College football or pro?
 

Which do you prefer? I'm a big fan of both. Pro football has it's plusses: better athletes, better coverage, playoffs, fantasy tie-in.

However, if I had to choose, I would say college. There is more variety of styles of offense, rivalries, pageantry, marching bands, tradition, bigger crowds at and around games, bragging rights, and overall emotion.

Thankfully, I don't have to choose. This is going to be a good weekend. We have made it through the desert.

College. Not even close, really.

I expected one of the UGA fans to chime in early on the college side. I predict the answers here will differ geographically with the south and midwest leaning the college direction and the northeast leaning the pro direction. I'm not sure about out west.

Pro. Stronger, bigger, faster.

Well the Mid-west would include Detroit and Chicago which would probably go the other way, but yeah, it will be broken down mostly regionally.

And I believe you are in the northeast, so far my theory is correct. :D

pro

College.

Chicago maybe, but I'd bet the loyalties to Michigan and Michigan State run deeper than to the Lions.

In Ohio, in spite of having two pro teams, one of which has some of the most loyal and crazed fans around, Ohio State is still king.

That's kind of a tough call; on one hand, Michigan and Michigan State will have, between them, close to 200,000 people in attendance at their games tomorrow. Just an amazing number when you think about it. But then on Sunday those 200,000 will all be cheering for one team, the Lions. I would say Michiganders are pretty passionate about their football teams in general, regardless of pro or college. Personally, if I could only choose one to watch, it would be college football, but I am also a Lions season ticket holder, so I am kind of split on it as well.

College, not even close.

And high school is more interesting to me personally than either.

College

Good call Scooper. Hardly anyone I know in Boston really cares about College. I am not speaking for the State but the football people I know all prefer pro.

I'm not saying they are mutually exclusive. Of course, football fans are going to be passionate about both, I am the same way. But if asked to choose, do you think loyalties would run more toward the Wolverines/Spartans or the Lions?

pro, and yes I'm way, way in the Northeast :)

FM

College, no contest. I'd say it's mostly due to the atmosphere.


And I'm a Midwester, I just happen to be stuck too far West right now. :)

It's tough for me. I grew up a Lions fan and Michigan fan. I feel equally passionate about both, really. I watch both each weekend, though, I guess, at the moment I would say the Lions. Though, in general, I think college football, outside of games involving "my teams", has more interesting games. Then again, it has a lot more teams. I would rather watch Miami-Florida State than any Non-Lions NFL game. Then again and Duke-North Carolina football game does nothing for me. That's the one thing I hated about DC. Crap "regional" NCAA football. Utter crap. Well, now that I'm on it. It was crap "regional" NFL too. Redskins and Ravens, Redskins and Ravens. Blech.

College...not even a contest

I'm a northerner stuck in Atlanta. But I say college. Does that just make me confused?

Delta is ready when you are. :)

I root harder for the college team(s) that I support, but I think I enjoy the pro game more overall, despite the fact that I hardly care one way or another about 3/4 of the league.

I have always found the pro game to be more interesting and engaging than the college game.

Just another Northerner's opinion.

Pro, pro, pro. Philadelphia wasn't exactly a hotbed for college football when I grew up (still isn't). Only really started to watch college football in the last 10 years or so, besides bowl games or the occasional Penn State game.

College. Count me in the not even close group. I barely even notice the NFL. I live and breathe college football this time of year.

Definitely Pro. And I've never lived any further north than North Carolina, nor any further west than Atlanta :D

Pro w/o a doubt, too many college teams, players, crap to keep up with.

Pro.

And even though I'm French, I lived 5 years in NY state, which as far as I recall is definitely in the Northeast...

I prefer the pro game for several, mostly small reasons:

* The athletes are the best of the best
* So too are the coaches (mostly)
* Far fewer blowouts
* Players stay on their teams longer, easier to get attached to
* The games are shorter
* The season is longer
* The ability to lose once or twice without destroying a season

College.

Pro.

Born and raised Steelers fan with parents having season tickets. Didn't go to many college games as a child because parents went to small school.
Didn't develop passion in college because I went to a I-AA school.

Todd

How dare you ask me to choose between the two. It's like giving me the choice between Parker Posey or Sue Bird. Can't I just have both and explore the differences in each?

If I have to pick, I'd go with pro. I like the fact that there is a tough game every Sunday. I like the fact there is a playoff. I like the fact I can watch player's careers progress over the course of more than 4 years. I like the fact that there is a lot more strategy in the pro game.

TroyF

Tough call... I'd probably say pro, just because that's what I grew up watching, and got most attached to. I didn't follow college football until I was actually in college.

Pro football also has greater parity - every team really should be competitive (except for a few mismanaged exceptions), and a real playoff system. I like the tradition of the college bowl games, but voting on the best teams rather than having them decide it on the field is just lame. College football should either dismiss the entire concept of a national champion and stick to tradition, or trash the BCS and figure out a playoff scheme.

College. No question.

College without question.

I only wish they had a real playoff. The BCS / bowl system is a joke.

College football

I prefer watching the Pro game, I prefer attending a D1 college game.

Pro Football. easily.

Pro Football.....

Television, Professional. I don't care for watching college games.

In person, college all the way. So damn energetic. I left Colorado games physically and mentally drained every time.

Yes, but which of Parker Posey and Sue Bird is pro?

Kevin
[Sue Bird, easy]

College games here in Minnesota are dead, though there has been talk of building an on campus stadium in the last few days and there was an article in the campus newspaper calling for Glen Mason's job, so things could change.

Well, with all the Pro teams we have here in Oklahoma, I'm going to have to College.

Pro. I grew up in Minnesota during the Purple People Eater era with Fran Tarkenton & Bud Grant & co. Now I live in Wisconsin and we have Favre to look forward to every Sunday.

Definitely Pro.

Football is football. High school, college and NFL all bring something different to the table. There's nothing like football on Friday nights. I follow more than one team in college, so I am interested in more than one game for rooting interests. The NFL is just the best of the best when it comes to players. You can't go wrong with any of those three.

the talley

college - 13
pro - 18

shoulda been a poll

btw, i can't decide

love ohio state, but i just may love my bengals even more

Shorty, I thought of that after the fact.

Man, this is tough. I think I have to go with pro, but just barely...

College. If you've ever gone to a college game at a football rabid school (like Ohio State, Florida, Michigan, etc) then you know the difference between one of those crowds is not even worth discussion. The energy of a big program's crowd is amazing. A pro crowd gets bored after all the commercial breaks. Besides, tickets to pro games are too damn expensive.

College...easily.

The only reason I started to pay any attention to pro football was because Virginia Tech started getting some guys drafted.