Talking Points: T.O. the pro bowler?

1.

Terrell Owens wants to be a professional bowler.

No, really.

The former NFL receiver will try to qualify for the PBA World Series of Bowling this weekend.

“I’m not just making a cameo,” Owens said. “I know critics want to come out of the woodwork. But when I first got on a football team I wasn’t very good.”

Owens doesn’t appear to be all that good at bowling, either. He does claim a high game of 288. He’s a bit vague about what his average is. That said, T.O. would probably try competitive knitting if it kept him in the news.

2.

Put that dumb jock stereotype further to rest.

Of the 10 teams that reached the BCS National Championship and the men’s and women’s Final Four, only one finished with a graduation rate lower than 70 percent in the NCAA’s latest report, with Notre Dame producing better academic marks than national champion Alabama and Michigan coming in slightly ahead of national champion Louisville.

Those marks are based on four years of data collected from freshman athletes who entered school from 2003-07 and earned their degrees in six years.A majority-female officiating crew worked a college football game in an apparent first.

3.

The four women were part of the seven-person crew Thursday for the Division II game between Miles and Lane.

It was significant enough that the NFL’s director of officiating David Coleman and other league officials attended the game.

For all the pink worn by players to raise awareness of breast cancer, events like this show there is a place for women in football beyond being some of the game’s best fans.