So its officially March Madness. Its a great time of year, upsets, buzzer beaters, Cinderellas, its all included. I love it. Its great fun. What sports fan doesn’t spend hours in front of the TV this time of year waiting for the next big shot?
But, despite the less than flattering timing, I’m going to give you three reasons why pro sports are better than college.
#3) No smoke and mirrors
Let’s face it, college athletes should probably be paid.. something. I mean, these universities are making billions of dollars of off their talents and entertainment value, yet these players don’t deserve even a tiny slice of that? Here’s the thing though, we all know, at these major colleges, athletes ARE getting paid. Sorry to burst your bubble. They all are receiving some kind of benefits from boosters that are illegal. It’s just a matter of which schools get caught and when. Not to be all doom and gloom, but you’d have to be living under a rock not to realize that all of that is going on behind the scenes.
In professional sports, its Americana at its finest, simple supply and demand. The viewing public demands these athlete’s tremendous talents. The supply of those talents are minute. Therefore the price to purchase them have rose to incredible numbers. And its all in public view. Everyone knows how much top athletes are making, there’s no hiding.
#2) Follow people, not institutions
Do you know who Fred VanVleet is? I didn’t either, until today. He was the best player in Wichita State’s win over Kansas today in the 3rd round of the NCAA tournament. VanVleet was a huge reason WSU won, but the thing is, next year most likely, he’ll be gone, starting his vocational career. Most of these players are in front of us for two, three years at most. For a lot of them, only one year. Its like someone you run into in the grocery store and talk with for a few minutes, only never to see them again. The memory will fade quickly. Simple truth is, there isn’t enough time to get to know these players to really follow them before they’re gone.
Now, if I asked you who Kevin Garnett is, I think you might have a better chance. Why is that? He’s been in the NBA for twenty years now. If you’re a sports fan, you’ve been able to watch him grow through his career and watch his story unfold through many years, two decades to be exact. You have a deeper connection there. Time. In pro sports, you’ve got time to be introduced to someone and then time to understand them professionally and watch them improve. You see highs and lows. You’re not following a logo or institution and the new crop of strangers they bring in every year, you’re watching a story unfold with characters, history, a beginning, a middle and an end.
#1) Professional vs. amateur
This one is obvious. Its the biggest reason pro sports are better than college. If I told you that you could go watch a professional trapeze artist perform or an amateur trapeze artist perform, which would you choose? Professional, easy. Why? The level of skill is much higher. Technique is tighter. They are bigger, faster, stronger. Every night in professional sports, its likely that you will see something jaw dropping. Three straight three pointers from 30 feet by Steph Curry, a dunk from the free throw line with the power of a bull by Lebron James, a sixty yard field goal, a perfectly placed 50 yard crossing route delivered in stride from Tom Brady, a textbook bank shot by Tim Duncan. Did you see that catch by Odell Beckham Jr. this year?? Stuff like that takes your breath away, its awesome.
Feel free to disagree, just my two cents.
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