Each week, The Reporters put their thumbs out to the good and the bad in the world of sports. This week, they discuss the return of Mario Balotelli to the Premier League, the achievement of Mone Davis, the retirement of J-S Giguere, and Alex Kovalevs controversial comments. Cathal Kelly, The Globe and Mail: My thumb is up for the return of footballs enfant terrible, Mario Balotelli, to the Premier League. At 24, hes no longer an enfant. And since being jettisoned to Italy two years ago, hes been more terrible than terrible. But no player in the world fascinates as much as this man - a genuine, winsome oddball. This is the guy who once lit his house ablaze while shooting fireworks out a bathroom window, and decided to breach the gates at a womens prison just to see what it looked like. Balotelli can also play a bit. In Liverpool, hell be a cult favourite a half-hour after he arrives. If he scores a few, hell be a legend. This is still a deal that could prove disastrous - the always erratic Balotelli can be just as dangerous to his own team as he is to others. But without him, the Premiership had become a dull place. Whether or not it works out in terms of results, I promise you itll work out for us. Steve Simmons, Sun Media: My thumb is up to Mone Davis, the 13-year-old from south Philly, who throws like a girl, and for the first time ever that is a compliment. Mo-Ne not only went to the Little League World Series, she all but owned it, becoming the first young lady to toss a shutout in the 67-year history of the event. In doing so, she captured the attention and the hearts of baseball fans everywhere, along with many major leaguers who were astounded by what they saw with a teenage girl throwing 70 miles per hour. Her team didnt win it all but she won the vaunted cover of Sports Illustrated and with it the belief that one day we might see a woman pitching in the major leagues. Michael Farber, Sports Illustrated: My thumb is up to the retiring Jean-Sébastien Giguère, Conn Smythe winner, Stanley Cup champion and last active member of the Hartford Whalers. He had fabulous playoff runs with Anaheim in 2003 and 2007, protecting his net like a troll guarding his bridge, but his eight games with Hartford most interests me today. With Giguères retirement, we finally have a chance to free ourselves of that Whalers goal song that is seared into our brains. You know it. You hate it. You never have forgotten it. Brass Bonanza, Jiggys swansong. Paul Hollingsworth, TSN: My thumb is down to Alex Kovalev for his ripping of PK Subban. To preface. I like Kovalev. As a player, he was always a guilty pleasure - who admittedly left me wanting more. And the work hes done for charity in this country deserves our respect. But this week, AK-27 said PK-76 was "a street hockey player", and "too risky and overpaid". Well, it takes one to know one. Kovalev was a world class talent but also a chronic underachiever. Yes he could stickhandle in a phone booth, and a useful skill that is! But he who made $54 million in his career is the "last" player who should ever question "any" other players ability and earnings. Soccer Jerseys Stitched . His fellow Finn, 21 years his junior, had just arrived in Anaheim and was hoping to stick with the Ducks. Wholesale Nike Soccer Jerseys . -- Rodney Stuckey scored 15 of his 21 points in the second half, and the Detroit Pistons beat the New York Knicks for the first time in eight meetings, 92-86 on Tuesday night. http://www.jerseyssoccerwholesale.com/. The international synchronized skating competition takes place from January 31 - February 1, 2014, and features 39 teams from 10 countries, in senior, junior, and novice. Cheap Authentic Soccer Jerseys . New York (16-9-8) took over first place in the Eastern Conference and has the best record in the league with one game remaining. Houstons five-game unbeaten streak was snapped, and the Dynamo (13-11-9) are sixth in the East with one game remaining. Soccer Jerseys Discount . "Its embarrassing what were doing here," leading scorer Phil Kessel said Wednesday. The most recent failed season came with even more pain than the six that preceded it. There was no hint of an impending implosion when the Leafs came roaring out of the all-star break with back-to-back games against Pittsburgh -- a 5-4 shootout loss followed by a 1-0 win the next night.Edmonton, AB (SportsNetwork.com) - Charlie Coyle scored the game-winning goal with 4:23 remaining as the Minnesota Wild defeated the Edmonton Oilers 2-1 on Tuesday. Nino Niederreiter also scored and Devan Dubnyk made 23 saves for the Wild, who ended a two-game skid. Boyd Gordon provided Edmontons lone goal and Viktor Fasth stopped 27-of-29 shots in defeat. We were flat and we have to respond next game, said Gordon. Weve been playing well as of late and we saw that more in the third. Coyles deciding effort came after he skated down the left side past two defenders, dragged Fasth out of his net and capped off the play by tucking the puck into the net from below the goal line. We came out to win, thats all that matters, Coyle said. Its always nice to help out on the scoresheet. Wild defenseman Ryan Suter went off for holding the stick with 1:22 remaining and the Oilers pulled Fasth for a two-man advantage, but Dubnyk made multiple saves down the stretch and Dubnyks defenders blocked several shots to preserve the win. Minnesota started the scoring 9:09 intto the game.dddddddddddd Justin Fontaine stripped a defender of the puck near the net and dished it to Niederreiter, who beat Fasth with a quick wrister in tight. Dubnyk stacked the pads to stop Justin Schultz on a breakaway and keep the Wild in front midway through the second period. The Oilers did, however, tie the game after Gordons wraparound ricocheted off Minnesota defenseman Kyle Brodziaks skate and into the net with 2:44 left in the middle stanza. Game Notes Forward Mikael Granlund was activated from injured reserve and returned to the Wild lineup after missing 13 games with a wrist injury ...The Oilers were without forward Taylor Hall, who injured his leg while blocking a shot during Mondays practice ... Dubnyk improved to 4-0-0 against the Oilers this season, winning the first three games for the Coyotes ... Minnesota is now 11-2-2 when leading after the opening stanza ... The Wild have won seven of their last nine games against the Oilers ... Edmonton last defeated Minnesota at home on Dec. 22, 2011. ' ' '