Professional Sports Magazine©

2013. January

American Football

American football, known as football in the United States, is a team sport played between two teams of 11 players with an

oval ball[2] on a rectangular field 120 yards long and 53.3 yards wide with goalposts at either end. The team in possession

of the ball (the offense) attempts to advance down the field by running with or passing the ball. In order to continue their

drive, the offense must advance the ball at least 10 yards down the field in a series of four downs. If they succeed, they

receive a new set of four downs to continue their drive, but if they fail, they lose control of the ball to the opposing team.

The offense can score points by advancing the ball into the end zone (a touchdown) or by place or drop kicking the ball

through the opponent's goalpost (a field goal), while the defense can score points by forcing an offensive turnover and

advancing the ball into the offense's end zone or by tackling the ballcarrier in the offense's end zone (a safety). The team

that has scored the most points by the end of the game wins.

Professional career

Indianapolis Colts

Harrison was selected by the Indianapolis Colts with the 19th selection in the 1996 NFL Draft, a selection which was obtained in a

trade that sent Jeff George to the Atlanta Falcons. Harrison went on to become the most productive receiver from that draft class,

which included Keyshawn Johnson, Eric Moulds, Bobby Engram, Muhsin Muhammad, Eddie Kennison, Terry Glenn, Amani Toomer, Joe

Horn, and Terrell Owens among others.

In 2002 Harrison broke Herman Moore's single season receptions record by 20 receptions. He finished with 143 catches, and he

also had over 1,700 yards receiving. In December, 2006 Harrison became just the fourth player in NFL history to record 1000

receptions, joining Jerry Rice (1549), Cris Carter (1101), and Tim Brown (1094). He is also one of only seven wide receivers in NFL

history to reach 100 touchdowns.

The Indianapolis Colts are a professional American football team based in Indianapolis, Indiana and play their

home games at Lucas Oil Stadium. The team is part of the South Division of the American Football Conference

(AFC) in the National Football League (NFL). The team was officially founded as the Baltimore Colts in 1953 and

were based in Baltimore, Maryland until the team relocated to Indianapolis in 1984.

The Colts were members of the National Football League from their founding, however, they were one of three

teams to switch to the AFC following the 1970 merger. While in Baltimore the team advanced to the postseason

ten times and won three NFL Championship games in 1958, 1959 and 1968. The Colts had two Super Bowl

appearances while in Baltimore, losing to the New York Jets in Super Bowl III, while defeating the Dallas Cowboys

in Super Bowl V.

Basketball

Kobe Bean Bryant (born August 23, 1978) is an American professional basketball player who plays

shooting guard for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He entered

the NBA directly from high school, and has played for the Lakers his entire career, winning five NBA

championships. Bryant is a 15-time All-Star, 14-time member of the All-NBA Team, and 12-time

member of the All-Defensive team. As of June 2012, he ranks third and fifth on the league's all-time

post-season scoring and all-time regular season scoring lists, respectively.

Bryant enjoyed a successful high school basketball career at Lower Merion High School, where he

was recognized as the top high school basketball player in the country. He declared his eligibility for

the NBA Draft upon graduation, and was selected with the 13th overall pick in the 1996 NBA Draft

by the Charlotte Hornets, then traded to the Los Angeles Lakers. As a rookie, Bryant earned himself

a reputation as a high-flyer and a fan favorite by winning the 1997 Slam Dunk Contest.