College vs. Pro Sports

[Mirage]

Which do you prefer watching/following and why?

I like watching professional sports because the players are generally around for the long term. With college rosters are constantly changing as people graduate and move on.

College is still fun to watch, but I just can't get into it as much.

 

[Doc]

I like to watch pro sports because pf the schedules, the stability (for the most part..) of the lineups, and for the fact that the majority of people I know watch them and it's easier to discuss the pro sports with them because you know they've watched it.

But, on the other hand, I enjoy college sports because they play simply for the love of the game. No money here, just kids fighting to make it to the big time.

 

[Major]

I follow most professional sports, but they don't even begin to compare to college sports, in my opinion. I could list a thousand reasons why, but I'll try to keep it short.

Game day atmosphere. There's nothing like 100,000 screaming fans at a college football game with chanting, fight songs, marching bands, etc. College fans are without a doubt more passionate than pro fans. Most of the NBA games I've been to are dead silent for 99% of the game. It only gets loud if there's one of those races on the scoreboard for a free donut or if the scoreboard says "Make Some Noise!!!" Then it'll quiet down again after that. The NBA is the only sport I know of that actually has music playing during the game. NFL games are a lot better than the NBA, but it still only gets loud during 3rd downs.

Tradition. A lot of college teams have been around for over 100 years and have had the same uniforms and fight songs the entire time.

Gameplay. College football and college basketball teams have a wide variety of offenses and defenses, while the NFL and NBA teams are all very similar and cookie cutter.

Player and fan loyalty. As a fan, you're always going to cheer for the same college team no matter what. It's not uncommon for pro fans to move to another city and start cheering for new teams. Players will always be loyal to their colleges. I see former Ohio State players wearing OSU gear and attending games all the time. College players choose who they play for. Pros are either drafted or play wherever they make the most money. Not to mention they'll play for several teams over the course of their career, while most college players only play for one team.

Every game matters in college football. College teams can't afford to lose a single game. NFL teams can sometimes lose half their games and still qualify for the post-season.

Like Steve said, a lot of pros are playing for money and won't play hard 100% of the time.

I see the frequently changing rosters in the college game as a good thing. It's awesome having a class of new players come in every year while having a chance to honor the departing seniors. I enjoy seeing the players develop over their 3 or 4 year career in college. And it's not like pro teams don't have constant roster changes. The difference is that the departing players from your team are now your enemies and when your team gets a player that you previously hated, now you love him.

 

[Mr_Snipes]

I like watching Pro Better. Just always have. Never really got into college sports. I will watch them, but if there is a college game and a Pro game on at the same time, I would watch the Pro Game first.

 

[Phoenix]

I follow college football more than the Pros. I guess its partially that Los Angeles does not really have a pro football team. Also, I love the atmosphere and all that college football has- plus, as Steve said, there is only passion there, no money as a motive.

 

[Teorropy]

I use to like pro, but I like college better at the moment. I think they just like to play more for the game instead of the money. I hope the pros will go more toward that again. Then I will watch more pro. But for right now I am for the college.

 

[neum985]

I def. choose college sports. The atmosphere of them is amazing. Especially this year with all the upsets in football, made my sports year

 

[dmny500]

I prefer pro sports cause the level of talent is higher in pro sports than in college sports. I also think that there's much more structure in pro sports which I prefer. Then theres the fact that the rosters change too often in college sports(especially basketball)so I might be a fan one year then next year I hate them.

 

[Major]

I prefer pro sports cause the level of talent is higher in pro sports than in college sports.

People say that all the time. Yes, obviously the talent level is much higher in the pros, but I think it actually makes for a worse product on the field/court. In the NBA, the players are so talented that they run mostly isolation/1 on 1 type stuff to take advantage of their athleticism, and it's incredibly boring to watch. On any given play you'll see 3 or 4 guys on each team just standing around, clearing space for the ball handler. College basketball is much more of a team game. They pass the ball around a lot more, and it's not uncommon to see all five guys touch the ball during a single possession.

The NFL is also boring to watch because of the superior talent. In college there are so many different varieties of offenses. In the NFL, every team runs the same cookie-cutter offense just because it's the only thing that works against the superior NFL defenses. The quarterbacks are typically slow pocket passers, whereas in college, most teams are using dual-threat quarterbacks now to give them the extra edge.

And it's not like there isn't top notch talent in college. Most of those players you're watching in the NFL right now, I got to watch them play for three or four years in college. You get to see players like Adrian Peterson, Sean Taylor, Reggie Bush, Ladainian Tomlinson, Chad Johnson, etc, dominate before becoming multi-millionaires.

 

[oxyMORON]

I like pro sports. It's usually more entertaining because of the immense jump in skill level. Sure, it may be "boring" to watch individuals display their own talent, but that's what I want to see. It's more exciting to see Kobe drain 51 than watch the Spurs play "fundamental teem basketball".

Also, the sheer number of college teams (in any sport) makes it hard to follow if you're not a true fan. I tried learning college football, but I just didn't have time.

Of course, that doesn't mean I'll just boycott college sports. I actually watched that Boise State game. I'm somewhat proud of that. I watched the Rose Bowl with Teas and USC. I just won't know all the names.