http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080801/SPORTS06/80801054/1054
The beginning of August means football is closer. So which one do you like more, college or the NFL?
This is the Jessica Alba vs. Jessica Biel question (Biel). Han Solo vs. Indiana Jones (Indy) or Pizza vs. Beer (Both). I mean how can you possibly go wrong?
We were talking to Jeff Backus on the radio one time and asked him this question and he didn’t even pause. He likes college football much more than the pros. The team he currently plays for may have something to do with that, but that’s not the point. College football was just more fun. The NFL is a business.
And I feel the same way as a fan, which is why I lean towards the NCAA. First of all, the emotion is ridiculous. Being at a rivalry game or watching one of those SEC night games is amazing. I know it sounds corny, but the fans, the cheerleaders, the mascots, the bands, the face-painting all play into it. It’s an event. I’m sure it’s that way for some NFL fans, but the NFL is a game. College football for some is a way of life. I went to a tailgate once in East Lansing where they told me they start every game day at 7 AM. What if it’s a night game, I asked. 7 AM was the answer. That’s the passion of the college football fan.
You also can’t ignore the magnitude of the games. When LSU lost to Kentucky in like ten overtimes last year, their season was OVER! Until they lost to Arkansas on Thanksgiving weekend, then their season was OVER! Until everyone in front of them slipped, and they still snuck in and won it all. Okay, last year was a bad example. But a big win or a big loss can change the entire season. Not so in the NFL where you are alive as long as you make the playoffs. The Giants last year and the Steelers three years ago both a pretty good examples of teams who were above average in the regular season and turned it on in the playoffs. That just makes the games bigger in college football.
Freep.com
8/1/08
