grew up playing numerous sports — baseball, soccer, rugby, track and field. They took different paths to the CFL. Matt, a 5-10 safety who was taken 45th overall by the Argos in 2008, played college ball at Saginaw Valley State. Eric, a defensive back whos a couple inches taller than his older brother, played in the CIS at St. Marys University. But Matt has been instrumental in Erics development, the younger brother said. "Id watch him do everything and try to emulate him, and hes set a good path for me," Eric said. "To have my older brother, whos been teaching me how to handle myself in life and on the field, be on the same team as me, its great." Matt wiped away a tear as Eric spoke to reporters. "Ive always wanted to have that opportunity (to play together)," Matt said. "He was always just a year away from playing with me or two years away from playing with me. So its always been close but no cigar. Now the fact that were going to get to suit up for the Argos, I think the only person happier than me is my mom. Its an awesome dream come true. "Hes worked so hard for this opportunity, hes done everything he needed to do and thats what makes me so proud of him, how hard hes worked." Matt began his Argos career on special teams, but persevered to become a solid safety with the team. Eric hopes to do the same. "MMatt is the grind story, what a lot of Canadians wish to be, they start off on special teams, might not get to start right away, but you work your way up, you cut your teeth and now hes a vet, a contributing member on this team," Eric said.dddddddddddd Any good feelings between siblings will be put aside during Argos rookie initiations, the brothers said laughing. "I dont think hes going to spare me the rod at all," Eric said. Added Matt: "If anything, his spears going to be sharper than everyone elses. Hes going to get it worse. Ill definitely be calling him up to sing at rookie camp nice and early, so hed better have a good song. If it sucks, hes going again." Argonauts GM Jim Barker said the club knows its getting a solid person in Eric. "You know a little more about him because Matt is such a quality person in the community, hes the kind of guy you want to have in your organization," Barker said. "You know coming from that family, hes going to be similar. Those kinds of things help. Eric we know really well because of Matt, and that helped making the pick." Barker added with a laugh that Matt was down at the Argos office on Tuesday afternoon "politicking" for Eric. He believes the younger brother will be on a faster track to adjusting to the team, "just because hes going to have Matt whos telling him things that he sees that hes doing that he can do better. "Matt is a veteran guy, one of the most veteran guys we have, so obviously that helps Eric. But hes going to have to produce on the field, and hes going to have to be the best guy for this team in order to be a guy who sticks." Barker said the team was pleased with the eight players it acquired in a draft that saw five first-round trades as well as another involving an early second-round selection. "It was just such a bizarre draft, it was one like none Ive ever been in," Barker said. "There was no telling what was going to happen." The Argos kicked off the first round with a trade that saw them land running back Anthony Coombs (Manitoba Bisons) third overall. "We were very excited, we had obviously the guy we wanted out the draft the most was Anthony Coombs, and we were able to trade up and get him," Barker said. The Argos went on to select Jas Dhillon, a 6-3, 300-pound offensive lineman UBC, Thomas Miles, a linebacker from the Manitoba Bisons, University of Montreal running back Alexandre Dupuis, Evan Pszczonak, a wide receiver out of the University of Windsor, Tore Corrado, a wide receiver from Simon Fraser University, and Acadia defensive lineman Kirby Fletcher. 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