Random Thoughts About Sports

Well I just got home from basketball conditioning and I knew I had to write 600 words for this week or else Mr. Jankowski would kill me. I decided to write my thoughts about professional sports vs. college sports. A lot of the examples were used from last year because not much has happened this season yet. Here it goes...

Are college sports better than professional sports? I’m not talking about skill-level, because the professionals are obviously top-of-the-line when it comes to athleticism and ability. No, I’m talking about the difference in excitement, passion, and intensity between the two tiers of the sporting world. What’s the difference between college athletics and professional sports teams? Which is more appealing to sports fans across the nation?
When it comes to football, I think the college level has the upper-hand on the NFL. College football has a different storyline, a different heartbeat each year. People try to predict which teams will win the national championship, but it’s almost an impossible thing to do. College football players come and go after about 3-4 years, so it is difficult for one team to stay on top of the mountain for very long. This results in unpredictable upsets and National Championship winners. This couldn’t be more evident than in the 2007 season. Appalachian State trumping Michigan, Pittsburgh surprising West Virginia, and Illinois conquering Ohio State were all upsets that turned this football season upside down.
The NFL can’t boast that characteristic. Predominantly, the best team wins in this league. Sure there’s an occasional upset, but the media doesn’t blow NFL upsets out of proportion like NCAA upsets. Unlike college football, every game does not mean the end of the world. A team can lose the first four games of the season and still be in contention for the playoffs, such as this year’s New Orleans Saints. However, one loss in the college football season can ruin the chances of a National Championship. Just look at Michigan, Georgia, or Notre Dame. One less loss here or there could have resulted in a spot in the BCS Championship. Wait, did I say Notre Dame? Wishful thinking, I guess.
Basketball is a different story. College basketball and the NBA do not even compare when it comes to excitement, passion, and intensity seen in the games. College basketball is on a totally different level, with so many teams competing for one goal: a championship. With players only staying a few years, if that, it’s difficult for teams to win consistently, making the urgency level much higher for teams and coaches to win. This results in harder fought battles on the court. Players and coaches share the same desire to win the big game. And what in the wide world of sports can possibly beat March Madness, the greatest way to choose a national champion in all of sports? Like college football, March Madness, the 65 team, single-elimination tournament played to decide the National Champion, gives fans want they want to see. Upsets, ‘Cinderella Stories,’ and buzzer-beaters are always prevalent. In 2006, it was George Mason reaching the Final Four. In 2007, it was Virginia Commonwealth knocking off perennial power Duke in the first round.
The NBA can’t offer that excitement, no matter what part of the season. First off, the NBA season is too long, lasting 82 games over eight months. Second, one team can win year after year if they wanted to. Lately, the San Antonio Spurs have won consistently, winning four of the last nine NBA championships. Finally, the play of the NBA seems too lackadaisical. Sure, there’s the occasional windmill jam and no-look pass, but the game is based around the pick and roll. The superstars of the league also tend to take some nights off. At 6’8”, 245 pounds, LeBron James should be able to overpower his opponents every game. Instead, he settles for 25-footers that won’t tire him out.
The difference between the two levels of these sports comes down to one big difference. College athletes play for the love of the game; the professionals play for the money. College games are so much more intense because the athletes play with a passion. Most of these athletes will go into a profession outside of sports. They are playing their last years with a team with all their heart to give themselves awesome memories to carry for the rest of their lives. Professional athletes look at their games as a job. It doesn’t matter if their team wins or loses. They just care that their check is cut at the end of the night. That’s why the college game is that much better than the pros. They play for the love of the game, not for the love of money.