I started calling myself “The Champ” in February of 2006, a week or so after the Pittsburgh Steelers won Super Bowl XL. At first it was a bit of tongue-in-cheek homage to a Bill Simmons joke–after he won a fantasy football championship, he started referring to himself as “The Champ” for a year –but the name (obviously) stuck with me. I didn’t mind though. The Steelers have so permeated my fabric that the idea of permanently adopting a Steeler-based pseudonym seemed (and still seems) perfectly normal.
But, as this NFL season approaches, I’ve come to realize my affection for the black and gold isn’t extended to the league as a whole. Sure, I enjoy watching professional football, but when the Steelers aren’t playing, it doesn’t completely consume me in the way it does much of America. Wait, let me rephrase that. It doesn’t completely consume me in the way the NBA does.
You know, it’s interesting being a diehard NBA fan these days. Despite the fact that everything from the overall talent level to the television ratings has been steadily increasing for the past decade, the league is still faced with a ton of negative (and contradictory) PR¹.
Depending on who you talk to, there’s either too much defense or too much offense, the games are too boring or the games are too filled with highlights, the players are too soft or the players are too thuggish, the league is too Euro or the league is too urban, and usually these pointed complaints are made by people who say they don’t actually watch the games.
Seriously, defending the NBA today is like dating a great woman who everyone thinks has been around, even though nobody has ever actually met anyone she’s been with.
Admittedly, I have a few biases. I’ve made no secret of the fact that I played college basketball. Also, my father (and one of my uncles) played college ball as well, my closest friend coaches pro ball in Europe, and I have a cousin who’s played in the NBA. I’m a stone-cold hoops junkie surrounded by stone-cold hoops junkies.
Biases aside, it’s still easy for me to find 5 reasons why the NBA is just better than the NFL.
1. The players have actual power
In the NFL, the (primarily black) athletes are the working class while the (overwhelmingly white) coaches, management, and ownership serve as the aristocracy. In this dynamic, with the exception of a few white quarterbacks (ie: Favre, Manning, Brady, Brees), the players wield no power. None.
A great example of this general powerlessness is occurring in New York City right now, as grossly underpaid Jets cornerback Darrelle Revis (arguably the best defensive player in football) deserves a lucrative new contract, but the team is under no obligation (or pressure) to appease him. He has no real leverage, and because of this, he’ll probably end up signing a new contract paying him maybe 50% of what his services are worth (as opposed to the current contract paying him 15% of what he’s worth), even though he knows since NFL contracts aren’t guaranteed, they could release him at any point during the contract and not pay him a dime. (They wouldn’t do that, but they could)
Regardless of how you feel about Lebron James and his ill-conceived decision show, you have to admit he took advantage of every ounce of his personal leverage to achieve his desired result. While Lebron’s situation is an extreme example, no other professional athletes are as self-aware as NBA players, and in no other team sport are black professional athletes afforded the same opportunity to take advantage of this self-awareness. They know they’re valuable commodities with a finite window of earning power, and they act accordingly because they have leverage. They have power.
2. The best team always wins the championship
In the National Football League, a team can sneak into the playoffs after winning approximately half of their regular season games, catch a couple of somewhat lucky breaks, and make it all the way to the Super Bowl. With a few more lucky breaks, they can win the Super Bowl. While this unpredictable parity is usually lauded as one of the best things about the NFL, it’s completely unfair, completely wrong, and easily one of my least favorite things about the league. (I’m not the only one who feels this way, btw)
Seriously, imagine if other fields were set up similarly to the NFL (and the NCAA tournament). Think about how unfair school would be if a person who earned D minuses all semester long was able to get an “A” for the year if he just got a couple B pluses on his last two exams.
With its best-of-seven game playoff series format, the NBA ensures that flukey sh*t like this doesn’t occur. It’s the only true meritocracy in sports. The best teams, the teams most deserving of winning, usually win. If you want to win in the NBA playoffs, you have to actually go and get better. You can’t rely on bad weather or lucky breaks to help your cause.
If a team gets hot, catches a few lucky breaks, and beats the favored team, great! Good for you. Now, do it three more times if you want to advance.
3. Bigots hate it
The one infallible lesson we’ve learned in our 400 years in this country is if bigots universally hate something, that something is usually a great thing. From slavery and women’s suffrage to Manhattan and Michelle Obama, this test has never been wrong. Seriously, if you’re ever confused about where you should stand on a controversial topic or issue, just ask the nearest bigot and do the exact opposite of what he suggests and you’ll be right as rain. And, since bigots unanimously hate the NBA (seriously. if you ever want to find out if someone’s a racist, ask him to share his thoughts about the NBA), there’s obviously an inherent super positive quality about professional basketball that NFL stans just haven’t recognized yet.
4. Skill matters
Why is this true? Well, just let me put it this way: Dwyane Wade. Lebron James. Derrick Rose. Nate Robinson. Shannon Brown. Rajon Rondo. These are just a few of the dozens of NBA players who have the athletic chops to be able to retire from the NBA today, and get signed by an NFL team tomorrow.
The number of NFL players who could do the same? Zero
I’m not suggesting NFL players aren’t extremely skilled at their crafts, and I’m not attempting to minimize the amount of energy and work it takes to be a professional football player. But, as any athlete will tell you, it’s much more difficult to make an NBA roster than an NFL team because pro-level basketball is much more difficult to play than pro-level football.
Don’t believe me? Well it can’t be too difficult to make the roster in a sport where this guy..
…is a number one draft pick.
5. Each player matters too
From the otherworldlyness of Ron Artest to the perpetually petulant Kobe Bryant, each NBA player has a unique personality, skill set, and narrative. Even marginal players–like a Rafer Alston or Delonte West–have their own distinct and distinguishable qualities, and each of these characteristics are easily seen by the public.
And, while the NFL tries to sell you on the concept that it’s the only true team sport, the one place where each individual part matters as much as the next, in reality the National Football League is comprised of a few superstars (the aforementioned quarterbacks and a few other marquee players) and a bunch of anonymous and interchangeable drones.
There are no personalities, just 32 mega corporations each headed by 30 to 35 year old white males who rule over a bunch of throwaway parts. This is strongly and sadly evidenced by the very real fact that, as long as it’s people like Chris Henry and Andre Waters dying, nobody seems to care that the NFL is turning its players into mush brained zombies.
Damn, I guess this truly makes the NFL America’s game. But, it doesn’t make it better.
¹My three favorites theories about why the NBA gets so much negative P.R.
A) There hasn’t been a white American basketball superstar since Larry Bird, and the fact that there’s no one for middle America to really root for cultivates a general disinterest with much of (white) America. There are no Mississippi farm boys (Favre), royal families (The Mannings), or superstar heartthrobs (Brady). This isn’t racist. It’s just hard for many to get behind a sport when you feel like you can’t relate to any of the players. In turn, this disinterest eventually turns into distaste.
B) For almost a decade, the best NBA basketball has been played out west. Phoenix, Los Angeles, Dallas, Houston, San Antonio, Denver, and Utah have all had consistently good teams, while New York, New Jersey, Philadelphia, Washington, and (up until 3 years ago) Boston have consistently sucked. Thing is, the majority of the nations important sports media is located in the Northeast. And, since they haven’t had winners in their home cities for the past 10 years, they’ve written and reported with an anti-NBA slant. This actually leads to…
C) Casual NFL fans are more sophisticated than casual NBA fans. Wait, let me rephrase that. Casual NFL fans are more accepting of and willing to learn about football strategy than casual NBA fans are of basketball strategy. For instance, when a star NFL player has difficulties, the announcers point out that “Manning has always had difficulties against the Cover 2. Lets see if he can make adjustments at halftime” and people accept this as truth. When an star NBA player has difficulties, the announcers might point out a certain defensive tactic the other team is using, but the casual fan usually ends up thinking “Damn. Carmelo just isn’t giving any effort tonight. Damn overpaid NBA diva.” And, I think the casual fan’s willingness to give NFL players the benefit of the doubt (and not NBA players) is partially due to media influence. If you hear “NBA players don’t care” enough, you’ll start to believe it.
—The Champ
By the power of Greyskull!
You go, Mr SoBo!!! Good for you! *passes you gift wrapped package of fresh wife beaters and cues victory music*
Vixen avatar FTW! Quite underrated superheroine WRT her ability set.
@Man About It,
Thank you for the avatar love!
LMAO @ wife beaters.
HE-MAN!
I love it! Congrats on the top spot. That was one of my FAV cartoons growing up. My brother was he-man and I was she-ra! Ahh to be 3 again
This caught me off guard so much, I started coughing. Funny! Congrats
KAMEHA MEHA!!!!
Wait….
DARNNIT!!!! Got my 90s anime mixed up…. Anywho, you make some good points with this post Champ, but it doesn’t really matter to me cuz I’m a Southern lady. Southern Ladies are required to do three things:
- plant tomatoes
- where hats to church
- worship the game of football
#yeshrug…
ugh, that should be wear. I’m too tired for homophones! My point still stands.
Anywho, you make some good points with this post Champ, but it doesn’t really matter to me cuz I’m a Southern lady. Southern Ladies are required to do three things:
lol, yeah. i realize its embedded in the culture down there (sh*t, up here too). but, so is the confederate flag.
lmao
I have the poweeeeerrrrrrr!!!!!!
NOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! *Dramatically falls, hand reaching out anime style…*
…Andi became my b*tch. And I became …He-Man, THE MOST POWERFUL MAN IN THE UNIVERSE!
o_O………………… #RileyVoice Ninja you gay!
Everyone knows He-Man likes the pen…
“And I became …He-Man, THE MOST POWERFUL MAN IN THE UNIVERSE!”
Wait, I though that was batman?! lol
batmans’ not even in the running. superman and wolverine would both take him out in the preliminaries lol, its most definitely the silver surfer.
Batman is better because he fought and beat Superman’s villians…without the superpowers. Fin.
@santa monica
*nerd moment* Unless Superman sneaks up on Batman, he could take an L to Bats. He carries kryptonite every where he goes.
*thinks of Jim Lee drawing with Supes choking the ‘ish outta’ Bats*
I still maintain the Batman wouldn’t be as feared if he was in the Marvel Universe but I’m biased.
“*nerd moment* Unless Superman sneaks up on Batman, he could take an L to Bats. He carries kryptonite every where he goes.”
Pretty much, and if you go by the Justice League Unlimited Batman has the means to take out pretty much anyone in the League.
But Green Lantern still remains the absolute favorite superheroe (Hal Jordan and Jonathan Stewart) then after that its Flash.
Supes ain’t gotta sneak up on Bats. He got red laser beams out his eyes and icey cold breathe. He can eff’ Bats up at will. If Joker can get to Bats at times, Supes definitely can. He is Superman. Supes been around Krytonite and still beat adversaries. Plus, Supes scales down his power so as not to hurt innocent bystanders. He has the power to punch and create sonic booms, so as much as I like Bats and how skilled he is without super power, he is NOT effin’ with Superman. Not even with kryptonite draws.
This made laugh out loud for at least 7 minutes.
YESSSS!!!! (I haven’t read the post yet but the title in and of itself is GOLD!)
good job Champ! Ok now to read…
I haven’t read the post yet but the title in and of itself is GOLD
Yup! I co-signed on the blog just from the title alone
Interesting piece.
You convinced me that the NBA is better than the NFL (it didn’t take much because the NFL is wack with a capital sorry), but I still think NCAA Football trumps all American sports leagues in terms of excitement, authenticity and awesomeness.I can’t wait for college football season.
In general the NBA, NFL, MLB, ABCDEFG has nothing on soccer/(football) season.
Soccer as a TV spectator sport has always left me wanting. It in no way matches the excitement of playing the sport. The emphasis on ball control rather that attacking in the pro game robbed it of the dynamism that was found in the game 10 to 15 years ago.
Actually Dash, you cant have an attacking offense if you dont have ball control and strategy. Soccer is an intelligent game
The strategy of the game has trended too far to the defensive side of the ball.Even Brazil is being expected to dial back the attack. Players skill levels are higher than ever, and they should be allowed to play in an aggressive dive free game.
Sidenote; Football/Soccer is arguably the least intelligent of the major team sports. Football, Hockey, Basketball, and Baseball are all more cerebral games with more options for strategy.
The least intelligent? How can you support such a statement considering the fact that a midfielder is required to do so much. The pitch is larger and there is almost constant movement. If anything the NFL is the least intelligent because play is continually stopped. allowing for decisions to be made under less pressure.
Agreed, its an Intelligent and patient game. I love soccer and its not for the weak hearted.
Soccer is THE most intelligent sport. The manager/coach is the most important person & tactics often win trophies.
http://www.zonalmarking.net/2010/04/20/inter-3-1-barcelona-tactics-guardiola-mourinho/
Although that is very detailed. Soccer fans moan about managers tactics/selections/transfer decisions much more than individual player performances.
Ball Control vs Attacking doesn’t make any sense unless you’re talking about keeping possession and building long slow attacks vs. having fast paced passing, quick exciting attacks but have little of the ball i general play.
College football is by far the best sport. To quote Stewart Mandel of Sports Illustrated, the NFL is the “antithesis of everything that makes college football special.”
The NBA has been unwatchable for quite a bit, but the NFL is doing its damnedest to catch up at an exponential rate. You couldn’t convince me that either one of them is better than chasing a shot of diesel fuel with antifreeze.
“The NBA has been unwatchable for quite a bit, but the NFL is doing its damnedest to catch up at an exponential rate. ”
This is honestly very true, the pro leagues are actually pretty garbage and only get exciting toward the end of the season when playoffs happen and its time to see who will be on top by the end of it all. NCAA is definitely where the purity of the game still lies… BUT I’m by far a basketball fan over football any and everyday so *shrug* viva la NBA
I am offended by the purity of the game argument for The NCAA.
“I am offended by the purity of the game argument for The NCAA.”
Lol, Yeah no kidding, isn’t Reggie Miles-Austin-is-boning-my-ex Bush getting ready to give his trophy back?
Yeah I was going to say that even though I like it better, that whole purity of college athletics thing doesn’t fly nowadays, and hasn’t for a number of years.
Ok maybe I should say purity in the play, not the actual characters and people necessarily. I just mean in the NCAA you still see real heart and fundamentals going on to get the win, its fun to watch. In the NBA and NFL you don’t see that as much… At least I don’t *shrug*
Not to be a prick, but the level of play even for the best teams is often very low. I think people get bored with the NBA because the mistakes made by players in the college game that leads to those floor burns do not occur as much when the game is played by elite players.
“I think people get bored with the NBA because the mistakes made by players in the college game that leads to those floor burns do not occur as much when the game is played by elite players.”
exactly. if you smack the floor while playing d at duke, the crowd and the announcers go crazy. if you smack the floor like that in the nba, chris paul is blowing right past you and getting an and1.
also, you’ve touched on another perception problem with the nba. the players look so naturally gifted that (at times) it appears that they’re not giving any effort.
caveat: not being an american means i dont have any deep rooted affiliation with any team/state/city/school.
but i will continue to boycott NCAA football until they come up with a better system than the BCS.
and because the kraft fight hunger bowl and beef o brady bowl both require the legitsoul side-eye. e_O.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_college_bowl_games
but I still think NCAA Football trumps all American sports leagues in terms of excitement, authenticity and awesomeness.I can’t wait for college football season. .
Seeing as to how I bleed scarlet and grey, (GO BUCKEYES) I am inclined to agree with this.
GO BLUE!!
thatisall
“GO BLUE!!”
lmfao.
Signed,
Me and the rest of the Class of 2010 of The Ohio State University
Dear The Law,
I love you.
And as ALWAYS….GO BLUE!
Love,
MzPW
Ah yes, 2006, when the Seahawks lost the Super Bowl and the SuperSonics were sold out. Since the NBA rolled out of town, I’ve only watched the NBA playoffs, not the regular season. In other words, I mostly watch baseball.
***filed under “things usually said right before someone goes on suicide watch”***
seriously though, it must suck to be a seattle sports fan. i feel for you
“it’s much more difficult to make an NBA roster than an NFL team because pro-level basketball is much more difficult to play than pro-level football.”
it’s much more difficult to make an NBA roster because there are more people competing for less spots. Simple as that.
By any stretch of the imagination, pro basketball certainly is not “much more” difficult than pro football, if at all.
“it’s much more difficult to make an NBA roster because there are more people competing for less spots. Simple as that.
By any stretch of the imagination, pro basketball certainly is not “much more” difficult than pro football, if at all.”
Dammit you snatched them again, the reason NFL rosters tend to be so deep is partly due to the increased likelihood of your main player getting injured. They need depth to take pressure off those guys.
“it’s much more difficult to make an NBA roster because there are more people competing for less spots. Simple as that.”
this is true. there are more roster spots/jobs in the NFL (approximately 1000 more). my point is that it takes a more refined skill set to be a high level basketball player, skills that take years to develop.
put it this way: you can teach a great athlete who’s never touched a football before–but who already knows how to run and catch, things everybody knows how to do–how to run a route in a week. try teaching someone who has never touched a basketball before how to dribble one, or how to shoot a jumpshot in a week
You can teach them how to run a route in a week, just like I can teach somebody how to shoot a basketball in a week. In neither scenario will one be worth anything.
The Champ is confusing athleticism with skill.
Being fast (which a lot of NBA players aren’t really, at 6″5 Usain Bolt is a freak of nature.. 5″8 to 6″2 are optimum height for speed) or strong is not a skill.
You can have all the natural b’ball talent in the world. If your 5″8 you aint gunna make it,
From one basketball player to another, i have to totally agree with this list. You can make a football team by simply being 400 pounds. (Pls see any offensive lineman in the college). Basketball is a sport of skill and finesse, that takes decades to prefect. I knew i effed with this blog for a reason.Thanks for pointing this out.
And? You can make a basketball team by being tall.
“And? You can make a basketball team by being tall.”
Took the words right out my mouth, a 400 pound dude wouldn’t survive due to most likely not having much stamina.
“You can make a basketball team by being tall.”
Maybe in high school this might be true, but unless you are coordinated and are able to provide some sort of viable defense, rebounding or scoring skill… coaches are not putting 7′ tall homie on the court just cause he can stand in the paint and be in the way. Basketball is too fast paced and skilled for that tomfoolery. If you’ve got Andre the Giant in the game and he isn’t pulling his weight you’re shooting your own self in the foot. Don’t get it twisted… Yao Ming, Shaq, KG… all some TALL a** Ninjas with skills
Just like you wouldn’t put a 400 pound lineman in a game if he stands straight up at the snap, blows assignments, gets put on his back every play, and compromises the health and efficiency of the offense whenever he’s on the field?
Exactly.
“Maybe in high school this might be true, but unless you are coordinated and are able to provide some sort of viable defense, rebounding or scoring skill… coaches are not putting 7? tall homie on the court just cause he can stand in the paint and be in the way. Basketball is too fast paced and skilled for that tomfoolery. If you’ve got Andre the Giant in the game and he isn’t pulling his weight you’re shooting your own self in the foot. Don’t get it twisted… Yao Ming, Shaq, KG… all some TALL a** Ninjas with skills”
The same idea applies for football, in high school I played against dudes that were just big for no reason. The coaches put them in there solely to take up space and make it hard to get around them. When you get to the college level that stops all together, you can’t be big just to be big theres A LOT of athleticism involved with the big dudes (I know I was one of ‘em) case in point Haloti Ngata http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Iy0FqWae0o4 6’4″ 350 and the coaches put him in at LB sometimes. He’s not just a fat boy.
Does anyone not remember the era Muresan and Manute Bol. Has anyone here even played high school level football? If you did you would not be making such silly claims. That same 400lber your talking about is stronger than you, more agile than you, faster than you and if he is an olineman, he’s smarter than pretty much all nba players. Do people not realized the mental prowess necessary to play center
You have impressed me with this comment.
A center is supposed to know every other lineman’s blocking assignments, for every play, as well as which defender receives first priority (gap, head up, outside).
D-Line is responsible for remember which gap they are shooting depending on which stunts or formation they are running.
People don’t give linemen credit that they deserve. It’s more then just lining up and bashing into each other.
The battle in the trenches has affected the outcome of more football games than people realize.
“D-Line is responsible for remember which gap they are shooting depending on which stunts or formation they are running.
People don’t give linemen credit that they deserve. It’s more then just lining up and bashing into each other.”
They really don’t, as a noseguard in the 3-4 the defense operating successfully falls your shoulders. Mess up your gap assignments and you and the Linebacker are attacking the same hole allowing the runningback to hit the vacated spot on the field which equals either a touchdown or a long run. A guy like Fat-Albert Haynesworth is valuable because he occupy’s blockers and lets the Linebackers run free to make plays. The fat dudes are vastly important.
Getting in here before the season regulars start their personal banter. Yes, this blog is completely biased.
in what way (not denying the bias, btw)
being from the south..texas that is…i have to stay on the nfl bandwagon. sorry they’ll kick me out if i don’t say that. go cowboys!
While the 5 things you list are true..I can’t disagree with the premise more. I would have to give the NFL the ups. While you may not care about the NFL outside of the Steel Curtain (who will get stomped on Halloween night) watching any NFL regular season game is much more rewarding than that of any sport. Let’s be real only a small percentage even care about NBA ball till the playoffs. As far as any team winning..that..in my opinion is something great about the NFL. It gets old and predictable knowing one of only 5 NBA teams have a legitimate shot at winning a NBA title.
Let’s be real only a small percentage even care about NBA ball till the playoffs.
lol never have i ever heard some one say “today marks the first day of BASKETBALL season” why? because no one cares enough know when the season even starts.
It gets old and predictable knowing one of only 5 NBA teams have a legitimate shot at winning a NBA title.
true statement. altho this makes the nba rivalries even more compelling (i love a good boston vs. la match)
‘lol never have i ever heard some one say “today marks the first day of BASKETBALL season” why? because no one cares enough know when the season even starts.’
your kidding right?
i dont know a single person that doesnt KNOW when the first day of this season is, probably cuz of the season opening line up but still. i havent been this excited for a game since the pistons took the championship in 04.
“It gets old and predictable knowing one of only 5 NBA teams have a legitimate shot at winning a NBA title.”
isnt that a good thing? id rather have a handful of really really really good teams then a bunch of mediocre ones. no nfl game, not even the superbowl, could touch the excitement of any of last seasons semi final match ups.
your kidding right?
no.
isnt that a good thing?
never claimed it was good or bad. just said true statement
I wasn’t gone even respond until I read this…..
“lol never have i ever heard some one say “today marks the first day of BASKETBALL season” why? because no one cares enough know when the season even starts.”
Are you kidding me? I mean 75% of my fb friends changed their status’ as soon as the opening day games were announced. I am right now, planning sick days around the first day of the basketball season. I am excited to see what my team is going to do this year (GO BULLS!!!) so I have to say the NBA is waaaayyy better than the NFL.
Are you kidding me?
no.
i, GEM OF THE OCEAN, have never heard any of my friends get hype about the beginning of basketball season. or its possible they did and i was so bored at the thought of regular season bball that i thought they were talking about fly fishing and ignored them.
even of my friends who are big bball fans, i dont know many who count down the days or put the public on notice via fb or twitter that the season is here. hell, i know more ppl hyped up about opening day in baseball.
guess i just hang around great ppl (who love the nfl)
May I offer that you’re from San Diego and live in Pittsburgh, two cities with no NBA presence of their own, haven’t had one in 25+ years. So of course you wouldn’t really care about the ups and downs like one who has a franchise about 10 miles away from their house..
that may be very well contribute to why i dont care much for bball like i do fball.
but lets not ignore the fact that i lived in atl for awhile and grew up just an hour and some change from l.a. in a household of big fans of the nba (lakers). yet, the thrill and anticipation of a sport came with football more so than bball.
also, my fam is heavily into ncaa bball (more so than the nba) and college football (my brothers dad has coached players in h.s. who went to be very successful in college and even the nfl). hell, to this day i cant call my parents house during march madness cuz they dont answer the phone. but again, its all about the BIG tourneys (bowl games) that any energy is truly invested. except for maybe my brother–ANY time usc fball is on, hes watching.
point is, ive never known anybody (save champ) that actually cares enough about the nba to plan their lives around it UNTIL playoff season. the mere start of football pre-season gets ninjas and chicks alike wet. and regular season sundays? please. church EMPTY by noon service. EVERY sunday.
“Let’s be real only a small percentage even care about NBA ball till the playoffs.’
the amount of people who care about something isn’t a factor when determining inherent value. if that’s the case, soccer sh*t on all of us and Nelly’s a better rapper than Nas
welcome and sh*t, btw
Soccer does sh*t on all of us, by the way. The World Cup is probably one of the most exciting events evah. America betta recognize. Damn, I just went to the 1990s with that one. Anyway…
Let em know Cheekie.
#isall
.
I have several thousand posts on basketball messageboards. My fingertips say that the NBA is my favorite league. I would love if the season was closer to 50 games because seeing The Nets play out the string is heartrending most years. I personally know few people off-line who hate LeBron who were not Chicago Bulls fans. I enjoyed rubbing their face in The Decision. Their gassing up of Joachim Noah had become insufferable. He had a similar year to what Andris Biedrins had and is only valuable because he was giving you that production on a rookie contract. Per stats he is one of the worst man low post defenders, and was exposed for his weakness in defending the Pick and Roll. Go ahead and overpay him and his plantar issues.
‘I have several thousand posts on basketball messageboards.’
you sound a little too happy of this fact
At one time I was ashamed of that fact, but I have come to find that friends and barbershop patrons are so misinformed about basketball that it is best to take my roundball discussions online. Even if that means having to deal with trolls and all the MJ, Kobe, and LeBron wang riding.
Well I can’t ride with you on this one. I will take football over basketball anyday of the week and definitely on Sunday!!
IDK, I guess it’s because I grew up watching my brother’s and cousin’s games friday nights, hearing stories about my uncle playing pro (for a super short time), watching games after church and sunday dinner with your family from birth until now will do that to you. I have no arguement that the NFL is better just that I watch the NBA real sporadic, like only when the regular season ends…lol. *I’m suprised you didn’t bring up Brett Favre somehow…I just knew he’d be in this post. 
Miss T-Lee, I would expect nothing less from a Texan. Girl, you can not be Texan and front on football.
I respect your position.
Exactly girl
The football love is no joke ’round these parts. I see you like the B-Ball, I can dig it. *daps*
Brett Favre was in this post, but some high up decided it would be better without him. now hes getting some other site millions of hits and tryna decide whether or not he should give the vsb’s another chance.
*snickering loudly*
I knew t-lee would come through and let it be known about football. People outside of Texas don’t realize how much of religion football is in this state. The smaller the town, the more intense it is. I don’t get into the NBA until after the All-Star because the NFL season is over by that time.
“The smaller the town, the more intense it is. ”
You ain’t lying. *small town girl game proper*
“People outside of Texas don’t realize how much of religion football is in this state”
*what’s up head nod*
Gotta agree with this one. Born and raised in Austin, TX and I was only watching basketball during the playoffs. Up here in NYC, though, it seems like bball is king. I still throw my Superbowl parties, though.
Word?! You’re from Austin? Had no idea.
What it do?!?!
Yeppers! “Hook ‘em horns” and all that jazz.
I will take football over basketball anyday of the week and definitely on Sunday!! .
ME TOO!!!!!! And I don’t just watch my team. I like watching all of the games.
I ? me some football. Seriously.
Amen to everything you’ve said.
See, I like the NFL and all but I will SERIOUSLY give my heart to college football. (sigh) <3
“ME TOO!!!!!! And I don’t just watch my team.”
You sound like me. I can kick it with you chick.
Hmmm….y’know, I gotta give you props, Champ Sir, on your argument, but for some reason, the bone-crushing sound of a clean tackle made on a QB has always seemed to tickle my fancy more than the simple “swish” of a layup….
ooh! and NOPE…still not first but I’m the top…well, 20. That counts as sumthin’.
The crash of a dunk, fast break, no look pass, ankle breaking cross-over, charge or clutch freethrow shots does nothing for you? Seriously, I respect your position, I just had to say that.
See……you’ve got a great point and I’ll admit, I do tend to yell ” Oh, snap!” anytime I see LBJ do what he does. But, I just can’t help it….there’s something about a QB sack (ESPECIALLY when some no-name linebacker makes a great play) that just touches my heart, y’know? For example, when the Saints won the SuperBowl, it had NOTHING to do with Reggie Bush…it was all about that defense and those awesome plays!
Sorry, I digress…
Did you really have to post a picture of Andre Smith? At least you didn’t post a video of him running…
You’re welcome
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dF2nYd2NOys
I hatechu, Jai. And what is the person (I can’t say whether male or female) holding in your avatar?
He is holding flowers and you can’t tell him his hurr’ ain’t “togeva”! LMAO!
lmao…thanks!
Long-time reader, first-time commenter….I cover the NBA for a living and you’re absolutely right…especially about the closet racists…they HATE the black ballplayers have so much power. They hate LeBron, but champion Favre…
Love the site, bruh’s…keep it up
They hate LeBron, but champion Favre…
you cant even compare the two– its like apples and areolas.
besides the fact that the nba has many more prominent “super”stars that are black. unlike in the nfl (though majority colored) where the most rare, prized “super”star position is the QB–typically held by 2520s. the race card is played very differently in each org.
welcome and sh*t
those flying tittays are going to give me nightmares.
I do like the NBA better than the NFL.
although I like college basketball better than both.
but basketball is better designed for fan interaction wtih the smaller teams, there are only 5 starters so you get to know these players, their story. Its easy to follow them from college to the pros, etc.
I mean you can do the same with the NFL but it takes more effort..
basketball is more fast paced, you are never going to get a basketball score of 7-0
or 3-6
and even with two of the worst teams in the league you will still get a highlight here and there…
i mean I love football but there is nothing on earth worse than watching a terrible football team play another one.
i mean you cant even laugh at it.. it just becomes….
sad..
and not regular sad, the kind of sad where you are embarrassed for them and have to look away
yes, two sorry football teams is sooooo sloppy, like watching a blooper reel. I went to an HBCU in a convoluted azz division and the football games were beyond laughable….
“yes, two sorry football teams is sooooo sloppy, like watching a blooper reel.”
One of the best NFL games last season was played by 2 of the worst teams in the league. It actually makes it a better game because their usually matched up.
You’re right. That Lions/Browns was a really good game and a lot of people never thought that phrase would be uttered.
Hey, hey, now…..be nice to the Lions. Folks like me are actually willing to admit that we support them. Every now and then, they have a play that shocks the hell out of you….y’know, like making a complete pass.
I think they will surprise some people this year. Good draft, good free agents and a good defensive coach. I think they got a steal with Jahvid Best in the backfield and I think Megatron will have a good year. I got love for Stafford because he’s a Dallas boy.
Oooh, I like you!
…and THANK YOU! See, I was trying to tell my people the EXACT same thing! They’re rebuilding as a franchise and that takes time….plus, I think C. Johnson is starting to come into his own. Stafford’s got nice size (and a nice arm); he’s gonna start feeling very comfortable with calling those plays. Combine that with a strong O-line that’s got a good combo of experience, speed, and strength, and I think we’re working with a lil’ sumthin’ here.
One of these days, I’m going to say the words “Lions”,
“making”, and “playoffs” in the same sentence….
One of the best NFL games last season was played by 2 of the worst teams in the league. It actually makes it a better game because their usually matched up.
Yeah theres always an exception to any rule but most of the time its terrible
wow. that’s twice in one week you’ve agree with me
When debating with my basketball playing friends about the different skills involved with playing football, the one major difference that I find is that an 18 year old kid can come straight out of high school, play and almost dominate in the NBA. That ish would not happen in the NFL, a young kid has not physically matured to the point where he could handle that punishment.
When it comes to athletes switching sports, I don’t buy it. It’s like the arguments I hear why a Rugby player would dominate in American football just because they don’t play with pads. It’s a different game that requires different skills that IMO wouldn’t transfer over. At 6’8″ Lebron would killed unless gained weight and switch to O-line, his legs would get shattered.
Pretty much.
Most athletes in any sport could at least get a look in any sport because of basic athletic or genetic ability.
Yeah, somebody might look at Derrick Rose, then they’ll cut his ass the next day when they find out he sucks at running routes. Just like an NBA team might look at Brandon Marshall until they realize he can’t shoot a jumper.
For the record, I don’t know if Marshall can or can’t shoot, but be sure to revisit this next year when he’s on an NBA team like he thinks he will be.
When debating with my basketball playing friends about the different skills involved with playing football, the one major difference that I find is that an 18 year old kid can come straight out of high school, play and almost dominate in the NBA. That ish would not happen in the NFL, a young kid has not physically matured to the point where he could handle that punishment.
When it comes to athletes switching sports, I don’t buy it. It’s like the arguments I hear why a Rugby player would dominate in American football just because they don’t play with pads. It’s a different game that requires different skills that IMO wouldn’t transfer over. At 6’8? Lebron would killed unless gained weight and switch to O-line, his legs would get shattered.
you make two good points. the NFL is definitely more physically demanding on its athletes, which a big reason why they don’t allow high schoolers or even college freshmen (i think) to enter the draft.
my point, though, is that the skills it takes to be good at football are easier to learn than the skills in takes to be good at basketball.
“you make two good points. the NFL is definitely more physically demanding on its athletes, which a big reason why they don’t allow high schoolers or even college freshmen (i think) to enter the draft.
my point, though, is that the skills it takes to be good at football are easier to learn than the skills in takes to be good at basketball.”
Players need to be at least 3 years out of high school which is why most dudes jump after their Junior year or Redshirt sophomore year.
Depending on what position, it is easier to pick up football basics than basketball. Quarterback and Middle Linebackers (in a 4-3) have to know an insane amount of info and not only absorb it but be able to process in an extremely short amount time in order to react properly. And its one thing to pick up to skills, but its another thing to master them as most NFL starters have, which is why there is always a significant drop-off in talent when someone like Ray-Ray (Ray Lewis) goes down.
Champ, excellent points! In terms of the big three (baseball, football, and basketball), Basketball is my favorite. I am a sports fan in general but I understand and watched basketball for a much longer time and have strict team loyalties. It also helps that I played on my girl’s high school team and went to a “basketball” high school. Associated with your #1, the NBA is more elite for the very fact that the teams are much smaller. You gotta be the best to make the starting 5 or the team period. NFL Teams can be deep and like you stated, one may not know a player at all. I also know that at my college alma mater it was easier to get tickets for football than basketball. I loved the football games (and still DO), but the availability of tickets speaks to the exclusivity and demand. I still have yet to go to my alma mater men’s college basketball games that isn’t a “midnight madness” event.
However, there is something great about Superbowl Sunday, the media frenzy for epic commercials, commercial time, and a bangin’ Superbowl party. Alma mater football games made me love football. Yes, I have love fot football, but basketball love was there since elementary school.
However, there is something great about Superbowl Sunday, the media frenzy for epic commercials, commercial time, and a bangin’ Superbowl party. Alma mater football games made me love football. Yes, I have love fot football, but basketball love was there since elementary school.
i think this is the main reason why the NFL gets so much unconditional love. games become events/parties/excuse for people to get together, get drunk, talk sh*t, and have a blast. its like “well, everybody is into it, so i need to be into it too”. the game itself doesn’t matter as much as the idea of the game
“I’m a stone-cold hoops junkie surrounded by stone-cold hoops junkies.”
See now Champ I haven’t even gotten to the list cause you keep stopping me dead in my tracks… this line right here! YES, Exactly!
I need this on a t-shirt, like yesterday…
back to finish reading…
“I’m a stone-cold hoops junkie surrounded by stone-cold hoops junkies.”
I need this on a t-shirt, like yesterday…
will do
short answer: no.
long answer (you knew this was coming from me…)
savvy smartphone users are now broken into 2 major camps: blackberry and iphone. iphone users berate bb users for its lack of apps and sleekness, bb users look down their nose and point to the fact that the most powerful man in the world has one. you know what? we are ALL suckers making Apple and RIM richer, both devices have pros and cons and it boils down to personal taste and how trendy you need to be with your electronic devices.
this is pretty much the same thing.
nba is better than nfl to me in these ways:
-easier recognition of players
-highlight reels are full of sweet dunks
-the game is easy to understand/follow with little investment or knowledge
-its a sport more people have tried playing/have played previously so have a more personal connection to
-their charitable program (the nba where caring happens) is better
-the global reach
-the acessibility (cost..shoes and a ball)
im a blackberry user, and i can name great things about the iphone. but if someone gave me a new white blackberry bold and a new iphone 4..i’d pick bb everytime. and i’ll pick nfl everytime too.
to counter champs points:
-the lockout (which the nba already had years ago) will rectify the current ‘power scenario’. and there are 2 sides to every story. Revis HELD OUT to get the deal he currently has. he had the POWER years ago to put incentives into his contract, but didnt. yes, he’s outplayed his deal – but it’s a deal he played hardball to sign and get. he works in a market in which there are no rookie caps and whomever has the better agent wins. Revis is a phenomenal player, but things probably would be a little different if he was an offensive player. Revis isn’t on Lebron (global worldwide phenom status). Call me when he gets on a Wheaties box. (aka: comparing celery to strawberries).
-true ballers dont want Cinderella stories in MM. casual fans do. that’s what makes the tournament fun and worth watching. if butler won the tourn..they will have played each game, each level completely and 100%. nba playoffs are TOO long (uncessarily IMO). Players aren’t playing with 100% intensity for 7 games in all 4 series. I’m not a fan of Dan Gilbert..but LBJ did slow down a little last year. #imjussayin.
-tats can be chexy. no doubt about it. but if im a bigot for being annoyed by the nuggets looking like an episode of LA/MIA/whatevercity Ink..so be it. was the dress code racially motivated? yep. but, i’m all for encouraging our black men who ARE role models for looking decent and proper in showing up to work. You are not representing yourselves, you are representing a multimillion dollar organization which is part of a billion dollar corporation. Pull up your pants.
-Antonio Gates actually played bball and was considered too small so started playing football. I hear he’s a pretty good player. Not fair to use a d or olinesman as an example. TO is pretty decent on the ball court as well. I think there are prob more tightends, recievers and maybe a couple of qb’s, corners and runningbacks that could make the transition to bball than centres and pgs to football. taking a hit > taking a charge
-nba wants to sell me the idea that bball is also a teamsport. but there are alot more selfish players in the nba who want the glory, the stats, the espn highlights, which leads to endorsements, the makin it rain opps and more. the offensive unit as to play as that to get the job done. the defensive unit as to play as one to get the job done. 1 or 2 players may get the bulk of blame, but not usually.
moral of my story? i’ve been watching nfl since i was 9. probably been watching nba since that time (or later). why i fell off nba so hard, im sure is a myriad of reasons, but i’ll stick with my every week, game and quarter counts from beginning to end league that is national football.
the end.
^^^^^ Holy Sh*t I’m in love lol
dammit kb, how is it possible for you to make me love you more?????????
*big hug*
you, m’lady, are the sh*t. and i LOVE this response. its so…. thorough. and real. and i agree 1000%. great comment.
ok so you’re my shero at this point.
nba wants to sell me the idea that bball is also a teamsport. but there are alot more selfish players in the nba who want the glory, the stats, the espn highlights, which leads to endorsements, the makin it rain opps and more. the offensive unit as to play as that to get the job done. the defensive unit as to play as one to get the job done. 1 or 2 players may get the bulk of blame, but not usually.
Which is the same reason why I loathe T.O. and Ochocinco…though I have more respect for Ochocinco then I do T.O.
@Rog: lol. is that an e-proposal?
@Gem & Muze: *takes bow. thanks doll!
@shay: i totally hear you on that tip. They are both talented, but both divas. BUT they dont (unless its dropped balls, runing lazy routes) lose the game for their teams.
I’ll get back at you next year when I get my B.A.
You Rock for this, Ms. Brown. I co-sign completely.
you make some really good points. allow me to refute and sh*t
“Revis is a phenomenal player, but things probably would be a little different if he was an offensive player. Revis isn’t on Lebron (global worldwide phenom status). Call me when he gets on a Wheaties box. (aka: comparing celery to strawberries).”
You’re making my point right here. Revis one of the best players in the league, but because he’s not one of the golden boys he doesn’t have much leverage
Players aren’t playing with 100% intensity for 7 games in all 4 series. I’m not a fan of Dan Gilbert..but LBJ did slow down a little last year. #imjussayin.
Yeah they are. That’s one of the biggest misconceptions about basketball. While it’s not advantageous to run around like a chicken with its head cut off for 48 minutes, the players are extremely locked in and focuses. It’s not as viscerally intense as an NFL or NCAA basketball game, but that doesn’t the players are less intense. As far as Lebron, ummm, well, yeah…you got me. I seriously think he was having a nervous breakdown or something, lol. But. the NFL is full of top level players who’ve admitted to not always giving their best effort (ie: moss, randy)
tats can be chexy. no doubt about it. but if im a bigot for being annoyed by the nuggets looking like an episode of LA/MIA/whatevercity Ink..so be it. was the dress code racially motivated? yep. but, i’m all for encouraging our black men who ARE role models for looking decent and proper in showing up to work. You are not representing yourselves, you are representing a multimillion dollar organization which is part of a billion dollar corporation. Pull up your pants.
NFL players are just as (if not more) tatted up and even scruffier (take a look at ed reed on the sidelines one day), but because they’re wearing loads of equipment (and the field is further away from the fans) you don’t see it. I agree, though. Teams like the Nuggets make you hate HD.
-Antonio Gates actually played bball and was considered too small so started playing football. I hear he’s a pretty good player. Not fair to use a d or olinesman as an example. TO is pretty decent on the ball court as well. I think there are prob more tightends, recievers and maybe a couple of qb’s, corners and runningbacks that could make the transition to bball than centres and pgs to football. taking a hit > taking a charge
again, you’re making my point. Antonio Gates didn’t even touch a football for 5 years, steps off the basketball court (where he was a bit slow and undersized for his position) and becomes one of the best football players in the world in a year. And while it’s true that there are many NFL athletes who are probably really good basketball players, being an elite level player takes a critical development of a certain skill set that takes years to cultivate. T.O. is a great athlete and a good basketball player, but he wouldn’t even make the roster of a C-level team in Guam.
nba wants to sell me the idea that bball is also a teamsport. but there are alot more selfish players in the nba who want the glory, the stats, the espn highlights, which leads to endorsements, the makin it rain opps and more.
there are selfish and diva like players in both leagues. but, i will concede that basketball gives people more of an opportunity to display said selfishness…which is why it’s better. it gives athletes a chance to show their true personalities
“again, you’re making my point. Antonio Gates didn’t even touch a football for 5 years, steps off the basketball court (where he was a bit slow and undersized for his position) and becomes one of the best football players in the world in a year. And while it’s true that there are many NFL athletes who are probably really good basketball players, being an elite level player takes a critical development of a certain skill set that takes years to cultivate. T.O. is a great athlete and a good basketball player, but he wouldn’t even make the roster of a C-level team in Guam.”
Antonio Gates is certainly the exception to the rule, their are plenty of other examples of people who believe they could get the next him and teams who thought the same. Case in point, Joe Reitz:
He finished as the third all-time leading scorer and rebounder. Reitz also played in more games than any other player in WMU men’s basketball history.
In his senior season, Reitz helped lead the Broncos to a Mid-American Conference West Division title and was named First Team All-MAC for both the regular season and conference tournament.
Thought he could make the transition to NFL TE or Tackle with the Ravens and is nothing but a 3rd stringer who could only make the team because we don’t have a lot of depth.
Thought he could make the transition to NFL TE or Tackle with the Ravens and is nothing but a 3rd stringer who could only make the team because we don’t have a lot of depth.
he did make the team, though. i could also cite recent examples like greg paulus (duke point guard who doesn’t touch a football for 5 years, then immediately becomes syracuses starting quarterback) to further my case. point being, it may be rare (basketball players leaving basketball to play high level football) but it does happen occasionally.
the opposite NEVER happens
1. Its Syracuse lol, I played against the dude Paulus replaced in high school and couldn’t for the life of me figure out why they wanted him because (as shown by his being switched to TE) he sucked at QB.
2. The NFL is a copycat league that LOVES to draft/sign players based purely off potential (see. Darius Heyward-Bey) which in and of itself is purely a crapshoot. That coupled with the 53 player limit plus Practice Squad allows for teams to be more willing to take a chance on a player they think will be an impact.
sorry, i dont know how to bold/italic/strikethru.. wompity.
You’re making my point right here. Revis one of the best players in the league, but because he’s not one of the golden boys he doesn’t have much leverage <–he doesnt have leverage because of the CBA. Even Golden Boy Tom had to make some concessions this year.
As far as Lebron, ummm, well, yeah…you got me. I seriously think he was having a nervous breakdown or something, lol. But. the NFL is full of top level players who’ve admitted to not always giving their best effort (ie: moss, randy) <–we are even there. both leagues have ppl show up to camp out of shape and players who do a halfa$$ed job. frankly.. i have chefs who do the same thing. that's in every work environment. lol.
NFL players are just as (if not more) tatted up and even scruffier (take a look at ed reed on the sidelines one day) <–i dont know about more tatted, but yes, it's probably even. and ed reed does look like the black unibomber.
<–i played a little bball in hs. very little cuz of ankle issues. last winter, i went to an open tryout for a wmns football team. i thought it was going to be fun and laidback.. um.. this was the damn combine! (no seriously..some of the drills were straight from the combine). catching a football (the way its supposed to be caught) is MUCH harder than it looks. so we'll have to agree to disagree on this one.
basketball gives people more of an opportunity to display said selfishness…which is why it’s better. it gives athletes a chance to show their true personalities <–this is where it comes down to personal preference. i am watching a team sport, i want to see my team win. i dont want to see someone trying to get on espn and their triple-double. and in the nfl when someone tries to show their personality (ochocinco) its squashed. (sp?). i think the nfl has cracked down too much on the fun aspect, but alas. its about protecting the shield.
you are a worthy opponent sir champ-a-lot. but my heart belongs to the nfl (but i'll flirt and look at the nba during playoffs tho).
I have to keep telling myself you’re a girl…cause if you were a guy…d@mn KB!
@SFG: lmao. thanks. i am a she-woman with woman parts.
Love this response! ESPECIALLY the IPhone and BB analogy!
Great comment!!
KB said everything that needed to be said.
I don’t know if the comment or commenter is more beautiful. This is great.
@V Renee + NIA Naturally: thanks! im all about examples.
@ B. Brown: *blushes. thanks! i do what i can.
@KB:
I am totally crushing on you right now.
@ The Law (Ty Law??
This must be what SFG or Nickerz feel like all the time! Who knew that knowing and lovin football would get me so much love! lol.
But thanks.
*resumes blushing.
Can I tell them you’re a cutie too? Btw, this is a man’s dream girl. There’s a whole pack of groupies right now praying they know as much as you do.
You’re my new best friend. Allow me to introduce myself: my name is MzPW; I’m a lover of pro football and an ever bigger lover of college football. Let’s go out for drinks.
@MzPW
*waves hi! hey girl!! get-cho-popcorn redey!!
drinks and chicken wangs and thangs? im down!
@SFG: the groupies dont want to know or need to know as much as i do. they just need to look like (insert mend ideal women figure here). if my nfl love would get/keep me a dude.. i wouldn’t be single..but alas. thanks for the love! i am cute dag-nammit!! lol.
Yeah the NBA is def better than the NFL. This is why I like you Champ. You know the important things in life.
you dont like me. you like my doggy style
i think your logic is a tad flawed here: “2. The best team always wins the championship
american football is such a physically traumatic sport, that itd be murder to force these players to play any more games in a season than they already do. its just unreasonable to have nfl teams play multiple games against each other, like in the nba playoffs, to see who truly is the best, flukes aside. similar argument can be made for the ncaa bball tourney–those college kids dont need to play any more games in the season, they need to spend some time actually, well, ya know, learning.
for me, players having the ability to wield their powers towards becoming even more overpaid and overanalyzed (aka promoting diva dude attitudes and b*tch*ssness) means nothing to me in terms of entertainment. im more interested in a player’s power to physically dominate their opponents (be it offensively or defensively) while quite literally FIGHTING their way to scoring or prevent scoring of points. i like a good battle of bodies.
moreover, i cant agree that it takes more skill to be in the nba than in the nfl. the skills are quite different and used for different purposes. esp when you take into account the size of the playing space, the ways in which to score points, and the requirements needed to carry out scoring (or score prevention). sure, there are grossly out of shape and straight up fat-bastard footballers, but that doesnt mean they LACK some valuable skill to the goal of their game. it makes no sense to have a fat-a$s basketball player when their time would be spent going up and down a basketball court constantly, with quick changes in direction–thus speed and agility are necessary. but with a game who’s key word includes the term TACKLE, speed and agility arent necessary for all positions. sometimes you need a player in a position to use force against the opponent. and if you’ve taken physics you know mass x acceleration = force. the greater the mass, the greater the accel (this requires some degree of fitness), the greater the force. anyway, ALL that to say, just cuz a ninja got man-titties doesnt mean he doesnt have a talent that his team could use. matter of fact, for the money these teams are playing, his fat a$s absolutely has some kind of talent in knowing how to work that jelly.
lastly, all the players matter just as much in the nfl as in the nba. they just matter differently, esp since there are so many of them mugs in the nfl. i think its unfair to say anyone player is more important than the other. sure there are some players who are more valuable and precious (due to skill level and rarity), but all players playing at their best and working together are necessary to make an nfl team work.
even after typing this dissertation on why i disagree with champie’s points, i dont really care to make an argument on why one prof org is better than another. i PREFER football. why? each game is a new adventure filled with action packed excitement that i LONG to see. because there are fewer games in the season, each game is sacred. any given muh fuggin sunday. you just never know how the defense and offense will work together to control the scores. there are numerous playing positions, a variety of shapes and sizes, limitless plays/screens/picks/posts,
a plethora of hawt a$ses in tight pants– the game is diverse and surprising. and i cant imagine my fall/winter withoutlamar woodleyfootball season.anybody who isnt fascinated by football now, just watch this season of hard knocks with the ny jets on hbo. you gotta respect the game. its [actually] not a game.
Love the plethora! Indeeeed.
@TO (Truly Outrageous)
you are welcome to attend my football summit and hang with me on a football sunday ANYTIME!! i applaud this entire message.
one is not better, its all about personal preference. (and the plethora of course).
(i love the nickname TO, i do i do)
and i am absolutely honored to be able to attend your football summit! lol and the same goes for you. i love watching football with ppl who know/genuinely like football. nothin worse than being around ppl who are like “so, 1st down means the 1st person to get tackled, right?” (-_O)
american football is such a physically traumatic sport, that itd be murder to force these players to play any more games in a season than they already do. its just unreasonable to have nfl teams play multiple games against each other, like in the nba playoffs, to see who truly is the best, flukes aside. similar argument can be made for the ncaa bball tourney–those college kids dont need to play any more games in the season, they need to spend some time actually, well, ya know, learning.
for me, players having the ability to wield their powers towards becoming even more overpaid and overanalyzed (aka promoting diva dude attitudes and b*tch*ssness) means nothing to me in terms of entertainment. im more interested in a player’s power to physically dominate their opponents (be it offensively or defensively) while quite literally FIGHTING their way to scoring or prevent scoring of points. i like a good battle of bodies.
these are all good points. i can’t agree with the “every game is sacred” part though, especially since every year, the 4 or 5 best teams basically give up in the final eighth of the season to rest people for playoffs. imagine if a top NBA team just stopped playing in the final 10 games of the year. skip bayless’s head would explode
i can’t agree with the “every game is sacred” part though, especially since every year, the 4 or 5 best teams basically give up in the final eighth of the season to rest people for playoffs.
while this is true, it doesnt negate the fact that games are only ONCE a week. thats what makes them sacred and special. you have to wait 6-7 days to watch another football game starring your favorite/hated squad. and while there are a few of the top teams rest some of their best players towards the end of the season, you never know which team is going to be ballsy enough to go for that perfect season and contend with the 72 dolphins. THAT is sacred. besides, there are still plenty of teams who often end of fighting to the death to secure their playoff spot.
*cough* photo credit *cough, cough*
By the way, thanks for adding to my nightmares. I can’t get that guy’s b00bies out of my head. ewww. He was a number 1 draft pick?
Anyway, I enjoy watching NFL games a little bit more because the men wear tighter pants. And there a lot of brothas who can wear the hell out of those tight pants -’specially in the back
#iliketightroundbootays
Anyway, I enjoy watching NFL games a little bit more because the men wear tighter pants. And there a lot of brothas who can wear the hell out of those tight pants -’specially in the back
#iliketightroundbootays
thanks for summing up the viewpoints of 99 percent of the pro-NFL women
LOL. while nfl players by far are the best athletes to objectify and lust after, the tight pants arent WHY im pro-football.
youzalie.
where did my comment go???? i put a LOT of time and energy into that response *pouts*
That’s why CTRL-C is your friend. I learned after losing stuff enough times that a couple seconds of copy is worth it…especially if you’ve written something of appreciable length. Knowing how it feels, I offer my condolences.
One of the best articles ever. I’ve been saying that pro basketball is a far superior sport when discussing the differences btwn the NBA and the NFL but NO ONE listens…until it’s restated oh so eloquently by one of the Very Smart Brothas!
I’ve been saying that pro basketball is a far superior sport when discussing the differences btwn the NBA and the NFL but NO ONE listens…until it’s restated oh so eloquently by one of the Very Smart Brothas!
that’s because we major and sh*t. seriously, thanks though
*applauds*
Finally someone who agrees with me that NBA basketball>>>any other pro sport. As one of the millions of brothas who dreamed of an NBA career at an early age (lol @ how that turned out), admittedly I’m biased – but the fast pace of an NBA game makes even the worst exhibitions more watchable than two terrible NFL teams.
Good point too about the unmerited complaints about the league either being too soft or too thuggish. People grasp at straws to discredit a game that they no longer identify with.
In defense of the NFL fans though – I will say that an individual football game (a good one,anyway) has a certain “epic” feel to it – almost like a war – that basketball cannot equal. But overall, the NBA> NFL in almost every other respect (highlights, athletic ability of individual players, star power/personalities, fairness, etc.)
Good point too about the unmerited complaints about the league either being too soft or too thuggish. People grasp at straws to discredit a game that they no longer identify with.
lol, this always cracks me up. its like, dont you realize your arguments contradict?
And on the playoff tip, the only true meritocracy in professional sports exists in the MLB, where if you are not the best in your division or best of the rest of the rest of the bunch, then you can step the f off.
I’m not particularly singling out the NBA with this one because any postseason that includes over half the league (with a far larger number with losing or close to .500 records, NHLNBA) sucks, point blank.
Typing on phones is so tedious. The above should read:
And on the playoff tip, the only true meritocracy in professional sports exists in the MLB, where if you are not the best in your division or best of the rest of the bunch, then you can step the f off.
I’m not particularly singling out the NBA with this one because any postseason that includes over half the league (with a far larger number with losing or close to .500 records than there should be, NHLNBA) sucks, point blank.
And on the playoff tip, the only true meritocracy in professional sports exists in the MLB, where if you are not the best in your division or best of the rest of the rest of the bunch, then you can step the f off.
while i agree the regular season matters more in baseball, that still doesn’t ensure the best team winning, because all you need to win a series is two great pitchers. Great pitching makes everything else insignificant.
“because all you need to win a series is two great pitchers”
The 1991-2004 Atlanta Braves would like a word with you.
Got out of bed to make an edit to #5. I suggest the pro-NFL people take another look at the last paragraph (specifically the last sentence), and tell me if this is a league really worth defending.
Henry had issues because of football-related injuries. He died because his fiance threw him off a truck.
“Henry had issues because of football-related injuries. He died because his fiance threw him off a truck.”
while it’s true that he died because he fell off of a truck, it’s also true his brain was the same as a 70 year old man with dementia. i’m sure that might have altered his decision making capabilities a bit
@Tjhe Champ,
I’ll agree with you on the blows to the head. I just have one question that has nothing to do with life or death but just puzzled me:
What altered Allen Iverson’s, Gilbert Arenas’, and Delonte West’s decision making capabilities of late?
What altered Allen Iverson’s, Gilbert Arenas’, and Delonte West’s decision making capabilities of late?
rap music. seriously though, they’re all still alive, and i’m pretty sure that none of them have the type of permanent brain damage that a career in the NFL can very likely lead to
That’s simply the price of glory…and the risk you take when you play the game.
I played high school football. My junior year, I took a particularly nasty hit. A guy put his helmet through my left shin and shattered my tibia and fibula. I was in a wheel chair for roughly 3 months. Prior to this, I was getting some looks from some division two schools. I really hoped to play college ball, because there is no more satisfying sensation then utterly knocking the sh*t out of someone and leaving their d*ck in the dirt…and being praised for it.
Injuries are simply are part of football. You’re aware of the risk when you put on your pads. I’ve broken several of my fingers (and a toe) when I played. I also had a history of concussions when I finished (3 concussions counts as a history FYI). Rolled ankles are the norm..and depending on how stubborn you are, taping your cleats on is too.
All you can do is stress proper technique (like not leading with your head) and condition your body to withstand the stress of the game.
That’s simply the price of glory…and the risk you take when you play the game.
people weren’t aware of the long-term brain damage risks until very recently. but, when finding out this information, has the NFL made any serious rule changes to help rectify it?
Granted, until recently there wasn’t any concrete evidence, demonstrating your point, but to believe that repeated blunt force trauma to the head over a lifetime won’t have a lasting impact is simply deluding yourself. I struggle with understanding the disconnect people experience between their choices and the resulting consequences of their actions.
I’m not unsympathetic, but you make a conscious decision to keep playing, especially after experiencing a concussion.
Football isn’t for the feint of heart.
Nobody seems to care?
The entire point of enforcing all these new personal foul penalties and such that’s essentially turned the NFL into flag football is to prevent injuries. If somebody like Ryan Grant wants to play through a potentially serious injury, then that’s on him and not the league.
Half of these NBA dudes have personalities because we hear about them being douchebags (ie. Delonte West, DeShaun Stevenson). Who cares if they do? I don’t watch sports because Delonte smashed out LeBron’s mom, I watch to see them win; save that other dumb sh*t for E! or something. Most of your argument basically boils down to the nature of basketball allowing the NBA to be a league centered around individuals… which doesn’t necessarily make it better.
Well said.
The entire point of enforcing all these new personal foul penalties and such that’s essentially turned the NFL into flag football is to prevent injuries
thing is, all of the data has found that these brain injuries arent the result of big hits, but the thousands of accumulated nicks to the head from midget league football. what is the NFL doing about that?
What would you suggest be done about it while still keeping some semblance of tackle football?
People are coming up with new helmet designs to mitigate the damage of hits all the time; if one of them proves to be better than what’s out there now, you can be sure that the NFL, NCAA, NAIA, and other leagues will use it.
Most of your argument basically boils down to the nature of basketball allowing the NBA to be a league centered around individuals… which doesn’t necessarily make it better.
***filed under “things said by republicans”***
@champ
the sport is brutal. there is no denying it. it’s people running at full speed bashing into each other. but if you play the brutality card, please make sure you never watch and enjoy boxing, mma, rugby or wwf (i refuse to call it wwe even if it is more accurate).
and just like tobacco companies wanted to convince people that smoking doesnt cause cancer, the nfl WRONGLY tried to coverup/ignore the links to brain problems and altzheimers (sp). they no longer have their head in the sand about it because they are now being held more accountable.
Thats why the NPA (NFL Players Association) is in place, to look out for the interest of the players because the owners damn sure ain’t gonna do it. They have been in a constant battle with the league to get better retirement benefits (mainly health related) for the players now that its becoming more and more of a dangerous sport with athletes constantly getting bigger, stronger and faster.
Its also why the NFL is becoming a pansy league. There will probably never be a great defense like my beloved Ravens had in 2000 because of these type rules (can’t breath on a WR nowadays).
Champ I agree! I was just thinking this right before I read your comment. Football is so dangerous it’s disgusting. I can’t believe these guys jeopardize their bodies and minds like that. The rules need changing. I feel the same way about boxing and that is why I refuse to watch. These sports do not dominate past American shores. Football to me is soccer, boxing is stupid, and MMA is just plain ree ree. Just my opinion.
so you’re a soccer fan.
Yep…and the only danger about soccer is being too sexy. lol
I’m a die hard Argentina fan. I also played soccer most of my life. It’s a healthy sport. It has it’s dangers like anything but only real danger is head butting the ball. That’s it.
MMA is one of the greatest things to happen!
So what’s your opinion on rugby then?
I’m not a fan of rugby. I don’t like MMA. I think something is seriously wrong with men allowed to fight like that. I can see why other men like it though.
Fight like what?
I prefer MMA to boxing. Granted, MMA is slightly biased towards grappling styles (BJJ) I enjoy the match up of two fighters with predominantly different styles going at it, and it encourages folks to be overall, more balanced fighters…which is the reason Kimbo Slice got punked by a dude with pink hair.
Why? Because it’s violent!
LOL! I actually saw Kimbo Slice and he looks like a crazy bugga wugga. Like I said I get the hype but it hurts me to watch that. I’m surprised people don’t die.
i’m still waiting on my photo credit, ninja.
Am hoops junkie surrounded by hoops junkies and I am honoured to approve champ’s list. NBA ROCKS more than ANY OTHER sport.
I watch more soccer and rugby more than i watch football. ALL IN ALL NBA WINS!
are you american?
Very american with kenyan half lol. I love rugby courtesy of a year of high school in london, soccer from my dad(he is the kenyan) NBA I got it from being black and american
*I apologize in advance for the length. If you really want to read this, grab a snack and a drink first. It’ll be here when you get back.
I can’t co-sign on this at all. The NBA is full of divas. Full. Okay, maybe not full – but that tank sure isn’t on E. The fact that said divas look more like Aretha than they do Celine does not make it better. Common occurrence in the NBA: I fake a shot, you jump in the air, I jump into you, foul on you. That’s the most…um…switchblade…thing in sports. Running a close second is the fact that intentional fouls are not called as such (mainly during those hopeless end-of-game situations that drag games on).
The way NBA players and coaches [garden tool] for fouls they should be on the corner collecting Stern’s money. They nag and complain so much it’s ridiculous. “Phil Jackson plays mind games with the refs between playoff games”…but so-called ‘amazing’ happens.
Also, the NBA regular season is too long and over half the teams make the playoffs. The season means nothing other than home-court advantage in a possible Game 7. Oh, and the cash that goes into the pockets of owners who are just as white (sans 23) as those in the NFL.
Actually, all of the points except #3 could be used to say MLB is better than both the NFL and NBA – especially #s 1, 4, and 5.
Regarding point #1, we’ll see how much power the players have when the new CBA comes through next year. The owners are going to house them in negotiations. Not that it hasn’t happened already. NBA players have so much power, but there’s a rookie wage scale. They have so much power, but there’s an age limit. Yes, the NFL has these too. How about this one: NBA players have so much power there’s a dress code – for how they look when they’re not even playing. What is this, Bel-Air Prep? Also, MLB players have much more power than NBA players. The statement about black athletes is only true because few black athletes play baseball. Even with that, Ryan Howard’s contract extension is for more money and fewer years than the deal LeBron signed. Carl Crawford is going to get a nine-figure deal this offseason, and Prince Fielder likely will next season. There’s also no rookie wage scale in baseball…okay, there is one but it’s often ignored. Tim Beckham got more $6 million as a signing bonus, and he was nowhere near as talented as the closer-to-LeBron-but-2520 #1 picks the next two seasons (Strasburg and Harper) who collected eight-figure bonuses.
Regarding #2…yes, an NFL team can make the show at 8-8. I don’t recall a sub-.500 NFL team making the playoffs, though. In the 2007-08 NBA season, two sub-.500 teams made the playoffs (and a third was right at .500).This season was actually the first since 04-05 that no sub-.500 NBA teams made the playoffs. As far as the best team always winning, Doc Rivers and the entire city of Dallas would like to discuss the 2010, 2009, and 2006 titles. Re: best-of-seven…football is much too violent a sport for that. If it were two-hand touch like the NBA often appears to be, then maybe it would work.
Can’t really say anything about #3, although it is the one of the five not directly relating to league operation.
Regarding #4…the hardest thing to do in sports is hit a baseball (wow, this is really turning into a pro-MLB comment). NFL players can’t play in the NBA: um, how did 23′s baseball excursion turn out? Danny Ainge went from MLB to the NBA. Oh yeah, back to the NFL. This is an admitted stretch, but how many NBA players can kick? Directional winds, inclement weather…now that I think about it, I bet an outdoor NBA game would look somewhat different. Even hockey does that once a year. Anyway, there are certain skills in other sports that NBA players would look foolish in trying…I’m not so sure that any basketball-specific skill would similarly embarrass other athletes.
Re: #5…living out your Clarence Carter fantasy with your teammate’s mom and being a light-skinned Carl Johnson (main character from Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, for those who are lost) are not distinguishable qualities. If they are, I’d like to present the Cincinnati Bengals’ WR corps as Exhibit A. TO Show, Ultimate Catch, Hard Knocks on one side…Shaq Vs. on the other. Also, the issue with the star system in the NFL is based on its marketing strategy rather than actual gameplay. You can’t go iso in the NFL. One on eleven will get you laid up somewhere.
The NBA does have certain advantages over the NFL, many of which were mentioned in the post. It’s a much safer league, contracts are guaranteed, and the players have added marketing potential since their faces aren’t covered while they play. And finally, I have a feeling this will break down among north/south lines almost as much as it will among particular sport preferences.
Alright, now I’m going to watch Maryam Nemazee.
my name is keisha and i approve this message.
I can’t co-sign on this at all. The NBA is full of divas. Full. Okay, maybe not full – but that tank sure isn’t on E. The fact that said divas look more like Aretha than they do Celine does not make it better. Common occurrence in the NBA: I fake a shot, you jump in the air, I jump into you, foul on you
this goes on in both sports. how many times have you seen a wide receiver go into convulsions to prove that he’s being held, or a quarterback (read: brady, tom) act as if he’s been shot if a lineman comes within 3 yards of him after he throws a pass?
Regarding #2…yes, an NFL team can make the show at 8-8. I don’t recall a sub-.500 NFL team making the playoffs, though. In the 2007-08 NBA season, two sub-.500 teams made the playoffs (and a third was right at .500).This season was actually the first since 04-05 that no sub-.500 NBA teams made the playoffs. As far as the best team always winning, Doc Rivers and the entire city of Dallas would like to discuss the 2010, 2009, and 2006 titles.
while a sub 500 team might make the playoffs, there’s no chance they’ll actually advance far. and, as far as the best team point, dallas and boston had many opportunities to prove they were the best team. they didn’t
the rest of your points are good though, even though it strangely turned into a baseball discussion, lol
you bring up some great and interesting points. i <3 it. *hugs comment and commenter*
#teamNFL
love! but i dont agree with that last bit. the problem with the nba is exactly that, that not all good players get recognition. ill take ellis or fenton over iverson (thank god he retired) anyday, yet ones a star the others are virtually unknown to anybody that doesnt keep up with pre/post season NBA. the recognition in the nba is fair in terms of the paychecks, not in terms of getting the credit you deserve. in that way the nba is pretty much like every sport, recognition goes to big franchise players. would anybody know or care about gasol if he played for the bobcats? or if bosh had been drafted by the clippers instead of kaman? as poorly as the raptors had been preforming they’re still a huge franchise beng the only canadian team left.
so to that extent champ while the nba itself doesnt place a huge importance on the teams vs the players, the nba fans place a larger importance on teams rather then players, and the fans make the league.
love! but i dont agree with that last bit. the problem with the nba is exactly that, that not all good players get recognition. ill take ellis or fenton over iverson (thank god he retired) anyday, yet ones a star the others are virtually unknown to anybody that doesnt keep up with pre/post season NBA. the recognition in the nba is fair in terms of the paychecks, not in terms of getting the credit you deserve.
what type of credit are you referring to then?
A) THERE HASN’T BEEN A WHITE AMERICAN BASKETBALL SUPERSTAR SINCE LARRY BIRD, AND THE FACT THAT THERE’S NO ONE FOR MIDDLE AMERICA TO ROOT FOR CULTIVATES A GENERAL DISINTEREST WITH MUCH (WHITE) AMERICA. IN TURN, THIS DISINTEREST TURNS INTO DISTASTE.
and what is this? Nash is a superstar. Gasol is turning into one, if not by his own rights then by the company he keeps. kapono has his chance to shine now that bosh isnt taking all the spotlight, him and his killer threes are headed for big things truuust and damn, ricky rubio!? another superstar in the making. this goes back to my earlier points, big franchises make superstars. put rubio or kapono on a big franchise team like the celtics, lakers, magic and its a matter of time before they make moves. i mean would rondo be rondo if peirce wasnt peirce?
nash is canadian, gasol is from spain, and calling kapono a superstar is like calling the oil puddle underneath my truck the gulf of mexico
So, were you cut from your football team in high school? I ask because having family (cousins) and friends in the NFL and playing on the Chargers (albeit as a backup’s backup’s backup) for 3 years, I know how hard it is to play in the NFL. Position players (ie non-lineman) in the NFL are generally the perfect combo of speed and power. The only reason it is easier to get into the NFL is because each team has 53 spots whereas in basketball there are only 12 active players. Don’t get me wrong, NBA ball is incredible, the players are for the most part freaks of nature and who doesn’t like freaks (pause)? But when you have someone as skinny and lanky as Kevin Durant as one of the best players, and people blowing the playoffs because they hit their funny bone (Bron Bron) the mentality of the sport is called into question. By the way Tony Gonzalez (played at Cal) and Terrell Owens are known to be good basketball players who could go to the NBA. Also, don’t argue athleticism when Erick Dampier is still in the league, and Shaq at age 79 can still get signed. Stephon Marbury essentially got kicked out of the NBA for “bitch ass behavior” while trying to get more playing time. The NBA is the home of Diva Dudes, only place where someone can bitch and moan about being paid to play a sport.
Derek Rose and Rajon Rondo would be killed in the NFL. Dwayne Wade is to fragile as is Lebron (in some cases) and Nate Robinson, while small, and actually played at Washington would be cut on the first day of camp. Most of these guys, while strong would be laughed out of an NFL combine (you need to do at least 15 reps at 225 on a bench to be considered able to play by most teams).
I love both sports, but to a football player the NFL is always better and to a basketball player the NBA will always be better.
By the way, Kobe will always be better than Lebron..for the record. Yea, I said it.
“So, were you cut from your football team in high school?”
played both (was a receiver), but quit football sophomore year because i thought it could jeopardize my basketball future. nobody gets cut in high school football though, lol.
“By the way Tony Gonzalez (played at Cal) and Terrell Owens are known to be good basketball players who could go to the NBA.”
this is so wrong that i had to check the screen name to make sure that sarah palin didnt say it.
i’ve already addressed the rest of the arguments in your post upthread if you want to check them out
welcome and sh*t, btw
LMAO at Sarah Palin, but
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tony_Gonzalez_(American_football)#College_career
Tony did play in college at UC Berkeley,
Thanks for the welcome and sh*t
@ J, He sure did!
GO BEARS!
“By the way, Kobe will always be better than Lebron..for the record. Yea, I said it.”
^I can believe that.
“Think about how unfair school would be if a person who earned D minuses all semester long was able to get an “A” for the year if he just got a couple B pluses on his last two exams.”
…What school did YOU go to? I’m alREADY studying for finals so I don’t mess my grade up while other people around me will be doing just what you described to potentially do better than me… But maybe that’s just because I didn’t have enough money to go to any other school than this elitist-filled type-A stressed-out grade-crazed clusterpuck.
It’s just the whole concept of right place, right time, only you have to know when to pour all your energy and effort into it… I feel like (more in the case of NCAA than NFL, but still) skills can give you lucky breaks and take lucky breaks away from other teams… You messed up at the wrong time, oh well. They win, you don’t. I donno why you WOULD need up to seven games if you’re the best… Ohwait. NBA refs. Lawl jk.
/Kindly ignore the fact that I missed the “A” result… Still. A couple lucky breaks can pull you up out of something, but usually only if you’re prepared for it… You can’t just be on some “which way did he go George” typa isht and expect something to fall in your lap. I’ma go be headached and inattentive somewhere else now… Buh-bye
I’ma go be headached and inattentive somewhere else now… Buh-bye
…ok?
Lol. I was referring to the fact that I misread a point you made and therefore responded incorrectly
Never got into football, but I loves me some basketball. Also, the uniforms show more skin/muscle (& their cute little faces, if theyr’e cute) – I’ll take Dwight Howard w/ a side of ChrisPaulKGChaunceyBillupsEddieHouseAmareAI, please & thank you
all you need is 1 – BECAUSE!
Briefly:
To be a football player one has to be athletic and have the right build. This is true because you will notice players that play more than one position. Whereas in basketball it might require a specific skill set and athletic build. Maybe a 2 and 3 can be interchangeable but rarely can someone other than Lebron play ALL positions.
While I grew up watching mainly football, I currently date a man that is beyond obsessed with basketball. Since my Pats are having a rebuilding year (Let’s go Tom!), I am looking forward to the Heat vs Celtics game much more that week one of regular season football. I’m curious to see just how much the Miami Heat are going to suck and if all the trading drama was even worth it.
While football is not as predictable as basketball can be, as of this year it might just start to be. By the time playoff start, teams win during overtime. Previously the luck team could squeeze one out. Just this year the NFL has decided to allow each team a possession in overtime… so maybe this year “the best team” will win.
I think I am leaning towards basketball more. if I can’t watch my Pats or the local team of my current city, I’ll pass. Whereas with basketball, there are several high energy teams that make me want to watch.
Go Celtics! Go Pats!!
… or not so briefly.
lol, i like how you started with briefly and then wrote a 300 word comment. you make many good points and sh*t though
My interest in the NBA started to die after Jordan left the Bulls (the last time.) I was not a Bulls or Jordan fan but you just had to watch. It finally died few years ago when I was looking at a few random games and didn’t have clue as to who a bulk of these cats were.
As a southern male i will take football without question. Nothing beats a good weekend of SEC and NFL football in the fall. I will ride with the NFL every single time.
1. The players have actual power
–Fraid not Champ. As big of the personalities that inhabit the NBA are they are scared sh**less of David Stern. “The brothers” in the NBA do what he says without question as if he was the Imperial Exalted Cyclops of the KKK and they were sharecroppers in Miss circa 1920. Remember the dress code? Some complained but ALL of the players just roled over, put on their litte bow ties and blazers and took it. Stern is the boss and that’s that. He protects the interests of the owners just as much as Roger Goddell. He just does it in a softer tone of voice.
2. The best team always wins the championship
–Sorry but in the real world (once again I said the real world) sometimes being the all around best doesn’t matter. It’s when your the best that counts! History, business, politics, and hell even romance is dictated by when you’re the best and not “if” you ‘re the best. The NFL is a reflection of that. Sports analogies are used/over used to describe life and work situations for a reason. The NFL could be viewed as a reflection of life and in life you don’t get a seven game series to get it right.
3. Bigots hate it
–I’m sure all of those rich 2520 dudes who are into the NBA would never dream of calling you a moon cricket.
4. Skill matters
–Sure Andre Smith looks like Kamala but I’m pretty sure 75 % of the NFL and Dwayne Wade. Lebron James. Derrick Rose. Nate Robinson. Rajon Rondo do not want to be on the business end of Andre when he turns the corner running a sweep. There’s a reason why men who look like Mike Golic, and any other fatty that plays on either side of the ball stick around the league for years on end when they are good at their jobs– It’s because they are a freakish combo of size, strength, insanity, and technique. ***I will agree with you that LBJ and Dwayne Wade would work in football.
5. Each player matters too
–Word? Skip is famous for streetball and Delonte is famous for gun charges and milf hunting.
“in reality the National Football League is comprised of a few superstars (the aforementioned quarterbacks and a few other marquee players) and a bunch of anonymous and interchangeable drones.”
This true because the rest of the world is a bunch of anonymous and interchangeable drones. A sad reality check is that you can always be replaced. 10% of the world’s population have skills that can’t be replicated. Peyton, and Brett ae just another two members of that 10% The same goes for Kobe and Lebron, they too are 10%’s.
Why the NFL is better:
1. It’s not predictable: The NBA has been around for about 60 some odd years and two teams have about half of the titles. It’s also a good chance that these same two teams will vie for another title this year,Yawn! I have no idea who will be in the Super Bowl and I love it.
2. A team can improve:.Every team in the NFL has the chance to improve through the Draft and actually get quality talent out of each round of the draft. Btw, the NFL draft probably get’s better ratings than the NBA finals.
3. There’s no Donald Sterling. This may sound odd for me to say this as a Raider fan but Donald Sterling doesn’t know jack sh*t about his business. At one point Al Davis actually knew what was going on.
4. The few personalities that the NFL does have are a lot more interesting than those of the NBA. Ray Lewis is an alleged killer and he’s more interesting than Dwight Howard’s corny Superman/Clark Kent bull. Peyton Manning saying “Cut that meat!” works and he’s a slow looking 2520 yokel. Lebron’s a diva dude (pains me to say it.) Kobe has no personality. I’ll go out on the limb that Charles Barkley is the NBA’s best personality and he’s old and fat.
The NFL is king for a reason. Hell, a NFLer (Pacman “Everbody know Slugger Morris” Jones0 even caused trouble during the NBA’s allstar weekend and the NBA was blamed for it.
I can’t wait for kick off.
This is why you are my ninja. Very well put, my friend.
Effin Qoutable
“1. The players have actual power
–Fraid not Champ. As big of the personalities that inhabit the NBA are they are scared sh**less of David Stern. “The brothers” in the NBA do what he says without question as if he was the Imperial Exalted Cyclops of the KKK and they were sharecroppers in Miss circa 1920. Remember the dress code? Some complained but ALL of the players just roled over, put on their litte bow ties and blazers and took it. Stern is the boss and that’s that. He protects the interests of the owners just as much as Roger Goddell. He just does it in a softer tone of voice.”
this was a minor cosmetic matter that most players didnt even oppose. when it comes to stuff that really matters (guaranteed contracts, etc) the players have much more power than the NFL players.
but, the rest of your points are good. sh*t, even one of your points that proves my point about the NBA’s negative PR…
Hell, a NFLer (Pacman “Everbody know Slugger Morris” Jones0 even caused trouble during the NBA’s allstar weekend and the NBA was blamed for it.
…is a good point. If a NFL player f*cks up, it’s on him. If a NBA player f*cks up, the entire league is full of thugs
–Sorry but in the real world (once again I said the real world) sometimes being the all around best doesn’t matter. It’s when your the best that counts! …The NFL could be viewed as a reflection of life and in life you don’t get a seven game series to get it right.
THIS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
It’s also a good chance that these same two teams will vie for another title this year,Yawn! I have no idea who will be in the Super Bowl and I love it.
why i too love the nfl–ya neva know! (tho id love to see the celtics take another title but you are dead on with this)
all these points made are great and this whole comment made me swoon. @Wu Young Agent of M.E, will you e-marry me???
@GOTO
“all these points made are great and this whole comment made me swoon. @Wu Young Agent of M.E, will you e-marry me???”
Thanks for the proposal but Miss Moneypenny would kill me and the story would end with my remains going to a man with a pig farm.
Dear Agent Dude,
You’re awesome, and as a gridiron woman myself, you have my vote. Just in case you need a few more points to further support your argument, here are some examples you may like:
1) “It’s not predictable”: See Ryan Leaf, Vernon Davis, JaMarcus Russell, Saints taking the title last year, the dude with the huge forehead, etc.
2) “A team can improve”: See Detroit Lions 2010-2011 season (just work with me here, ok?)
3) “There’s no Donald Sterling.” Touche.
4) “The few personalities that the NFL does have are a lot more interesting than those of the NBA.” Examples? Ochocinco, T.O., Adrian Peterson (I had to add him. He’s beautiful.), the Obie Mughelli scandal, the guy with the huge forehead….you get my points.
I am a fan of both sports. Granted I only watch regular season b-ball when it’s the Knicks or a cpl of good teams playing. Thats being said.
FOOTBALL is wayyyyy better than the NBA. Seriously, besides the race issue what else is wrong the the NFL?
Basketball just has way too much bitchassness for me. Think about it. Who are the stars? Kobe….bitch. LeBron….emotional bitch. Favre…man. Revis…..man.
And then you say no ball players can play football. WTF! Um, Antonio Gates, Tony Gonzalez, Charlie Ward (could have gone pro at QB)
Not as athletic!! Dude was the number 1 pick. Cause at 330 he benched 250lbs 30 times and runs a 4.7 40….at 330lbs. Shaq couldnt even do that straight outta LSU boy. Not as athletic….smh.Son, name any elite d-end and he would do backflips and run laps around your best PF.
I mean i love basketball dont get me wrong. But its just not fun till the playoffs. How many Fantasy Basketball emails have you gotten. Now run tell dat!! Homeboi!!
How many Fantasy Basketball emails have you gotten. Now run tell dat!! Homeboi!!
@tonecapone: i was gonna mention this too! throw the phenomenon that is MADDEN… sentence done.
….and the first person that mentions NBA Live, im e-smacking!! lol
Live is so terrible EA changed the name of the series and is packaging their NBA Jam remake with it to boost sales. The 2K series has been outselling Live for years, and I would argue it is a superior game than Madden.
I have not played Madden regularly since QB vision was introduced. EA has failed at making that game a compelling experience for me since then. Their NCAA Football game is good though, as the Dynasty mode is always fun.
Basketball just has way too much bitchassness for me. Think about it. Who are the stars? Kobe….bitch. LeBron….emotional bitch. Favre…man. Revis…..man.
How is Favre a “man” and Kobe a “bitch”? (even though kobe IS a bitch, that’s besides the point)
“And then you say no ball players can play football. WTF! Um, Antonio Gates, Tony Gonzalez, Charlie Ward (could have gone pro at QB)”
????
LOL @ How many Fantasy Basketball emails have you gotten. Now run tell dat!! Homeboi!!
but in all fairness, and lets be honest here, favre is a b*tch. a scruffy, husky, corn-fed, country a$s b*tch.
Champ, you are right. The NBA is way more exciting than the NFL and I’m not just saying that because the Dolphins suck.Started watching bball first since my brother was a MJ fan. I still watch both but I notice that I go hard for the NBA. I’ll watch any two teams play (even the Knicks) whereas I could care less if the NFL teams going head to head don’t involve Miami players (actually from Miami or went to college in S. Florida) or don’t have at least ONE fine player on the field at all time.
Basically, GO HEAT!!!!!!!!!
How you from Brooklyn rooting for the Heat? Thats like a LA native saying Go Boston! O_o #wheredeydothatat
Definitely NOT from Brooklyn. That’s Black_Girl_From_Miami.
Considering that UM leads the world in NFL products and that many of the other players in the league are from Miami (or Fort Lauderdale – one time for the 954), you care quite a lot about the NFL.
True. Maybe I’m just mad because when I went to the “U” we had all of one decent player (K. Winslow) so I missed all the hype. But, Miami is definitely a football city though I’m still a die hard NBA fan.
We tha best. Khaleed. lol
*removes foot from mouth* OOH that says “BLK”….sorry.
GO KNICKS!!
Cool beans.
i love bball. i love football. why must one be better? IF one is better however, it would definitely and automatically be football. watching regular season football games is just as much fun as watching end of the season playoff games. regular season basketball however, sucks monkey nuts. as a couple other people above have stated so eloquently, the skill and tenacity required of a football player seems to be in a completely different realm than bball, so you really can’t compare the two.
and plus, Superbowl parties are waaaaaaaay more fun than Game 5/6/7 Finals parties. so, it’s better on that alone.
@muze
yes. nfl parties > nba parties. i was in mia last winter for probowl week.. i can attest to this personally.
“sucks monkey nuts”
*beavis&butthead laugh*
Champ(?) in a VSB tee?
An intellegent discussion about the NBA vs. the NFL?
Black men using what they got to get what they want?
Champ’s footnote theory??
I’m verklempt! *swoons*
LOL
I’ll give it to you Champ.. Your points are very clear and thought out..
I love the NFL.. nuffsaid..
my issue with the NBA..
– everything is a foul.. sneeze on someone, FOUL.. get caught up in his shirt, FOUL! forgot the mike was on when you said a “yo mama” joke about the ref, FOUL AND FINE!
in football, it’s easier.. facemask, offsides, false start, roughing the passer etc.. all of these i can identify when i see them happen on screen..
even when i go to the court to see my homeboys play, every four and a half minutes someone is shouting out the “And 1″ and we then have to launch into why or why not it isn’t valid..
(bad example as the homeboys are mostly pansies)
Football does have it’s faults. one bad day+ one great team and they could be out of the playoffs.. which never made any sense to me..
I think football works so well not only for the points you stated.. (whote america can identify etc) but because generally the season is so short.. thus creating worth.. sorry, but that’s just the way it is.. decrease supply, increase demand. football fits in with those that have short attention spans too.. Unless you’re a true basketball fan, no one (that I know) is upset if they miss a game because they know that there’ll be 3 more games within the next two weeks and they’ll “catch the next one”
my two cents…
a suh mi see it, a suh it go..
@nickerz
YES!! the fouling it RE-DON-KU-LUS in the NBA.
Trust me i know NFL refs get it wrong (the entire state of washington is STILL bitter and rightfully so), but still…
The NBA needs hand checking back. Jordan is gone so these guys shouldn’t get his rules.
The NBA needs hand checking back. Jordan is gone so these guys shouldn’t get his rules.
eh, i don’t agree. The game (in the last 90′s and early 00′s) had devolved to the point where i wasn’t even sure they were still playing basketball. remember those God-awful heat vs knicks playoff games where the final scores would be like 60 to 53? You probably don’t because no one was watching except me and like 16 other people. Team defense had evolved faster than team offense, and, in order to make the game more aesthetically appealing, they had to make some changes
You know I came up in the Jordan era..was about 14 when I really started watching the NBA playoffs with my uncle Charles (RIP) and really got into it, this was around the time Jordan was trying to get past the dirty playing bi*t*h as$ pistons… I was hooked from that point on…….today’s NBA sucks monkey nuts compared to the era I grew up watching and attending games at the CapCenter later MCI/Verizon Center
NFL, always loved football, grew up watching it, being a Redskins fan always as a native Washingtonian with some sense….lot of Cowgirl fans here cause the Skins were the last team in the league to have black players but TEXAS was the LAST STATE in the UNION to free slaves go figure…
and although the NFL has become a little too commercial, it doesn’t need all that hype and gloss IMO. I still enjoy a good match up even if my team isn’t playing.
today’s NBA sucks monkey nuts compared to the era I grew up watching and attending games at the CapCenter later MCI/Verizon Center
how so?
TOO many spoiled divas, not as competitive, too many divas, wack compared to when I was a true fan, like someone else said its watered down, extra OVER hyped and just not that exciting or interesting to watch.
I don’t even have a squad but maybe this John Wall dude might make me change my mind and claim the Wizards dayum shame how Arenas been injury prone AND then lunched out young!
*orange crush shrug*
I know absolutely squat about American football except Jason Taylor’s big package shows through his tights and I know very little about basketball except Dwayne Wade has a nice booty. Apart from that, this was informative.
I did read something about some racist basketball league for whites only. Apparently white people are mad that they cannot excel in true athletics over Blacks. I don’t think this is stereotypical. I think it’s a fact. Black people are physically stronger and faster than whites. I could get into the whole race thing but I have a migraine today and I don’t feel like raising my blood pressure or killing anyone in the office. Point is, I may not be a big sports fan but whenever I watch any athletics, I feel really proud. NBA is one of those things I watch in amazement. I almost fell asleep at a Dolphins game once. Point taken.
Jason Taylor reminds me of Boris Kodjoe.
according to one of the wives on the Atlanta housewives show, NBA players get guaranteed money, while NFL players don’t. that’s enough to convince me to chose a b-baller over a football player, and thus makes the NBA better in my opinion.
Soooo, you like the NBA for its golddigging options…..good to know!
of course! I mean, I’m not playing, so might as well go for the most consistent option….
My comments keep disappearing!! Why won’t Champ let me be great? Grrr
Daaaaaaaaaang Champ! Great post! I love how you took a seemingly boring sports topic (I watch both, but don’t care enough about either to argue which is best), and ended up having a nuanced exploration of power, race dynamics, and corporate exploitation in national sports leagues. Kudos and drinks all around!
thanks and sh*t. i’ll take a rum and coke, btw
I’ll give you 2 so you can have one in each hand. (I just read your list in the archives the other day, lol!)
While I am big NBA/NFL fan, I kinda think your reasons are looking at it on a surface view.
Your 1st point covers “Power”, you compare LeBron James (a legitimate argument for best player of all time in his free agency) to Revis (a new shutdown corner w/ no hype & in the middle of the contract). How you think those two are even comparable is beyond me. Nonetheless, you cant name 1 NBA player who is in the middle of a bad situation (team or $ wise) and can hold out? It happens yearly in the NFL & most times the athlete gets paid. Not the case in the NBA.
No beef w/ number 2 or 3. Thats a spot assessment
Number 4 is reaching. Outside of Charlie Ward (Knicks/Florida St.), there hasnt been too many NBA players that could play baseball let alone football. I went to a top Division I football & basketball program, and I witnessed both teams play each other in basketball many times & lets just say that the football team fared a lot better than you would think. Basketball only takes a basic athleticsm while football takes that athleticsm & some courage.
Number 5 is because a football team has more people on their basic starting lineups (22) than an NBA team has period (12-15). When you are comparing a roster of 53 players to a 12 man roster, I would say percentage wise they are about equal. Most NBA teams only go 7-8 players deep.
Nonetheless, you cant name 1 NBA player who is in the middle of a bad situation (team or $ wise) and can hold out? It happens yearly in the NFL & most times the athlete gets paid. Not the case in the NBA
the money is guaranteed, so unless the situation is extremely egregious, there’s no sense to hold out. unhappy players do occasionally force trades though.
“Outside of Charlie Ward (Knicks/Florida St.), there hasnt been too many NBA players that could play baseball let alone football. I went to a top Division I football & basketball program, and I witnessed both teams play each other in basketball many times & lets just say that the football team fared a lot better than you would think”
there are ton of nba players who were high division one recruits in football (lebron, rondo, iverson, nate robinson, etc) but chose basketball instead. and, you can really use the head-to-head analogy because, as a basketball player, i can tell you that there’s only one objective when you’re playing five on five with a bunch of football players: dont get hurt
welcome and sh*t, btw
Champ, though I adore pro football, I really can’t dispute the very valid points you made in this post. Curses! However, your love for my beloved Steelers made it all better. I feel all warm and tingly now. Think I’ll go slip under the covers and take advantage of that.
welcome and sh*t, and thanks for allowing me to help you feel warm and tingly
‘Preciate the welcome. I’ve been reading for a while now but any mention of my Steelers (good or bad) will compel me to post. Do it again.
Love this Champ! #TEAMNBA
thats what she said
As a sports fan, I have to agree with your points on the politics of the NFL and what often feels like a plantation like mentality but there’s no way that NBA trumps the NFL in terms of what takes place on the court/field.
No other sport requires the size, strength, speed and intelligence that the NFL does. NBA staples such as the Phil Jackson’s triangle (Go Lakers), Mike D’antoni’s run and gun, and the backdoor cuts of the Princeton can for the most part be learned intuitively with a few weeks of repition. The same cannot be said for any NFL caliber offense/defense. When you factor in the pre snap calls, checkdowns, adjustments, identifying strong side or mike backer and audibles, its possible that more strategy goes into one NFL play than an entire NBA game from a players persepective.
Also, with the lack of consistent defense and competent big men in the NBA, I would argue that hitting an 18 foot jumper or driving the than the lane is alot easier than catching a slant in a soft zone with a safety over top, or making an open field tackle on someone who runs a 4.4 40.
“NBA staples such as the Phil Jackson’s triangle (Go Lakers), Mike D’antoni’s run and gun, and the backdoor cuts of the Princeton can for the most part be learned intuitively with a few weeks of repition. When you factor in the pre snap calls, checkdowns, adjustments, identifying strong side or mike backer and audibles, its possible that more strategy goes into one NFL play than an entire NBA game from a players persepective.”
you can learn it in a couple weeks sure, but to actually master it takes years of repetition. and while football may involve more strategy, basketball involves more split second improvisation. basically, its the difference between being told what to do and knowing what to do.
also, as far as the “lack of consistent defense”, if NBA teams didn’t d up the scores would be 250-246 every game. great defense is being played, but the lack of easily perceptible intensity gives the impression that it isnt
“and while football may involve more strategy, basketball involves more split second improvisation”
You beautifully summed it up ‘which do you value more? split second improvisation or strategy?’
I agree with the power premise.Tom Brady is one of the best qb’s of all time and still hasnt gotten a contract extension from the Pats while bron, melo etc can call their own shots. Also Matty Ice Antonio Gates is one of the best tight ends of all time and was a basketball player at Kent State not a football player. The biggest reason football is more popular than basketball because it is percieved to be easier to bet and moake money on the pointspread(not true) and fantasy football is better than fantasy basketball(true)
The biggest reason football is more popular than basketball because it is percieved to be easier to bet and moake money on the pointspread(not true) and fantasy football is better than fantasy basketball(true)
good points
I think hardcore NBA fans feel slighted b/c they play second fiddle to the NFL in the mainstream. My friends that have played organized basketball or are die-had basketball fans always seem to feel the need to state shy basketball is better. I never hear my friends that love football make the same claim. I’ve played organized football and basketball. Football and basketball are even as far as likes to me. Although football was my first love.
1. The players have actual power
I can’t argue with this one. The NFLPA is pathetic. Gene Upshaw was terrible. Things are improving with DeMaurice Smith and next years negotiations should bring a lot of needed change.
2. The best team wins the championship
Football is harder on the body than basketball. You can’t play half the regular season games you do in basketball in football. You get more chances in basketball. Injuries, chemistry, etc. can cause your team to come up late in the season.
3. Bigots hate it
I agree. But I think part of it has to do with the still existent myth that NBA players are arrogant Black guys from northern concrete jungles like New York, LA, Chicago, Philly, Detroit, etc. which is funny because most of these guys are from the small towns and suburbs. The NBA has embraced hip-hop more than the NFL too. This also plays into the bigots hate.
4. Skill Matters
This is subjective. Just like in basketball a PF or C will not have the same skills as a PG or SG in football an OL or DL will not have the same skills as a WR, QB, or RB. I like how you pick the worst example for an NFL player. I don’t see NBA players 5’9”-6’4”, weighing 200-240lbs, with 8% body fat, and 4.2 – 4.6 speed. Champ seems to ignore Oliver Miller, Allen Iverson, and Shawn Kemp(Cleveland Cavaliers) who were all out of shape playing basketball. You can’t downplay the accuracy of a QB throwing a ball 40yds accurately to a moving target with a few 230lbs+ men trying to take his head off. All of this is done under more pressure than a 24 second shot clock. Lastly in basketball they say “breaking ankles” but football is the only sport where I have actually seen it happen i.e. 1995 season opener Detroit @ Pittsburgh – Rod Woodson 1 on 1 with Barry Sanders Rod Woodson’s career was never the same after that. The bad thing about it is that he didn’t get a hand on Barry and was a couple yards away from him.
5. Each player matters too
Idk about this one. See how far you get without a good back up QB or a weak defense line. In basketball one player can dominate. You will not see a 2000-01 76ers or 2006-07 Cavaliers in the NFL because each player matters more than in the NBA.
YOU BETTA PREACH!!!!!!!! *Does the holy dance, then the “ooo-ooh ooo-oh” dance from the ‘You Can’t Touch This’ video, then the Cabbage Patch, then the Butterfly, then Running Man*
@Humble One
see BK sweetheart’s response and multiply by 2.
please and thanks.
*throws in some JA dancehall moves to spice it up a lil.
I’m just gonna go ahead and co-sign all my football loving ladies(who have made excellent points, I see you Gem and Keisha) and gents, as well as all my Southerners.
The NFL wins every time. Champ, you make some excellent points, however your second point draws a resounding “NO” from me.
In the NBA, by mid season we already have an idea which teams will be in the Championship. We knew the Lakers were coming out of the West, and either Boston or Cleveland was coming out of the East, and we knew this before the playoffs started. How is this exciting and enjoyable for fans? This is why the NFL is great. In the NFL, every game matters. Every down matters. And once the playoffs start, you have 4 quarters to prove you are the better team. The NBA gives you 7 games, 3 of which you can lose, and the other 4 you have home court advantage and bad ref calls. The 7 game series allows for mistakes to be made and corrected. In an NFL Playoff game, 2 teams battle for the right to be called better, and the so-called “better” team doesn’t get a chance to correct their mistakes in game 2-4 of the series. If the Colts lose to the Browns because Peyton threw 3 interceptions and the O-Line sucked monkey balls, why should they get a second game to prove that they really are better than that performance? OR a third? Or a fourth? Only the NBA takes pride in needing a “do-over” to prove which is the better team.
Every down matters. And once the playoffs start, you have 4 quarters to prove you are the better team. The NBA gives you 7 games, 3 of which you can lose, and the other 4 you have home court advantage and bad ref calls. The 7 game series allows for mistakes to be made and corrected. In an NFL Playoff game, 2 teams battle for the right to be called better, and the so-called “better” team doesn’t get a chance to correct their mistakes in game 2-4 of the series
THIS.
*opens arms for big hug…
BLASPHEMY!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I will never like basketball more than football. First of all, Pittsburgh has never had a basketball team. Therefore I have no one to root for, #automaticfail.
Secondly, the NBA plays like ninety-’leven games, I can’t be keeping up with all that mess. I mean when your record for the season is like 180-54, is that supposed to be good? Bad? How the f*ck should I know. I like 16 (i think?) games and thats it. You only have a limited amount of time to prove your dominance. And sure, maybe the best team doesn’t always win, but that’s the beauty of football – “any given Sunday” anything could happen.
And lastly, you got all these pretty boys who can dribble a ball and shoot a good j but that’s nothing compared to the fighting in the trenches that happens in football. The battle, the struggle, the perseverance, folks playing through injuries, the brutal tackles, the miracle catches/touchdowns.. Its all so exciting and riveting. It reminds of the struggles of life, the strategy, luck and misfortune.
So please Champster, #GTFOHWTBS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Secondly, the NBA plays like ninety-’leven games, I can’t be keeping up with all that mess. I mean when your record for the season is like 180-54, is that supposed to be good? Bad? How the f*ck should I know
*nodding head. yup. these are my vss’
In the NBA, a team can be down 10 with 10 seconds to go and you know the game is not over. I LOVE this. NFL players have better dance moves tho.
I feel you…and NFL players are cuter. I prefer NBA cause they’re taller and they don’t have those thick necks…yuckee.
“In the NBA, a team can be down 10 with 10 seconds to go and you know the game is not over. I LOVE this.”
Probably one of my favorite parts about a b-ball game. Like, folks can have heart attacks from this. Good stuff.
@blkgyrl..
In the NBA, a team can be down 10 with 10 seconds to go and you know the game is not over
until they decide to take about 9.734 timeouts and that 10 seconds becomes 9 hours. but i do like a buzzer beater in ball tho. it’s faaaaantastic!
lol, it’s like a movie though. Suspense dinna mug.
Not here to be a kill joy, but how about doing things in real life that positively affect your life, is better than watching both? Both the NFL and NBA are racist in structure, promote racist stereotypes, and are a great diversion from the real problems, like the contracting (and further collapsing) housing market, violations of civil rights in Arizona, etc etc. When Lebron James was doing his little prime-time on ESPN the EU put itself into a bind with its bailout of Greece. I’m not saying don’t enjoy sports, but honestly 3 hours every game (for every game of each) is a lot of time to spend following something that literally has no impact on your life whatsoever. Think about it.
I have two points of contention, particularly with the last part. The first is that professional sports teams have a large impact on our lives, whether we realize it or not. These leagues – specifically the teams – employ many members of the community, most of whom do not wear uniforms. They sponsor events in the community. They have corporate sponsors because everyone loves a winner – and the leagues are winners. Our entertainment dollars, which constitute much of our disposable income, tie directly into the leagues somehow regardless of whether we watch a single play. Cable companies pay for the rights to broadcast channels that show these games…guess who they pass the cost on to? In much the same fashion, anyone who drinks – especially if they drink beer – has a relationship with a sports league.
Those public referenda for new arenas and stadiums to be built, the revenue that the games (and let’s not even get into special events such as the Super Bowl) bring in – which is even more important now since so many municipalities are broke…sports are extremely important because they produce so much revenue. There are thousands of hotels who are only in business because of the money they make during football season.
Second point is about college sports. In addition to the hotel thing, there’s also the fact that athletics bring universities a ton of money (esp. if said school is good in football or basketball). Anyone who went to a large public institution has felt these benefits (facilities and financial aid are the chief examples). Same with most people who went to private schools with strong athletic teams (Miami, USC, and Duke come to mind).
I agree that acting on social issues is something we could probably do more of. However, sports have a much greater effect on our lives than what we see on the playing field for those three hours.
Great response!
Good answer! I’m into world news, charities and politics but I also enjoy leisure as well. People who consume themselves with research, politics, government, etc end up going crazy. We all need something to break away and do for nothing more than enjoyment. I agree big time on the jobs it creates.
@NomadaNare
who says im not doing both? im multitasking right now (working and vsb’ing). you dont know if i spend time volunteering and fundraising for charitable organizations after work (i do). you dont know if i do overnight shifts for a rape crisis ctr (i’ve done so). you dont know that each night before bed, i blog roll but also include news sites to educate myself (i do when i can). or if i take advantage of being a commuter to read the daily paper..and wonder why people dont care about pakistan the way the world did with haiti (article gave some great reasons that made me sit back and think).
so moral of the story..when i’ve worked a long week (which can sometimes be 6 days of work)..when i wake up on a football sunday, i am blessed to have a roof over my head, a couch to sit on, food to put in my belly, money that paid my cable bill and the ability to recharge and rejuvenate to head into the week and figure how i can change the world.
the end.
Ever heard of Buzz Killington http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6t8zNU_dbN0
I thought of this too….LMAO
@Rog
“Now who here likes a good story about a bridge?”
***sigh***
You make a good argument for the NBA being better than the NFL Champ. I agree with a lot of your points, but not the main point. For me, the NFL trumps them all because of just how short the season is. There are only 16 games, every one of them counts. I can watch games knowing that each loss has a real impact on the post season. The NBA just drags (like MLB) on till the 2nd half, and still doesn’t really peak till the final quarter of the season. I do feel you on how you don’t really feel passion watching other teams than yours (I’m on the opposite side of the state so you know I’m rooting for the green and silver). But all in all, I’d rather watch an NFL game than an NBA game if I had a choice, though NBA is a very close second. And as for all the comments I read about College sports, I think they are all over-rated. I think they are playing to get into the Pros just as much as playing “for the love of the game”. It’s all about money, scholarship money or future million dollar contracts. All in all, very good post.
@Mister Z
E-A-G-L-E-S..EAGLES!!!!
that is all.
Hellz yeah!
Because I wouldn’t consider myself a stan of either one (I prefer basketball), I’m just gonna sit back and read the wonderful (and insighful) comments of errbody else. I usually mostly watch as more of a social, fun thing than a “I’m an expert” thing. Seriously, there is nothing funner than watching sports with a bunch of dudes. Also, add “watching two dudes play sports on a game console.”
Also, I’m too distracted by the fact that I heard “Wobble Wobble” by the 504 Boyz while looking at the pic of Andre.
I can’t completely agree with this. But I see your points.
The NBA definitely has a better owner/management system and the players (seemingly) have more power. But the NBA gets watered down every 10-12 years (usually by over-hyped players) or until a superstar players revives it. And no one really watches the NBA, save for the 1st 20 or so games of the season, the last 15-20 games of the season, and the playoffs.
The NFL has NEVER had a watered-down era….of course this is my opinion. And I happen to think their playoff system works well. One game and you’re done. Go hard or go home…as opposed to play hard two games, rest for a third, and come back and win two more. And it’s a contact sport…Rondo wouldn’t last a full season. But the NFL has its slavery-esque moments. Most notably the management/player relationship.
And another thing….there is no way that high school players could go pro to the NFL. The NBA changed that because they knew it was whack.
This is an incredibly well-written article, Champ!
Good going.
I also like the picture of the model wearing his VSB shirt.
I play and watch tennis regularly, but not basketball or football (unless it’s the NBA championships or the superbowl or Crimson-Bulldogs). So I’m not informed enough to weigh in with any sort of argument.
I don’t like what football injuries do to the brains and bodies of the players. Retired players develop dementia prematurely and display neuro-degenerative symptoms like retired boxers do. Serious brain trauma results from repeated blows to the head.
The Heat and the Celtics and the Lakers will be very exciting to watch this next basketball season. I’m looking forward to the games!
Uhhhh…Dangit Champ! I’ve been all NFL and NCAA Football for most of my life but your logic is soooooo spot on! I feel like Clayton Bigsby when he found out he was black. I’m confused and angry that I’ve been this blind, no pun intended. Fine points you made there sir, even in the asterisk explanation. Makes so much sense!
Champ, excellent, excellent post and topic. As a former basketball player and follower of the game, I totally see your point of view. Despite, I totally disagree with you.
As a native and resident of a state where football is god and king, the NFL provides a better product for me more than the NBA, although I am fan of both leagues. Here are my counterpoints to your points:
1. Actually, NFL players do have power, more power than you think. Despite the 53 man rosters, there are plenty of players in the league besides quarterbacks that if they are taken away from certain teams, they become a lot less intimidating. Revis is a good example and I think eventually the Jets will cave because as good a defense they have, not having him shut down a team’s top receiver will make a big difference. Chris Johnson of the Titans is a better example. The guy ran for 2,006 yards on a team that started 0-6 and could gotten into the playoffs. The Titans knew what they would have been losing if he sat out. Every organization is different and place merits on certain players to see what their value, but these organizations also realize that not having a star player with star skills can mean then difference between wins and losses, which all boils down to how much money is being made.
2. In the NFL, the better team does win the championship. You can b**ch about lucky breaks in football all you want, but because it is a truly “win or go home” playoff system, it is always about preparation in the NFL. You can’t have a off night in the NFL playoffs. You can in a 7 game series, i.e. Kobe Bryant in Game 7 of the 2009-2010 NBA Finals. One play in the NFL can make the difference in a game. The Saints onside kick to begin the second half of the Super Bowl f**ked the Colts heads’ up. Period. The better team won because they were prepared and able to adjust to any game situation and the same thing can be said in basketball, too. You don’t adjust, you get trucked over, i.e. the Lakers in Game 6 over the 2007-2008 NBA Finals.
3. Believe me, dude, there are just as big of bigots that hate the NFL because they like college football more. A racist 2520 hates a black man that talks, talks a lot and talks too much. A black college football won’t say much compared to an NFL player. Black NFL players have to market themselves by their own means because unless you are a 2520 QB, your team is not going to make much of an effort to market you as a representative of your team. Seeing a black NFL player not be like everyone else and not stay in his place and open his mouth while doing it will probably pi** off a bigot more than an NBA player will.
4. Sorry, Champ. If it was much more difficult to make an NBA roster than an NFL roster, then how at one point could a high school kid play right out of school? Some people are incredibly gifted at basketball, i.e. Kobe, Lebron, Dwight Howard, KG that they could play right out of high school, but there have been plenty of players who have gone right into the NBA out of high school, and made it on a roster, and a 5- year old could see they have not business on the court. A 5 star recruit out of Texas, Cali, FLA, PA or Ohio would get drove into the ground if they played in the NFL right out of high school. There is a reason for the three year rule. You can’t used the small roster numbers as a defense. If you suck trying to get in the NFL, you won’t suit up and probably won’t be a practice squad player. If you suck in the NBA, even after years of college, you will still be riding the pine and getting paid for it, even win a championship or two. (Adam Morrision, I am looking at you) The Andre Smith pic was a bad example because despite his blubber, a man his size coming on a sweep would break an NBA player in half. Sorry, Champ, pro football is much more difficult to play compared to pro basketball just from the playbook differences alone.
5. Sorry once again, Champ, but every player does matter in the NFL, not just a QB. If you don’t have a left tackle, your QB is going to be pounded like a frost giant getting hit by Thor’s hammer. If you don’t have a good centerfielder of a safety, your coverage is going to pay for it. (And you should know better because you saw what happened to the Steelers last year without Polamalu. Don’t even front on that). If you don’t have a pass rush via an outside linebacker or defensive end, a decent QB will pick you apart, let alone what Manning, Brees and Brady could do. Every player does matter. Despite that there aren’t really a lot of out there players with really distinctive personalities, NFL players usually stand out with their play and another attribute other than their personalities. Troy Polamalu is a perfect example of that. This guy rarely, and mean RARELY, speaks to the media, but people know him for his hair and the fact that he is everywhere on the field, making picks, causing fumbles and making open field tackles.
A few more points:
-The Super Bowl is the single biggest sporting event in the world, not in the country, in the world. The only sporting events that are probably translated into more languages than the Super Bowl is the Olympics and the World Cup, and those happen every 4 years and last for about a month, where as the Super Bowl is one game, on one night, winner takes all. You have to drop a cool million just to advertise during the Super Bowl. You can’t say that about the NBA Finals.
-The NFL has the most lucrative TV contract period. Despite the NBA with all of its games, the NFL still makes more money from its fewer games.
-The single most watched anything on cable was when the Packers played Brett Favre and the Vikings on Monday Night Football last season. With the history of cable, all of the channels and all of the shows, they should tell all you need to know about the NFL.
-The NFL is at the point where if a lockout happens next year, it will literally crippled some cities in the US. Seriously. The NBA, NHL and MLB have had lockouts over the past 20 years, but those lockouts could not compare to magnitude of what would happen if the NFL were to lockout. A city like New Orleans would suffer greatly because it is still a city in recovery. The city of Green Bay made $240,000,000 in revenue from the Packers last season. A small town that has a football franchise that is publicly owned would be damn near crushed. That is how important the NFL is.
-In the top 10 most valuable sports franchises in the world, there is not one, NOT ONE, NBA team. Nothing but soccer teams, NFL teams and one baseball team, the Yankees. The money means that there is a better product being put out to the people. That product here in the US is the NFL.
Sorry for my master thesis. I am a football geek as much as I am a geek about video games and comic books.This was a damn good topic and I am loving the comments from everyone on both sides of the fence. Looking forward to some feedback. I know it is going to be good.
I wish I knew more about the NBA/NFL so I could contribute to today’s post. After reading many comments, I will disagree with 1 and 2. From what I read, NFL players do not have alot of power at all in comparison to basketball and baseball players. If what Champ says about not having to play well the entire season to make it to the superbowl in the NFL is true, then how is that better than the NBA championships? You said that it all boils down to one game versus the 7 games in nba finals. So that means NFL players have to be lucky that night or the whole season would have been a waste? That doesn’t sound better. Also as a die hard soccer fan, the world cup generates way more money than the superbowl. How can you compare something only popular in one region of the world to anything else? You can argue with me if you want…and feel free to get mad and give me a power slap on my bottom. The rest of your arguement was well stated and typing all them words is sexy. You were a basketball player too? What position did you play? How was your “D”?
You said that it all boils down to one game versus the 7 games in nba finals. So that means NFL players have to be lucky that night or the whole season would have been a waste?
It doesn’t boil down to luck. It boils down to who is better prepared? Who put in more work? Who was more committed to being better conditioned? Who did two a days? Who did three a days? Who wants it more? When you have a football player who takes plays off, you have a massive waste of talent and money. (e.g. Julius Peppers..f*ck JPep.).
Yep okay I see your point. I was thinking that if the star player(s) got hurt or bad weather or bad calls or anything can cause a team to lose ONE game.
Well, well. For a person that wishes she knew more about the NBA/NFL, you present some good arguments. When it comes to the Super Bowl, it’s not about being lucky, it’s about being prepared and being prepared to adjust to any game situation. If your team is missing tackles, running half a$$ routes and not following the game, luck doesn’t have anything to do with it. You just suck or the other team was sure as hell more prepared than you were. I guess for me and a lot of other football fans, that “Winner Take All” sense of urgency in the NFL playoffs is what makes it appealing. No off night excuses, no “we will get then next game”. There is no next game. Bring your A game or go home.
I can understand where you are coming from with the World Cup, but you have consider that the World Cup happens on a quadrennial basis is a spread out over a month, as is the Olympics. Despite the fact that the World Cup was estimated to have made $3.9 billion dollars this year, the brand of the World Cup is nowhere near as valuable as the Super Bowl brand. Put it to you like this: The World Cup happens over a month, makes $3.9 billion. That’s about $130 million a day. The Super Bowl generates $261 million just in advertising alone, not including jersey sales, hotels, tickets to the game. You live in MIA, you know how wild it is during the Super Bowl. I can’t imagine how Dallas is going to be during the Super Bowl.
*Power slaps SFG’s bottom*
You got me on the player’s not having a lot of power over owners. In the end, they have to come to a compromise because regardless, a lot of damn money is going to let on the table for the players and owners alike if they don’t reach a new collective bargaining agreement. The homicide rate may go up if there is no football on next year.
*Powerslaps the bottom again*
Ah ah ah. You are not going to pull me into that trap. I will call Judge Keisha Brown on you and say you started it. I sucked at sports as a kid. I even sucked in my church basketball league as a kid. Now, I just help my friends, my boss, my customers and my co-workers with their fantasy football drafts and help them win money.
Okay NOW we need a room. If you are not CBG, do not read this comment!
*closes office door, takes of panties and throws under desk to air dry*…
First off boy you can correct me anyday while rushing into my tight end zone! Power slap me for how dare I come in and say you’re wrong baby. I’ll never do it again.
Your whole dollar arguement to the World Cup makes cents.
I was thinking of the mass appeal to soccer sometimes popularity isn’t all about money. I do think you are wrong that the world cup would still gross more money even if played in one game. (You can slap me again) I know football fans are die hard with this go big or go home thing. Whatever, I can see it. I get excited during super bowl just like other bandwagon fans. I was screaming “Who Dat!” when the Saints one like everyone else. I just think basketball is better for the players health and money wise in comparison to football. Plus football games are hot and I don’t like to sweat. Lmao. You know they sell female sized football helmets and gear if you wanna get a little kinky, I’m down.
I had no idea I could e-turn you on with football talk. lol I wasn’t correcting you. I value your opinion.
You are right about the mass appeal of the World Cup. It is definitely more popular than American football hands down on a world wide scale. It truly is the world’s game. Like I said, I’m from Texas and football at any level is like religion out here. Even my lovely mother is a big, big football fan and so are both of my sisters. My mom had no idea I was such a stat nerd about football because I never put on a pair of pads in my life but I love the game and every aspect of it. I am at the point right now where I can recognize some plays before the ball is snapped. I suck at Madden though, but you can’t win at everything. Oh, and football is remarkably worse on the body than basketball, by light years. Just show up in a sports bra, boy shorts and eye black, and I’ll handle the rest. *Can’t believe I am actually adding fuel to SFG’s fire*
LOL seriously CBG you’re such a good sport I enjoy our little comments. You gave me so many good ones with this comment but I’ll be good. Can’t do it too much in plain sight as the lurkers are watching lol and somebody might actually think I’m serious. Plus I know the vss/vsbs throw up at our exchanges. lmao. But who cares!!! *evil laugh*
I know from my expert PHd in tackling that football has to be worse on the body than basketball. I’ve had so many bruises and broken my hip bone during chexing. Trust me, I’m an expert. lol j/k
Believe me, my dear. Your comments are a joy indeed. You have me cracking up seriously.
@CBG:
If i knew that SFG didnt always have a shank ready.. i’d hug you for this. you’ll have to settle for e-daps and a tigerwoods fist pump instead.
THIS…”One play in the NFL can make the difference in a game. The Saints onside kick to begin the second half of the Super Bowl f**ked the Colts heads’ up. Period” <—AWESOME. SOOO many people I know MISSED it (i blame the halftime show). I mean really.. WHO does an onside kick..IN THE SUPERBOWL..coming out of halftime and is SUCCESSFUL!!???!! (drizzy). that was beautiful.
I do love the fact that Green Bay OWNS its team/stadium. That's is also quite awesome and will never happen again in any league.
That is pretty cool that the people of Green Bay own their team. You are right. That will never happen again. Oh yeah, you better get SFG. She trying to set me up so I can lose in court again.
*grabs hot pink diamond encrusted shank*…say what?
*in maude flanders voice
put down the shank!! wont somebody please think of the children!?!!?!!!???
and um.. yes. i must side with the plaintiff (CBG). judge keisha brown has made her official ruling.
*wonders if i can get my gavel encrusted with hot pink diamonds??
LMAO! I’m guilty on all charges. Send me straight to the men’s prison! On second thought, no lol
i love the analyses going on today, especially to defend the totally super AWESOME and truly outrageous nfl.
good job, cbg. *hugs comment but not commenter*
- – <<<——- That is my mouth hanging open in shock and disgust at 0 the pic.
I must say that I am LOVING the profound and in-depth football commentary of the VSB’s happening here…..
As a long time die hard football (read: Steelers) fan, I love watching football, talking about football, playing football (no joke), IM OBSESSED!!
This sh*t is making my day… so much for work lol.
“With a few more lucky breaks, they can win the Super Bowl. While this unpredictable parity is usually lauded as one of the best things about the NFL, it’s completely unfair, completely wrong, and easily one of my least favorite things about the league.”
I think the fact that The Champ and some of his fam can actually play and have talent makes this more irritating to him than someone like me who can barely dunk a nerf ball. The underlying underdog theme in some games touches athletically challenged folks like me.
I played fantasy football for the first time last year and it made me a NFL junkie. It had me watching games of teams that weren’t even in my division (Hail to the Redskins). Having to choose players every week might have given me that feeling Champ was talking about where each individual player matters as much as the team. In football it seems like the coach matters more than in basketball and the nerd in me kinda loves that.
The whole media and commentator spin in the NFL does alternate between necessary hype and ridiculous annoyance. Sometimes I wish the games could be shown on multiple stations. I’d love to watch games on BET, the commentary would completely change the whole vibe. Anywho, maybe if I play fantasy basketball next season I’ll actually have a valid opinion on NBA vs NFL.
“2. The best team always wins the championship”
Um, while I’ll agree to disagree with you because of the litany of reasons listed by the loyal posters above, this particular one stood out to me the most. The NBA has had ONLY 8 diff champions in the past 40 years or so. The Lakers have won about 1/4th of those championships. The rest of the league is just practicing. With the balance of power tipping to the Heat this offseason, them winning would NOT change that stat. They would still be one of the same 8 teams that has dominated a league of 30 teams. So, it’s not really the BEST team that wins in the NBA, it’s the best of these 8 teams it seems.
and thats BORING…
in football ANYTHING can happen, on any given play, on any given Sunday..you gotta love it, when things come together just so and are aligned right for a team, even the unlikeliest squad can get that W young, thats exciting!
Good call @ Saule
The NBA setup makes it easy for the same teams to dominate year, after year, after year. While it’s true the “the best team” wins, you have to look at how they became the best.
The biggest reason why is the NBA is absent a (real) salary cap.
Teams are pretty much free to go out and sign who they want. And should they exceed the “cap” they just have to pay some additional “penalty fees” which is chump change for large market teams.
“There hasn’t been a white American basketball superstar since Larry Bird,”
Hellooooo, Steve Nash (even if he IS canadian)…
lol
goooo canada!!
*i had to do it was the resident canuck up in this piece!!
that is all.
Great post and all Champ but um ….
Brett Favre completely killed your “no power” argument by having an MVP level season of “will I or won’t I” by holding three teams hostage for the better part of three summers. An interesting point was raised on Twitter yesterday about good ol’ #4 and it basically echoed the NFL vs. NBA sentiments:
Favre can skip practice, OTAs, Kwanzaa meetings and nobody will bat an eyelash at it. Iverson skips a practice and everybody is looking at him like he’s crippling the team. Was I missing something between the two besides Wrangler Ads, a failed rap career and Iverson being the Favre of basketball (toughness wise, definitely not whining wise)?
me also being a hooper (hoop 4-6 times a week) i would have to agree with you. playing in the nba requires so much more skill than playing in the nfl. i could think of maybe 2-3 players in the nfl that could make a nba team (and they are all receivers).
you might have mentioned this in the comments but i don’t feel like scrolling. what position do you play? and what school did you play for?
Couple things:
1. There’s been some great, well-articulated, and funny comments from both sides of the debate. And, rest assured, even if I didn’t actually reply to each comment, I’ve read them all. #reasonswhyilovevsb
2. i see people are starting to use football’s uber popularity as part of their argument, but like i said upthread, if popularity was a huge determining factor in inherent value, Nelly would be considered a better rapper than Nas.
3. shhwhisper brought up a good point about underdogs. basically, football is a bit of an “every man’s” sport that’s structured in a way where underdogs have a chance of succeeding and even starring. Everybody has a chance. There’s a reason stories like Rudy and “The movie starring mark walhberg about the bartender who became a philadelphia eagle” take place in football. It’s a resonate theme for many people.
personally though, i hate the underdogs, lol. unless it’s a particular team i have a personal investment with, i always want to see the best teams play, and the best teams win. i could care less about a cute story or narrative, and i’m pretty sure this feeling affects my feelings about football in general.
““The movie starring mark walhberg about the bartender who became a philadelphia eagle” ”
lmfao…this cracks me up that you can’t think of the title because you should see my face right now, trying to think of the title myself. Like, WHAT was that called?!
Well then as far as sports go I concurrently love you and hate you. Not that I always root against the underdog (Skins are my #1, Steelers are my #2, and I’m a fan of random beast players like Jared Allen) but when I am you’re who I’m rooting against. We need each other to make it exciting which is why I love you … but you suck.
Champ knows I meant to say “not that I always root for the underdog” and I blame him.
““The movie starring mark walhberg about the bartender who became a philadelphia eagle” ”
I watched that film to see a movie about football and ended up watching Elizabeth Banks. . . not a complete waste of time.
and ended up watching Elizabeth Banks. . . not a complete waste of time.
It never is. She is hot and has come a long way.
the movie was called invincible. as the player was vince papale.
thought i’d save y’all a trip to google.
thank me later. drizzy.
i hate the underdogs .
I love an underdog! Especially if it’s a team I’m naturally inclined to root for.
So with that said – WHO MUTHFING DEY!!
I love an underdog! But there are some teams I am routing for regardless, but I might be less salty if my team loses to an underdog. I am waiting for the Clippers, Raiders, and Detroit Lions to have their time in the sunshine!
Um, can we NOT take shots at my St. Louis brethren? That was uncalled for. LOL….possibly true, but uncalled for. lol
I didn’t e’en want to say this since Champ and I trade little insults here and there, but since it’s Thursday I’mma be nice and say that’s a nice pic, Champster. Now, if you say “nice deez”, all bets are effing off.
As a NFL fan, I loved this post and the comments that followed, but Champ almost had me questioning my whole existence because I have been eagerly waiting for somebody, anybody to kick-off since game 7.
I am one of those NBA fans that only starts paying attention in the play-offs (so, sue me). However, I can be predictably found in front of a big screen any given Sunday, Monday night, or Thursday night during football season. Go Panthers!!! I even love going to high school football games on Friday nights. Naturally, this is my favorite time of the year
.
On the otherhand, NBA action…meh/shrug. Even growing up during the Jordan era and going to Bullets games on the regular never attracted me to basketball very much (maybe having people assume you play basketball because you are black and a foot taller than your peers ruined it for me).
“Who cares?” (-175 points)
lol!
oh champie, i meant to tell you. it’s NOT “dwayne” wade. its mufuggin “DWYANE” wade. get your poorly spelled name spelling in order, sir.
*smh* and you call yourself a fan.
Champ, I have to respectfully disagree. Here’s why:
1. “The players have actual power.”
…and who says this is a good thing? Racial dynamics aside, I LIKE the fact that ONE asshole can’t hold an entire TEAM hostage at his whim.
Don’t want to play? Cool. Don’t. Take whatever money you were guaranteed, and sit down. Btw, the example you gave is wrong, players get their guaranteed money (pretty much) either way.
However, teams are free to try to recoup (some) of a players salary if the player breaches his contract by voluntarily not playing or putting themselves in a position where they coudn’t play (like Mike Vick).
And in my mind, there’s nothing wrong with teams holding players to contracts that THEY WILLINGLY SIGNED.
2. “The best team always wins the championship.”
I’m not sure if I follow you here. For one, the best teams always win in any sport. “Luck” is simply the meeting of preparation with opportunity.
And MLB, NBA, or NFL no team can “luck” it’s way through the entire playoffs. And as much as I hate the Cards, and were happy to see them lose, I can’t take away what a great postseason they had that year.
They simply just got hot at the right time.
3) “Bigots hate it.”
I don’t hate the NBA, rather I pretty much ignore it. The chief reason being is now it’s gotten too soft, and too corrupt.
My theory is that Michael Jordan is to blame for it being so soft now.
Since he retired, no other player was capable of that kind of offensive output, in turn driving ratings down. So the NBA got tougher on defenses, making it easier for players to score. As a result star players became even bigger prima-donnas, crying the very moment someone attempts to play defense against them.
If you need an example, see AI, Bron, Kobe and any other player that falls & slides 30 feet anytime someone comes near them.
It’s pathetic.
And I point to the recent NBA finals as proof as corruption. I’m not a Boston fan, but c’mon dude…LA got walked to that title.
Especially in games 5-7. The refs were getting anal with Boston, while letting LA get away with murder.
Oh yea and then there’s that whole Tim Donaghy thing.
4. “Skill matters.”
As it does in the NFL. No one player is good enough to carry his team all the way, that’s the way it should be. Unlike the NBA where having ONE good player is enough to guarantee you a spot in the playoffs, and maybe even the Finals (see LeBron James).
I’d even put forth the argument that it takes more skill to play in the NFL. You not only have to know your position, but that of those around you. You have to memorize playbooks containing hundreds of different formations, and audibles.
There’s a reason why these guys take IQ tests before coming into the league.
5. “Each player matters too.”
I actually agree here. The NBA, there’s a more personal level of interaction between the fans and players but to me it’s something that can’t be helped. Social media is slowly changing that with the NFL, but they still have a ways to go.
“There’s a reason why these guys take IQ tests before coming into the league.”
the wonder- lick test is a piece of sh*t. vince young failed the test horribly and he still was taken 3rd overall. in my opinion he’ll be out the league in another 3-4 years. yes i live in nashville and no i don’t like the titans (go skins).
Still, my original point stands. Teams give players the test to gauge their mental capacity (as applied to football).
Now, whether or not it’s an accurate measure is certainly up for debate.
Shout out to Darius Miles who couldn’t get INTO college so he went pro. Just saying….
once again i don’t know if this has been mentioned but in regard to the skill level it takes to play in the nba vs the nfl, how many nfl players play offense and defense. down to the fundamental level of the game basketball requires all players to play offense and defense. not the nba. the closest player i can think of is devin hester.
That’s just the setup of the game, and it doesn’t mean that no players in the NFL COULDN’T play offense and defense. Besides it doesn’t matter which position you play, you still have to know and account for the guy that’s defending you.
And to put another spin on it, not all NBA players are actually GOOD at playing both sides of the ball.
no doubt @BDot. Lets see how many NBA players are benchpressing 225 or take a hit like Eli took Monday Night and still hoop.
And by the way…I don’t know of any “great” NFL player who’s been accused of flopping. This is the No Flopping League. lol
….aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaand, let’s just compare the sports, period. I can go down the street, play a “pick up” game of basketball, and never draw out a single play and win. Play a pick up game of football, you need plays and planning. You need strategy. It’s not just get the ball in the hoop or the endzone. Each player has a job and on every play, if every player does their job, you score. In basketball, some players job is simply to get the hell out of the way. lol
Why did I miss this? I agree with it all fellow hoops junkie!
Someone said it more eloquently than I, but the skill sets involved are apples to nuclear bombs.
A track star can become a wideout, but a 7 footer can be drafted as a defensive center (ie Greg Oden). As for learning the game, Olajuwon did not play basketball until the age of 15 and he’s one of the greatest centers to ever play the game.
I would say in terms of the amount of information necessary to process it’s the NFL all the way. They had Graham Harrell on 60 Mins while he was at Tech. They ran a play and then had him to explain it and he talked for a full 7 minutes about every detail from the hot routes to the receivers’ routes to the linebackers’ position to the base defense.
I think I love the NFL because its a chess game with human pieces. I love a good defense against a great offense.
I’m a sports junkie. I love futbol, football, bball, not so much baseball (they need to revamp that game), etc. The NFL season is just a special time of year.
In reference to someone’s thoughts on diva wideouts, personally I expect a certain amount of diva-ishness from a wideout. Even the great Jerry Rice had it too. Ex. on a MNF game after a scoring drive, son overturned a Gatorade table saying, “I ain’t no MFing decoy.” So it didnt begin with TO and Ocho. Hell, Irvin and Carter had it in them too. It goes with being a wideout. Receivers are generally supremely gifted and they know it.
I played some football as a receiver. It’s the mentality. Throw me the damn ball, even if I’m covered, I’m open. You believe in your abilities that much.
Comparing highlights, the closest is a in-ya-grill-disrespectful dunk to a spectacular catch, ie (Victor Cruz’s highlight reel) Nothing compares to someone gettin lit up. NOTHING! It’ll make you jump outta your seat.
getting lit up will make you jump out of your seat1!! or say somehting really profane!! lol
Late as all heyl, but as a serious NBA fan, I totally and unabashedly support this message.
Now, we’ll just wait for Soccer to take over and it will be complete. *grin –>
*
While I now understand and can appreciate football, I think the game relies less on athletic abilities of its players than on strategy of the coach/quarterbacks… And that to me is the number 1 reason why I absolutely heart the NBA.
Anyways, just my $0.02 discounted for being 3 days late
and 3 dollars shortHave never left a comment before but read quite often. This is by far the best article I’ve ever read here, very reminiscent of “40 Million Dollar Slaves”, a great yet underappreciated novel. Thanks.
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Sorry replying so late, just found out about this place here recently. Some pretty interesting topics will keep me tuned in!! I went back and found this post…My brother die hard Kobe fan. I like Kobe too(Kobes better than Lebron too) But even the die hard hoops fan will end up being atleast a casual football fan!1 Football has more strategy than just the weather and lucky breaks in the game. When you get those lucky breaks, how do you execute? Will your players respond or just quit? Games that are played in the elements(heat, rain, snow, or wind) provide a mental edge in sports that is unheard of. Similiar to MJ playing with the flu!! I love basketball with a passion, but I love football more, because you DO need every player on the team to do his part. True only 1 person can cross the goal line with the ball…but a lot must happen in order for that player to even get the ball.(Strategy, timing, ect) How much skill is needed for Lebron, Kobe to tell the other 4 players to stand on the baseline and I am going to take this dude and shoot over him? I do agree there are some moves so hoopers make and you are like WOW…But could those players do that wearing 10lbs of protective gear, in front of 80k fans, with another player looking to decapitate you!! There is one player I think fit for the NFL and that is Lebron. Height and “lean” muscles are not built for the collisions on the football field. Now as for footballers…every DB, WR, Safety, Or RB with decent size(6’1-6’6, 180–225) and maybe a jumper could make a NBA roster…
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You made some decent points but truth be told if you you was set out to give 5 reasons why the NBA is beter than the NFL none of your points realy did that.
1)The players have actual power; you said that Jets cornerback Darrelle Revis (arguably the best defensive player in football) current contract is only paying him 15% of what he’s worth
MY RESPONSE:all pro athlete are OVER PAID!!!! they are paid millions of dolors a year just to get injured and sit out for part or most of the season and still get paid for it, there are people out there who if they get injured and cant work will not get paid until they are able to work.
2)The best team always wins the championship; You said “With its best-of-seven game playoff series format, the NBA ensures that flukey sh*t like this doesn’t occur”
MY RESPONSE: The NFL is a much more fisical league than the NBA so if the NFL was to do something of the sort the teams wouldn’t put their all into the game until one team was closing in on winning the series. Also who realy wants to watch the same game up to 7 times realy it will get rather boaring.and that is why the superbowl has far more viewers then the NBA finals.
3)Bigots hate it; you said “if you’re ever confused about where you should stand on a controversial topic or issue, just ask the nearest bigot and do the exact opposite of what he suggests and you’ll be right as rain (seriously. if you ever want to find out if someone’s a racist, ask him to share his thoughts about the NBA)”
MY RESPONSE: Out of all of the American team sport leagues the NFL is the most culturally diverse league apose to the NBA who if im am not mistaken is just about an all Black or Afro American with only a hand full of people who are not, and if you look at most of some of the thing you posted you sond alot like one of the guys on 125th street and Lenox ave always talking about how the man is holding them down and how the man wont let them up not trying to do what it takes to help himself up.
4) Skill matters; you said Dwyane Wade. Lebron James. Derrick Rose. Nate Robinson. Shannon Brown. Rajon Rondo. These are just a few of the dozens of NBA players who have the athletic chops to be able to retire from the NBA today, and get signed by an NFL team tomorrow.
MY RESPONSE:Do you realy think Dwyane Wade. Lebron James. Derrick Rose. Nate Robinson. Shannon Brown. Rajon Rondo. will realy surive in the NFL.
5) Each player matters too: you said “There are no personalities, just 32 mega corporations each headed by 30 to 35 year old white males who rule over a bunch of throwaway parts.”
MY RESPONSE: In a football game every player has a part to play to help there team win just because only one person jets to throw or catch the ball at a time does not mean every player doesnt count.
I TOTALLY AGREE with this article and I’ll hammer his comment shome with some thoughts of my own.
1.) The players having power – This is a GOOD thing compared to the NFL. No good player or great player for that matter is treated as dispensible to the degree the NFL does it. BTW, tell me one NFL player more popular than MICHAEL JORDAN. RIGHT, that’s what I thought. America’s sport eh?
2)The best team wins – Why is this not a good thing again? If you were a lions fan and they so happened to win all of their games this season and lost to some .500 team, you’d be pissed. WHY? because you’d feel as though that .500 team got lucky that day and just caught an UNDEFEATED team on a bad day. Why do you think that any sort of competitive person won’t accept defeat after just ONE game? They always say “Nawl man, let’s run that back or let’s do the best outta five” why? because after ONE LOSS OR ONE GAME, if you lose you don’t think the other person or team is TRULY better. However, if you beat someone 4/7 times, there’s pretty much no excuse there barring injuries.
3) A man’s man sport – There are no protective pads or helmets out there on the basketball court. If you get clipped going for a dunk or get hit by a SHAQUILLE ONEAL ELBOW, there is NOTHING to protect you and you will go down. I’m not saying the NFL isn’t physical and dangerous,but there is nothing helping you in basketball other than a jersey and shorts. That to me is even more dangerous.
4) Skill level, 2 draft rounds versus how many in the NFL? right. Let’s not forget playing BOTH OFFENSE AND DEFENSE at ALL times. Despite the number of players that may look WEAK in the NBA on the court, there is a reason 99% of them are there. Keep leaving a role player on an NBA team open (ala Robert Horry) and he will make you PAY! PERIOD. EVERY PLAYER on the court can score, not just the star receiver. Every player can post the SAME stats as the next man depending on his SKILL level(ala Rasheed wallace – pf that shoots threes). Yet, a Kicker can’t post the same stats as a running back. That’s EQUALITY at its best(speaking of the NBA) and that my friends is a TRUE TEAM sport. Use the Lebron and Allen Iverson excuse all you want but no player has ever one by himself which is why both of them got their butts kicked in the finals.(And in the same breathe we see what happens when the COLTS dont have Manning, right?)
5) International sport – I dont care how much money the NFL makes vs NBA, the game of basketball is played every where. There is a reason why Kobe Bryant’s Jersey was #1 in CHINA! Everyone around the world respects the game of Basketball and plays it. Who’s to say these NFL players in America are the best players possible in the WORLD? However we know the Redeem team aka America has the best players by our gold medals.
I rest my case.
PS – I loveeee football, it’s a GREAT sport, but Basketball is better to me.
I TOTALLY AGREE with this article and I’ll hammer his comment shome with some thoughts of my own.
1.) The players having power – This is a GOOD thing compared to the NFL. No good player or great player for that matter is treated as dispensible to the degree the NFL does it. BTW, tell me one NFL player more popular than MICHAEL JORDAN. RIGHT, that’s what I thought. America’s sport eh?
2)The best team wins – Why is this not a good thing again? If you were a lions fan and they so happened to win all of their games this season and lost to some .500 team, you’d be pissed. WHY? because you’d feel as though that .500 team got lucky that day and just caught an UNDEFEATED team on a bad day. Why do you think that any sort of competitive person won’t accept defeat after just ONE game? They always say “Nawl man, let’s run that back or let’s do the best outta five” why? because after ONE LOSS OR ONE GAME, if you lose you don’t think the other person or team is TRULY better. However, if you beat someone 4/7 times, there’s pretty much no excuse there barring injuries.
3) A man’s man sport – There are no protective pads or helmets out there on the basketball court. If you get clipped going for a dunk or get hit by a SHAQUILLE ONEAL ELBOW, there is NOTHING to protect you and you will go down. I’m not saying the NFL isn’t physical and dangerous,but there is nothing helping you in basketball other than a jersey and shorts. That to me is even more dangerous.
4) Skill level, 2 draft rounds versus how many in the NFL? right. Let’s not forget playing BOTH OFFENSE AND DEFENSE at ALL times. Despite the number of players that may look WEAK in the NBA on the court, there is a reason 99% of them are there. Keep leaving a role player on an NBA team open (ala Robert Horry) and he will make you PAY! PERIOD. EVERY PLAYER on the court can score, not just the star receiver. Every player can post the SAME stats as the next man depending on his SKILL level(ala Rasheed wallace – pf that shoots threes). Yet, a Kicker can’t post the same stats as a running back. That’s EQUALITY at its best(speaking of the NBA) and that my friends is a TRUE TEAM sport. Use the Lebron and Allen Iverson excuse all you want but no player has ever one by himself which is why both of them got their butts kicked in the finals.(And in the same breathe we see what happens when the COLTS dont have Manning, right?)
5) International sport – I dont care how much money the NFL makes vs NBA, the game of basketball is played every where. There is a reason why Kobe Bryant’s Jersey was #1 in CHINA! Everyone around the world respects the game of Basketball and plays it. Who’s to say these NFL players in America are the best players possible in the WORLD? However we know the Redeem team aka America has the best players by our gold medals.
I rest my case.
PS – I loveeee football, it’s a GREAT sport, but Basketball is better to me. PERIOD