Sports fans have always debated the merits of college athletics versus the competition of professional sports leagues; they probably always will. There are fans on either side of the divide, both convinced that their preference is backed by the facts. Others have different preferences for different sports, preferring professional football but college basketball, etc. Football and basketball are in fact the two sports which seem to spark the most passion in fans over this issue.
Collegiate basketball has an amazing thing working in its advantage, the March Madness tournament. It's a fantastic time of the year when anything is possible. Teams that are outmatched and unheard of can get it together for one night and beat an established power. Dozens and dozens of games are held in a short amount of time, meaning there is jam packed action. There is of course ample room for betting, which adds to people's interest in the event.
College basketball fans argue that the collegiate form of the sport is purer, with most of the players in it simply for the love of the game. The passion of the players is matched by that of the fans, many of whom have lifelong loyalty to their favorite teams, often exceeding that accorded to the NBA teams.
Professional basketball fans aren't necessarily given to knocking college basketball (since many if not most fans actually enjoy both), but argue that the NBA offers a superior level of play and competition. They aver that the league provides fans with an opportunity to watch the sport played by the nation's very best players.
The seven game series which make up the NBA playoffs are pointed to by fans as a way of guaranteeing that the best team will emerge victorious. While it's hard to claim that the NBA playoffs offer more excitement than March Madness, they also make the point that regular season games are more compelling events.
As far as football is concerned, the talk almost always comes back to the playoffs. NFL proponents point to the Bowl Championship Series, which they argue is inherently unfair. It is certainly true that the college playoffs don't offer the teams a chance to prove their merit through direct competition. Instead, the playoffs are put together through polling and computerized analysis. A team could be the best in the country and still have no chance to make it to the Rose Bowl unless they are ranked first or second by this curious system - making the college football playoffs something many fans skip (unless their alma mater happens to be in the running).
College football fans counter this argument by saying that the format of the championship games means that the regular season is far more competitive and exciting for the fans. Teams can be eliminated from a shot at the championship by even one loss, making every game vitally important. In the NFL, they claim, the fact that a team can come back from a mediocre season actually makes the regular NFL season less interesting (something that NFL fans tend to find backwards thinking on the matter).
Each side in this long running debate is unlikely to change any minds on the other side and this is one place where fans simply have to agree to disagree - though many fans find a lot of enjoyment in the discussion itself. What it really comes down to is something that the fans already know: they don't have to choose one or the other and there's nothing stopping them from enjoying all of the excitement that collegiate and professional sports have to offer.
Collegiate basketball has an amazing thing working in its advantage, the March Madness tournament. It's a fantastic time of the year when anything is possible. Teams that are outmatched and unheard of can get it together for one night and beat an established power. Dozens and dozens of games are held in a short amount of time, meaning there is jam packed action. There is of course ample room for betting, which adds to people's interest in the event.
College basketball fans argue that the collegiate form of the sport is purer, with most of the players in it simply for the love of the game. The passion of the players is matched by that of the fans, many of whom have lifelong loyalty to their favorite teams, often exceeding that accorded to the NBA teams.
Professional basketball fans aren't necessarily given to knocking college basketball (since many if not most fans actually enjoy both), but argue that the NBA offers a superior level of play and competition. They aver that the league provides fans with an opportunity to watch the sport played by the nation's very best players.
The seven game series which make up the NBA playoffs are pointed to by fans as a way of guaranteeing that the best team will emerge victorious. While it's hard to claim that the NBA playoffs offer more excitement than March Madness, they also make the point that regular season games are more compelling events.
As far as football is concerned, the talk almost always comes back to the playoffs. NFL proponents point to the Bowl Championship Series, which they argue is inherently unfair. It is certainly true that the college playoffs don't offer the teams a chance to prove their merit through direct competition. Instead, the playoffs are put together through polling and computerized analysis. A team could be the best in the country and still have no chance to make it to the Rose Bowl unless they are ranked first or second by this curious system - making the college football playoffs something many fans skip (unless their alma mater happens to be in the running).
College football fans counter this argument by saying that the format of the championship games means that the regular season is far more competitive and exciting for the fans. Teams can be eliminated from a shot at the championship by even one loss, making every game vitally important. In the NFL, they claim, the fact that a team can come back from a mediocre season actually makes the regular NFL season less interesting (something that NFL fans tend to find backwards thinking on the matter).
Each side in this long running debate is unlikely to change any minds on the other side and this is one place where fans simply have to agree to disagree - though many fans find a lot of enjoyment in the discussion itself. What it really comes down to is something that the fans already know: they don't have to choose one or the other and there's nothing stopping them from enjoying all of the excitement that collegiate and professional sports have to offer.
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