College or NFL, Which is the superior product?

[GrayTide]

Don't have any demographics to back this up but I would venture to guess that people say 55 or 50 and younger would tend to follow the NFL, NBA and MLB more or as much as college football. Growing up in the South many years ago the South did not have any NFL teams so you became a college football fan same with the NBA and MLB. It wasn't until the mid to late 60's that these sports had teams in the South.
Atlanta was probably the first followed by Miami and New Orleans. In those days everybody in the South was a college football fan not so much an NFL fan whose teams were predominantly in the East, Midwest and West Coast.

 

[257WBY]

You cannot rival the passion of a intrastate rivalry such as Bama-AU, Florida-FSU, Texas-Tex A&M. The reason is the winners and loosers have to live with each other the rest of the year. The divisional rivals in the NFL play each other twice, so it is difficult to "own" the rival for the season. I will say that good NFL is incredible. The NFL is at it's best when teams with a bit of a college-type following are playing well. Teams like the Saints and Packers.
It does scare me a bit to go to a giant college stadium and they are playing music that kids listen to so it will be a "pro" staduim experience. I look around and it is a bunch of middle aged folks like me who hate that music. Why do they play it?
I'm afraid if college ball ever goes to a playoff system, they will completely take the college ball atmosphere out of the game. Then what will you have?

 

[bamanut_aj]

I am going to throw something else in that no one has mentioned. The Media. The Media covers college football with much more enthusiasm than the Pro's .... ever notice that? I enjoy watching the prognosticators of college get fired up debating teams just as much as watching the game several days later. Mostly the pro media guys seem boring.

that's because you live in Northeast AL, so of course the media covers the college game more. Nationally, sure, you have College Game Day. On Sunday, you have the CBS pregame show, the Fox pregame show, AND the ESPN pregame show. Listen to Mike and Mike, Cowherd, etc. Sure, they give some love to the college game; but by and large, they give the NFL more coverage......believe it or don't, but the NFL is 'king' despite what some of us in the South think.

And for those who say 'in the NFL, all they care about is themselves', have you watched a college game lately? It's not like the 30's where "I lay it all the line for State University". Kids also base their college decision on playing time, ability to win championships, etc. Yeah, there are some who play at BAMA, barn, etc 'cause they always wanted to. But those stories are fewer and fewer. And OF COURSE the NFL is 'about the money'.....it's their JOB! Do you work for free? Just because the market bears out ridiculous salaries doesn't mean it's any less of a career....so of course it's 'about the money'.

 

[WMack4Bama]

that's because you live in Northeast AL, so of course the media covers the college game more. Nationally, sure, you have College Game Day. On Sunday, you have the CBS pregame show, the Fox pregame show, AND the ESPN pregame show. Listen to Mike and Mike, Cowherd, etc. Sure, they give some love to the college game; but by and large, they give the NFL more coverage......believe it or don't, but the NFL is 'king' despite what some of us in the South think.

And for those who say 'in the NFL, all they care about is themselves', have you watched a college game lately? It's not like the 30's where "I lay it all the line for State University". Kids also base their college decision on playing time, ability to win championships, etc. Yeah, there are some who play at BAMA, barn, etc 'cause they always wanted to. But those stories are fewer and fewer. And OF COURSE the NFL is 'about the money'.....it's their JOB! Do you work for free? Just because the market bears out ridiculous salaries doesn't mean it's any less of a career....so of course it's 'about the money'.

LIKE button please!!

 

[DiamondDust]

It does scare me a bit to go to a giant college stadium and they are playing music that kids listen to so it will be a "pro" staduim experience. I look around and it is a bunch of middle aged folks like me who hate that music. Why do they play it?
I'm afraid if college ball ever goes to a playoff system, they will completely take the college ball atmosphere out of the game. Then what will you have?

Because the "kids" like it, namely the ones we're trying to get to come to the school.

 

[BamaDMD]

that's because you live in Northeast AL, so of course the media covers the college game more. Nationally, sure, you have College Game Day. On Sunday, you have the CBS pregame show, the Fox pregame show, AND the ESPN pregame show. Listen to Mike and Mike, Cowherd, etc. Sure, they give some love to the college game; but by and large, they give the NFL more coverage......believe it or don't, but the NFL is 'king' despite what some of us in the South think.




And for those who say 'in the NFL, all they care about is themselves', have you watched a college game lately? It's not like the 30's where "I lay it all the line for State University". Kids also base their college decision on playing time, ability to win championships, etc. Yeah, there are some who play at BAMA, barn, etc 'cause they always wanted to. But those stories are fewer and fewer. And OF COURSE the NFL is 'about the money'.
....it's their JOB! Do you work for free? Just because the market bears out ridiculous s
alaries doesn't mean it's any less of a career....so of course it's 'about the money'.

I'm not talking about amount of coverage. I am speaking of the enthusiasm in how it is covered. My point is the guys sitting around and covering the NFL talk like a bunch of stuffed shirts discussing business.

 

[WMack4Bama]

Because the "kids" like it, namely the ones we're trying to get to come to the school.

Yup. Them AND the ones that are already on the team. There's obviously a stark contrast between music taste of 18-20 year olds and 50+ year olds. It happens.

I grew up on hip hop. I could listen to it from the time I woke up to the time I went to bed. But now that I'm older with a wife, kids, and bills, I can stomach SOME of that (bumpty bump music, as my mother used to call it), but for the most part, whatever music I'm listening to (hip hop or otherwise), I'm needing that music to relax; to take my mind to a calmer place.

I would imagine that the music played over the PA system is an effort to get the players and the crowd amped, if you will. And while I can appreciate a Steely Dan or a Lady Antebellum track, I'm not so sure that either would inspire me to a) play like a champion or b) scream myself hoarse

 

[DiamondDust]

I'm not talking about amount of coverage. I am speaking of the enthusiasm in how it is covered. My point is the guys sitting around and covering the NFL talk like a bunch of stuffed shirts discussing business.

Because it is a business... a multi-billion dollar one at that.

 

[BamaDMD]

Because it is a business... a multi-billion dollar one at that.

Right, that is why I like college over pro..... Not that I am anti business, just not as entertaining to me.

 

[WMack4Bama]

Because it [the NFL] is a business... a multi-billion dollar one at that.

Right, that is why I like college over pro..... Not that I am anti business, just not as entertaining to me.

Click me

Division 1-A football is a $2 billion-a-year business, a 25% increase in the past four years, thanks to sweeter TV contracts and bigger bowl payouts.

 

[DrollTide]

Pro is a whole level above College in terms of athleticism. That should make it a "superior product", but I don't give a durn tootin about any of the teams. I am 95% likely to surf around Pro games during commercial breaks, but 100% likely to watch a Bama game from cover to cover.

 

[Roll Tide Roll 17]

I love both.

Game day in the NFL can be just as good as a college game.

I love going to Pittsburgh.

 

[BAMA1979]

Perhaps I can draw an analogy.

I've been to numerous baseball games. I've been to maybe 3 NBA games.

Which was more entertaining? BY FAR the NBA.

Which do I watch much more often? MLB.

I don't even watch the NBA Finals on TV. I haven't watched a regular season basketball game......well, ever that I can remember except when I was in the stands for it.

I was at the Georgia Dome record attendance when Jordan came. The entertainment during breaks was phenomenal. I went to a Mavs-Spurs pre-season game about four years ago - fantastic.

And I'd still rather watch baseball than b-ball.

Maybe it's the same with the NFL and college. Boneheaded mistakes are rarer in the NFL (which is part of why we recall them more often - they change history). For example, there have been 5 or so occurences of fifth downs in college football.

Have you ever heard of one in the NFL? I haven't. (There may have been one but I haven't heard of it - no national championship was ever enabled by a Fifth Down call, let me put it that way).

The NFL players on the whole are the best of the best - superior to the college players if they met head-to-head. The NFL has a great product.

And yet if you asked me which I'd rather watch......unless it's the playoffs I'd rather see the Apple Cup than an NFL game.

You are a better man than me (which I don't doubt) if you can watch baseball and/or the Apple Cup. I guess I could watch the Apple Cup, but that's only if my only other option was baseball. :biggrin2:

 

[subherbanite]

I like the NFL a tad more because the rules are the same across the board(or supposed to be). Each team has the same amount of money to spend, your schedule rotates with only 2 games based on your seed within your division and of course there's the draft. However, I can always count on College Football so its really 1 and 1a for me.

 

[Al A Bama]

I honestly don't really like watching the NFL. The playoffs and the Superbowl are much more interesting than the regular season games. Maybe my lack of interest is because of watching the Houston Oilers for years. The Texans haven't been any better. Well, maybe this year.

I feel like I have wasted much time in the past watching the Oilers and Texans. So, I try not to waste my time anymore. I may sit and watch a game that has some interest if there is nothing else to do.

It does interest me to watch former Bama players in the NFL. I want all of them to be successful.

College football is the most exciting sport to watch. I think it is the superior product. When I go to see Bama play in Bryant-Denny it's like there's electricity in the air. I have never had that feeling about an NFL team. I also get a similar feeling just watching the Crimson Tide on TV. Ain't nothing better than Bama football.

I really feel that I could go to Ohio State, Michigan, Nebraska, FSU, Florida, Texas, Texas A & M, Georgia, Ole Miss, LSWho, USC, Oregon, Oklahoma, TCU, Stanford, Noter Dumb and many more college campuses and enjoy these teams play much more than any NFL team. However, none of them even compare to watching the Alabama CRIMSON TIDE! The atmosphere at most college games is AWESOME. I can't say that about an NFL game.

Now, obviously players are much superior as athletes in the NFL to those in college. I think many NFL athletes are over paid brats. I'm sure many end up BROKE financially after their careers are over because they don't know how to manage their money. Maybe the high and inequitable salaries is a turn-off.
:BigA:

 

[AIIIGHTTT]

I think the college game is more genuine, and fan friendly.

 

[DiamondDust]

Now, obviously players are much superior as athletes in the NFL to those in college. I think many NFL athletes are over paid brats. I'm sure many end up BROKE financially after their careers are over because they don't know how to manage their money. Maybe the high and inequitable salaries is a turn-off.
:BigA:

Don't think for a second "brats" aren't present in college football. They exist on every team.

 

[Tider n LA]

I like the NFL a tad more because the rules are the same across the board(or supposed to be). Each team has the same amount of money to spend, your schedule rotates with only 2 games based on your seed within your division and of course there's the draft. However, I can always count on College Football so its really 1 and 1a for me.

The NFL does have a salary cap but college doesn't. *U spent way more than anyone last season.

 

[TheRealPokeChop]

Id say it depends on which you prefer, since I have no real stake in the pro game, I'll say college is better, but there are those that dont care about college ball at all and are dedicated to a pro team.

 

[DurdenTider]

I believe a lot of opinions here are based off of not having a NFL team in your area most of your life to the lifetime Alabama peeps. I understand why you pick college b/c I've lived in bama now for 8 years and I'm more involved in the college game too but living in Dallas for as long as I did you can't imagine how great the NFL product is. I love college but I believe the NCAA has made WAAAAY too many mistakes to say that it's a superior product. After all, the NFL is a billion dollar company