College football is lightyears ahead of the NFL when it comes to entertainment levels.
I am a huge fan of football. There might not be anybody who loves a chilly Saturday afternoon, a beer in my hand and a packed college football stadium in Madison, Wisconsin, more than me. It is the closest we can get to heaven while still on this planet.
I’m also a big NFL guy. I cheer my heart out for the Detroit Lions. It doesn’t even matter that the Lions have consistently been garbage. They’re my team, and I will support them no matter what the outcome.
Having said all of that, I’ve come to realize the NFL isn’t even close to being as entertaining college football. I don’t know if it’s the politics injected into the NFL, the fact players spend half their time showboating, the reality that most players have zero loyalty to their teams or a combination of all three that has made a lot of people sour on the NFL.
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I asked my Twitter followers if they found the NFL or college football more entertaining. I expected the results to be pretty close. They were not. Nearly 2,000 people voted, and 89 percent chose college football.
Do you find college football or the NFL more entertaining?
— David Hookstead (@dhookstead) October 8, 2017
There’s something about college football that the NFL just doesn’t have. Guys are playing for their schools, not some massive contract. There is also an innocence to the game because lots of the athletes are teenagers, instead of fully grown men.
There is also a different experience for the fans. We grow up cheering for an NFL team, but it’s not the same as the loyalty we show to our actual schools. I’m disappointed when the Lions lose, and I’m excited when they win. I’m heartbroken when the Badgers lose, and the high I get off of a big win is something I’m not sure a drug on this planet could replicate.
There are also a lot more games. There are more than 100 college football teams, and there are only 32 teams in the NFL. That means the Saturday slate of games is full from noon until midnight. There’s nothing better.
Maybe things will change down the road, and the NFL will return to being on the same level as the college game. I just wouldn’t hold your breath for it to happen soon.