Karl's Mailbag 6

Q: Is there a point limit in professional football? Stewart from South Carolina
A: Stewart, thanks for writing in. There is no point limit in professional football. Teams can score as many points as they are able to during the game. The record for most points scored in a game is 72 by the Washington Redskins in 1966. Interestingly, that game also holds the record for the most combined points by the two teams. The Redskins and the New York Giants scored 113 total points that day.

Q: Which pro football teams do you think will be strong this year? Don from Massachusetts
A: Thanks for your question, Don! I am really looking forward to the new NFL season, but it is always hard to make these kinds of predictions. In the AFC, I think the Pittsburgh Steelers and the New England Patriots, with a healthy Tom Brady, look like the teams to beat. The NFC is not as clear to me. I'm looking for a revitalized Chicago Bears offense to provide some excitement and you can't count out the Arizona Cardinals who play in a less competitive division.

Q: Who holds the record for most sacks in one NFL game? Emma from Missouri
A: Great time to ask this question, Emma. The record for most sacks in a single NFL game is seven held by Derrick Thomas, who dedicated his entire career to the Kansas City Chiefs. He accomplished that feat in 1990 in a game against the Seahawks. Derrick was just inducted into the NFL Hall of Fame this summer in Canton, Ohio for his remarkable hard work during eleven seasons as a linebacker.

Q: Who is the best athlete? Megan from South Carolina
A: That is a tough question, Megan. I think LeBron James or Tiger Woods are some of the hardest working athletes playing right now. To me, both LeBron and Tiger are so powerful in the sports they play and are in such great physical condition. I think they'd succeed at virtually any sport they tried!

Q: Are you a good basketball player? Lauren from Illinois
A: Lauren, I'm not that tallest guy in the world, by professional basketball standards, but I never let that stop me from playing the game and having fun. I played basketball in high school and loved getting assists to help out my team as much as I did scoring.

Q: What happens in the NBA if a basketball gets stuck between the backboard and the basket? Heather from Alabama
A: Well Heather, first the referee will blow the whistle to stop the game. Luckily, professional basketball players are very tall, and one can jump up and knock the ball loose. The referee then takes the ball to the center circle, and there is a jump ball with a member of each team, just like at the beginning of a game.

Q: Is it fun to be on TV? Elizabeth from Toronto
A: Great question, Elizabeth. While it takes a lot of hard work, it truly is a lot of fun to be on TV. I love television and all the things that go into making a good show, but it is even better that I get to talk about sports, which is something I really love!

Q: What is Tiger Woods real name? Aaron from Georgia
A: Aaron, I bet a lot of people are wondering the very same thing. Tiger Woods was born in 1975 with the name Eldrick Woods. His dad, a former serviceman, gave him the nickname Tiger in honor of an officer that fought alongside him in the Vietnam War.

Q: Who is the best pro basketball player of all time? Tremayne from Mississippi
A: Tremayne, these types of questions are so hard to answer, but I like them! Bill Russell, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Wilt Chamberlain, and Magic Johnson were all tremendous basketball players. If I had to pick just one player, I'd choose Michael Jordan. His ability to perform, especially in clutch moments, was remarkable. All of his dedication and practice certainly paid off! Named MVP five times, he led the Bulls to six championships and made basketball popular around the world.

Q: In golf, if the ball stops on the edge of the cup, how long can you wait to see if it will still fall in? Suzanne from Pennsylvania
A: Suzanne, don't you hate it when that happens? The rules of golf say that the golfer may take enough time to walk to the hole in a reasonable manner and then has an additional ten seconds to see if the ball will fall into the hole. If the ball falls into the hole after that amount of time, you have to add a stroke even if you have not yet hit the ball.

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