College or NFL, Which is the superior product?

[bamagradinATL]

College football is better because the regular season matters. Teams are trying to be #1 rather than doing just enough to make it to the playoffs.

 

[DiamondDust]

I disagree that the NFL is a better product. I very rarely sit down and watch an entire NFL game from beginning to end (the Super Bowl is the exception). The games are just not as exciting IMO. Too vanilla with play calling and formations, I like the more variety and creativeness of the college game. I can sit there on Saturdays and watch from 10am all the way through the late nigh ESPN game, even if it is 2 C-USA teams.

I think part of the problem I have with the NFL is there strict TV restrictions. I can watch twice as many college games on one Saturday then I can all weekend for NFL games. If your lucky, you might get 3 games on Sunday afternoon, sometimes 4 but, most weeks it seems like it is only 2. Add in the Sunday night and Monday night and that's on average 5 games per weekend. I have that many college games to choose from at 11 am on Saturdays. I don't count Sunday Ticket because it is only on DirecTV and ridiculously over priced IMO.

I watch the NFL because it's there. If the lockout had not ended and the season was canceled, I honestly wouldn't have missed it.

That tends to happen when there is only 32 teams. Yes, you're going to three games (Sometimes four) on the CBS/FOX slate + the NBC game + the ESPN game (And later in the season, the NFL Network Game). But on the low end, that's 10 teams and just under 33% of the league you get to see each week. On the high end, you're looking at a number just over that. The NFL protects their TV product vehemently, and that's why they do the regional broadcast. It's designed to get people to go to the games first. Be lucky you don't live within 70 miles or so of an NFL market... you'd be subject to blackouts.

As for the superior product on the field, it's the NFL, and it isn't even close. I love me some college football, but there's a reason only a select number of college players make it to the league each year.

 

[Giant Squid]

Whichever one you have an emotional connection with.

In my case, college.

 

[kyallie]

College, for me...although my interest has peaked in the NFL to follow Bama rookies.

 

[bamanut_aj]

I disagree that the NFL is a better product. I very rarely sit down and watch an entire NFL game from beginning to end (the Super Bowl is the exception). The games are just not as exciting IMO. Too vanilla with play calling and formations, I like the more variety and creativeness of the college game. I can sit there on Saturdays and watch from 10am all the way through the late nigh ESPN game, even if it is 2 C-USA teams.

I think part of the problem I have with the NFL is there strict TV restrictions. I can watch twice as many college games on one Saturday then I can all weekend for NFL games. If your lucky, you might get 3 games on Sunday afternoon, sometimes 4 but, most weeks it seems like it is only 2. Add in the Sunday night and Monday night and that's on average 5 games per weekend. I have that many college games to choose from at 11 am on Saturdays. I don't count Sunday Ticket because it is only on DirecTV and ridiculously over priced IMO.

I watch the NFL because it's there. If the lockout had not ended and the season was canceled, I honestly wouldn't have missed it.

Play-calling in the NFL is anything but vanilla. Defenses are far more complex in the NFL, thus the reason so many QBs who were great in college struggle at the next level. They only seem vanilla because they are effective.

BTW, I hear ya on the NFL ticket. I lucked out and we just made the switch from cable to Direct, and lo and behold, they're offering the NFL Ticket for free. Hello, awesome Sunday!

 

[DiamondDust]

BTW, I hear ya on the NFL ticket. I lucked out and we just made the switch from cable to Direct, and lo and behold, they're offering the NFL Ticket for free. Hello, awesome Sunday!

That sucks for me... I signed up for Direct last year, paid full for Sunday Ticket (The only reason I got Direct), and now they're running this promotion. Not too thrilled...

But in terms of play calling, the NFL is the ultimate copy cat league. When a coach finds a scheme that starts to work on a big scale (For example: Bill Walsh terrorizing people with the West Coast Offense), everyone and their brother will jump on board and try to implement it. The league still has a large number of teams running some form of Walsh's technique because it's still effective. Sooner or later, though, defenses will catch up, and the next big thing on offense will come about. Right now, the trend is more of the single back offense with 3 wide outs or 2 tight ends on the field.

 

[teamplayer]

I've had discussions with fans about which is more entertaining, college or pro. Watching NFL preseason and noticing all the empty seats got me thinking if Alabama had a preseason game how many would show up to watch. I don't think it'd matter if we played LSU or McNeese St. the place would be packed right? Think about it, we are starved for any tidbit of information we can get on our team. Over 90,000 show up for a spring practice. I realize this is Alabama and we have nothing better to do according to outsiders but what do you say?

Yes, there are many colleges who don't get fans to show up, too. However, for my money, college football is wonderful, and I no longer give a rip about professional sports.

 

[DiamondDust]

I've had discussions with fans about which is more entertaining, college or pro. Watching NFL preseason and noticing all the empty seats got me thinking if Alabama had a preseason game how many would show up to watch. I don't think it'd matter if we played LSU or McNeese St. the place would be packed right? Think about it, we are starved for any tidbit of information we can get on our team. Over 90,000 show up for a spring practice. I realize this is Alabama and we have nothing better to do according to outsiders but what do you say?

There's a big difference between going to a spring game for free and then getting charged full price to go to a preseason game where starters will play a half, at most (The 3rd preseason game). Season ticket holders don't appreciate the fact they have to purchase the preseason games with their regular ticket package.

 

[bamanut_aj]

That sucks for me... I signed up for Direct last year, paid full for Sunday Ticket (The only reason I got Direct), and now they're running this promotion. Not too thrilled...

But in terms of play calling, the NFL is the ultimate copy cat league. When a coach finds a scheme that starts to work on a big scale (For example: Bill Walsh terrorizing people with the West Coast Offense), everyone and their brother will jump on board and try to implement it. The league still has a large number of teams running some form of Walsh's technique because it's still effective. Sooner or later, though, defenses will catch up, and the next big thing on offense will come about. Right now, the trend is more of the single back offense with 3 wide outs or 2 tight ends on the field.

it's a quarterback's league, so you gotta run what you gotta run. Add to that, the silly contact rules that hamstrings the defense, and you can really make your offense shine with the right guys!

My fear with Direct is that this is a one time deal and next year, they'll expect me to buy the NFL Ticket, which I will NOT do! Wifey won't let me get the Extra Innings package, so I know the Ticket will be a no-go!

 

[Shortround]

College Football. The NFL has the superior talent, but it's so polished that it loses that human quality that I identify with.

 

[kyallie]

it's a quarterback's league, so you gotta run what you gotta run. Add to that, the silly contact rules that hamstrings the defense, and you can really make your offense shine with the right guys!

My fear with Direct is that this is a one time deal and next year, they'll expect me to buy the NFL Ticket, which I will NOT do! Wifey won't let me get the Extra Innings package, so I know the Ticket will be a no-go!

They price those package's too high! Based on ticket prices it's OK I guess,but I think they should tier the pkg. and also charge the more expensive pkg to in market , and cheaper price to out of market, they would sell more that way, IMO. I live about 125 miles from Nashville, Cincinnati, an Idianapolis.


BTW I like College much better!

 

[CullmanTide]

There's a big difference between going to a spring game for free and then getting charged full price to go to a preseason game where starters will play a half, at most (The 3rd preseason game). Season ticket holders don't appreciate the fact they have to purchase the preseason games with their regular ticket package.

They have only 2 home preseason games. We have Kent St. that could be considered a preseason game. It will be a packed house and the starters will play a half. Fans will drop a load of cash and few will complain.

 

[Cleburne]

My vote is on college, RTR!!

 

[CrimsonBleedRed]

College football is quite sloppy in comparison.

Maybe in general college football is sloppier then the NFL but when you have a team that is well coached in college (for example Alabama, or OU) they are as good of a product as the NFL.

For me the BIGGEST difference between the two is that when it comes to college football there is a certain excitement that comes with it on game week (watch game thread when the Kent State game thread gets put up). That excitment is similar to a kid waking on Christmas morning. That is an excitement the NFL can't match on a consistant basis. The only time the NFL can muster that excitement is around the time of the conference championship games/Super Bowl.

I don't believe there is a right or wrong answer to this debate, tho. I like both versions of football. If we want to have a serious debate on football maybe we should try the old Arena Football .v. Canadian Football conversation. :cool2:

 

[BamaFossil]

The answer to the OP's question is in the eyes of the beholder. To me, "superior product", when the topic is football, means more than just the ability of athletes to execute their plays and perform their specific role on the team. The intangible - the factor advertising executives would sell their souls to grasp - is the emotional involvement of the fan. I count myself as one for whom college football touches emotions. I can watch a college football game involving any of perhaps 50 or 60 teams and find a reason to pull for one to win and one to lose. Not so for pro ball.

I've tried to convince myself I'm a Ravens fan. Ozzie and so forth. But the truth is I haven't watched a pro game (other than the Super Bowl) in several years. TBD if I watch any this year. As I type this, I'm thinking I'd like to watch Ingram, Jones, Darius, Carpenter, McElroy, etc. play at the next level and will try to remember to tune in for a game. Maybe I'll find that emotional involvement for pro football. I doubt it though.

 

[CrimsonBleedRed]

I think the question should be: if you had a choice between having Saturday or Sunday off to watch football which day would you chose? My choice would be Saturday.

 

[WMack4Bama]

Count me in the number of one who LOVES both. I don't understand how one could like one without liking the other. The positives of the college game have been discussed ad nauseum, but here's my case for the pros.

I enjoy watching anyone who is a master at his/her craft; someone who does what they do better than anyone else. Like watching pre-scandal Tiger Woods, Bob Villa, Stevie Wonder, Jeanette Lee, etc...

I grew up (and I still am) a 49ers fan. I got to watch (for my money) the best football player to ever lace up cleats in Jerry Rice. I count myself privileged to watch Peyton Manning in his prime. What he does every Sunday is MASTERFUL. Watching a Dick LeBeau zone blitz package is a thing of beauty. And the real life drama that goes along with it. Wow.Three that I can think of off the top of my head: 1. Brett Favre's (despite what you think about him) performance on Monday night on the same day that his father passed. 2. Chad OchoCinco's (despite what you might feel about him) emotional TD catch/performance after the untimely death of his teammate and close friend Chris Henry 3. The Baltimore Univ. of Miami alumni (Ray Lewis, Ed Reed, Willis McGahee) performance against the undefeated NE Patriots the day after their former fraternity brother Sean Taylor was killed in a home invasion.

I could go on...Are they overpaid? Probably. But whatever. The NBA I can understand how people can love college more than the pros. Although I love the NBA, I get frustrated watching it sometimes because athleticism often gets more attention than actual basketball IQ and fundamentals. But Again, I struggle to see how someone can call themselves a FOOTBALL fan and not like the NFL. The product is unmatched.

I know most fans usually like one or the other. Hardly do I ever see someone who follows both.

I hate the NFL, but I know a lot of people especially in the north love it. I guess if you're the type of fan who likes to watch clean, mistake free football, then the NFL is definitely better. I usually can't even sit through a whole NFL game. Like others have said, the atmosphere of the college game is unmatched, and the NFL doesn't compare. I know there is a lot more mistakes, but that's what makes the games exciting IMO.

 

[MobtownK]

Definitely college. While the talent is better in the NFL, the players seem out for themselves. In college, football has heart, & loyalty. The tradition of it.
Part of it may be what people grew up with. Growing up in Alabama, there was no pro team anywhere near, why even follow it? People that grow up in Chicago, Dallas, etc probably feel much differently.

 

[WMack4Bama]

That sentiment is overblown..seriously. It's not like there haven't been instances in college where this has happened too. Even in our program

Definitely college. While the talent is better in the NFL, the players seem out for themselves. In college, football has heart, & loyalty. The tradition of it.
Part of it may be what people grew up with. Growing up in Alabama, there was no pro team anywhere near, why even follow it? People that grow up in Chicago, Dallas, etc probably feel much differently.

 

[BamaDMD]

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.