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. Chuck Bednarik Womens Jersey . Brazilian striker Brandao opened the scoring with a header in the 55th minute before winger Franck Tabanou volleyed home from close range to double the lead in the 61st. Shareef Miller Eagles Jersey . Canada Day is here and with it comes Free Agent Frenzy as the NHLs 30 teams storm out of the gate for signing season. http://www.theeaglesfootballauthentic.co...l-black-jersey/. The South Africa international, who rejoined the club last month on loan from Tottenham, opened the scoring in the sixth minute with a powerful shot into the roof of the net. Herman Edwards Eagles Jersey .Best moustache: How can we not give this to Lanny McDonald? Check out the duster for yourself. DeSean Jackson Jersey . Edmonton opened the season with 14 straight victories before falling Friday night 10-8 to the host Colorado Mammoth in National Lacrosse League action. BALTIMORE -- Orioles slugger Chris Davis has tried just about everything to break out of lengthy hitting slump. Extra batting practice and intensive video study havent worked. Maybe a seat in the dugout will help the Baltimore star come up with the solution. Davis wasnt in the starting lineup Monday night against the Chicago White Sox. Manager Buck Showalter explained the move as simply an effort to get Delmon Young some playing time, but Davis knew better. He attributed the benching to his lack of hitting this month. "Thats pretty evident," Davis said. "Its about putting the best nine out there every game, giving yourself a chance to win, and lately I just havent been very good." Davis is batting .216 with 12 homers and 37 RBIs. Over his previous 14 games, he was 7 for 54 (.130). Last year, Davis hit .286 and led the majors with 53 home runs and 138 RBIs. "If youd have asked me in the off-season or during spring training if I thought I was going to struggle like Im doing this year, Id have told you that you were crazy," Davis said. Of the day off, he said, "Maybe it will give me a chance to clear my head." Davis misery this season began in earnest with an oblique injury that put him on the disabled list. That, however, is not an issue in his current struggle. "Im trying to figure it out. I know its frustrating for people to watch me go through it, but can you imagine how much more frustrating it is to actually go through it?" Davis said.dddddddddddd. "At the same time, we still have a lot of baseball left to play and I know Im going to get an opportunity to come out of it. I know Ill come out of it." Nothing hes tried to reverse the trend has worked, and Davis acknowledged that he hasnt a clue what to do next. "Im not really feeling a whole lot at the plate right now other than frustration," he said. A year ago, Davis was so sharp at the plate that almost every swing produced results. This year, not so much. "When youre hitting .330, it feels like you hit every hole, every pitch you take is a ball," he said. "When youre hitting just over .200, it feels like every pitch you take is a strike and every time you hit a ball hard somebody is standing there." Teammate Adam Jones suggested that a bloop hit, and not