than Janica Kostelic when the Croatian standout won five slaloms in 2000

Each week, The Reporters put their thumbs out to the good and the bad in the world of sports. This week they discuss the goalie fight fascination, the end of the line for Anthony Calvillo, Canadas flag-bearer and the rodeo that has become the Edmonton Oilers. Bruce Arthur, National Post: My thumb is up to the Edmonton Oilers, because you cant be too careful these days. No sir, you have to watch out, especially when you are in year eight of a rebuild that has produced: three No. 1 overall picks, three other top-10 picks, five head coaches, no playoff appearances, public money for a new arena, an estimate that the franchise has nearly doubled in value, and one Kevin Lowe, who is currently the franchises president of hockey operations. So when a guy tows a sign that reads “Kevin Lowe must go” in multicoloured letters outside your office, youd better call the police, which you did, in case it turned violent. Because thats not a humiliating indication of a bunker mentality shared by a franchise whose treatment of its fans borders on a prank at this point. Right? Dave Naylor, TSN Radio: My thumb is up to Anthony Calvillo, who made it official this week by announcing his retirement after 20 CFL seasons. Calvillo leaves the game with his name on most of the CFLs meaningful passing records and is regarded as one of the Leagues all-time greats. But what stood out about him again this week was his humility and class. Maybe it came from his modest upbringing in East L.A. or perhaps his time struggling as a member of the Las Vegas Posse or the Hamilton Tiger-Cats. But Anthony Calvillos greatest asset as a player -- and what we should remember him most for - was the respect he had for the game, his family and his adoptive home of Montreal. Michael Farber, Sports Illustrated: Because the simple solution is generally the right one, my thumb is up to the Canadas flag bearer for Sochi, Hayley Wickenheiser. Wickenheiser might have lost the "C" on the ice, but she has not lost her commanding presence in the game, in the country or in the Olympic movement. She is the best player in the history of womens hockey, a three-time gold medalist and now a six-time Olympian, which includes one trip as a softball player. As for the flag-bearer curse … well, as a veteran observer of the SI cover jinx, I say “phooey”. What Wickenheiser carries Feb. 7 will have no impact what might occur in the gold-medal game Feb. 20. Dave Hodge, TSN: My thumb is down to those hockey fans and especially those hockey commentators who were annoyed when they didnt get to see a goalie fight between Peter Budaj and Marc-Andre Fleury. To them, the officials who prevented it did something wrong. Really? Whenever one goalie decides, for whatever reason, or for no reason, to leave his end of the ice, and the other goalie decides to meet him halfway to throw punches, those in charge of the game should stand back and watch? I mean, the NHL looks silly enough for the stuff it doesnt try hard enough to prevent, but the minute it appears to encourage Budaj vs. Fleury, its a midnight beer league. J.R. Richard Jersey . Pierre last November, only to watch St. Pierre leave the UFC octagon with his welterweight title belt and a split-decision victory. Marwin Gonzalez Jersey . -- Jacksonvilles offensive makeover is just getting starting. http://www.astrosteamproshop.com/ .Y. -- Nothing seems to phase No. Roy Oswalt Jersey . Old times for a defence that has looked just plain old recently? "No," safety Ryan Clark said. "We used to be much better than that. Jimmy Wynn Jersey . Numbers Game looks into the Canadiens securing the services of Thomas Vanek in a trade with the New York Islanders. The Canadiens Get: LW Thomas Vanek and a conditional fifth-round pick.LIENZ, Austria -- Overcoming several injury-plagued seasons, Marlies Schild of Austria finally set the best mark for most World Cup slalom victories Sunday by winning her 35th race to overtake Switzerlands Vreni Schneider on top of the all-time list. The 32-year-old Schild is a four-time World Cup slalom champion, but she missed a host of races after breaking a leg in 2008 and then tore ligaments last year. That meant she was stuck on 33 slalom wins for close to two years until winning in Courchevel, France, this month. "My 34th win was a weight off my shoulders," Schild said. "Suddenly everything got easier in training though racing is still something different." Marie-Michele Gagnon of Lac-Etchemin, Que., just missed the podium with a fourth-place finish. Brittany Phelan of Mont-Tremblant, Que., was 11th to lock up a spot for the Sochi Olympics. "As much as it would have been nice to be on the podium Im still happy with fourth," said Gagnon, who has been racing slalom, giant slalom and super-G this year. "By the end of the second run my legs were shot. Im doing all the disciplines and I think its finally catching up to me. "Im going to take a little break and then get back to business." Phelan needed a top-12 result to meet the alpine qualification criteria for Sochi. "It started off shaky and then I got faster and faster down the course," she said. "For the second run I knew I had to clean up the top and I think it went pretty well. I just kind of went for it." Schild got her record-setting win in impressive style. Lying 0.69 seconds behind in sixth after the opening leg, she used a blistering second run to finish in one minute 55.63 seconds and beat American teenager Mikaela Shiffrin, who led the competition after the first run. Shiffrin finished 0.41 behind. Olympic slalom champion Maria Hoefl-Riesch of Germany was third, 0.63 behind Schild. "It was tough for me," said Schild, who celebrated her fourth career win in a Lienz slalom. "I had not a good feeling in the first run. In the second, my skiing felt really well and I just tried to point my skis down." The victory was Schilds 54th career podium in slalom. She is now tied with fellow Austrian Annemarie Moser-Proell (downhill) for the second most podiums in one discipline. Only another Austrian skier, Renate Goetschl, has more, with 59 top-three finishes in downhill. Shiffrin has never made a secret of her admiration for Schild, making her defeat by the Austrian bearable. "I always want to win but she skied better and was faster," Shiiffrin said.dddddddddddd "I am OK with taking second place. If she skies better, I am all for it. She is still one of my idols and she keeps inspiring me. As long as I am on the podium with her, I am happy." Shiffrin lost out on the chance to become the youngest winner of five slaloms in one calendar year. At 18 years and 291 days old, the American would have been 67 days younger than Janica Kostelic when the Croatian standout won five slaloms in 2000. However, the missed record didnt bother Shiffrin too much. "I am happy with a podium," Shiffrin said, adding "its a bit disappointing" to lose her first-run lead after failing to find her rhythm in the second. In two years since getting her first podium here in 2011, Shiffrin has 12 top-three finishes including five wins. She looked set for her sixth when she took the lead after the first run. In an increasingly heavy rain, Shiffrin was slowed by a mistake as she almost skied out four gates from the finish but still beat the field by 0.22. "I felt really good and the snow was awesome, so all good," said Shiffrin, who has been dominating slalom racing in 2013, winning the world title and the World Cup discipline title. Shiffrin maintained her lead in this seasons slalom standings with 202 points, two clear of Schild. Hoefl-Riesch went top of the overall standings with 611 points, edging Liechtensteins Tina Weirather by two as well. Many racers struggled with the rainy conditions, with Maria Pietilae-Holmner of Sweden and Kathrin Zettel of Austria, who were second and third respectively after the opening run, failing to finish. Hoefl-Riesch, fourth after the opening run, took full advantage. "Its a nice feeling," the German said. "Of course I benefited from others not finishing but I am just happy to get to the podium." Having won the overall title in 2011, Hoefl-Riesch is again one of the main contenders for this seasons crystal globe, with four-time champion Lindsey Vonn suffering from a knee injury and defending champion Tina Maze struggling to match her outstanding results from last season. The Slovenian finished more than three seconds off the lead in 15th. "The chance to compete for the overall title hasnt been as good for a long time as it is now," said Hoefl-Riesch, who is considering Weirather, Austrias Anna Fenninger en Switzerlands Lara Gut as her main challengers. "Regarding the overall title, its good to earn points here as my rivals dont do slalom." The womens World Cup continues with another slalom next Sunday in Bormio, Italy. 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