College Football vs. NFL

[JDC]

Passion, tradition elevate college football over NFL

Super Bowl or bowl games? Enough said

Both present interesting views on why one or the other rules. I agree the tradition is still a huge deal in college ball, but I'm personally an NFL guy (even though they don't have marching bands!).

Discuss.

[peaceloveunderstanding]

I would rather watch the Browns vs. the Texans than the best college game ever.

College football is too slow, too long, and too boring in my opinion. Plus most of the players aren't any good.

edit: spelling

[AlabamaGuy2007]

At the moment, I really prefer college sports. Cause there's nothin like the Iron Bowl. But, if Alabama ever got a pro football team in one of its cities, I'd care a lot more about pro football games.

[torgo]

College football is vastly superior in nearly every way if you ask me. Passion, tradition, rivalries. Fewer obnoxious millionaires strutting around like they just cured cancer.

[Jerseyman4]

Generally, college football is all about playing for the love of the sport. NFL is all about playing for the money.

[AlabamaGuy2007]

Generally, college football is all about playing for the love of the sport. NFL is all about playing for the money.

Yes it is. To bad having an NFL teams means putting in money. I'm not too sure Magauritte Harbert is a huge football fan, so I'm not too sure where an Alabama NFL team would get its money.

[aupatt10]

Generally, college football is all about playing for the love of the sport. NFL is all about playing for the money.

Exactly, and I just feel the NFL is so watered down, teams have no control it seems outside of what players the decide to spend their money on.

I watch the NFL purely for the football fix, not much else, the college game is where its at.

[JDC]

I would rather watch the Browns vs. the Texans than the best college game ever.

I agree. I don't know exactly why, but I'm all NFL. Something about seeing athletes who are basically the best in the world at what they do (even the Texans). You can't necessarily say that about the NBA, NHL or MLB with the quality of their international counterparts. Sort of makes you wonder why we still call them all "World Champions" when they can't dominate in the Olympics, WBC, etc.

I feel like there are too many college teams, too many players, too many bowl games. Perhaps I'm of lesser intellect, but I can't follow a sport that consists of over 100 teams and has no clear-cut playoff system.

I wonder how much where someone grows up has to do with their football preference. For instance, if you're from Nebraska or Alabama, are you more likely to be a bigger fan of college sports than you would be a pro sports fan?

[AuLukey]

Well, from the point of view that college football is about the game and the NFL is about the money, in my opinion, that's sorta false. The only reason I believe so is because most, if not all, of college players in both football and basketball have the hopes of making it into the big leagues. Why? So they can be rich and famous, a goal that truly any American could hope for really. So why do players in college play to their fullest potential? Because if they don't, they might not make the draft.

There are much more deep rooted rivalries in college sports than in pro sports (outside of baseball,) but cities will usually get behind pro teams more. Pro sports seem to generate more of a citywide pride. So they both have their pros. I personally choose the NFL because it's a heck of a lot easier to keep up with 32 teams than 119. It may also have something to do with the fact that UNC Charlotte doesn't have a football team for me to cheer on.

[TennBear]

Traditionally Pro Football gained a hold in areas where there were a lot of high paid blue collar workers. They did not have college teams to follow, but still had an interest in sporting events. Over time it became a manner of city boosterism and white collar businessmen joined in. It is still at it's heart city boosterism. People who either did not go to college or went to a college that does not compete on the highest levels of the sport seem to be its biggest advocates.

The college sport has become a way of state and regional boosterism. It is far more universal, in that you do not have to be from a large city or adopt some far off place to be a fan. It has far more tradition and pageantry. Most schools have interesting traditions that make them unique and special to their own fans.

Think about the true depth of fans that you can have for pro teams that may have only moved in a few years ago. The newer ones have cookie cutter logos that all come from the same NFL head office. The game is not as interesting to me. I don't really see myself adopting a team from a city and feeling any true depth of fanaticism for it. I find the college game to be vastly superior to the pro game on multiple levels.

[torgo]

I can certainly appreciate the level of skill in the pros, and that is one reason why I watch it. The players are far more skilled. They are bigger, stronger, faster and the teams match up to one another much better.

However, since everyone is so skilled, the games tend to be snoozer punt-fests, and no one moves the ball. I think the excitement in a college rivalry, even between two teams I don't give a crap about, is a hundred times more infectious than between Chicago-Green Bay or Dallas-Washington.

And besides, the largest football venues in the country are all for college football: Rose Bowl, Beaver Stadium, the Horseshoe, Tennessee's stadium, Michigan Stadium, etc. You'd never see 110,000 insane screaming fans for any regular season pro game.

one of the mods should add a poll if that is possible

[Dale]

N(o)F(un)L(eague)

None of the tradition and paegentry of the college game ... and less passion, to boot.

[raleightransplant]

College football by a long shot. It's a party atmosphere and it puts me in a light mood. It also has the advantage of taking place on Saturday. Sunday is not a great day to me personally. I'm already thinking about work. Watching a pro game is almost ridiculously serious. Even the music on Fox is very business-like. It's supposed to be a game folks.

[DruidCity]

For instance, if you're from Nebraska or Alabama, are you more likely to be a bigger fan of college sports than you would be a pro sports fan?

Definitely. I heard that, in one unofficial study, 90% of Alabamians prefer college football to the NFL.

I'm among that 90%.

A lot of college players come from the high schools in the state, and you might have classes with

some athletes in college or see them in town. You know people who know their daddy or their uncle or their coach. In addition to the "stars" in college, there are also those regular guys who pay their own way to be on the team, even if they get in on just a few plays, or snap or hold, or even just help the team on the practice squad. College teams are very accessible to the public, perhaps because there are so many.

In pro sports, you can be cheering for a player one week, and against him the next. With all of the trading

and so on, there's no real loyalty. It's not like "John Smith always wanted to play for the Denver Broncos growing up, so that's where he chose." A professional player just goes where he's drafted or traded.

The only "game" is which billionaire owner bought the best players.

You might as well watch a game of "Monopoly."

[kayman]

Definitely. I heard that, in one unofficial study, 90% of Alabamians prefer college football to the NFL.

I'm among that 90%.

A lot of college players come from the high schools in the state, and you might have classes with

some athletes in college or see them in town. You know people who know their daddy or their uncle or their coach. In addition to the "stars" in college, there are also those regular guys who pay their own way to be on the team, even if they get in on just a few plays, or snap or hold, or even just help the team on the practice squad. College teams are very accessible to the public, perhaps because there are so many.

In pro sports, you can be cheering for a player one week, and against him the next. With all of the trading

and so on, there's no real loyalty. It's not like "John Smith always wanted to play for the Denver Broncos growing up, so that's where he chose." A professional player just goes where he's drafted or traded.

The only "game" is which billionaire owner bought the best players.

You might as well watch a game of "Monopoly."

And that reason above is why I am so turned off by college football. I know so and so and he went to school with me. I'm like "OK. Also, I don't care." Guess what I'm doing 99.9% of the time when either an Alabama or Auburn football game is on TV? The ususal thing I do daily and that is live life: run errands, go to the grocery store, and hang out with friends.

I just don't care for college football period because is just doesn't interest me and lunacy that brings out all the rednecks and nutcases that take the game way . I am more a pro football, NBA, and MLS type of guy.

[DruidCity]

I am more a pro football, NBA, and MLS type of guy.

Since Alabama has no pro sports, which teams do you follow ? Atlanta's ?

[kayman]

Since Alabama has no pro sports, which teams do you follow ? Atlanta's ?

Nope, I follow a combination. I am still Wizards fan (NBA) regardless of what city it's in, Panthers (NFL), and I just enjoy the game of soccer in general so I don't have a favorite in MLS. Anyways, don't be surprised if Birmingham does get an actual NBA franchise is the BJCC is finally renovated. Honestly, I love basketball more than football any day, but I still enjoy the pro football.

[AuLukey]

The only "game" is which billionaire owner bought the best players.

You might as well watch a game of "Monopoly."

You may be right in that point... somewhat. You're right about the fact that it's a game.

Just like in any professional sport, players are traded and drafted. But because of salary caps and free agency in the NFL, you don't get the completely one sided teams like the Yankees tend to try to be (not picking any fights... ) Dynasties in the NFL don't last, that's why you'll see great teams vanish within a decade. If that weren't the case, the Miami Dolphins would still be undefeated. You can only stack your cards too high in the NFL; college football doesn't have that luxury. Once a school gets a name for itself, all of the star high school players try to flock to that name because they want to be on the winning team and they want to have the change to shine. Less reputable colleges have to have some very persuasive recruiters to get the best players. In the NFL, a team would have to get the draft of a lifetime and hope to keep those players for about four years to see their full potential. On top of that, during those four years they would have to get a great free agency and sign some sleepers. Then, maybe then, they'll have a chance of becoming the new team to beat. The NFL isn't monopoly, it's chess.

[torgo]

You can only stack your cards too high in the NFL; college football doesn't have that luxury. Once a school gets a name for itself, all of the star high school players try to flock to that name because they want to be on the winning team and they want to have the change to shine. Less reputable colleges have to have some very persuasive recruiters to get the best players.

Nebraska used to be a monster of a team, now there are only so-so. Ditto Oklahoma, Alabama, Michigan, Washington, Miami and on and on. In college, a coach can build a monster team and all the stars are gone in two years or less (USC). In the pros, a coach acquire star players and have them play at an extremely high level for more than four years.

I think the effect is the same though.

[AuLukey]

Nebraska used to be a monster of a team, now there are only so-so. Ditto Oklahoma, Alabama, Michigan, Washington, Miami and on and on. In college, a coach can build a monster team and all the stars are gone in two years or less (USC). In the pros, a coach acquire star players and have them play at an extremely high level for more than four years.

I think the effect is the same though.

You have a valid point, and I agree, but I would think there is more bias on the college level from the player's prospective as to what team they chose if given more than one offer. On the other hand, unless there is some huge cultural or emotional tie to a team (ie Brett Farve) I couldn't see as many players going to a team that pays less than another. I mean, if at your job, another company offered you 20% more, with the same exact type of job security as your current job, to do the exact same thing, would you take the offer?

[ctman987]

It truly depends where you are. In Connecticut Rentschler Field, a brand new state of the art field recently opened for the University of CT football team in East Hartford right across the river from downtown Hartford. People go out to watch these games because there is no football team in CT, there are the teams in MA & NY but thats not CT. For basketball UCONN basketball is huge as fans pour into the Hartford Civic Center for games.

Down in New York on other hand college football is not as popular because basically the big colleges with football teams aren't in the NYC area so people will go and watch the NYC/NJ teams

[Rwarky]

I prefer the NFL over college football. Its more exciting, there are fewer teams, cooler looking uniforms and logos, bigger players, better stadiums and locations (well, in come cases). I've been to many college football games, and they go on forever. Plus, its harder to recognize what's going on. NFL definitely rocks, and is America's favorite past-time.

[facilities man]

College games are more exciting because each one is important if you are in the chase for a national championship. If you lose even one game your championship hopes are usually done. In the NFL you can lose a quarter or a third of your games and still end up world champs.

College is still about the team. The NFL is getting to be too much about the individual.

[Inkdaub]

It depends on my mood really...that's why it's great that college plays on Sat while the big boys play on Sunday.

The Seattle Seahawks are my favorite team of any sport at any level so the edge goes to the NFL.

I grew up in Albuquerque so the UNM Lobos have a spot in my heart in both football and hoops. I also cheer on Washington in football and if all things arerendered equal I will cheer on the Pac-10 as my favorite conference...unless New Mexico is involved then it becomes a little more comlicated. If New Mexico plays Washington I would probably cheer on New Mexico as the smaller program...except this year when I want Washington to get as many victories as possible to help Willingham with his recruiting so he can build himself a great team instead of building one for Charlie Weiss the egomaniac.

Anyway...the NFL wins out by simplicity if nothing else.

[JDC]

Nebraska used to be a monster of a team, now there are only so-so. Ditto Oklahoma, Alabama, Michigan, Washington, Miami and on and on. In college, a coach can build a monster team and all the stars are gone in two years or less (USC). In the pros, a coach acquire star players and have them play at an extremely high level for more than four years.

I think the effect is the same though.

I'm not sure about this. Stars come and go and powerhouse teams fade after generally short stints at the top in every sport.

In Len Pasquarelli's column, he says "hope springs eternal" in the NFL, and he's right. At the beginning of a season, a good 75% of the teams have a legitimate shot at the playoffs, and possibly the Super Bowl. You can't really say that about the college game.

Consider this: 17 teams have won a Super Bowl or AFL/NFL Championship Game - that's more than 50% of all teams. Since the first AFL/NFL Championship game (later renamed "Super Bowl") in 1967, there have been only 22 different teams to have been considered national champs (that means more than one in some years) in Division 1-A college football. That's less than 20%.