US sports nuts explain to me the appeal of college sports

[MyTurn2Raise]

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In football, college is where it started. There was no profesional football until 1919, and even then, for a long time, profesional football wasn't well thought of. It was thought to be better to be an amature, and then, go into your chosen profession (sort of the way the olympics used to be). It wasn't untill the late fifties that pro football, started to become very popular.

In basketball, the situation is similar. There was no pro basketball until 1948.

I think this is the reason that college sports are popular, even to this day. The only really popular college sports are football and basketball. If you look at baseball, which has had respected profesionals since the 1800's, you see that the college version of the game isn't very popular (when compared to pro baseball, or college football or basketball).

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this is about the best post you have ever made jstngrs

there is alot of truth in this being a major factor.

[JackWhite]

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Plz do not post in this thread if you haven't grown up in a college town.



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Why is that relevant? I did not grow up in a college town, yet I prefer college sports. Anyway, what is a "college town?" Does NYC qualify? Or Boston, LA, Chicago? They all have major colleges.

[cbloom]

jstnrgrs makes an excellent point.

IMHO college football is unwatchable because it's all so pointless an annoying with the garbage BCS system and lack of playoffs. It's fun watching the marching band, the cheerleaders, the crazy fans, etc. and rooting for your school vs. the old rival, blah blah blah. I went to UT and still try to watch the UT-A&M game and love to hear the stories of stealing each other's mascot etc.

[RivaLiva]

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the crowd is louder in college sports. the quality of play is better in pro sports. i value the second one higher. thefore, i prefer pro sports.

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College trumps pros for a few factors.

1. The players have more passion - they aren't going through to motions until playoff time like the NBA
2. The atmospheres are amazing - nothing like 100,000+ people at a football game or the crazyness of X teams student section.
3. College sports atheletes seem more like the regular joe. They aren't getting paid millions, they are in college and don't live the balla(usually) lifestyle that pro athletes do. They have to goto class and put in a full day before practice or a game.

It's not about the better play, it's about the atmosphere to me.

[DrewDevil]

Pro sports are about the name on the back of the jersey, while college sports are about the name on the front of the jersey.

That's it in a nutshell.

The quality of play is not as good, but it's easier to get attached to a team of young kids busting their ass like their lives depend on every play than a bunch of whiny millionaires who might play hard, or might not, depending on their mood.

There's a mercenary quality to the pros that's a bit of a turn-off. That and the transitory nature of pro sports... it's very rare that a star will play his entire career with one team and coaches are discarded like used kleenex.

[AngusThermopyle]

Explain how the money angle relates to the fact that football was so popular in the 50's and 60's when the pro salaries were nowhere near what they are today. And the pro players played with "passion".

[shemp]

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This is one thing that I never understood about US culture...?

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Consider yourself lucky. I've lived in the US most of my life, and this doesn't even make the list-- well behind questions like, "How do you have an entire aisle dedicated to cereal?"

[Patrick del Poker Grande]

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This is one thing that I never understood about US culture...?

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Consider yourself lucky. I've lived in the US most of my life, and this doesn't even make the list-- well behind questions like, "How do you have an entire aisle dedicated to cereal?"

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They don't have cereal aisles in Europe or Asia?

[Riverman]

For me, college football is better because of the tradition and the passion. It may sound silly, but one of the highlights of my day tomorrow at the 'shoe will be the bands playing before the game.

Plus, the fans and players care way way way more. It makes for a better product.

[FlyWf]

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90% of the time it barely looks like pro players "care" at all

I see alot of desire and passion in college players.

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I'm not saying this about anyone here, but I've heard this refrain a lot from people who don't like black people.

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This is definitely true, and I'd go further and say one reason some people like college sports is that white players tend to form a larger percentage of the player pool. There are like 7 decent American white NBA players.

As for MT2R's argument, the black players in college aren't rich, so nobody ascribes ridiculous motives when they take a play off or make a mental mistake.