NCAA is "horrid basketball compared to NBA"

Holmes · Nov 11, 2011

Thought I'd share an exchange I had on Twitter with a guy from Boston who goes by the handle EL_Apostrophe. His arguments seemed absurd, but maybe I'm wrong.

TheRx_com: ESPN will be televising a record number of college hoops games this season. This should concern the NBA war parties: http://bit.ly/uJOMnd

EL_Apostrophe: Not really. The NCAA product is much worse and will only make NBA fans that much more thankful when it returns.

TheRx_com: A very bold statement. How is the NCAA product "much worse"?

EL_Apostrophe: Are you kidding? Less than 1% of the guys playing are good enough for NBA. Thats the very definition of much worse. It's horrid basketball compared to NBA. I think I saw Valpo (vs. Arizona) go 15 minutes without making a shot.

Just because something is easier and more fun to bet on doesnt mean its a better product. ESPN packages it up nicely and forces college rivalries that we wouldn't otherwise care about down our throats.

TheRx_com: Just because something is a "better product" doesn't guarantees its popularity (e.g. ATP vs.WTA, Beta vs. VHS, PS3 vs. Xbox).

EL_Apostrophe: NBA is more popular than NCAABB and is a better product. I don't follow you.

TheRx_com: It hasn't always been that way. In the 70s, NBA's popularity plummeted, despite more talent than NCAA. Could it happen again?

EL_Apostrophe: There is no way that the average NCAA game was getting more eyeballs than NBA in 1970s.

TheRx_com: That's besides the point. The fact is, the NBA could lose some of its fan base to NCAAB as a result of a prolonged lockout.

EL_Apostrophe: And my point is that anyone who actually recognizes talent will only appreciate NBA more if subjected to watching NCAA.

Simple point: Every player in NBA would start on ANY NCAA team. The opposite is not true. Hence, better product.

Fishhead · Nov 11, 2011

CBB is a joke...............

What's funny, is Americans watch this crap over the Barclays Premiere League and other quality leagues of soccer.

High end soccer is WAY, WAY better.

GoBlue34 · Nov 11, 2011

Damn Fish is funny.

The basketball is much worse, but the atmopshere is so much better at a college hoops game. I'd rather watch that anyday where the players give 100% effort the entire game, not just the final 2 minutes of the game. And they also actually play this thing called defense in CBB

billhill999 · Nov 11, 2011

I like CBB so much better.
The kids show up every game, so to speak, the leave it all on the floor, as opposed to the pros who play when they feel like it.
The atmosphere is 1000x greater.

Shub · Nov 11, 2011

The NBA playoffs are better than regular season college basketball but march madness can compete with just about anything. Like Bill said college players leave it all on the floor. NBA (no betting allowed) players take nights off all the time, which isnt fair to fans. Plus they get paid to much. Owners and players both its sickening.

billhill999 · Nov 11, 2011

^
Agree.

Go to any CBB game, you see at least 6 kids a game bruising shins diving for loose balls, go to any NBA game, see the pros waving at the same ball going out of bounds.

GilRenard · Nov 11, 2011

CBB is much better to bet on, but I will agree that the quality of play is higher in the NBA. (I will say that the quality of play in both has regressed over the past 20 plus years.) That said, most find the NBA boring because the players generally could care less until the end of the game. As for gambling, I rarely bet on it anymore, because you really can't tell which players/teams will actually show up to play. There are some good schedule/situational bets, but that's about it.

billhill999 · Nov 11, 2011

Gil Renard said:
There are some good schedule/situational bets, but that's about it.

True, for instance a good NBA bet is fade any home team in their first game back at home after a 3 or more city road trip.
They don't cover much in that spot, I think like 38 percent or so.

gtc08 · Nov 11, 2011

i never bought the card that the players dont care until the final 2 minutes bit. if that was the case the players wouldnt be around, because the fans wouldnt put up with it.
you cannot judge by looking at someone how much they are trying.

brandon roy looks very pedestrian on the court, but nobody has ever questioned his effort.

if you dont try, you get replaced, like in every league.

i think the guaranteed contracts lead to that stigma, but its not legit imo.

and the nba product is much better and polished compared to the college basketball product.

having said that, i prefer the college environment over the pro environment.

JoeFalls · Nov 11, 2011

i don't buy that card either. nor that players don't play defense in the nba. the players make wayyyyyyyy too much.

z

Betallsports · Nov 11, 2011

Give me CBB ANY DAY of the Week over the NBA !

Give me March Madness Over the NBA Playoffs !

Like overs have said already, These Kids give their Heart and Soul on the Court

I've been to Plenty of both, and you just can't compare the two IMHO

RobFunk · Nov 11, 2011

Betallsports said:
Give me CBB ANY DAY of the Week over the NBA !

Give me March Madness Over the NBA Playoffs !

Like overs have said already, These Kids give their Heart and Soul on the Court

I've been to Plenty of both, and you just can't compare the two IMHO

Yeah. But those kids don't have to play and travel all damn year

gtc08 · Nov 11, 2011

JoeFalls said:
i don't buy that card either. nor that players don't play defense in the nba. the players make wayyyyyyyy too much.

z

the nba like other leagues has different styles of play and tempo. the suns don't believe you need defense and can score 130 a game and beat you, the celtics are defensive oriented and want the score in the 80's and 90's.

people who make league wide generalizations on defense just dont know basketball and the different styles of play, or are just stupid.

CoolBreeze22 · Nov 11, 2011

The NBA would be so much better if they went to 4 divisions with 6 teams each and played a 56 game regular season.

GilRenard · Nov 11, 2011

One of the major issues with the NBA, beside the effort perception, is the 'WWF style' officiating. Certain players/teams seem to get different treatment by the refs.

gtc08 · Nov 11, 2011

Gil Renard said:
One of the major issues with the NBA, beside the effort perception, is the 'WWF style' officiating. Certain players/teams seem to get different treatment by the refs.

whats the difference between that and the nfl where you cant touch a QB? stars will always get preferential treatment. what about the phantom holding calls and pass interference calls, thats wwf style officiating right?

all your criticisms toward the nba can be applied to any league.

and like you said effort is perception, you can not judge effort by looking at somebody. i dont like throwing race into the mix, but the effort card is a subtle stereotype used against blacks, that they are lazy.

the only thing ill hedge is the guaranteed contract bit in terms of the effort perception. but even that is a stretch, because in the nfl you got guaranteed money as well in the signing bonuses and lump sum payments.

GilRenard · Nov 11, 2011

all your criticisms toward the nba can be applied to any league.

Not really my criticisms, these are what I've heard time and time again from people who hate the NBA. Personally I don't like gambling on it, thus I have little motivation to watch it regularly.

REDEYE · Nov 11, 2011

Love Coll hoops ! I hope the NBA takes the year off ! Fuckem !! Soccer LOlL let me know when some one scores

bigtendominator · Nov 11, 2011

I have covered the NBA for more than 7 years and I can tell you barely 30% of the players give a shit until late the game and late in the season.

Guys are more concerned with the girls in the crowd (i know I would be). The league is an absolute joke. Yes, the players are more talented, but if guys don't care or don't try who cares.

Frankly, I don't criticize guys in the NBA for not caring. If you were doing the same thing for the past 20-25 years, after while you are just concerned with getting paid and staying healthy.

kermit16 · Nov 11, 2011

These NBA players are so over paid that I hope they take the next 5 years off ! College Hoops are far more entertaining and there's nothing better than March Madness here in Las Vegas. March Madness here in Las Vegas makes Super Bowl Sunday seem like a day at the library. :dancefool