First Published Column

The NFL vs. NCAA 

(Published in The Auburn Plainsman on September 7, 2007)

           The National Football League started its season last weekend to the delight of millions of Americans. As I tried to watch a few games, I actually found myself getting bored. As my mind started to wander, I started to contemplate what exactly the point of professional football is. I wondered how could it be so boring, while ranked college games could be so captivating. Then it came to me, the question I should be asking is what are professionals actually playing for?

            A typical NFL player signs a multi-million dollar contract every few years. After the contract expires, the player is free to entertain offers from other teams, hence the term 'free agent'. That means all a typical professional seems to be interested in is money. That’s why they all hire agents to help them get more out of their contracts. With free agency, there is no such thing as loyalty. Without it, there is no way rivalry can truly survive. Without that, winning has to seem hollow and pointless at times.

            College football isn’t perfect by any means, but competition takes on a whole new meaning. So much more emotion and love for the game is apparent. It has more of a genuine quality to it that is almost nostalgic.

            Now I know I may be biased, but I haven’t always been this way. For as long as I can remember, I’ve loved to watch football. Growing up near DC, I was a fan of the Washington Redskins. Saturdays weren’t as important to me as Sundays were. There just wasn’t a school that I particularly cared for. I would watch some of the local schools like Maryland and Virginia Tech from time to time. I even tried to care about Mississippi State to appease my father, but I didn’t feel a real connection to any of those schools.

            That all started to change as I was starting my senior year of high school, when I started watching SEC football more. The Auburn Tigers in particular because I had just applied. They were well on their way to perfect season, and I could sense the passion and excitement from afar. Upon visiting the campus, I was hooked. There was so much pride and tradition, which was vastly different from the corporate culture I had grown accustomed to at Redskins games.

            It’s no secret that America loves its own brand of football more than any other sport. The deciding factor on what level of football you enjoy most probably has to do with the geographic region you live in. For example, Alabama has no professional football team so college football is king. With two storied programs like Auburn and Alabama, there really is no need for a professional team anyway.

            It’s all a matter of personal preference, but I don’t see how anyone can enjoy a professional game more than a college game once they experience it for themselves. The excitement and camaraderie that surrounds college football games is like nothing else. The players almost seem to share the same kind of passion and enthusiasm the fans do, you don't see that in professional football as often.