T1B

Jon Sarceno had a nice little piece in USA Today today, offering his take as to why the college game beats the NFL.


http://www.usatoday.com/sports/columnis ... ball_x.htm


This is just a portion of the article that I liked. I particularly agree with the first paragraph of what I have posted below.

Speaking of the NFL, he said..............


Too many poorly played games. Too many field goals. Too many penalties, which might relate to overcoaching. (Or, too many ref reviews on Monday mornings — let 'em play, Tags). Game flow is predictably choppy. Too many puckered coaching keisters. Parity has generated an unintended consequence — a general sameness and blandness in the quality of play that keeps most every city in the mix (except Tempe, Ariz.)

It's not exactly CNN-breaking news that the college game has several natural advantages over the pros, including pageantry and the infusion of spirit by students and alumni. College players are less jaded and play with natural passion. Watch some NFLers — they play as if they're trying to preserve their non-guaranteed contracts.

In college football, there is no free agency. Traditional border rivalries flourish.


My bottom line is I prefer the NFL, but the shine is well off the NFL for me, and has been for a number of years now.

D1 ball kicks the NFL in the nuts in so far as there is MUCH more variety, individuality, personality, character, enthusiasm, freedom of expression, and overall chutzpah.

The NFL has been determined to package it's game oh-so-neatly, and it is now woefully bland, predictable, full-of-itself, ........ and led by a group of cheating shysters to boot.

D1 would beat the pros if it wasn't a festering pile of shit itself. How many top D1 teams are CHEATING in one way or another....?


What think YOU.....?

I think you need to stop bitching so much. Jesus H. Christ, it's just a game.

NOTHING beats the NFL. As sloppy as some NFL games can get, the college game at all but the most elite levels is infinitely sloppier and totaly unwatchable. For every Notre Dame vs USC, you have 50 Florida Stae vs Southern Nobody University ASSWHIPPINGS to snooze through.

The college games themselves are great, although I don't like the major schools playing 3 or 4 games Vs the likes of William & Mary Sisters of the poor. I do dig most guys playing for pride, a few for an oppourtunity in the NFL.

But the bottom line is the NCAA is a popularity contest. Any league that determines their championship matchup with rankings based on votes and some computer geek splooging all over a keyboard.....SUCKS.

Joe in PB wrote:The college games themselves are great, although I don't like the major schools playing 3 or 4 games Vs the likes of William & Mary Sisters of the poor.

We played them to a tie.


Sincer-

Temple U

College Fauxball is a total waste of my time. Not good enough reason to talk someone else out of watching it, sure, but works for me.

The only drawback is the loss of Draft Day. True draft junkies know the college game and therefore who's being drafted based on what. While its tempting to watch Audition Time errrrrrr Amateur Ball just to be in the know come Draft Day, it's not sufficient reason to waste those many hours watching games that have no significance. At the end of the NFL season "there can be only ONE!"... at the end of the bullshit season, "there can be only... like ten Bowls and some total douchebags who decide the National Champion!"...










velocet

poptart wrote:
What think YOU.....?

I think that D1 ball would look very appealing to Raider fan.

When the NCAA institutes a play-off format, and eliminates any form of voting on whom is good and whom is not ..... then this may be worthy of discussion. Even then its a weak discussion. Ya might as well compare what is better .... Texas HS football vs NAIA D3 in Idaho.

You and Wags are welcome to borrow my Strunk & White.

Imagine the BCS committee controlling the playoffs at the NFL level... the horror!

I prefer NFL over college anyday and the BCS is a huge contributor to that.

College has way too many teams, divisions, Big <insert number here even though that's not the right amount of schools> conferences to keep track of and I could give two shits about all the schools.

I will give college ball this though: I do like the overtime rules better than NFL.

First off, RACK poptart for the troll job.

Now, let's get to the main issue here.

This column: A predictable and easily written hack job, by a USAToday columnist, looking to get discussion.

Let's break this down, shall we?


No contest: College football outscores NFL by a mile

On any given Saturday. That should be college football's motto.

Come to think of it, college football doesn't need a catchy slogan. What the sport has going for it is something that can't be conjured up in a room full of Madison Avenue marketing mavens.

A wild flurry of upsets, near-upsets, comebacks and last-second thrillers demonstrated why college football has it all over the NFL, where the sales pitch, TV puffery and general buzz don't match the on-field product often enough.

How many OT games are there in the NFL compared to OT games in Top-20 teams in college, on a weekly basis?

Advantage ---> NFL

As ticket prices rise and player behavior tanks, is the NFL a consistently compelling can't-miss show? Is it conceivable that the league is peaking, even though yearly attendance records suggest otherwise? Is the NFL at risk of becoming the NBA of the late '90s?

Nope.

The classics that unfolded Saturday in South Bend, Ind., and Ann Arbor, Mich., should have had Paul Tagliabue with a New York Jets-green hue of envy. The staid pro ranks never would generate the same type of over-the-top fun we saw in Oxford, Miss., Charlottesville, Va., or Pullman, Wash.

"These are the type of games we live for, we die for, we love to be in," USC's star running back Reggie Bush said to reporters after the Trojans' dramatic 34-31 come-from-behind triumph upended Notre Dame and preserved the Trojans' No. 1 status.

That was one incredible weekend, and still less games in OT than the NFL had in the same week. Weak argument, at an opportune time.

Don't get me wrong. I still love pro football and its mano a mano combat.

It's not about "mano a mano" combat, it's a team game, at both levels.

But, by and large, I think the interest in the NFL is predicated on three things: underground gambling, fantasy league football and tailgating. Yet, instead of a new-millennium Jimmy the Greek, the NFL (through its broadcast partners) gives us pregame comedians and a "weather girl," pretending as if point spreads don't exist. So be it.

Semi-rack here. At least dude understands the ridiculousness of pre-game shows and Jim Nance.

Howevah ...

"Interest" in the NFL also generates entire economies. There's a reason that you can sit back, in your comfy leather chair in D.C. or LA or Chicago and write a column praising the glories of CF over the NFL ... and that reason doesn't have anything whatsoevah to do with college football, nor will it ever, under the current system. Let's continue ...

Can you imagine what might happen if Division I-A mandated a national championship playoff? Winter Madness would chase the NFL to the back pages. It would make the Super Bowl look like an overhyped, commercialized machine designed less for die-hard fans than what it is: a bacchanal of big-time business.

First of all, Brent Musberger would be calling these "mandated" (GASP!) games, and everyone would be sick.

Actually, what pretty much everyone could "imagine" a college playoff doing would be is fill the pockets of the NCAA and college administrators, for starters, and fuel the NFL.

On the field, the NFL isn't as nerve-racking as it is numbing. Is there even one great team anymore? Going into Week 6, 25 teams had two or more losses; only one team, Indianapolis, is undefeated.

Cry me a river, dynasty-hoping-so-I-can-get-on-the-wagon, then write columns ripping it down, douchebag.

Too many poorly played games. Too many field goals.

Too much defense, you mean.

Too many penalties, which might relate to overcoaching. (Or, too many ref reviews on Monday mornings — let 'em play, Tags). Game flow is predictably choppy. Too many puckered coaching keisters. Parity has generated an unintended consequence — a general sameness and blandness in the quality of play that keeps most every city in the mix (except Tempe, Ariz.).

I really love this, especially when they stop the clock in college football, to "measure" after a first down. Fucking weak argument, again.

It's not exactly CNN-breaking news that the college game has several natural advantages over the pros, including pageantry and the infusion of spirit by students and alumni. College players are less jaded and play with natural passion. Watch some NFLers — they play as if they're trying to preserve their non-guaranteed contracts.

True, but without a playoff, "pageantry and the infusion of spirit by students and alumni" is all college football will ever have.

In college football, there is no free agency. Traditional border rivalries flourish.

Right ... it's nothing at all like recruiting.

We haven't even discussed the NFL's image issue. I trace the start of this negative trend to Dallas' infamous "White House," a modern-day den of iniquity. Nate Newton, later a drug dealer but first a Cowboys Pro Bowl lineman, was a harbinger of player attitude when he bluntly offered, "We've got a little place over here where we're running some whores in and out, trying to be responsible, and we're criticized for that, too."

Hello, Lake Minnetonka.

Goodbye, Mike Tice.

In Minnesota the last year, we had a receiver crassly "moon" fans; the head coach scalp Super Bowl tickets; a running back carry a fake-penis device designed to avoid positive drug tests; and most recently, the Vikings look for a new stadium and public financing while sinking in a sex scandal (cue Love Boat theme song).

Now, if you live in Minny-ha-ha, would you rather root for the Gophers or the Weasels ... er, Vikings? Not that the University of Minnesota hasn't had its share of issues.

But how smart was Red McCombs to sell at the top? Zygi Wilf may know real estate, but I don't know if he realizes a pig when it is disguised in a purple tuxedo.

Former NFL player Bill Romanowski peddled his book Sunday on CBS's 60 Minutes by acknowledging he used steroids. No doubt, league image-makers cringed.

Rack.

They should concentrate on the game itself. On any given Sunday, it is hit or miss.

As is your watching of it.

RadioFan wrote:First off, RACK poptart for the troll job. Now, let's get to the main issue here. This column: A predictable and easily written hack job, by a USAToday columnist, looking to get discussion.

Let's break this down, shall we?

Did you HAVE to? My God sportwriters are dumb.

D-1 college ball easily beats the NFL.

Just look at this past weekend...How many NFL games reached the same level of passion, enthusiasm, excitement, intrigue, and result as either the ND/SC or UM/PSU games?

Now I understand the argument that in D-1 there are too many teams (117?) and hence, too many shit ball games. Okay, I buy that, but that doesn't erase the fact that nearly every week there are at least 2-3 games to plan on watching.

Beyond the games themselves, college football is way more intriguing as all of us constantly jibber-jabber about the rankings, best players, best teams, all-time performances.

I'll take the great and shitty college games over the parity-stricken and lifeless NFL any day...

BTW - the BCS bowl games are also way more fun to watch than the Super Bowl.

DrDetroit wrote:D-1 college ball easily beats the NFL.

Figures you would like college football.

Just look at this past weekend...How many NFL games reached the same level of passion, enthusiasm, excitement, intrigue, and result as either the ND/SC or UM/PSU games?

ND-USC was one of the best games in college football history. Using that game as being representative of college football as a whole is like using the New England-St. Louis Super Bowl game to characterize the quality of all Super Bowl games.

Now I understand the argument that in D-1 there are too many teams (117?) and hence, too many shit ball games. Okay, I buy that, but that doesn't erase the fact that nearly every week there are at least 2-3 games to plan on watching.

Oh boy! 2 or 3 games worth watching out of 50+ games on the schedule!

Funny, you get about 2 or 3 barnburners a week in the NFL as well. And that's out of 14 to 16 games on the schedule. Furthermore, the skill level is a quantum leap higher than any team in college ball. One of the most laughable things I've seen on the NCAA Football board has been the thread where some of you clowns have been arguing that USC could beat an NFL team.

Beyond the games themselves, college football is way more intriguing as all of us constantly jibber-jabber about the rankings, best players, best teams, all-time performances.

I know you do. It's like watching a bunch of girls go on and on about who their favorite American Idol contestant is.

I'll take the great and shitty college games over the parity-stricken and lifeless NFL any day...

BTW - the BCS bowl games are also way more fun to watch than the Super Bowl.

Only if you're a fag who likes parades and marching bands.

ND-USC was one of the best games in college football history. Using that game as being representative of college football as a whole is like using the New England-St. Louis Super Bowl game to characterize the quality of all Super Bowl games.

That's why I also included UM/PSU. Being from Michigan I would also include every season UM/ND, MSU/ND, UM/OSU. Those three games by themselves typically outrank every Lions game of the year. That's a local perspective.

Nationally, ND/SC is always a great game to watch as his Texas/Oklahoma, Fla St/Miami.

Those six games represent half the college football season.

Oh boy! 2 or 3 games worth watching out of 50+ games on the schedule!

Funny, you get about 2 or 3 barnburners a week in the NFL as well.

You mean simply close games...like Tampa Bay/Detroit a few weeks ago. Terrible game all around, but it'd fit your defintion of barnburner, :roll: . Also, like Detroit/Carolina this past weekend...one-point game. Surely a barn-burner but all-in-all a horrible game.

Furthermore, the skill level is a quantum leap higher than any team in cllege ball.

As it should be and why it's not a primary comparable, but I understand that that adds to the advantage of the NFL in this debate. But, seriously, the number of teams has diluted that skill level to a serious degree. Rather than talking about several outstanding rb's, db's, or such, we talk about "quality" players...that dilution of talent has lowered expectations of greatness.

One of the most laughable things I've seen on the NCAA Football board has been the thread where some of you clowns have been arguing that USC could beat an NFL team.

Never believed that, though I have seen the argument mostly regarding 95 Nebraska.

I know you do. It's like watching a bunch of girls go on and on about who their favorite American Idol contestant is.

And the NFL forum abuzz about the best running back is in no way similar to that? Laughable...

Only if you're a fag who likes parades and marching bands.

Yeah, 'cuz that's what the bowl games are all about...

Doncha love how Detard can claim 6 games represent "half the college season"? Never mind that there are 50 plus D1 games a WEEK.

BSmack wrote:Doncha love how Detard can claim 6 games represent "half the college season"? Never mind that there are 50 plus D1 games a WEEK.

Doncha love how BShit can misconstrue someone's post to avoid having to provide a rational response?

College football season typically = 12 games. I just noted six games (UM/ND, MSU/ND, UM/OSU, ND/SC, Texas/Oklahoma, Fla St/Miami) that each year are great games. If I recall correctly, these games are all played on different weekends. That's roughly half the season, is it not?

Not surprised to see that you'll blatantly misconstrue posts here as well as Main Street and the Spin forums to avoid posting a reasonable response.

The larger point I made is that at the very least, half the college season has great games of great rivalries that, imo, exceed the crap fed to us by the NFL.

Care to address that?

DrDetroit wrote:College football season typically = 12 games. I just noted six games (UM/ND, MSU/ND, UM/OSU, ND/SC, Texas/Oklahoma, Fla St/Miami) that each year are great games. If I recall correctly, these games are all played on different weekends. That's roughly half the season, is it not?

No it isn't. But hey, if you want to narrow down D1 to 30 teams and provide some compelling matchups every week. Well, we've already got that. It's called the NFL.

So you will not address the main point...okay, I'm sure not many here are surprised.

You may go now.

DrDetroit wrote:So you will not address the main point...okay, I'm sure not many here are surprised.

You may go now.

What's your main point? That the level of play in a close NFL game is poor as opposed to that in a college game?

If you believe that you're even dumber than I already thought you were. There is not a single college offensive or defensive lineman who could start RIGHT NOW in the NFL. Even the most precocious prospects take a full offseason of OTAs, voluntary workouts, film study and a full training camp just to get to the point where they won't look like complete idiots when faced with the prospect of having to take on other NFL caliber tallent.

The same goes for skill position guys as well. You should know how tough it is for college players to break in the NFL. Look how many flops you've had in Detroit alone?

What's your main point? That the level of play in a close NFL game is poor as opposed to that in a college game?

No.

Why are ignoring the point that I have posted now three times?

Is it because you simply cannot address it or because you don't understand it? I'll go with the latter because my point is clear.

If you believe that you're even dumber than I already thought you were. There is not a single college offensive or defensive lineman who could start RIGHT NOW in the NFL. Even the most precocious prospects take a full offseason of OTAs, voluntary workouts, film study and a full training camp just to get to the point where they won't look like complete idiots when faced with the prospect of having to take on other NFL caliber tallent.

And so now you go off on a point that I am not even arguing...props, I guess.

The same goes for skill position guys as well. You should know how tough it is for college players to break in the NFL. Look how many flops you've had in Detroit alone?

Argue with yourself, much?

DrDetroit wrote:Why are ignoring the point that I have posted now three times?

State it and I will answer it.

Dumbshit, how do you miss this:

Okay, I buy that, but that doesn't erase the fact that nearly every week there are at least 2-3 games to plan on watching.

or this:

Being from Michigan I would also include every season UM/ND, MSU/ND, UM/OSU. Those three games by themselves typically outrank every Lions game of the year. That's a local perspective.

Nationally, ND/SC is always a great game to watch as his Texas/Oklahoma, Fla St/Miami.

Those six games represent half the college football season.

or this:

The larger point I made is that at the very least, half the college season has great games of great rivalries that, imo, exceed the crap fed to us by the NFL.

It's hilarious that you responded to each of the posts including these points and yet, ignored the central point every time.

Like I said, no one is surprised by this tactic of yours.

BTW - you never did respond re: my response to you "barnburner" comment. I will presume then that I was correctly id'ing what you were talking about and sufficiently overcame that point.

DrDetroit wrote:Okay, I buy that, but that doesn't erase the fact that nearly every week there are at least 2-3 games to plan on watching.

Asked and already answered. There are, at best 2 or 3 games a year worth watching. Most of the time I wouldn't give a plugged nickel for the "matchups" the NCAA tries to pass off as football.

Being from Michigan I would also include every season UM/ND, MSU/ND, UM/OSU. Those three games by themselves typically outrank every Lions game of the year. That's a local perspective. Nationally, ND/SC is always a great game to watch as his Texas/Oklahoma, Fla St/Miami. Those six games represent half the college football season.

I think we have already beat this into the ground. 6 games is not "half a season". Never mind that even those 6 games can be out and out stinkers.

The larger point I made is that at the very least, half the college season has great games of great rivalries that, imo, exceed the crap fed to us by the NFL.

Who the hell cares? Unless you are a student or alum of a particular school, why would have care who wins the "Old Oaken Bucket" or the "Big Gay Battle Axe"?

The fact remains that if you want to watch the best football possible, you plan to spend Saturday with the wife and Sunday with the NFL.

The rest of your post was utterly nonsensical and was snipped.

Asked and already answered. There are, at best 2 or 3 games a year worth watching. Most of the time I wouldn't give a plugged nickel for the "matchups" the NCAA tries to pass off as football.

Who is talking about the other 45+ games each week? Why do you argue with yourself?

I think we have already beat this into the ground. 6 games is not "half a season". Never mind that even those 6 games can be out and out stinkers.

12 games schedule played over 13 weeks. 6 weeks is roughly half, idiot...what don't you get?

Nonetheless, they are rarely stinkers and these 6 games do not account for all the traditional annual matchups that are routinely good games, that also include, for example, Alabama/Auburn.

Who the hell cares? Unless you are a student or alum of a particular school, why would have care who wins the "Old Oaken Bucket" or the "Big Gay Battle Axe"?

Even in down years, idiot, college teams sell out, e.g., Michigan, Tennessee, Ohio State, massive stadiums seating 100K+. How coould they continue to do that given that the only people who care are merely the students or alums?? LOL!!

The fact remains that if you want to watch the best football possible, you plan to spend Saturday with the wife and Sunday with the NFL.

No, if you only want to watch the highest level of skill, tune in on Sundays.

However, if you want to the most intriguing, compelling, exciting football, you tune in on Saturday.

As for the rest of my post, of course you ignored it, you have no response.

DrDetroit wrote:No, if you only want to watch the highest level of skill, tune in on Sundays.

However, if you want to the most intriguing, compelling, exciting football, you tune in on Saturday.

In other words, if watching football for the sake of football isn't enough, and you need some gay assed theatre to get your rod up, then watch on Saturdays.

Got it.

It's funny that all you have is talking about a guy's dick getting hard...that's what you boil it down to...pathetic.

Not surprised.

You still refuse to comment on what you meant by "barnburner." Hence, it is true that you were talking only about close games.

Too bad the majority of those "barnburners" are merely shit teams like TB and Detroit or Carolina and Detroit playing to close games...yeah, those are great contests that rival watching USC beat quality teams, Texas/Ohio State, Michigan/Penn State, Florida State/Miami... :roll:

You're a chickenshit cockboil that's festering about this board...go away.

Do you two just argue to argue?



I liked the experiment. NFL forum is mostly NFL favored. CFB forum is mostly CFB favored.

Just getting my vote in over here for CFB, though. I'm a Titan fan, formerly Oilers. As was stated in the CFB forum, as a CFB fan, I don't have to worry about my team packing up and moving.

Also, I attended Texas A&M so I feel much closer to the team. I spent the best years of my life, to that point, loving all things A&M. It has ingrained itself in me. I will never feel that way about a pro football team.

Diehards are diehards though. Hard to be a diehard for both.

Oh, one more advantage of CFB...most games are on Saturdays. You have all day Sunday to be hung over.

IndyFrisco wrote:Do you two just argue to argue?

Sometimes.

I liked the experiment. NFL forum is mostly NFL favored. CFB forum is mostly CFB favored. Just getting my vote in over here for CFB, though. I'm a Titan fan, formerly Oilers. As was stated in the CFB forum, as a CFB fan, I don't have to worry about my team packing up and moving.

My God! An honest to goodness Titans fan?

Also, I attended Texas A&M so I feel much closer to the team. I spent the best years of my life, to that point, loving all things A&M. It has ingrained itself in me. I will never feel that way about a pro football team.

I get a little of that flavor from Syracuse sports. But, since I descided not to got to SU, I guess I'll never know. But I can understand why an alum of a particular school would care. I just don't see why anyone would give two shits about a school they never went to.

Diehards are diehards though. Hard to be a diehard for both. Oh, one more advantage of CFB...most games are on Saturdays. You have all day Sunday to be hung over.

If you're so rocked after watching a 1:00 PM game that you can't function the next day, you need a stint in rehab. \

Too bad you didn't show up before the Steelers-Titans game. We could have stuck a REAL good sig/av on you. ;)

Yeah, I'm a Titans fan. I root for the COlts living here in Indy because my in-laws have 20 season tickets onthe 40 yard line 8 rows up. Makes for nice Sundays (or Monday like last night). However, when the Titans come to town, I root for them. If the Titans were having a decent year, I root against the Colts as well being int he same division and all.

As for not being able to function the next day, it's not about the 3-4 hour game. It's about the 5 hours before the game and the 8-9 hours after the game where we are constantly drinking and grilling out that keeps me from functioning the next day.

I have a few beers at the NFL games, but I never tailgate for NFL games. I eat the junkfood in the venue. At CFB games, I won't buy ANYTHING inside except a Coke, just to dump half of it out and fill the other half with whatever whiskey is in my flask. To me, CFB is all about the grilling before and after and the gametime experience.

But like I said before, hard to be a diehard of both. I think attending a University definitely affects one's fandom of college vs. pro sports. ANd I, too, find it hard for someone to be a fan of one college without going to it, especially when they went to another college. I don't give a fuck what your dad, uncle or grandpa liked about that school.