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College Football is better than pro

19
Vote

by Suckatsports

Pro players are bigger, stronger, and faster. They know the game better, and they play the game better. There's better coaching, better facilities and better preparation, all these things cannot be argued. But I'd rather watch college football over professional any day of the week, because it's just better. It doesn't have to do with the numbers or the size, but it has everything to do with feeling. College football has tradition, heart, and passion, several things the NFL has yet to find in its big pile of money.

Tradition is probably the most important part of college football. The NFL has been around for just over 40 years, even though other football leagues had sprung up as early as the 1920s, no one took them seriously. By the 1920s, Michigan and Notre Dame had already won a dozen championships a piece. It has traditions of colors that they wear, songs that they play, and things that they do on the field. College football has celebrated more than 100 years of competition.

This deep rooted tradition leads to passion, especially in college rivalries. No matter how much the NFL has created regional rivalries, and those in the playoffs (Browns vs. Steelers, Raiders vs. Chiefs), nothing compares to the Iron Bowl, the Red River Shootout, or simply The Game. There's more to it than just the teams on the field, rivalries in college football create contempt for the entire area where the other team is from. We hate their school, their colors, and even their old alumni.

College, for many of us was the best time of our life. There was freedom from parents, individuality and drinking. We associate college with a special time, and thus create a special bond as alumni. If your college has a big time football program, this bond is strengthened by going to the games, and the passion grows - you feel the wins and feel the losses.

Although the NFL has the money and the better players, they don't have the atmosphere of major college football. There's a reason that almost all the SEC stadiums, and several other stadiums around the country hold more than the average NFL stadium - and fill it up. The NFL is based on money, but the 102,000+ people stuffed into the Horseshoe aren't there for the money, they're there for the games.

So, watch the NFL if you like to see the superb athlete. But watch college if you like the game.

Like what you read? This post is cross-published from We Suck at Sports.


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Ea34Div-I Stud
843 days ago
Score 1+-
I totally wish I felt the same way. I've tried but I've never had that crazy love for college football that so many people. And it really makes me feel like i'm missing out!
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MegECass110AAA-er
843 days ago
Score 1+-
I grew up going to college football games, but they could never quite capture me like the NFL did, for whatever reason. I'm sure the fact my current school's football team certifiably blows contributes to it as well. I love college football, I love the NFL more.
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JuTMSY4Legend
843 days ago
Score 3+-
To me, this is more true abotu basketball than football...
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I LOVE ME SOME MEWaterboy
843 days ago
Score 0+-
Agreed. NBA ball today can't compare to college hoops.
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HappyskinnyAll-American
843 days ago
Score 1+-
I never used to feel this way until I went to a football school. Growing up in New England I had little use for college football, but when I saw how awesome it was my freshmen year, I got hooked. Now I'm upset I only have one year left to sit in the student section and go to games for free.
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JuTMSY4Legend
843 days ago
Score 1+-
That's true of any big college sport where you go... I'm now a college hockey fan...
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SSreportersLegend
843 days ago
Score 3+-
Student sections are the best.
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JuTMSY4Legend
843 days ago
Score 0+-
Now that is true...
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CheezerAll-Star
843 days ago
Score 2+-
The NFL was founded in 1920. It got seriously organized in 1921. Not quite the 40 years you state. There was a lot of football played before the Super Bowl started. I agree that the rivalries in the NFL pale in comparison to what college football has to offer, but Green Bay and Chicago have played each other over 170 times. There are some NFL traditions as well.
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CheezerAll-Star
843 days ago
Score 0+-
I'm somewhat biased as I grew up in Green Bay. I've lived in Ann Arbor as well and from what I've experienced, Green Bay is very much like a college atmosphere when it comes to football.
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JuTMSY4Legend
843 days ago
Score 0+-
its a lot different and a lot the same...there are certain towns that love their football...and you can feel the buzz as a city... Green bay is sorta like that...but they're not even a city...and shit, they own the team anyways...they really are like an exception to the rule
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Ktj856Soccer Kid
843 days ago
Score 4+-
my stand on the college vs pro debate. pro sports in general basketball and football are just more crisp and clean college is just a little sloppy. with bad turnovers and stupid mistakes. however because of the bad turnovers and stupid mistakes college games tend to be more exiting. i like them both for different reasons and have trouble picking one above the other.
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JuTMSY4Legend
843 days ago
Score 0+-
Hockey to KTJ...College hockey is ridiculously uncrisp...I mean, I probably watch the best college hockey teams (Hockey East is the best...sorry folks) and they aren't terribly crisp at all...certainly better than most of college hockey conferences...but in comparison to the pros...not even close
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MegECass110AAA-er
843 days ago
Score 0+-
KTJ knows how I feel. Anytime your school goes 1-10, a part of you dies.
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JuTMSY4Legend
843 days ago
Score 0+-
Meg...How much to you miss Lancaster County native Perry Paterson? he signed with the eagles for about a day
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JuTMSY4Legend
843 days ago
Score 0+-
I can't believe i forgot that you went to 'Cuse and Patterson used to be their QB... Now if you wanna talk about dumb as a box of rocks...exhibit A: Perry Patterson
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SSreportersLegend
843 days ago
Score 2+-
College Football is better than pro football because the fans are passionate, you're allowed to run on the field, and one loss means your national title hopes are dashed.
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JuTMSY4Legend
843 days ago
Score 0+-
I mean, you're not allowed to run on the field BTW, remember when Rutgers upset louisville last year on thursday nigth on ESPN...after the game was over and rutgers stormed the field, i proceeded to walk about to the field put my hands on 1/3 of the tv and say "Hey, all those people have STDs"...please tell me someone gets this...
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SSreportersLegend
843 days ago
Score 0+-
I get it. It is OPTIONAL to storm the field.
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RawbeezeitzMajor Leaguer
843 days ago
Score 0+-
Didn't Florida have one loss?
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InsanMajor Leaguer
843 days ago
Score 10+-
No playoffs means NFL >>>> NCAAF
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JuTMSY4Legend
843 days ago
Score 1+-
excellent point
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Reeper182Soccer Kid
843 days ago
Score 0+-
You are absolutely right... the ncaa has the potential to be the best but until they figure out an exceptable way to determine a national champ they will always be second to the nfl
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AngeHammJV Squad
842 days ago
Score 0+-
Word!
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Yakob878MVP
843 days ago
Score 1+-
nfl has less teams but has more games to see per team
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BigPPupMajor Leaguer
843 days ago
Score 3+-
College football is great if you have a hometown team or a university you are an alumn to. It is much more of a family/community driven fanbase.
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MojokongVarsity
843 days ago
Score 3+-
It seems people from NFL cities care about college football less. If I lived in nowhere Nebraska or something I would go crazy for college football but living in a pro city takes some of the appeal away, I think.
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BigPPupMajor Leaguer
843 days ago
Score 1+-
There is some truth to that, but also most NFL cities are not home to a major college program. Miami is the only exception I cna think of off the top of my head.
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JuTMSY4Legend
843 days ago
Score 0+-
Boston?
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WoodsmeisterVarsity Captain
843 days ago
Score 0+-
Maybe you feel that way, Mojokong, because the University of Cincinnati has generally sucked at football.
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MojokongVarsity
843 days ago
Score 0+-
You're right, Cleveland. No one in this city cares about Bearcat football or even basketball these days. But Cleveland State is gonna be a BCS team, right? At least our city has a division 1 program.
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Ktj856Soccer Kid
843 days ago
Score 1+-
as for the fans being better in college sports i tend to disagree, unless ur a local most fans are only there for 4 years and their usually just crazed college kids, proud to be one myself. in the nfl u have passion but its different. tht 80 year old guy who has been a packers fan his whole life or that eagles fan who watched the eagles win their last championship in 1960 sitting on his dads lap and who has been a fan ever sense, thats passion. college passion last for 4 wild years nfl passion last a lifetime
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HappyskinnyAll-American
843 days ago
Score 0+-
I disagree. At my school we only have 13,000 undergrads which is fairly small for BCS conference football school. We have an 86,000 seat stadium and it is full pretty much all the time. Which means that there are a ton of non college students there. There is just as much passion, and probably more in college football than the NFL.
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The oldest manVarsity
843 days ago
Score 2+-
I couldn't agree more. It is a whole lot more fun to watch the college games than the pros and has been for a long time. The players in the pros are the cream of the colleges but they still play in most cases for the fun of the game. What 2% of the college players ever play in the NFL will then it would really seem that playing in the college leagues means you really have to have a passion for playing football to put yourself through all the hard knots, injuries, practice yelling and everything else. Just like NCAA Basketball is more fun the watch than NBA the NCAA collegiate games are far better for your money to watch than the pros.
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Tyrone BriggsHall of Famer
843 days ago
Score 0+-
"the cream of the colleges..." Cannot resist. If that is true, what does it say for Brady Quinn and Notre Dame?!
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ChristofMVP
843 days ago
Score 0+-
IF college football only had a playoff....
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Anonymous Fanatic #1
843 days ago
Score 0+-
oh i agree, the environment in college is waaaaay better than nfl experience. every game means more in terms of ranking as well. 1 loss means ur outta the title run where-as in pros u can be 11-5 and still win. college fball overall is more exciting and more meaningful. rivarly is waaaay better than pros. but madden kicks ncaa's ass haha
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PSU ROCKSVarsity Captain
843 days ago
Score 0+-
i love penn state more then any team in the world and y do i like college football because every player is playing his heart out to make it to the bigs and sign the big contract but in the pros they have the money they dont need to play as good as they can there rich no matter what and madden sucks compared to ncaa and i got ncaa for the 360 and let me tell you madden wont stand a chance against ncaa it will be so much better then madden
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HappyskinnyAll-American
843 days ago
Score 0+-
I disagree. Madden has consistently been better than NCAA over the years, and I do not see this year being any different.
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RawbeezeitzMajor Leaguer
843 days ago
Score 1+-
Why college football has a better envronment:

Student sections with free tickets, full of people who have been drinking since before the sun came up.

Most NFL ticketholders are upper middle class and upper class season ticket holders. The average age at an NFL game is probably late 30s, early 40s. Younger people have more energy than older people. Rich people are more "dignified" and quiet at sports games.

What the hell else is there to do in Norman, OK; Happy Valley, PA; Oxford, MS; College Station, TX; Manhattan, KS; or Camp David, WS? College football is by far the biggest thing going in these towns.
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Steel TownDraft Pick
843 days ago
Score 0+-
I feel a good college game is only exciting to some because of the absolute lack of talent. One thing that I haven't seen mentioned is, what if you didn't go to college? Before JoePa ended the Pitt/PSU rivalry I still found it hard to be very passionate about it. It seems to me that the NFL is a little more inclusive, anyone can be a fan. The superbowl may only be 40 years old but the league is much older. There is plenty of tradition and passion in the NFL also. I also think that if each city gave free tickets to its under 25 fans they would fill a 100,000 seat stadium too.
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HappyskinnyAll-American
843 days ago
Score 0+-
Not all schools give free tickets. Also, go up and read my comment about having an 86,000 seat stadium that is filled all the time with only 13,000 undergrads getting free tickets.
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The Nigerian NightmareSoccer Kid
843 days ago
Score 1+-
First of all, let's not wrap ourselves up completely in the "college is better because those kids they are just playing because of their passion for the game" and that "no one is there for the money, yadayadayada". College football is all about money, as is the NFL. Now, I am a bigger college fan, mainly due to my family brainwashing me as a child to live and die with Kansas State athletics. I don't buy that the NFL is more inclusive to fans argument either because there are plenty of non-alums in Lincoln, NE on a Saturday or Happy Valley, PA. What I do buy is that if you did not grow up in an environment where college football is big, you will likely reach for an NFL team (it is big everywhere). For example, MojoKong notes Cincinnati as an example. No one cares about UC football. There are some Buckeye fans in the city, but the Bengals are king and most people here probably enjoy the NFL game better.
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RawbeezeitzMajor Leaguer
843 days ago
Score 0+-
How many of the 86,000 are alumni?
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HappyskinnyAll-American
843 days ago
Score 0+-
I would probably say less than half are alumni. College football is their life.
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Yakob878MVP
843 days ago
Score -2+-
ya that is their life
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Behbigben15All-Star
843 days ago
Score 0+-
I agree that college football has tradition, and probably more passion than the NFL, but the NFL is much more entertaining, and is alot easier to follow. The NFL only has 32 teams, college football has over a hundred, and at least ten different conferences (I don't even know how many). Plus, I hate the way college football does the BCS championships, the NFL has a much simpler way to find out their champion.
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GridironGoddessJV Squad
843 days ago
Score 0+-
I feel the same way, but that is likely because I went to a big traditional div 1 powerhouse program type university. Had I gone to a school w a div II or no football, I am sure I would not feel the same way. I am passionate about my team and that leads to following other teams thru the BCS process, etc.

There is a purity to college football that I adore. I am a fan of USC because I went there. I chose USC.

Also in college ball, EVERY game matters. You can't lose and expect to win championships. The whole season is a playoff.

But, that said, I love all football. NCAA and NFL.
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HappyskinnyAll-American
843 days ago
Score 1+-
Everybody keeps saying you can't lose. Florida lost last year and still won the championship. I know it is kind of rare, but it seems like everyone has forgotten that.
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RawbeezeitzMajor Leaguer
843 days ago
Score 1+-
And Boise State DIDN'T lose, and never got a shot at the title.
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Tyrone BriggsHall of Famer
843 days ago
Score 0+-
Blame it on the blue field. Its a NCAA conspiracy.
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GridironGoddessJV Squad
843 days ago
Score 0+-
Yeah Boise State is not in a BCS conference, therefore they get screwed. That is but one of the the tons of problems with the BCS. I am not a fan of the BCS era at all.
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J CunninghamVarsity Captain
843 days ago
Score -1+-
I could get into how much I disagree with this opinion, but I already wrote that pice (titled "Anti-College Football Rant").
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I am a cpcpMajor Leaguer
843 days ago
Score 0+-
I think I like college football better, and it's mostly because the players have so much more to play for. They're not getting paid, they're trying to make a name for themselves. It's a game, not a job. They're more regular people doing spectacular things. Like today I went to a mass job interviewing for different positions in the company I work for and met Maurice Hall. A few years ago I was rooting this guy on as a Buckeye fan and now he's working for a living like me. He's a regular guy (even though every one of the interviewers were pretty much ogling him) that got to do an amazing thing for four years.
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AngeHammJV Squad
842 days ago
Score 0+-
Your point is good, but it's somewhat naive to say "it's a game, not a job" for these guys. For the hot pro prospects on scholarship, it is DEFINITELY a job. Many of these players are only in college because you can't get into the NFL without playing in a big-time college program. That's not just true of college football, it's also college basketball and, to a growing extent, baseball.
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AngeHammJV Squad
842 days ago
Score 0+-
Well I went to VCU, which is the only public university in Virginia WITHOUT a football team, so it is understandably hard for me to muster big excitement for college football. In Richmond, there's a mix of UVA, Virginia Tech, and obviously some University of Richmond sentiment, but pretty much everyone can get behind the Redskins. Maybe I just don't get it because I've never experienced it. But you know what the best live sports experiences of my life have been: Arena Football and minor league baseball. And, like several have said above, it's about hometown and community experience. For you guys who prize the experience of college football, I highly recommend supporting your local minor leagues. Now THERE are guys playing for the love of the game.
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J CunninghamVarsity Captain
841 days ago
Score 0+-
Well, my alma mater ODU's without one, too ... though that will change in 2009. Not that I really care that much; it's too much fun battling it out with VCU on the basketball court year in and year out.
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AngeHammJV Squad
842 days ago
Score -1+-
Hey, Suckatsports, check your facts: The NFL has been around over twice as long as the "40 years" you claim, and has been taken quite seriously for a long time.
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SuckatsportsVarsity
842 days ago
Score 0+-
Ange, I responded to this in long on the actual post itself on the blog. But in short, while the name, "NFL" has been around for 80 some years, you could hardly call it that. There were a lot of leagues taken more seriously than that, it wasn't until the NLF-AFL merger that we can even talk about something resembling the NFL we are familiar with today.
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FreeVickPee Wee
841 days ago
Score 0+-
fantasy makes nfl great. if there is a fantasy ncaa dat'll be sweet. i agree w/ the fact dat if u didn't go to a "real" school u'll probably like nfl better. but madden is better than ncaa...dat's undisputable. college games are more exciting to watch, student sections are insane. i'm a MSU season ticket holder from last yr...bring back Charles Rogers!!!
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The oldest manVarsity
837 days ago
Score 0+-
AngelHamm, College football is still just a game. Maybe for the small percentage that can make it in the NFL it is more than a game but the bottomline has been it is just only a game. You don't live or die because of any rivalry. Be it UCLA-SC, Mich-Ohio State, Florida-Florida State any of the major schools in all the conferences. You said that the NFL is more entertaining. Which is better to watch, a group of college kids playing extremely good football or a bunch of cry babies, overpaid, egomanics, playing for a paycheck and for more paychecks down the line in a playoff system that sometimes doesn't seem to work the way you want it. gambling has been involved in both of these sports for years and would be forever because it is in people nature to gamble on this or that. Doesn't matter, people have been gambling on live in general since the beginning of man. I remember when the NFL was a joke and it first started up as a league. Money was the bottomline for the owners to start in it and it hasn't chanced since. Now there is so much money on the line that people do things to make more at any cost. But the entertainment factor of both the college and pros is basicly the same. Some people like the NFL better and others prefer the college game. The game is the same to a point and the only real difference is level of players and huge amounts of money to players and owners and of course gamblers. When I was a child I started going to college games Navy-Army and later on the west coast UCLA-SC. I got to go to the first two super bowls and was impressed then but still the rivalry games have something that no pro game can have. Years and years of history now in some cases 100 plus. In 1930's the first year UCLA finally beat SC in football is still impressive in my mind and that was over 72 years ago. The Rams coming from Cleveland to LA also were impressive and watching Crazy Legs run with a caught pass for a long touchdown or Ollie Matson or Jon Arnett run for one also brings back huge memories. But in the end I still play back the collegiate aspects of football games that were important at the time because that was what was important going to school. In the end the individual fans like what they like and watch what they watch and that is what makes up football fans all over the world.
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