ATTN: Frobby and Sports Guy

[Pedro Cerrano]

The NBA and college basketball aren't even comparable (this coming from a guy who is a pretty big Wizards fan).

NBA is full of a bunch guys just looking to cash their fat paychecks and hit up the next strip club. There is no passion in the NBA and I honestly think half the guys don't care if their teams win or lose as long as they 'get theirs'.

I love the Wizards and the NBA playoffs, but to me the NBA is clearly the worst of the big 4 professional sports leagues and it isn't particularly close.

Oh my goodness. Do you guys actually even hear what you're saying? I assume you're a big football fan given your avatar. Do you like the NFL? Do you honestly think the NBA has a bigger image problem than the NFL right now?

[mweb]

Some people have irrational feelings towards the NBA imo. Yes, if you are a fan of some also ran team, watching their games isn't typically that good, but if you are a true fan and follow a good / interesting team like I do, the NBA is fantastic!

Same with college basketball imo. As a Maryland fan, some seasons are much more interesting and exciting than others. But in terms of watching random college basketball fans where you don't have a rooting interest, eh, except for the top games, it's not that good. Again, same with the NBA. But people like to romanticize college basketball as being pure and full of passion and what not, but I think that's an overstated argument.

I'll give college basketball this: there is typically more passion from game to game by the players and the fans. The former is overstated by many though as there are games that teams don't really show up for, and the players in the NBA play harder than they are often given credit for. Another advantage is that each game carries more weight in college ball. That same arguement can be made about the NFL though, but I don't see it made much on here. Lastly, some of the rivalries are great in college ball; however, I honestly don't care that much about most of them.

But the NBA has much better players obviously and a higher level of overall play.

To each their own, but some of the NBA bashing is over the top and some of it seems to come from people who really don't give it a chance and they come off as though they just heard some of their friends bashing the NBA, or maybe they used to watch occasionally, or only watched for MJ, or put on a Nets-Pacers game last year for 10 minutes.

[Crazysilver03]

This post is filled with many sound arguments to back up your premise and is therefore quite convincing.

You'd really rather watch Wisconsin and Ohio State play to a 43-38 final on a random Tuesday night than watch something like Celtics/Heat or Lakers/Spurs?

Yes.

I like college basketball more than NBA.

[Pedro Cerrano]

Yes.

I like college basketball more than NBA.

Ok, and what about that awful Big 10 game could possibly be better than a game featuring the NBA's elite?

Note that in my example I didn't pick two horrendous college teams, I selected two Big 10 programs that have been pretty successful recently.

[Crazysilver03]

Ok, and what about that awful Big 10 game could possibly be better than a game featuring the NBA's elite?

Note that in my example I didn't pick two horrendous college teams, I selected two Big 10 programs that have been pretty successful recently.

To be fair, I only really watch ACC games and mainly because I grew up watching those games, as they have usually been good.

I just like the intensity in college games. Haven't seen it as much in NBA games. Baltimore not having a team didn't help either.

[mweb]

To be fair, I only really watch ACC games and mainly because I grew up watching those games, as they have usually been good.

I just like the intensity in college games. Haven't seen it as much in NBA games. Baltimore not having a team didn't help either.

I think the effect this has had on Baltimore area fans is substantial in regards to their feelings on the NBA. It's really hard to get into a sport when you don't have a team you care about.

[Sports Guy]

This post is filled with many sound arguments to back up your premise and is therefore quite convincing.

You'd really rather watch Wisconsin and Ohio State play to a 43-38 final on a random Tuesday night than watch something like Celtics/Heat or Lakers/Spurs?

There are always going to be a few NBA games here and there that peak my interest...But for the most part, its a one on one league where players barely come to play night in and night out.

The NBA would be a lot better if the season was shorten 15-20 games..Players would care more and the play would be better.

College basketball is just way better...More excitement..Better game.

[Sports Guy]

Ok, and what about that awful Big 10 game could possibly be better than a game featuring the NBA's elite?

Note that in my example I didn't pick two horrendous college teams, I selected two Big 10 programs that have been pretty successful recently.

The NBA has about 5 teams year in and year out that have a chance to win it all..That's it. No other team has a chance in hell.

So, while a Miami/Lakers game will be fun to watch this year, those games are few and far between.

The NCAA tourney makes anything the NBA does look like bowling. Its not even close.

And what about those middle of the week Sacramento Kings/Raptor games...Boy, those are exciting!

[Pedro Cerrano]

The NBA has about 5 teams year in and year out that have a chance to win it all..That's it. No other team has a chance in hell.

So, while a Miami/Lakers game will be fun to watch this year, those games are few and far between.

The NCAA tourney makes anything the NBA does look like bowling. Its not even close.

And what about those middle of the week Sacramento Kings/Raptor games...Boy, those are exciting!

No doubt those Kings/Raptors games stink but with my example I picked two legitimately good programs from the Big 10, not the dregs of the league (which the Kings are Raps are).

I don't think it's unreasonable to say that year in and year out 5-10 college teams can conceivably win it all. People love to talk about how great the Cinderella stories are but when it comes right down to it, very rarely does the Final 4 contain mid-majors or unheralded teams. In fact I'd be willing to bet people on the NCAA winner if I was given my choice of 10 teams and give the other guy the field.

In fact, 5 of 30 NBA teams is 16% of all teams.

I'm not sure how many divison 1A teams there are but I am going to guess roughly 300? 16% of 300 is 48. Would you wager that there are realistically 48 teams before the season starts that can win a title? I doubt it. So, percentage wise, the NBA has a greater percentage of teams that can actually win a title.

And I agree that the NCAA tournament is extremely exciting it is, by its very nature, a terrible way of determining a champion so if you were to evaluate the two leagues just based on fairness in determining the best team, the NBA would win there as well.

[Pedro Cerrano]

There are always going to be a few NBA games here and there that peak my interest...But for the most part, its a one on one league where players barely come to play night in and night out.

The NBA would be a lot better if the season was shorten 15-20 games..Players would care more and the play would be better.

College basketball is just way better...More excitement..Better game.

We will just have to agree to disagree here. I've seen plenty of NBA games where teams emphasize and play a team style of basketball. And I've seen plenty of college games where the teams just simply don't show up.

Not to keep picking on poor Beaner but do you really think that UNC team showed up and give it their all last year towards the end of the season? They did well in the NIT tournament but I don't believe they were nearly as bad as their ACC record indicated.

[Pedro Cerrano]

I will say this for college, the atmosphere at a college game is better than most NBA games (then again, the majority of college games I've seen were at Maryland when they were good so I have a limited scope -- who knows how great the atmosphere is when Mississippi State plays Vanderbilt or something).

But a huge part of that is the fact that the crowd is full of drunk college students, it's not like the crowd is hyped up solely because of the product on the court.

[mweb]

The NBA has about 5 teams year in and year out that have a chance to win it all..That's it. No other team has a chance in hell.

So, while a Miami/Lakers game will be fun to watch this year, those games are few and far between.The NCAA tourney makes anything the NBA does look like bowling. Its not even close.

And what about those middle of the week Sacramento Kings/Raptor games...Boy, those are exciting!

But if you are a fan of the Lakers or the Heat, just about every game is exciting. But like most fans are with most, if not all sports, the majority of games that don't involve their favorite teams are not exciting, and that goes for college basketball as well.

Not many college teams have a legit shot at winning it all either.

While your bowling statement is way over the top, I grant that the tourney is very exciting, but if it's more exciting than the NBA playoffs by such a margin, than it must also have a substantial edge over the baseball playoffs right? And the tourney is not a good way to crown a true champ as Pedro has pointed out, but it is the most exciting way, so in that sense it's somewhat of a gimmick designed to make an inferior product more compelling.

[O's are Legends]

To each their own, but some of the NBA bashing is over the top and some of it seems to come from people who really don't give it a chance

When Pedro posts the NBA is better than NCAA basketball in a college basketball thread that is to be expected.

That’s great some of you still enjoy the NBA; I used to be a NBA junkie but now can barely even watch half a quarter. Other than some of the college basketball players I work with, I hardly know anyone that likes the NBA anymore.

I can’t stand the Big Ten but I would definitely watch an Akron-Kent State basketball game before I watch 99% of NBA games. It’s very difficult for the NBA to match the intensity of college basketball and all the different rivalries the college game has to offer. Also with NCAA basketball, you’re constantly getting so many games from different conferences from noon to midnight. Georgetown-Cuse game at noon with a bunch of games in between only to be topped off with a Saint Mary’s-Gonzaga game at midnight. The NBA can’t match that. I’m already getting ready for ESPN’s 24 hour marathon to officially start the season.

[Big Mac]

Oh my goodness. Do you guys actually even hear what you're saying? I assume you're a big football fan given your avatar. Do you like the NFL? Do you honestly think the NBA has a bigger image problem than the NFL right now?

I think they both have huge image problems.

[Crazysilver03]

I will say this for college, the atmosphere at a college game is better than most NBA games (then again, the majority of college games I've seen were at Maryland when they were good so I have a limited scope -- who knows how great the atmosphere is when Mississippi State plays Vanderbilt or something).

But a huge part of that is the fact that the crowd is full of drunk college students, it's not like the crowd is hyped up solely because of the product on the court.

This isn't very accurate. You can't buy beer at most basketball games. For most of the people I know and went to games with, we never got drunk before going to the basketball game.