I was in Utah last week, and holy shit do people from the not-coasts care a LOT about college football.
It was hard to watch. I was explaining the head injury issues to someone (who had no idea…) and literally a kid took a bad hit to the head WHILE I was doing so.
Didn’t you learn this in Michigan? College football is the biggest everywhere in the US except the Noetheaet. They have bigger stadiums than the NFL, and they fill.
My holidays in the midwest are trying to ignore the college football and basketball.
There are two main reasons college football/basketball are huge. One is that in a lot of places, it’s the only game in town. Kentucky has no pro sports. Their college basketball team is the biggest and only deal.
Second, big universities create huge communities. All the students go to the games, just like we went to RIT hockey. But the university is enormous. And then you get new students and fans every year. And then since it’s on TV, alumni don’t stop being fans. And the university itself is the biggest all-consuming thing in its geographical vicinity. You end up with this enormous ever-growing fanbase and a stadium with a 100K+ capacity.
The biggest and most successful college football team right now is probably Alabama. What else is in the state of Alabama? Jack squat. That university and that football team might as well own the state. The same can be said for many others.
Even in states that have pro stuff, like Florida or Texas, their pro sports suck. Miami Dolphins? Jacksonville Jaguars? NOPE. Florida Gators? Seminoles? YUP.
I also think there’s one other thing that makes college sports good. That’s that the fact that game is slightly lower skill. There’s more room for “some bullshit”.
I don’t really care about handegg much but I saw this video a while back, 'bout this kid named De’Anthony Thomas. I particularly like this part where it’s like he’s got the guy on strings.
He’s got some jets on him and knows how to use his blockers but for me it was all about those fakes. He wrecks people with them.
Naturally he was drafted and currently plays for the Chiefs. So every now and then I check in with the Chiefs looking for examples of the kinda bullshit he was able to pull like returning a punt with a touchdown or these ungodly runs. Ya know how much of that went down after he went pro?
Zero. I suspect it’s because the game is played at just one notch higher skill level and as such that kinda bs doesn’t fly. The guys play a more conservative game and your bullshit doesn’t fly anymore. But if, as a fan you’re there for explosive runs and trick plays and whatever other kinda BS that I imagine happens in college games, well college is about the only place you’re gonna see it.
Just my 2c
Yes, it’s true. When skill levels are lower, and luck is lower, spectating value goes down. There is less drama and less excitement. This is why the high skill, low/no luck games that are enjoyed by the serious gamers (at least in principle) are not popular. All those people playing competitive esports complain about RNG all day, but you don’t see them quitting to play Go instead.
I think you mean when skill levels are higher?
That said, yeah. I agree. I think it’d be fun if somehow in like hearthstone as a tavern brawl they gave the fans what they wanted. A non RNG at all version of the game, where all RNG is removed, both players start with their whole decks in their hands, and the game sucked a lot.
Yes, I typed the wrong word.
Also, it’s called GOPS/Goofspielj. I’ve been trying to make a customizable game based on it for awhile.
The problem is this. You have to make a game based on Goofspiel that retains the properties of being a game of pure strategy. However, the game has actually have other things going on. Otherwise, you may as well just actually play GOPS, and all the added stuff is just meaningless dressing. The person who wins the GOPS part has to have a non 100% chance of winning the game as a whole.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eRDxDEhEgNY
Not a fan of Romo the QB, but Romo in the booth is undeniably killing it. How great is it to hear about the game from someone who actually knows wtf they are talking about.
Also, I love how this exposes all the other announcers for not knowing fuck all.
Also, maybe the good response will get the networks to hire some more informed commentators.
I’m surprised anyone was into football. College football is HUGE in the Midwest/South in a way it isn’t elsewhere. People from SLC are usually only into the Jazz or Real if anything usually. There is some reverence for the Utes in general (or for BYU) because it’s the only thing around. But it’s nothing like it is in middle America.
I remember my girlfriends uncle specifically asking what team I root for but he was talking about college football. They’re from Alabama, and most people there are intensely passionate about Auburn v Alabama. I told him west coast is not nearly as passionate about college football unless they live in the same state as a school and it usually has to be a school good at football. Otherwise professionally people usually just choose Patriots, Broncos, or Cowboys or something. It was interesting growing up through high school when Boise State was in its heyday and suddenly you see tons of people suddenly repping Boise.
I’m pretty sure my lack of interest in football unnerves people more than my Atheism.
How long until they start using multiple crews? Troy and Joe on regular Fox, All-22 with a retired player and coach on Super Football Genius channel.
Is there a reason they don’t already do it? Hypotheses:
They already do this for the Final Four, I’d love it for basically every game in every sport though.
Top five reasons why company X doesn’t do [insert your idea here]:
Yeah, it was HUGE in Michigan.
But the scale of how much these people further west CARED about it staggered me. And that’s in comparison to Michigan…
I’d be interested to know how it compares to how College Football is treated in Ohio. No matter what school you go to, you root for Ohio State and Michigan is spoken about in the same way the GOP discusses Muslims. Our Dollar Stores have entire aisles of OSU merchandise, which by the way is great when you’re me and any thought of that place brings back bad memories.
Fun fact: the Michigan/Ohio State rivalry dates back to an actual war (albeit one that was almost bloodless) between Michigan and Ohio:
Do you think the dog is repeatedly beaten on its head until it dies early of brain damage?
Welp. This night game that I thought was going to hype is the exact opposite. Still got time left, though. Super Bowl repeat?
