Every now and then in the world of sports a new team will pop up. This year in the NFL it’s the Houston Texans.

Other years you may even see a new league start up, one of the most recent being the short-lived XFL. But it’s not often that a new sport makes its way to the public’s eye and actually has the staying power to make an impact.

Though it’s only a few months old, the latest sport, called Slamball, has the entertainment and athletic value to attract many fans.

From the network that brings such worthwhile programming as WWE wrestling and reruns of “Star Trek: The Next Generation,” TNN has brought Slamball, a sport that combines basketball, body checks and trampolines.

It is set up like basketball except on a smaller court and there is a series of trampolines under each hoop. Jumping from certain areas can get you different amounts of points.

It brings new meaning to high-flying action and slam dunks. It combines dangerous activity with action-filled sport and couldn’t be any more enjoyable to watch.

What I like about Slamball is the fact that they took a sport that was already pretty fun to watch, but added more features to fulfill the public’s ever-growing desire for more action and more over-the-top entertainment.

TV shows are constantly changing things up in an attempt to stick with the times.

You’ll find more sex and more violence then ever on TV because the attention span of the average person doesn’t allow anything less.

The same idea is presented with Slamball.

Sports are pretty much the only thing on TV that doesn’t change with the times – which is fine if you love them.

Slamball is an alternative for those who love both entertainment and sports. Much like professional wrestling, Slamball can be so outrageous that you can’t wait to see what happens next.

Only Slamball is real. So sticking with the idea of appealing to the entertainment/sports fan, I’ve been thinking of ways for other sports to make that extra step to appeal to the bottomless pit known as the public’s appetite for entertainment.

I love sports and don’t want to see them changed, but the idea of making spin-offs such as Slamball may catch on and begin to move from sport to sport.

A good spin-off of baseball, for instance, could include many aspects that would draw a large crowd.

How about making baseball full contact? Make the bats and balls larger so there are more hits and then in order to get a guy out you can either tackle him or whip the ball at him.

Why not throw some trampolines on a baseball field? Instead of a player sliding into a base, he can jump up over the defender and land right on top of it.

And instead of a seventh-inning stretch, invite two teams of Playboy Playmates out to play an inning. Throw some water on them and let them go to town.

Tell me ratings for this wouldn’t skyrocket. With the sport of hockey, a spin-off could include lots of bungee straps and rubber walls. When a player is checked into a wall, they go shooting off of it back into the action.

If you get enough guys bouncing in every direction, things could get very interesting. Sure, the chances of injury are even greater, but the public loves its violence.

Football has already had its spin-offs with the arena leagues and such, but something keeps popping into my head relating to cheerleaders and mud-pits on the sideline.

I can’t quite put all my thoughts together on this one, but I think you get the idea.

With the sport of tennis, you could drop a steel cage around the court with the only exit at the top.

Who cares who wins the match, but the first person to make it out of the top by any means necessary is the real winner.

The Williams sisters could finally have a true battle and the superior of the two will be crowned once and for all. Yet another great ratings grabber.

These are just some ideas that I’ve come up with.

See if you can think of ways to form new sport spin-offs.

If Slamball can combine basketball and trampolines, why not combine baseball and Playmates?

Kyle

Moss

is a senior in journalism

and mass communication from Urbandale.