NFL: Better or Worse?

[Steve]

I saw this article recently.

 

I must say I disagree. Here in Hollywood, studio bosses call their movies and tv shows 'content'. I want a sport, not 'content'. I feel unpatriotic a lot because I am more into foreign soccer than I am american sports. Do you know what english soccer has that american sports seem to lack to me? Passion. The same passion I saw as a kid. My Eagles hated the Cowboys and wouldn't think of being traded to them. My Sixers hated the Celtics and visa versa. I still watch but only the 'big' games and the rest of the time if the Eagles are playing.

 

College football and high school football have the passion that I remember. Once or twice I sometimes go to a high school football game here on a Friday night, when its a big city rivalry (the gang situation has died down with police presense so its better now) and I am nostalgic for my youth when we lived and died with beating the school we hated the most.

[Tiger Moth]

Good points.

 

This may seem slightly off subject but, it seems that Magic Johnson was so great because he maintained his enthusiasm and was all about the team and winning. In fact, I have often wondered why he isn't considered the greatest player as compared to Michael Jordan. After all, for one thing, Kareem was winding down until Magic re-ignited him as one example.

 

Of course, Wilt was still the greatest talent in my opinion.

 

Anyway, back on point somewhat, I started attending minor league baseball games before leaving the US. Bunch of young enthusiastic, unspoiled guys.

 

And with regards to pro football, TO seems to be the model for the modern pro athlete - me, me, me.

[BadaBing]

TM

Take ChocoSteve's comments with a grain of salt. He is ( admittingly ) a " Soccer Scientologist " He may need to be reminded that LSU is at Auburn this weekend , if he is looking for passion , he will know where to tune in. The Iggles and G-Men should not be a sleeper also.

 

I'll be watching Michigan / Catholics with a hard-on...

 

Bada Bing

[gummigut]

There is definitely something to the argument, but maybe I've lost a lot of my passion. Or maybe it is just funneled elsewhere.

 

I don't know, have to think about this more

 

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[BadaBing]

There is definitely something to the argument, but maybe I've lost a lot of my passion. Or maybe it is just funneled elsewhere.

 

I don't know, have to think about this more

 

<>

 

Yeah Gummie , I also had a sudden loss of passion right after the MCK's won the Super Bowl too

 

Bada Bing

[Steve]

BadaBing, what's up buddy? You back in town? I was actualy a USC fan growing up. But I tell ya, there is NOTHINTG like football on Saturdays in the south. Everything stops. All the schools are sold out every week no matter if they're playing Florida State or the Florida School for the Blind. Auburn had 25k students in a college town of 20k people but 90k in the stadium. On Saturday afternoons we were the 2nd biggest city in Alabama!!

 

I don't like Auburn being highly ranked. We're better with a bunker mentality and the coach putting newspaper clippings of sports pages writing us off. I'm still War Damn Eagle!! hehehe...

 

Tiger Moth, some say Wilt was the best all around athlete period. He broke a lot of track records and its been said he could play any sport he put his mind to. Wonder if he could hit a baseball?

 

I am a 'soccer scientologist'..haha...it was more like Stockholm Syndrome. You can get American sports on Thai TV now, but several years ago, you couldn't. Forced fed soccer for months on end when I was in different Asian countries I took on the sport of my captors which were a few Brit guys I hung out with.

 

minor league baseball, college football, college basketball all more passionate than the pros. Ice Hockey is the most passionate of the pro sports but that is becoming more and more less so.

[BadaBing]

Totally agree with you about college ball in the south , the SEC in particular and it does'nt get any better than Auburn / Bama. How can you not love a school that produced Sir Charles and Bo ?...oh yeah , and some dude named ChocolatSteve..

 

Bada Bing

[Steve]

Michigan v. Ohio State is something as well. I recall an ESPN commerical with a couple on the couch and one had a Michigan jersey and the other an Ohio State and they were kissing and making out and the commentator said something to the effect that without college football (or something like that) this wouldn't seem so disgusting.

 

The funny thing was it DID seem disgusting...lol..

 

I may be biased but the Iron Bowl is the most heated rivalry. In the old days Oklahoma/Texas, Texas v. Tx A&M, Mich v. Oh State to this day, but Alabama is a state with no pro teams and about 3 million people and nothing else to do or talk about than the Iron Bowl. Its crazy. They carry the rivalry 365 days a year. I've had visiting professors who gave their credentials and said 'Bama was part of it and get booed by the students. They grin and bear it and accept. A guy in my class who's dad was a senator had a little brother who was just graduating from HS and asked him if his brother would be sharing an apartment with him and he said, he's going to 'Bama. I asked why. He said he'd lose half the voters if both his sons went to Auburn...and he was serious.

 

There are certain companies in Alabama who are 'Auburn' companies and 'Alabama' companies and they don't even recruit on the 'enemy's campus. The CEO and the senior staff are from 'Bama or schools that are NOT Auburn and visa versa.

 

My friends and I were coming back from Atlanta (about 2 hours) one weekend and we were speeding and a highway cop pulled us over. He saw our auburn jackets and asked if we went there. We said yes and he said 'War Eagle...be careful on the roads'.

 

Meeting up with another alum is like a fraternity. Since most of them are southerners and have that down home culture, and without knowing much about you, they invite you into their homes. Its nuts.

 

I have heard that Domers are like that as well. They have a very strong alumni network. I've heard similar things about Duke and Texas as well.

 

As far as pro teams I've heard Steelers fans are very tightknit, Eagles to some extent. I've found an 'Eagles' bar and they are a rowdy group.

 

BoSox fans are very cliqish I heard as well.

 

[BadaBing]

Funny you should mention about the hard-core base down there. Years ago , had a client in Huntsville , just talked to the chicks there in the office , mentioned college ball once thinking I was gonna get a " huh ? " If i remember correctly , that is Auburn country , if not , my bad. Anyway , she went on and on for about 30 minutes about the love for the home team there and the hate for the other. And she was dead serious.

 

College ball really misses the Bear Bryants , Woody Hayes , Bozo Schembechlers (sp?) , Ara Parsigeian ( notre dame , my spelling is shit ) John McKay's , Joe Papa's ( wait , is he still alive ? )

 

College ball has always been my first love.

 

The passion is still there bro , just a different era , we are getting older.....

 

Bada Bing