As a college FB fan, July is the WORST

[earlywinegareth]

I suffer, physically and mentally, waiting for July to end. I do whatever I can to get by, buying the preseason mags and making my own predictions.

One thing that is hard to adjust to - the new B12 conference w/o NU and CU. So strange to read my Phil Steele mag and see those two in other conferences. NU is expected to tear up the B10 + 2.

Personally, I'm glad we don't have the north/south split or CCG anymore. I prefer playing everyone so there's a clear cut champion. Also the silliness of potentially playing the same foe twice in one year - that's gone. Fortunately for OU, that worked out most of the time (double victories over MU and CU come to mind).

The B12 w/o NU and CU is certainly a stronger basketball conference. I don't see a big dropoff in football since oSu is doing well at the moment and aTm is expected to be very good. Texas will be good but not a title contender.

Hurry up August!

[Bostonfan]

As long as there are no true champions, decided on the field, in college football, the NFL is where it's at. Hoping the lockout ends within a week. The BCS and bowls all together ruin college football for me. Will watch OU and wish them well, but won't watch much more college football than that.

[MikeLucky]

As long as there are no true champions, decided on the field, in college football, the NFL is where it's at. Hoping the lockout ends within a week. The BCS and bowls all together ruin college football for me. Will watch OU and wish them well, but won't watch much more college football than that.

The NFL is a generic commercialized POS compared to college football... I honestly don't even fathom how anyone could prefer it over the college experience...

[Pete]

I feel the same way about the middle of the summer and always have. College football is one of the reasons that fall is my favorite season.

I've become a fan of English soccer so in even-numbered years you get either the World or European cups. But odd-numbered years are the absolute worst for me.

At least by August, practice starts and you can see light at the end of the tunnel!

[Bostonfan]

The NFL is a generic commercialized POS compared to college football... I honestly don't even fathom how anyone could prefer it over the college experience...

LOL, well, we totally disagree here. I honestly can't fathom how anyone could prefer college football over NFL. NFL determines the winner on the field, college football determines theirs by computers. Funny how you said the word "commercialized". It's exactly how I would describe todays college football.

[swilki]

Why can't someone love football in general? The passion, tradition and pageantry in the college game can't be found in the NFL, IMO. However, the production value of the NFL, the quality of players and, yes, the way in which in determines a champ is great. Please hurry up and end July so I can watch some OU football and start planning for my fantasy football drafts.

On a side note, who hates ESPN and wishes that Fox Sports or some other network would step up and try to give ESPN a run for their money?

[MikeLucky]

LOL, well, we totally disagree here. I honestly can't fathom how anyone could prefer college football over NFL. NFL determines the winner on the field, college football determines theirs by computers. Funny how you said the word "commercialized". It's exactly how I would describe todays college football.

You don't GO to college football games do you? lol.

[ck76]

American Football; The Greatest Sport in The World!!!!!!!

[BDK]

I feel the same way about the middle of the summer and always have. College football is one of the reasons that fall is my favorite season.

I've become a fan of English soccer so in even-numbered years you get either the World or European cups. But odd-numbered years are the absolute worst for me.

At least by August, practice starts and you can see light at the end of the tunnel!

No love for the women's game, Pete?

[Pete]

No, don't really care much for women's footy.


But I love pro football as well. Lifelong Packers fan and a couple of years ago finally went to a game at Lambeau Field. If you like the college atmosphere, Green Bay is the place. I've been to several other pro games and nothing comes close.

[Bostonfan]

You don't GO to college football games do you? lol.

Sure have. Go to maybe half of the OU home games and every other year to Dallas. Why do you ask? Do you really like how computers and ESPN/ABC dictate who wins the National Title in college football over the NFL playoffs?

[rcjunkie]

As long as there are no true champions, decided on the field, in college football, the NFL is where it's at. Hoping the lockout ends within a week. The BCS and bowls all together ruin college football for me. Will watch OU and wish them well, but won't watch much more college football than that.

I'm a huge football fan, but unlike you, the NFL is at the bottom of my list. Prefer, in this order High School, College, Little league, NFL. Lost passion for NFL when all the prima donnas started demanding ungodly contracts with outrages salaries, and most of them insist/demand that their contracts be restructured before the old one expires.

[bluedogok]

Bostonfan - Did you grow up in Boston/New England?

Because there is one common thread that I have found through friends who grew up in the major pro sports markets, most just don't understand the allure of college sports, not just football. Years ago I was trying to explain it to a friend who grew up in NYC and moved to OKC in his late 20's, he was a die hard Yankees/Giants fan (we were still friends even after that) and didn't understand why college sports were so big in this part of the country. I told him that for the most part pro sports didn't exist west of St. Louis or south of the DC area until the Dodgers moved to LA, so for the southeast and west college sports took the place of the pro sports in all but he northeast quarter of the country. Much of it has been passed down through generations just like following the Red Sox or Yankees up there, people here grew up with college sports first because it was local and maybe listened to Cardinals baseball before television. For many pro sports just wasn't relevant because it didn't exist much here. The impact of cable television changed the dynamic for both levels of sports and helped pro sports reach a much wider audience than was previously there for them.

My family is both huge OU fans and pro football fans so I grew up watching both and going to OU games. I have NFL Sunday Ticket (and MLB Extra Innings for Red Sox games) and spend most fall Saturdays with a couple of TV going, I just like football, even the Australian Rules kind.

[earlywinegareth]

I'll say this: NOTHING compares to a big-time college atmosphere between bitter rivals. The excitement, color, emotion, atmosphere...unrivaled.

[ou48A]

I stopped watching virtually all Pro sports when it became much too fashionable to act like a thug.

You will never see a college team moving to different city or state or going out on strike / lock outs.


Most on campus venues top almost all professional venues often by a very wide margin. Most pro venues by comparison are very sterile.
In a small state like Oklahoma you are much more likely to have a personal connection to an athlete. This adds to the passion. There have been several football players who have played in the Super bowl but have describe their experience of playing in the OU Texas game as a bigger experience.

[Jersey Boss]

Bostonfan - Did you grow up in Boston/New England?

Because there is one common thread that I have found through friends who grew up in the major pro sports markets, most just don't understand the allure of college sports, not just football. Years ago I was trying to explain it to a friend who grew up in NYC and moved to OKC in his late 20's, he was a die hard Yankees/Giants fan (we were still friends even after that) and didn't understand why college sports were so big in this part of the country. I told him that for the most part pro sports didn't exist west of St. Louis or south of the DC area until the Dodgers moved to LA, so for the southeast and west college sports took the place of the pro sports in all but he northeast quarter of the country. Much of it has been passed down through generations just like following the Red Sox or Yankees up there, people here grew up with college sports first because it was local and maybe listened to Cardinals baseball before television. For many pro sports just wasn't relevant because it didn't exist much here. The impact of cable television changed the dynamic for both levels of sports and helped pro sports reach a much wider audience than was previously there for them.

My family is both huge OU fans and pro football fans so I grew up watching both and going to OU games. I have NFL Sunday Ticket (and MLB Extra Innings for Red Sox games) and spend most fall Saturdays with a couple of TV going, I just like football, even the Australian Rules kind.

As someone who grew up in the greater NYC metro area, you are spot on with your comment.

[Jersey Boss]

Sure have. Go to maybe half of the OU home games and every other year to Dallas. Why do you ask? Do you really like how computers and ESPN/ABC dictate who wins the National Title in college football over the NFL playoffs?

The only way that D1 football could crown a legitimate champ on the field would be for the NCAA to have the ability to schedule all the regular season games the same way the NFL does. The AFC/NFC does not schedule the competition which is what the conferences/ individual teams in D1 do. The concept of teams setting up their own schedule would have to be eliminated to insure like competion between all who make the play offs.

[Bostonfan]

I know I'm in a minority here in Oklahoma, and I do understand why many here prefer college over NFL, but no one can argue the fact that the NFL determines the champ on the field, not ESPN/ABC and computers. I guess the thing I hate about college is lose one game and your chances of winning the title drop sharply. Lose 2 and it becomes pure luck to even get a chance to win it. Lose 3 and it's close to nill. It's like telling New England, hey, you lost 3 games during the season, no way you should play in the Super Bowl. It's so idiotic. (and yes, I understand there are many more college teams than NFL, but come on, there has to be a better way to determine the champ) Oh, and don't get me started with all the .com bowls. What a joke they are.

[blangtang]

sounds like u are talking playoffs, and i'm in favor. the ones who oppose a playoff are the ones with guaranteed kickbacks, the big ones!

i do like getting older and watching the college players as they progress into the pros.

maybe someday down the line I'll get real old and watch the high school kids get into college and then into the pros. lol!

[Pete]

I guess the thing I hate about college is lose one game and your chances of winning the title drop sharply.

This is exactly why I love it! Makes every game critically important.

I love the NFL but you can lose a bunch of games and still make the playoffs. You feel this at the games, as a loss is really no big deal.

[MikeLucky]

I know I'm in a minority here in Oklahoma, and I do understand why many here prefer college over NFL, but no one can argue the fact that the NFL determines the champ on the field, not ESPN/ABC and computers. I guess the thing I hate about college is lose one game and your chances of winning the title drop sharply. Lose 2 and it becomes pure luck to even get a chance to win it. Lose 3 and it's close to nill. It's like telling New England, hey, you lost 3 games during the season, no way you should play in the Super Bowl. It's so idiotic. (and yes, I understand there are many more college teams than NFL, but come on, there has to be a better way to determine the champ) Oh, and don't get me started with all the .com bowls. What a joke they are.

You pretty much outlined the reason why I think the college game IS better than the NFL... the "playoffs" start in week 1. There's no weeks off... there's nobody playing for their bonuses... there's no resting players because their playoff seeding is already determined... EVERY game is the most important game of the year. In the NFL, they guys don't really care UNTIL the playoffs...

And people complain about all the bowls, but I promise you all the players from all the teams that get to travel to those bowls and have a week together as a team LOVE all those bowls.

One year I was driving to the Orange Bowl to watch OU and we stopped in a restaurant in the Pensacola Florida area... It was New Years Day and there were fans from 10 different schools in that restaurant. I had several conversations with fans from many different schools... some of them on their way TO bowls, some on their way HOME from bowls... but everybody had a story and they were all loving the bowl season. And that was just ONE restaurant...

There just isn't anything like that when it comes to the NFL. The NFL playoffs are something I watch AFTER all the bowls are over. And I will watch ANY bowl game... I don't care if it's East Popcorn State vs. Blind Nun University playing in Boise Idaho... all those kids are playing in the most important game of the year to them and they are enjoying a trip and experience together that is a "reward" for all the hard work they put in throughout the year on the field and in the classroom.

[ou48A]

One year I was driving to the Orange Bowl to watch OU and we stopped in a restaurant in the Pensacola Florida area... It was New Years Day and there were fans from 10 different schools in that restaurant. I had several conversations with fans from many different schools... some of them on their way TO bowls, some on their way HOME from bowls... but everybody had a story and they were all loving the bowl season. And that was just ONE restaurant...

There just isn't anything like that when it comes to the NFL. The NFL playoffs are something I watch AFTER all the bowls are over. And I will watch ANY bowl game... I don't care if it's East Popcorn State vs. Blind Nun University playing in Boise Idaho... all those kids are playing in the most important game of the year to them and they are enjoying a trip and experience together that is a "reward" for all the hard work they put in throughout the year on the field and in the classroom.

Very good post.^
I have seen this type of thing too and it’s a lot of fun.
I have had some great conversations at major airports during bowl season.
There seems to be a bond among traveling college football fans that you don’t find anywhere else.
Just try wearing an OU hat in most any of the major airports of the world and you will get 90%+ positive reactions from more than a few folks.

[Pete]

I will watch ANY bowl game... I don't care if it's East Popcorn State vs. Blind Nun University playing in Boise Idaho... all those kids are playing in the most important game of the year to them and they are enjoying a trip and experience together that is a "reward" for all the hard work they put in throughout the year on the field and in the classroom.

Agree 100%.

The older I get, the more I enjoy college sports and the less I enjoy the professional ones.

[earlywinegareth]

Not to mention, it's acceptable to boo professional athletes. But to boo college students? That's messed up.

I've heard boos at Owen Field twice in my lifetime...and each time I saw fans get very angry at the ones who were doing it. Booing your own team at the collegiate level is like burning the flag - it's downright un-American. Texas fans booed their own team a lot last year.

[ou48A]

Even though most of us don’t like this team very much this video shows us a side of the college experience that professional sports will never have

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jto2_...layer_embedded