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Each week, The Reporters put their thumbs out to the good and the bad in the world of sports. This week they discuss football enrolment, the reimagining of Mike Tyson, Denis the "Tweeting Mayor" Coderre and Sochi security. Bruce Arthur, National Post: My thumb is up to what appears to be happening in football at its roots. ESPN reported this week that Pop Warner Football, Americas biggest youth football program, experienced a 9.5 per cent drop in enrolment between 2010 and 2012, largely over what appears to be a fear of children experiencing concussions. Another survey said participation in tackle football has fallen 13 per cent since 2011. We still have a lot to learn about concussions; not every kid will be irreparably damaged by football, and not every kid will get away clean. But given everything we are learning about the dangers of the game - and since six American high school players have died playing football in 2013 alone - talking about whether you want your kids to take the chance seems like something close to the least a person can do. Steve Simmons, Sun Media: My thumb is down to the daily attempt and the publics buy-in to the rehabilitation of Mike Tysons image. You cant turn on your television set these days without being exposed to a Tyson movie, a documentary, an upcoming book, something. You can even turn on a comedy movie like "The Hangover" and see him in a cameo role. And laugh we all do, uncomfortably. Thats not the Mike Tyson I covered for more than a decade. That guy went to prison for rape in 1992, went to prison again in 1999, was accused of assaulting his first wife, was arrested 38 times before he was 13, arrested again in 2006, 2008, 2009 for drugs and assault and more. You can buy in on the new Mike Tyson. Sorry, Ive seen too much. Michael Farber, Sports Illustrated: My thumb is up to Montreal Mayor Denis Coderre, who tweets em as he sees em. Coderre tweeted he wanted to send scuffling Canadiens centre David Desharnais to Hamilton, which, in Montreal, amounted to taking a strong populist stand. I was awaiting Desharnais tweet that Coderre should be shipped to Chicoutimi. Ive had a fondness for sports mayors ever since Philadelphia mayor Ed Rendell told me before a World Series game at SkyDome that he would relish a chance to hit against Todd Stottlemyre. Anyway, after Desharnais shootout winner in Columbus Friday, Coderre tweeted, "Bravo, David." I look forward to Coderres Twitter account tackling my citys other pressing issues, such as P.K. Subbans penalty killing minutes. Dave Hodge, TSN: My thumb is down to any sporting event whose location, sheer size or stated importance makes necessary the kind of security measures that will exist at huge cost at the Winter Olympics in Sochi. To understand, there were patrols by combat jets, surface-to-air missiles on rooftops and an aircraft carrier on the river Thames at the London Olympics, and Sochi is promising police and soldiers in double the numbers mobilized in 2012. Spectators must carry and show at all times Olympic passports that will not respect their privacy - theyll be watched by more than 5,000 closed-circuit cameras and a fleet of drones - it is said they could be monitored on their phones and computers and their email could be intercepted. And they dare not protest those things or any other things as they go about their business as sports fans. If the games must begin like that, we can only hope they end with everyone still safe, and still free. Byron Murphy Youth Jersey . Patrick Deslisle-Houde and David Rose each scored in the second to give the fourth-seeded Redmen a 3-1 lead after Jean-Philippe Mathieu scored in the first. Adrian Wilson Cardinals Jersey . A lovely summer day in England with abundant sunshine and minimal wind allowed him to attack Royal Liverpool. http://www.thecardinalsshoponline.com/ha...nals-jersey-zj/. No pretty goals on this night, just get to the front of the net and fight for a chance. Zach Allen Jersey .Impact president Joey Saputo confirmed Thursday that he is part of a group of investors whose offer to buy the 105-year-old Italian club was accepted by the teams board of directors. Byron Murphy Jersey .C. -- LeBron James called comments on an audio recording of a man identified as Los Angeles Clippers owner Donald Sterling "appalling" and said hes not sure if he would suit up for the remainder of the NBA playoffs if he played for the Clippers.ZURICH - Top female players have taken a protest against artificial turf at the World Cup in Canada to FIFA secretary general Jerome Valcke, though with little hope of success.American forward Abby Wambach and Germany midfielder Nadine Kessler met a FIFA delegation Monday ahead of the womens top player award announcement at the Ballon dOr ceremony.Wambach said at the players official FIFA news conference that they talked openly, candidly with Valcke, but did not expect natural grass pitches to be approved ahead of the June 6 kickoff.I think FIFA has made their decision and they are sticking to it, the 2012 FIFA player of the year said. The powers that be, the logistics, the timing — it just may not happen.Its tough because as female athletes we want to be treated equal and we want to be playing on grass, Wambach said.Wambach and Brazil forward Marta, the third candidate for the 2014 player award, have supported an anti-discrimination action filed in the Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario.A lawyer for the rebel faction of women said a counter-proposal was also made to FIFA — that the 2015 Canadian tournament be played on artificial grass until the semifinals, third-place and final matches.The proposal calls for temporary natural grass surfaces to be installed at Olympic Stadium in Montreal, Commonwealth Stadium in Edmonton and B.C. Place Stadium in Vancouver for those four games.Lawyer Hampton Dellinger said FIFA had apparently wasted little time rejecting a proposal that would have settled the dispute. The battle over the use of plastic pitches at the womens World Cup can easily and quickly come to a peaceful ressolution, he said in a statement.dddddddddddd. All FIFA and the Canadian Soccer Association need to do is accept the players feasible, affordable, and more than fair deal. FIFA and CSA have no legitimate excuse to reject the players proposal and, if they have, I urge them to reconsider.However, Wambach suggested an effective campaign by womens players would have needed to start sooner and with players included in FIFAs decision-making.If we had better dialogue over a year ago, two years ago when these decisions were really being made maybe we could have put together a coalition sooner to fight this, she said.FIFA spokesman Nicolas Maingot said Valcke had promised, at the meeting, to include players more in future discussions.Protests by players now seem unlikely to be a distraction at the month-long 24-team tournament, being played in Moncton, Ottawa, Montreal, Winnipeg, Edmonton and Vancouver.We are not going to get into the World Cup environment and continue to talk about it, Wambach said. That is something that will take our attention away from what our real goal is, and that is raising the trophy at the end.FIFA has insisted artificial turf does not affect the quality of play or increase the risk of players sustaining leg injuries.Wambach challenged that view Monday.I know Im going to be a heck of a lot more sore after the tournament, thats for sure, said the 34-year-old Wambach, who has played in three World Cups and has to yet to win the trophy.It is sad because it will be my last World Cup and I really, really would love it to be on grass.---With files from The Canadian Press in Toronto. ' ' '