Quote Originally Posted by OLC37
Ok I just talked to someone at the school and they said a 40D might be a little much right now for someone starting out and lower models offer enough quality to put together a good portfolio and have submissions accepted in newspapers. With that said I think I am going to go for

Canon EOS Rebel XSi Digital SLR Camera (Body only)
Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II Camera Lens
and...
This is where I ask of your assistance again, someone please suggest the final lens I need for shooting sports mainly Football/Mixed Martial Arts events. Please help me find the last piece of this puzzle as I am eager to get snapping away!
I already gave you some hints but bare in mind that there are a quite a few options out there and that makes it harder to give you specifics but if you want to and pick the best lens your money can buy and that suits your needs you might want to take a peek in here and make the call on your own....lots of Canon lenses reviewed and compared, there is also a section with this guy`s suggestions according to specific needs, like travel, wedding, etc.
Hope this helps.

http://www.the-digital-picture.com/Reviews/