Karl's Mailbag 12 By Karl Ravech

Q: When was the first professional football game played? Benson from Oklahoma
A: Benson, the first professional football game was on October 3, 1920 before the league was called the NFL. The Dayton Triangles beat the Columbus Panhandles 14-0 in the first game between two members of the American Professional Football Association. Those are some pretty unusual team names, don't you think?

Q: What is the record for the longest punt in the NFL? Robert from Texas
A: Hi Robert, thanks for your question. In 1969 Steve O'Neal of the New York Jets kicked a punt 98 yards versus the Denver Broncos. That's almost the entire length of the football field! Denver wound up winning the game 21-19.

Q: Which major league baseball teams do not wear their names on the back of their uniforms? Florian from Colorado
A: Great question Florian. Baseball teams did not starting putting players' names on the back of their uniforms until 1960. Throughout the years, different teams have gone with the old tradition of not using names. Recently the San Francisco Giants, Cleveland Indians, Boston Red Sox and the always old-school New York Yankees have worn nameless jerseys.

Q: Which NFL coach do you admire most? Anton from Missouri
A: Anton, always great to hear from you. It's always fun to talk about these things with a group of friends. Just recently I had this discussion with some of my buddies, and it was pretty unanimous that we thought Bill Bellichick of the New England Patriots was one of the all-time great NFL head coaches. Since 2000, he has coached the Patriots to an amazing 4 Super Bowls, winning 3 of them! It will be interesting to see how well they do this season and in years to come.

Q: Which pro football player holds the record for interception return? Gil from Texas
A: Gil I think this answer will really surprise you. Ed Reed, a free safety for the Baltimore Ravens, intercepted a ball in the end zone, and ran it back 106 yards for a touchdown. How is this possible? Well, Ed intercepted the ball in the back of the other team's end zone, taking it all the way to the house, making the return for a total of 106 yards! Unbelievably, the game began with a 93-yard touchdown run on the opening kickoff by the Cleveland Browns Richard Alston. The Ravens won the game 27-13, it was an exciting one to watch!

Q: How many golf clubs can you have in your golf bag during competition? Brian from Colorado
A: Brian, the game of golf has many rules. One of them is that players are limited to no more than 14 clubs in their golf bag during a competitive round. You can have less than 14, but not more. You also cannot change the clubs during a round, making club selection very important. Great question!

Q: Do all NFL teams have retired jersey numbers? Brad from Arizona
A: Believe it or not Brad, 5 NFL teams do not have any retired numbers. The Baltimore Ravens, Houston Texans and Jacksonville Jaguars, which all joined the NFL after 1994, have not retired any player's numbers. Surprisingly, the Oakland Raiders and the Dallas Cowboys, who both began play in 1960, also do not have any retired numbers. The Cowboys do recognize past great players on a 'ring of honor' inside their stadium.

Q: Who holds the record for most goals scored in a NHL game? Wendy from Louisiana
A: Wendy this answer even shocked me. Hall of Famer Joe Malone scored 7 goals for the Quebec Bulldogs in one game way back in 1920. Hall of Famer Wayne Gretzky holds the record for most goals scored in a single season. He scored an eye popping 92 goals during the 1985-86 season.

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