Maybe it's just me...

[Guest Kotzenjunge]

Is the interest in football(high school, college, professional) at an all-time high? I honestly can't remember a year like this when people were at a fever pitch for college and professional action. High School level play is also getting bigger than before(at least around here). Maybe it's the strike talk coming from baseball or the Laker Show in the NBA that's turning people from those two sports, I dunno.

 

All I know is that I have never found myself more excited for the weekends than I am these days. I fear the Super Bowl, because after that we all plunge into months of darkness again.

 

Fo sheez,

Kotzenjunge

[Guest razazteca]

I thought you knew that Football is considered a religion, in Texas. You are from Abliene right?

 

Anyway the NFL is more exciting than ever now that there are no favorite winners for the big game, as 70% of the teams have a chance of going to the superbowl. Its not like Baseball where its been the Yankees winning every year or like NBA where the Lakers walk all over the Spurs every year.

 

sorry but Lions, Bengals, Cheifs, Texans, Seahawks, Ravens are just jobbers

[Guest Kotzenjunge]

Nope, I'm from Charleston, SC. Kinetic's from Abliene. Football is still huge around South Carolina though, believe you me. As soon as NASCAR is done, Football will be the religion of everyone, as opposed to the split between football and NASCAR on Sundays.

 

The problem is that whenever I wear any Tennessee stuff, people assume the orange is for Clemson. I don't mind Clemson, but I HATE USC(South Carolina, not Southern California).

 

Fo sheez,

Kotzenjunge

[Guest Kingpk]

Well, let's go through the other major sports one by one:

 

Baseball: the constant strike talk every time the CBA comes up and the fact that teams are eliminated from the playoffs by July hurts. Plus, the season is just too damn long.

 

Basketball: Too much emphasis on individual players and the domination by the Lakers and, in the 90s, Bulls turns some people off.

 

Hockey: Just doesn't have much of a following in the States, sorry Canada.

 

Soccer: see hockey.

 

I guess it's because games are only played 2 days a week for about 5 months and there is MAJOR emphasis on team play. I dunno.

[Guest alkeiper]

I don't see the big attraction with college football. Blowouts abound and most teams have no hope of winning the national championship. They really need revenue sharing and they should contract non-competitive teams like Nebraska.

[Guest Leena]

Football has been huge every year, in every place I've lived. I don't think the near strike, or any other sports have to do with football. It's just that the NFL seems to be bigger, and more popular every year.

[Guest Agent of Oblivion]

I don't see the big attraction with college football. Blowouts abound and most teams have no hope of winning the national championship. They really need revenue sharing and they should contract non-competitive teams like Nebraska.

I love college football slaughters. If I want parity, I'll watch the NFL. This is going to be an awesome season, methinks. Bears are 2-0, Rams are 0-2, and the Packers ain't a threat. what could be better?

[Guest Kotzenjunge]

Okay, that was just to get a reaction out of me.

 

Fo sheez,

Kotzenjunge

[Guest Lethargic]

I don't see the big attraction with college football. Blowouts abound and most teams have no hope of winning the national championship. They really need revenue sharing and they should contract non-competitive teams like Nebraska.

Me neither. Why would I want to watch a bunch of amateurs on Saturday when I can watch the professionals on Sunday? And since I didn't get to college, why would I care? It's just glorified high school football to me. So if I didn't go to a college what reason is there to watch? If I went to a college I'd have a reason to watch. To cheer for my school. But without that, I don't get it, never have, never will.

 

As far as baseball. They call it the national pass-time for a reason. It's a way to pass time during the summer until the real sports start in the fall.

[Agent_Bond34 0]

Why would I want to watch a bunch of amateurs on Saturday when I can watch the professionals on Sunday?

It's football, that alone is reason to watch, or at least in my opinion. Doesn't matter if it is the pros, or the college boys, the sake of watching the sport itself is good enough reason to watch. Then again, that's my opinion.

[Guest Smell the ratings!!!]

Much as I love the NFL, i think college and high school football are steaming piles of dung. Why should I watch a bunch of kids who either don't know what the hell they are doing, or just suck balls?

 

Let's see:

 

I could watch Kurt Warner try to use the best weapons in football to beat Bellichek, an official genius on defense, coaching a very tough, experienced team that makes all the right desicions

 

or:

 

I could watch Byron Leftwich wing 60 bombs over the heads of a bunch of kids in my physics class. Of course, his recievers are also his math tutors, so they'll only catch about half of them, so I guess it's even.

[Guest Kotzenjunge]

A large part of college's appeal is because they aren't professionals. They're playing without being paid for it, because they want to. Another appeal of college football is that unless you live in Alaska, you have some local team to root for. As hard as college may be, there are an assload of them(117 in I-A alone!), which means you don't nessecarily have to root for some large metropolitan area you don't even live in. Another part of college's appeal is that "it's just a game" is believed MUCH more on the college level. Games are more consistenly sold out, and each team having a fight song and marching band just adds to the atmosphere.

 

Fo sheez,

Kotzenjunge

[Guest alkeiper]

I could watch Byron Leftwich wing 60 bombs over the heads of a bunch of kids in my physics class. Of course, his recievers are also his math tutors, so they'll only catch about half of them, so I guess it's even.

 

My Alma Matter's High School Football team went 1-10 last year, and they split the school district in half. The new PM West Panthers are 0-3, and in that time they've been outscored 138-0. Its almost comical. Maybe they'll score this week. Hopefully during the game, cause they sure as hell won't after.

 

As for the pros, my problem is that I work all day Sunday, so right off the bat I can't watch most of the games. How am I supposed to follow a sport like that?

[Guest Kahran Ramsus]

I don't see the big attraction with college football. Blowouts abound and most teams have no hope of winning the national championship. They really need revenue sharing and they should contract non-competitive teams like Nebraska.

 

I agree. It's almost as bad as Major League Baseball.

[Guest Mad the Swine]

Professional football lacks personality. I watch it, but it doesn't grip me as much.

 

I say this as only one team from each of the three levels that I cheer for is actually any good. My high school alma mater hopes to win a game this year. We've had one state appearance in our 48 year history and have an all-time winning percentage of about 40%. My collegiate team is Georgia, who's overrated this year, but still a winning program. Professionally, it's the Falcons and there's just no hope for them.

 

Non-professional football just has that aura. There's little parity, so upsets loom larger. There's the pieces that make it unique: the Old Oaken Bucket, Paul Bunyan's Ax, UGA, Bevo, the Sooner Schooner...

 

And finally, it doesn't have that new announcer that's on Fox. On Sunday he (Brian, I think) said after Jay Feely's miss:

 

Field goals have always been a problem for the Falcons. Just look at Gary Anderson's miss in 1998.

 

Uh, Gary Anderson helped the Falcons. He was a Viking. Dork.

[Guest razazteca]

college football to me is just glorified popularity contest, well Division I-A is. There is no real champion, without a playoff system and the BCS is not the answer.

 

my college is Division 3-A and made the 2nd round of playoffs a few years ago.

[Guest El Hijo Del Lunatic]

Me neither. Why would I want to watch a bunch of amateurs on Saturday when I can watch the professionals on Sunday? And since I didn't get to college, why would I care? It's just glorified high school football to me. So if I didn't go to a college what reason is there to watch? If I went to a college I'd have a reason to watch. To cheer for my school. But without that, I don't get it, never have, never will.

 

Firstly, don't judge college football until you GET to a game. Seriously, find the biggest college football stadium you can, get there on a GameDay nice and early, bring a few cases of beer and a little grill, and just tailgate your fool asses off. There's nothing like being in a stadium with over 100,000 people in it, cheering, screaming, yelling, and just wilding out, because no one gives a fuck around you. Second, I'm a big time NFL fan, but it just looks like more fun to play in college. The emotion is genuine - college players celebrate in the end zone because they're happy, they don't dance to look cool. Third, there's just so much stuff you can see in college football you can't see in the pros - stuff like the wishbone, the option, the 4-4 defense. How can you NOT love stuff like that?

 

Much as I love the NFL, i think college and high school football are steaming piles of dung. Why should I watch a bunch of kids who either don't know what the hell they are doing, or just suck balls?

 

I've ALWAYS had a problem with the emphasis placed on high school football in many areas. There is NO FUCKING NEED to put pressure on a bunch of 15, 16, and 17 year old kids over a football game. I really could go on forever about how much I hate the attention that high school sports ge, but I won't. If anyone wants em to, I will, but no one wants to hear THAT rant.

 

My Alma Matter's High School Football team went 1-10 last year, and they split the school district in half. The new PM West Panthers are 0-3, and in that time they've been outscored 138-0.

 

Geez, with all the kids they're getting from Jersey and NYC, you'd think that they'd be able to field a competitive team. (Whoops, sorry, a little Pennsylvania high school talk)

 

college football to me is just glorified popularity contest, well Division I-A is. There is no real champion, without a playoff system and the BCS is not the answer.

 

Hey, I wish they'd do a playoff too, but there are some people who'd love to let debates like "Penn State or Nebraska in '94" RAGE ON OUTTA CONTROL. Which is fine with me, because my buddies and I can sit and talk about teams being underrated or overrated in college football all the time, and never be proven wrong about it. Personally, if they're not going to go to a playoff format, I'd prefer that the NCAA drop the BCS. It's easier to blame writers for arbitrary rankings than blame numbers, even if the numbers are based on arbitrary and/or flawed premises.

 

LUNATIC

- Pimpin' ho's and clockin' a grip like my name was Dolemite.

[Guest alkeiper]

Geez, with all the kids they're getting from Jersey and NYC, you'd think that they'd be able to field a competitive team. (Whoops, sorry, a little Pennsylvania high school talk)

 

At this point, I think they'd be happy with a team, period.

[Guest Lethargic]

A large part of college's appeal is because they aren't professionals. They're playing without being paid for it, because they want to.

You actually think those kids don't get paid? haha

[Guest Lethargic]

<i>Firstly, don't judge college football until you GET to a game. Seriously, find the biggest college football stadium you can, get there on a GameDay nice and early, bring a few cases of beer and a little grill, and just tailgate your fool asses off. There's nothing like being in a stadium with over 100,000 people in it, cheering, screaming, yelling, and just wilding out, because no one gives a fuck around you.</i>

 

So you think it's fun to sit around 100,000 drunk rednecks watching two teams that you don't care anything about play mediocre football? No thanks.

 

<i>Second, I'm a big time NFL fan, but it just looks like more fun to play in college. The emotion is genuine - college players celebrate in the end zone because they're happy, they don't dance to look cool. </i>

 

Yeah because a) they suck and this is the only time they'll ever get to celebrate or b) their good and all they're thinking is...woo hoo my NFL draft position just went up!

 

<I>Third, there's just so much stuff you can see in college football you can't see in the pros - stuff like the wishbone, the option, the 4-4 defense. How can you NOT love stuff like that?</i>

 

I'd love it if there was a reason for it. If I went to college and had a team to support I'd be all for it. Or if there was even a reason for this sport to exist. In other words, a championship. Otherwise you're watching a bunch of people playing for nothing except a NFL draft slot.

[Guest El Hijo Del Lunatic]

So you think it's fun to sit around 100,000 drunk rednecks watching two teams that you don't care anything about play mediocre football? No thanks.

 

Wow. Do you really think that's what a college football crowd is like, or are you just trying to be cynical for the sake of being cynical?

 

Trust me, college football is a good time. Find a couple friends to go with you. Bring your grill, a football, and some beer. Get to the stadium early. Talk to the people tailgating next to you. Get into the stadium 15 minutes before kickoff. Sit near enough to the student section that you can feel like part of it without actually BEING in the student section. Watch some good football. Go hoarse from cheering - not because you want a team to win necessarily, but because the kids are actually TRYING and deserve cheers when they get it right. Buy nachos. Talk to the people in seats around you. "Hey, how about that play?" Check out the cheerleaders. Don't leave until the final seconds have ticked off the clock, and then don't be afraid to hang out in the parking lot afterward. That's college football, baby.

 

Yeah because a) they suck and this is the only time they'll ever get to celebrate or b) their good and all they're thinking is...woo hoo my NFL draft position just went up!

 

There are a TON of good football players that really would never make it as an NFL player for whatever reason. Charlie Ward was a hell of a college football player, but never an NFL prospect because he was too small to be a prototypical NFL quarterback. Lawrence Phillips was a hell of a college football player too, but didn't have the mentality to play in the NFL. Major Applewhite didn't have the size either, but that doesn't mean he wasn't the smartest quarterback around when he played. Gino Torretta thrived in a system, just like Tommie Frazier and Eric Crouch. There are only five Heisman trophy winners that start for an NFL team currently - Eddie George, Charles Woodson, Vinny Testaverde, Tim Brown, and Ricky Williams. Are you telling me that the other 11 can't play football at a high level? (To be fair, 10 - Barry Sanders is one of them).

 

I'd love it if there was a reason for it. If I went to college and had a team to support I'd be all for it. Or if there was even a reason for this sport to exist. In other words, a championship. Otherwise you're watching a bunch of people playing for nothing except a NFL draft slot.

 

What's wrong with that if the football's good?

 

LUNATIC

- Pimpin' ho's and clockin' a grip like my name was Dolemite.

[Guest El Satanico]

So you think it's fun to sit around 100,000 drunk rednecks watching two teams that you don't care anything about play mediocre football? No thanks.

No no...you're thinking of Nascar races.

[Guest Lethargic]

Wow. Do you really think that's what a college football crowd is like, or are you just trying to be cynical for the sake of being cynical?

 

That's not what I think. That's what I know. I've never seen anything to prove me different.

 

Trust me, college football is a good time. Find a couple friends to go with you. Bring your grill, a football, and some beer. Get to the stadium early. Talk to the people tailgating next to you. Get into the stadium 15 minutes before kickoff. Sit near enough to the student section that you can feel like part of it without actually BEING in the student section. Watch some good football. Go hoarse from cheering - not because you want a team to win necessarily, but because the kids are actually TRYING and deserve cheers when they get it right. Buy nachos. Talk to the people in seats around you. "Hey, how about that play?" Check out the cheerleaders. Don't leave until the final seconds have ticked off the clock, and then don't be afraid to hang out in the parking lot afterward. That's college football, baby.

 

This whole paragraph is pretty much a list of everything I hate about going to sports events.

[Guest Kingpk]

So you think it's fun to sit around 100,000 drunk rednecks watching two teams that you don't care anything about play mediocre football?  No thanks.

No no...you're thinking of Nascar races.

Actually, I think he's talking about an XFL game, just replace "100,000" with "100".

[Guest El Hijo Del Lunatic]

That's not what I think. That's what I know. I've never seen anything to prove me different.

 

Believe me, there's plenty out there to "prove you different". You need to look a bit harder.

 

This whole paragraph is pretty much a list of everything I hate about going to sports events.

 

Then what IS good about going to sporting events?

 

LUNATIC

- Pimpin' ho's and clockin' a grip like my name was Dolemite.

[Guest Lethargic]

Going to the game and being able to cheer for your team. Not hanging out with a bunch of morons that have been drinking beer since 9am.

[Guest El Hijo Del Lunatic]

Going to the game and being able to cheer for your team. Not hanging out with a bunch of morons that have been drinking beer since 9am.

 

But what if you don't live near your team? Say, for example, your college football is UCLA and you live in the Northeast. Do you just become a shut-in on Saturdays? If someone you know offers you a ticket, do you tell them "no, because my team's not playing?" Or do you go and just not enjoy the game?

 

LUNATIC

- Pimpin' ho's and clockin' a grip like my name was Dolemite.

[Guest danielisthor]

A large part of college's appeal is because they aren't professionals. They're playing without being paid for it, because they want to. Another appeal of college football is that unless you live in Alaska, you have some local team to root for. As hard as college may be, there are an assload of them(117 in I-A alone!), which means you don't nessecarily have to root for some large metropolitan area you don't even live in. Another part of college's appeal is that "it's just a game" is believed MUCH more on the college level. Games are more consistenly sold out, and each team having a fight song and marching band just adds to the atmosphere.

 

Fo sheez,

Kotzenjunge

Anybody who's getting a "free" education is hardly not getting paid. In all likelyhood if not for college athletics a good 50% wouldn't be getting a higher education.

[Guest Lethargic]

Going to the game and being able to cheer for your team. Not hanging out with a bunch of morons that have been drinking beer since 9am.

 

But what if you don't live near your team? Say, for example, your college football is UCLA and you live in the Northeast. Do you just become a shut-in on Saturdays? If someone you know offers you a ticket, do you tell them "no, because my team's not playing?" Or do you go and just not enjoy the game?

 

LUNATIC

- Pimpin' ho's and clockin' a grip like my name was Dolemite.

But what if you don't live near your team?

 

Didn't I say I don't have a team?

 

Say, for example, your college football is UCLA and you live in the Northeast. Do you just become a shut-in on Saturdays?

 

No, why would I? What does that even have to do with anything?

 

If someone you know offers you a ticket, do you tell them "no, because my team's not playing?" Or do you go and just not enjoy the game?

 

No I don't say "no" it's usually a lot stronger than that cause if somebody I know offers me a ticket to a college game, he already knows my completely hatred for college football so he's friggin dumbass for offering.

[Guest redbaron51]

Is it just me or do I find College football a lot more entertaining than NFL football.