Give him a shot!

Nothing, it seems, will stop Van Zant from playing football. At 6' 1", and 210 pounds he appears to be everything you look for to be an elite cornerback. There's just one thing that some believe will keep him from reaching his dream of playing in the NFL. Martel Van Zant is deaf in both ears. Born without ear drums, hes been that way his whole life. This however has not kept him from playing NCAA football, in fact he has started there the last two seasons. Communication is no problem either, especially with the help of his translator Allie Lee who has been working with Zant for the last four years now. The fact that he's resting an injured ankle though kept him from a very important event, the NFL Combine. Most experts predict he will go undrafted, but that he may get a shot as a free agent signee. Whether or not he is drafted or even plays a snap in professional football doesn't matter to me. I'm just proud of how the lack hearing never kept him from doing what he loves.

SlamBall?

A mix between basketball & gymnastics, the game could be coming to a TV near you in the near future. It actually first appeared in the U.S. in 2002, but was short lived due to conflicting views held be Warner Brothers and the leagues founders. The game is played on a court similar to a basketball court, but with one major difference. There is a trampoline in the key! Hence the name of the game, and the most important aspect of it. The slam dunk. The commissioner will be ex-76er's president Chris Albrecht, who is very optimistic of what the future holds. While it may not be a instant sensation, the league will most likely hold its ground in the first initial rough years. Whether or not the league actually succeeds, it is definitely a fun and unique idea!

Check this link for a video of SlamBall!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_wirFSGHL7Q

Playing through flu not for fame, but to support family!

He looks like he could be your neighbor. You know your ordinary Joe. And in reality that's all he is. Except this ordinary Joe, has an extraordinary occupation. He's a professional bowler. Norm Duke, at 43, has bowled 56 perfect games in PBA (Professional Bowling Association) tournaments. At 5' 6", his minuscule stature has had no effect on his long and outstanding career. Lately though he hasn't been doing so well. With calf and neck injuries, he missed many stops throughout this years tournament. With limited playing time, he had dropped all the way to 51st place in the standings. This was terrible for Norm, because like he said, "When you're in the top 10 every year, the top 40 doesn't matter much. But when you're down there in the 40 mix, it enters into it. It will make you choke and bowl poorly." Yesterday though he re-invented himself. Coming into the Denny's World Championship Norm wasn't even sure if he would be competing. Not only were the injuries still nagging at him, but to make matters worse he contracted the Flu bug. With some thought throughout the week though he decided that he would battle through the circumstances and give the championship his best shot. This move wasn't just made because of love of the sport or to garner fame either. This was about providing for the family,"I got a family at home that depends on me," said Duke, who is married with a teenage son. "When I'm not bowling, we're in jeopardy." Professional bowlers make very little money in comparison to the many other professional leagues. In fact, Norm has made 2.4 million dollars in his 24 year carer. Which is about how much Peyton Manning makes a game. So in the end, Norms career earnings average out to $100,000 dollars a year. In the end yesterday, Norm finished surprisingly on top. Winning the entire tournament, and the badly needed $50,000 check. The win was completely a shock, and brought much joy to Duke. If ever there was any athlete that needed and deserved this win, it would be Norm Duke.

Selfish

That word sums up my view of Terrell Pryor. The #4 recruit in the ESPN 150 is still undecided on what college he'll attend next fall. 18 days after the national signing day! now i understand the fact that he is a two sport athlete who has already dived into basketball season, but think about the colleges offering scholarships. What about the 10 athletes who could have potentially received those scholarships. The fact that he thinks he is on an limitless time table strikes in nerve in me also. It comes off looking very cocky to me. Then again he's a 18 year old who has National coverage on ESPN every other day. What teen wouldn't get a little to self-righteous? But really Terrell, its time to make up your mind.

Not Sold!

I can't see how Colt Brennan will find a place in the NFL. Several reasons lead to this assumption. First of all the man weighs barely 200 lbs. when wearing a wet t-shirt. At the weight I believe he is just to injury prone. He supposedly is trying to add weight before training camp would begin but i doubt it would anything impressive. The second reason, where is the arm strength? I watched him in both the Skills Challenge & the Senior Bowl, and did not witness one throw that persuaded me he has a next level arm. In fact in the long toss Colts first thrown in the competition was 55 yards, some 19 yards less than Joe Flacco's impressive 74 yard blast. While arm strength isn't the single most important aspect of an NFL, it certainly is a deciding factor for an NFL club deciding whether it should draft a certain QB. Some may bring up the fact that he shattered numerous NCAA records. That he did, but what conference did he play in again? The WAC, not necessarily the same competition you would face in the SEC or PAC-10. The final area I'm not so sure about is his personality. He was arrested in January 2004 for unlawful sexual conduct, which is the main reason he was kicked off his first collegent team, Colorado. Although it's said that he re-invented himself at Hawaii, no one knows for sure if a big contract With a hefty bonus could change him into the same person he was a Colorado. These issues, and a few more, are why I don't think Colt Brennan will survive as a professional player. Then again who knows, its up too you Colt prove me wrong!

Height Doesn't Matter!

Here is a perfect example of why height does not matter in sports. This young man to the left is Erving Walker. At 5 foot 8 inches he is the #29 ranked player for his class on Scouts.com. Now if I'm not mistaken, i thought you were "supposed" to be above 6 foot to be a elite player. Well i think this assumption is completely false. If you can make any shot a 6' 6" man could make, then why would you need to be above 6 feet? The way i see it is, if you can play ball then throw out everything else, including height, and just look at the players athleticism. This is also true in football at the Quarterback position. Since when is it a must to be 6' 4" to be able to take a snap and get into a drop back? It's almost as if somebody decided that greatness is determined by what shoe size you wear! So next time you want to assume someone can't play because of how tall they are, look at how they play instead.