Why I love college football but don't care for basketball

[colbysullivan]

College basketball isn’t watchable in the regular season, as it’s largely irrelevant. The tournament is “exciting” if you’re into that thing but the best team in the field rarely wins.

 

[RollTide_HTTR]

I like college basketball. I think the regular season definitely still matters and winning the regular season conference title is a significant accomplishment. And obviously bracket seeding matters.

I also love that a nobody can theoretically win it all. I do think this final 4 is pretty underwhelming but this is an outlier.

Its not as good as football or soccer but basketball is a pretty fun sport to watch IMO. Definitely my number 3 sport to watch and college basketball is better than regular season NBA.

 

[mrusso]

In basketball the winner is the tournament champion, not necessarily the best team. Lots of factors can play into winning a tournament. Injuries, fatigue, peaking at the right time, officiating, coaches slated to leave, etc. It does seem to make the whole body of work meaningless though. We're sort of headed that way with football. With expansion, I don't necessarily see a 12 seed winning it all, but I can definitely see a lower seed knocking out a Bama, Ohio State, etc due to something silly.

With a 12-team playoff this year an 11-1 OSU (who should have beat Geargia) might have played a 10-3 Kansas State in round 1. Very possibly an upset in the making right there thus eliminating one of the true contenders. So again, you become a tournament, or in this case a playoff champion. I believe they call it that now don't they?

 

[selmaborntidefan]

I know a lot of people will STRONGLY condemn me for this, but this season is a perfect example of why I love college football but no longer care for basketball. Since Bama was doing so well in basketball, I thought why not give it another try this season. And my frustration is not that Bama got eliminated in the Sweet Sixteen, Its that the BEST team that made the final four is a 4 seed.

There are a bunch of assumptions in that statement, though.

I agree with the rest of what you're saying - but this whole "well, the best team is a 4 seed" ASSUMES a lot of things that aren't necessarily true.

Btw - UCONN beat #1 overall seed Alabama by 15 points back in November, so it's not like that seeding automatically means a lot.

The regular season is nearly pointless, other than making money. A few teams KILL IT during the regular season, but at the end are exhausted or for other reasons are just not up to it, and teams that were ranked roughly 15 or worse at the end of the season end up taking home the trophy.

As a reminder, Alabama's best tournament year (2004) came when we went 8-8 in the SEC, 17-12 overall - but we beat the #1 overall seed, Stanford, who were 26-0 before losing their last regular season game and 30-1 when they played us.

But here's the thing: I saw a few Stanford games that year and while, yes, they were winning - it was obvious even to an idiot like me they were MASSIVELY overrated.

Maybe the truth nobody wants to admit is....maybe we were simply overrated.

Stanford absolutely was in 2004. That doesn't minimize that Alabama team's accomplishment, though.

 

[selmaborntidefan]

In basketball the winner is the tournament champion, not necessarily the best team.

Sounds a lot like:
- the NFL
- the NBA
- the NHL
- MLB
- FA Cup winner

to me.

 

[crimsonaudio]

College basketball is precisely what happens when the playoffs become 'too big' - it's all the average fan cares about anymore.

 

[AWRTR]

Sounds a lot like:
- the NFL
- the NBA
- the NHL
- MLB
- FA Cup winner

to me.

The NBA, NHL, and MLB often wind up with the best team winning due to the multiple-game series format. It makes it harder for cinderella to find the slipper. It happens sometimes, but it's more likely in a one off game.

 

[TNBama]

This should be on the basketball board. All of the comments are about hoops.

I almost put it on basketball, but since I was comparing it to football and how the differences push me to football, I decided to post it here. But I could see why you may move it.

 

[Tidelines]

I’m a football fan and a baseball fan after that. There is no one on one battle that matches that of a good pitcher facing a good hitter. That is baseball’s appeal to me. It is slow, but not boring. Basketball is a great sport also. Just like the other two more.

 

[TNBama]

I agree that with sports with a double elimination tournaments it helps ensure a more quality team wins. And I do like that format better. But with football being so physical and recovery being so important between games, I just don't see double elimination being feasible with football. So for single elimination, 12 is more than enough. I still believe "making the tournament" should be very big deal. I know it will go down that expansion path of more teams, but I dread it.

 

[dayhiker]

I've just about gotten to the point where I enjoy watching Bama basketball more than Bama football.

 

[DzynKingRTR]

College basketball is precisely what happens when the playoffs become 'too big' - it's all the average fan cares about anymore.

The college football playoff is heading down this road at light speed.

 

[CrimsonBloodn62]

I've just about gotten to the point where I enjoy watching Bama basketball more than Bama football.

Petey Golding and BoB had lots of people frustrated watching Bama football over the last couple of years. Noticed the complaint thread on game days.

 

[crimsonaudio]

The college football playoff is heading down this road at light speed.

That's the warning.

 

[CajunCrimson]

I've just about gotten to the point where I enjoy watching Bama basketball more than Bama football.

I think I’ve always been that way. You just get to see more of the personality in basketball. It’s a much more intimate sport.

 

[CrimsonEyeshade]

My fondest sports memories from college -- with the exception of my first Alabama-Auburn game at Legion Field -- are all basketball.

 

[HighlandOak]

The change allowing ... carrying the ball (and traveling) are what turned me away

Every single player in today's game would have been called for carrying the ball back when I playing in high school and college, many years ago. I can't stand to watch.

 

[seebell]

I love college basketball and I watch every chance I get. I will definitely be watching the Final Four.
I would watch Alabama if they lost every game. So there!!

 

[twofbyc]

Every single player in today's game would have been called for carrying the ball back when I playing in high school and college, many years ago. I can't stand to watch.

Same here - it ain’t the game we played back then (I didn’t play in college).The PTB opted for violent excitement rather than the pleasure of watching highly skilled players rely on quickness, speed and split-second reactions.
I haven’t watched a basketball game, live or in person, in more years than I can count.
When Cliff Ellis was at South Alabama, I took my son to 15-20 games over several years. I never saw anything back then that resembles today’s game.

 

[BamaMoon]

I know a lot of people will STRONGLY condemn me for this, but this season is a perfect example of why I love college football but no longer care for basketball. Since Bama was doing so well in basketball, I thought why not give it another try this season. And my frustration is not that Bama got eliminated in the Sweet Sixteen, Its that the BEST team that made the final four is a 4 seed. The regular season is nearly pointless, other than making money. A few teams KILL IT during the regular season, but at the end are exhausted or for other reasons are just not up to it, and teams that were ranked roughly 15 or worse at the end of the season end up taking home the trophy. For goodness sake, a team with a 14-21 record made it to the championship tournament!!!! I know basketball fans love that concept, but I want each game to count. God forbid the tournament for football ever expands to even a QUARTER to what basketball is. Okay, let the condemnation begin (sigh) . . . .

Selma I think you are concentrating more/giving more attention to the type of "season/tournament" than you are to the type of "game" which contrasts the two sports.

Obviously one difference in football and basketball is the time needed between games, but it's not just the amount/frequency of games but the other differences in the games that make football so much more predictable than basketball. Just 2 or 3 that stand out:

1. The fact it's played in 6-8 seconds spans we call "plays" is so different from basketball yet the clock keeps running when nothing is happening. Yet, during that time in between plays coaches/players can make adjustments. That really can't happen in basketball.

2. The fact there are 11 players on the field but just 1 or 2 or 3 of them are the only ones who touch the ball every play is so different than basketball. Not to mention that the QB is the single biggest difference maker on the best teams. In short, it's just easier IMO to build predictable and dominate teams in football around all the nuances of the game compared to basketball.