College Vs. Pro Football

I read a bit on ESPN.com recently arguing which was the better of the two sports, college football or professional football?

Personally, I think this is a dumb argument to get into with any sport, because the college and pro games are completely different. There are reasons why the likes of Eric Crouch, Raghib Ismail, and Ty Detmer weren't stars at the pro level like they were in college.

When it comes to the overall talent, experience, consistency, and "professionalism," then the NFL has the upperhand and why? It's the National Football League. It'd be like comparing a high school government to the federal. Wait, nevermind, that's a bad example. It'd be like comparing a veteran at any job to a rookie in the field. Players in the NFL play football for a living. That is their job, their employment, how they put food on the table. College players, at least not legally, can do that. They're also busy attending classes (hopefully), partying at the frat houses, and making critical life decisions in regard to their future. So, in my mind, we can't compare the two when it comes to the level of football that is played.

What can be compared is the fun factor and entertainment value involved in the two sports. That is where I think the college game has the upperhand on the pros.

First off, there are many more games played on a weekly basis at the college level. There are only 32 teams in the NFL. Most all the games are played on Sunday at either 12 PM CST and 3 PM CST, with one game played at 7 PM CST that evening and one played on Monday night at 8 PM CST. In college? There are games on Thursdays, Fridays, and the majority played on Saturdays. What time? Pick one: 11 AM, 12 PM, 1 PM, 2 PM, 3 PM, 4 PM, 6 PM, all the way until some night games which can start at 9 or 10 PM. For the true football addict, College Football Saturdays are a dose of heaven.

Secondly, there's just something about the game of college football that makes it seem more genuine and true to the love of the game as opposed to something else. Pros get paid millions on an annual basis to play a game, where college players do it for the love of the game (and scholarships and to perhaps reach the pros). It's more fun and exciting for me to watch these kids play because they want to and love the game than to watch some guys play because it's their job and pays the bills.

Rivalries are also more fun at the college level. Sure, there's always the New York battle between the Jets and the Giants, the Chiefs and Broncos, the Panthers and Falcons, even the Colts and Patriots, but those rivalries pale in comparison to the ones in college. College pranks played every year, trophies or little brown jugs won and held up in victory, and that one team on a schedule that the coach and kids circle every single year brings a certain intensity to the game and a fun atmosphere to go along with it. Oklahoma State may be the less talented of the two, but when they matchup with the Oklahoma Sooners, especially if the game's in Stillwater, the Sooners better watch out! Records are irrelevant with rivalry games in college. If an unbeaten Texas squad faces off against a 6-5 Texas A&M club, A&M is going to play just as hard as the 'Horns for sixty minutes and will give them everything they can muster to pull off the upset.

Finally, as much as I like to complain about the bowl system in college, there is one positive to it. What's that? More football games. In the pros, there are eleven total playoff games. How many bowl games were there a year ago? Over 30? While I think they should infiltrate a playoff system into college football, I also don't think they should do away with the bowl games to teams like Navy and Rutgers last year for having fine seasons.

While understandably so, the NFL has the better quality football, when it comes to the fun factor and entertainment value, the college game reigns supreme.