Seven people disagree with you, Jeff...

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I am not privy to Eagles/Cowboys hatred. I have been at bars in Washington for Washington/Dallas, Chicago for Chicago GB/MIN, and Big Ten bars throughout the city for rivalry games. The two can't even be compared. Free agency takes a lot of the luster off the rivalry, because an Eagle or Packer one year might be a Giant or Bear the next year.

Once a Buckeye or Wolverine, always a Buckeye or Wolverine. When Donovan McNabb comes back to Philadelphia, he'll receive a smattering of cheers and boos. When Justin Boren came back to Michigan last year, he needed constant protection from security.

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Fire Phil Emery

And once again, I LIKE the NFL. There is plenty to love about it, especially the quality of play.

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Fire Phil Emery

The more passionate and violent the fan base, the better the sport?

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fixed for correctness

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-"God is great. Beer is good. And People are crazy!"

Yes. This is not the only reason I prefer the college game, but the more passionate the fan base, the better the atmosphere for games. It is only a small boost in favor of college ball, but it was the one I was questioned about, so I only responded on that point.

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Fire Phil Emery

Fair enough. Being part of a crowd that is really into the game is fun, but I sort of lean more toward the quality of the sport itself. College is fun and all, but it just doesn't stand up to professionals playing the game, IMO...

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I've often wondered how the NFL would be if they had bands (not the one's in the corner like the Bears used to have and Chiefs still do).

I thought it was cool when the Baltimore Colts had a team band......stream of consciousness, anybody ever hear of a band called TEAM BAND? Heard them once, pretty good.

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-"God is great. Beer is good. And People are crazy!"

I was a bigger NFL fan than NCAA fan for a long time. I sit on my ass and watch football all Saturday, and then I do it all day Sunday too.

Baltimore still has a band, or at least they did as of a year or two ago.

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Fire Phil Emery

IF the NCAA would get its head out of its ass, they would realize how big an NCAA playoff system would be.
Imagine "December Madness" & the possibilities of an NCAA football pool!

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We don’t have a trillion-dollar debt because we haven’t taxed enough; we have a trillion-dollar debt because we spend too much. — Ronald Reagan

The NCAA doesn't control the BCS.

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Not to defend the undefendable poster that is JKScoreHead, but he didn't mention the BCS.

The NCAA could still pull it's head out of its ass and have a lucrative and entertaining playoff system. IMO, that would drastically improve the NCAA image vs. the NFL in terms of entertainment.

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If the NCAA tried to force the issue, holy hell would be raised by the conferences, to the point that there might not be an NCAA shortly thereafter.

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Fire Phil Emery

Unless the NCAA could guarantee the $$$ to the conferences.....which they could do if they wanted.

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I'd assume the money would have to be guaranteed to the conferences. Even with that, it might not be enough. I'm planning something bigger on this so I don't want to get into it too much, but I think people assume the NCAA has a way firmer grasp on college athletics than they really do, and not just in the "everyone is crooked" sense. The southern schools in particular played chicken with the NCAA for the better part of a half-century. They'd be more than happy to go off and play in a NCAAFL semi-professional league if they could get away with it, and any sort of forced playoff system would be as good a pretense as any.

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Fire Phil Emery

Thanks for defending me.
I believe that a college football playoff system will become reality within the next 5 years. There is too much angst towards the current BCS system for it to survive. I also think there is more money to be made in a playoff system compared to the current system. Every other college division & sport has a playoff system. It works just fine in D1-AA, D2 & D3. It would be huge at the D1A level.
The bowls could continue to exist within a playoff system.

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We don’t have a trillion-dollar debt because we haven’t taxed enough; we have a trillion-dollar debt because we spend too much. — Ronald Reagan

It's nice that you think that they could make more money. The people that think about this stuff for a living are convinced they won't make more money, and they are pretty unanimous about that. They could be wrong. Then again, they may not be.

Not to go all history on everyone, but since that's where I've been living for the past four months: it's a lot like when the NCAA controlled the television contracts. Column after column talked about how much money the NCAA was leaving on the table, how they weren't showing enough games, how eventually there'd be a more wide open television system. The Supreme Court stepped in and took away television rights from the NCAA, and television fees absolutely plummeted. The schools got what they wanted and got reamed in the process.

The conferences have a nifty little agreement going on in the BCS that mints them enough money to allow most athletic departments to break even. They're not going to screw with that just because a bunch of fans swear up and down, honest injun, that they'll still watch September-November games. If they screw up, well, which collegiate sports do you want to cut?

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Fire Phil Emery

As a voter for college football, I'll say it's consistently more entertaining to me from top to bottom. A bad Raiders team just seems bad to me and I'll turn them off unless they're playing the Bears, a bad Illini team is still amusing and worth watching.

The older I get, the less I enjoy the NFL. The pro game is largely devoid of color, personality and innovation. The 'Wildcat' was shocking two years ago . It took 3-4 mos. before anyone covering the pros to acknowledge that is is simply the Veer (of small colleges today...or big colleges 80 years ago... or the pros of 70 years ago) The "34" defense has come, gone and come back again. The Cover 2 is leaving...again. Peyton Manning is a winner in the pros . The (second) most important day of Super Bowl Week(fortnight) is Media Day. The USC/UGA/Miami/Texas cheerleaders are still better looking than any of the skanks dancing in formation at an NFL game.

But the West Coast offense (which still works after 30 yrs.) was honed in the college game. One of the big stories of this past week was the new QB (:shock:) who played his way onto the field and pushed a former starter to third string. Last year's Heisman winner was a bowling ball. The prior years' were all over the spectrum...and more interesting than the perennial MVPs in the NFL(Except for Brees). Tailgating was invented on college campuses.

The first two-three weeks of NFL games are sloppy glorified practices that mean about as much as the last two games for the overwhelming majority of NFL teams.

The first two-three weeks of NCAA games often have a real purpose. The last two-three weeks of NCAA games almost always are vital for any team with a winning record...or even just a rivalry.

Vince Lombardi of the 6 play 'pro' playbook is still revered. Joe Paterno at 80 learned to adapt and win against most odds.

The real 'Monsters of the Midway' played for Amos Alonzo Stagg as Maroons....90 years ago.

The trick was to find 32 groups of suckers who would pay for PSLs....as opposed to college season tix holders who long got IRS tax deductions. Rally around the corporate teams...no thanks.

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There are only two examples of infinity: The universe and human stupidity and I'm not sure about the universe.

Don't forget the Florida and Bama cheerleaders.

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Indeed.

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There are only two examples of infinity: The universe and human stupidity and I'm not sure about the universe.

James Madison beating Virginia Tech & Appalachian State beating Michigan is an aspect of college football that is unequaled in the NFL. Sure the Lions may beat the Colts, but it just isn't the same as David beating Goliath in NCAA. The diversity, creativity & risk taking that exists in college football is non-existent in the NFL.

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We don’t have a trillion-dollar debt because we haven’t taxed enough; we have a trillion-dollar debt because we spend too much. — Ronald Reagan