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The longevity of the franchise most certainly does have something to do with the identity of the team in their respective regions. It becomes a tradition, in a sense.
I really don't see what the big debate about this is. It is pretty apparent that pro. football is generally bigger in the North while college football generally rules in the South. Of course there are individual people who are exceptions, but it's nothing to get worked up about -- just a simple cultural difference.
I agree completely. At least in SEC country, college football is a year-round discussion. People will travel 3 hours every weekend to see their alma mater. The NFL isn't a big deal, though, and mainly draws fans from whatever city it is in. The NFL is seen as an "urban" thing.
The best way I've heard it described is that college football is a culture war. It is "My way of life against yours." The northeast has this sort of dynamic when it comes to baseball, like the Yankees vs. Red Sox. But not college ball, from what Ive seen.
Believe it or not, those cities that didn't have pro football had TELEVISIONS. A football fan will latch onto some team and become a fan, even if there isn't a team in that particular city. I grew up in a Redskins household, and lived nowhere near D.C.
But watching something on television that is happening far far away does not make it part of your city's local culture. A fan can latch onto a team in another city, but a team gets a big popular following when it's playing in one's city, appearing on the local news, and in local parades, etc. I think it's fair to say that professional football became a bigger part of the culture of northeastern cities because it has, for generations, existed in almost every northeastern city. By comparison, the South has had a relatively low presence of professional football. Professional football has existed in some southern cities since the '60s. I think this is part of the reason many college programs have been built up so much and have achieved such huge followings.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Duderino
I don't agree. You also left out:
Philadelphia Eagles - circa. 1933
New York Giants - circa. 1925
Pittsburgh Steelers - circa. 1933
The longevity of the franchise most certainly does have something to do with the identity of the team in their respective regions. It becomes a tradition, in a sense.
I really don't see what the big debate about this is. It is pretty apparent that pro. football is generally bigger in the North while college football generally rules in the South. Of course there are individual people who are exceptions, but it's nothing to get worked up about -- just a simple cultural difference.
And also the fact that other franchises existed in northeast cities that pre-date the existing franchises. The Patriots were not the first professional football team to play in metro Boston. Also, even small northeastern and midwestern cities had pro teams early on (places like Rochester, Providence, Brooklyn, Staten Island), though many were short-lived.
But watching something on television that is happening far far away does not make it part of your city's local culture. A fan can latch onto a team in another city, but a team gets a big popular following when it's playing in one's city, appearing on the local news, and in local parades, etc. I think it's fair to say that professional football became a bigger part of the culture of northeastern cities because it has, for generations, existed in almost every northeastern city. By comparison, the South has had a relatively low presence of professional football. Professional football has existed in some southern cities since the '60s. I think this is part of the reason many college programs have been built up so much and have achieved such huge followings.
And also the fact that other franchises existed in northeast cities that pre-date the existing franchises. The Patriots were not the first professional football team to play in metro Boston. Also, even small northeastern and midwestern cities had pro teams early on (places like Rochester, Providence, Brooklyn, Staten Island), though many were short-lived.
Right, pro football has been in Atlanta for 50 years. I'd pretty much say it isn't a new thing here. The Braves have fans all over the southeast too.
There were pro teams in the South as well that pre-date the NFL and MLB.
Fewer pro teams in the South is definitely not the reason for college footballs huge following. There have been hateful rivalries and packed stadiums for 100 years at some schools...pro teams have nothing to do with that.
It's just as big in the South...we love our teams just as much. What makes you think pro football is bigger there? If it wasn't popular, the Georgia Dome wouldn't be sold out every Sunday...
I gotta respectfully disagree with you there. I live in Atlanta, but was raised in Wisconsin and am a diehard Packer fan. The Packers were founded in 1919 and are a religion and if you go to Green Bay during gameday, it has a sort of college football atmosphere as people show up 5 hours before the game to tailgate. Games have been sold out since 1960 and people pass season tickets on in their wills.
You have to remember that the NFL started out in the Midwest with teams based in small to mid-sized cities like Duluth, Canton, and Rock Island. Green Bay is a living relic of this era. Other teams such as the Bears (I hate them), Lions, Giants, and Eagles have a similar storied history. If you look at season-ticket waiting lists, you will find that a lot of the longer ones are for teams in the Midwest and Northeast. It's just more of a tradition.
The NFL is undoubtedly becoming more and more popular in the South and I think this is endemic to the growing popularity of the league in general.
Right, pro football has been in Atlanta for 50 years. I'd pretty much say it isn't a new thing here.
"New" is relative, considering the Georgia Bulldogs have been playing for over 100 years.
More importantly, their bigger rivals - Auburn, Alabama, Tennessee, Florida, Georgia Tech, South Carolina, Clemson, etc - are in very close proximity, and have also been playing for about 100 years.
How does that compare to the Falcons? Who are their rivals, how close are they, and how long have they been playing each other?
Everytime I go to parts a New England and when I want to watch a game, i feel like the oddman out. I'm the only one that cares. Why is this??
I thought Boston College was crazy about their football team.
Also I guess New England's colleges are mostly Ivy League schools that don't focus much on sports, and universities like UMass, Vermont, New Hampshire, Maine don't really have good teams. Are any of them even Divison 1?
I gotta respectfully disagree with you there. I live in Atlanta, but was raised in Wisconsin and am a diehard Packer fan. The Packers were founded in 1919 and are a religion and if you go to Green Bay during gameday, it has a sort of college football atmosphere as people show up 5 hours before the game to tailgate. Games have been sold out since 1960 and people pass season tickets on in their wills.
You have to remember that the NFL started out in the Midwest with teams based in small to mid-sized cities like Duluth, Canton, and Rock Island. Green Bay is a living relic of this era. Other teams such as the Bears (I hate them), Lions, Giants, and Eagles have a similar storied history. If you look at season-ticket waiting lists, you will find that a lot of the longer ones are for teams in the Midwest and Northeast. It's just more of a tradition.
The NFL is undoubtedly becoming more and more popular in the South and I think this is endemic to the growing popularity of the league in general.
I didn't question the die-hard fan base of a team like the Packers - who by the way are not in the Northeast. What I cannot agree with is the assertion that pro football popularity is the reason that college football isn't big in the Northeast...and lack of interest in pro football in the South is the reason college football is so huge.
Remember, we were also including the Midwest in this discussion...college football is just as big there as in the South.
I don't think some people are emphasizing enough how much PROFESSIONAL football is followed in the Northeast, which I believe has the most to do with overall disinterest in college football. Teams like the New England Patriots, the Philadelphia Eagles, the New York Giants, the Baltimore Ravens, and the Washington Redskins all have pretty large and loyal fan bases. Thus, high school and college football just simply don't get that much attention in comparison. Combine that with the fact that baseball seems to have the most loyalty among all sports in the Northeast compared to other U.S. regions.
I think the Maryland Terrapins are as much followed here as are the Ravens and Redkins, though Baltimore and DC are not in the Northeast, more mid-Atlantic if not Southern. Maryland is a BIG sports school around football and basketball...I went there. The campus basically shuts down for every game and tailgating is also a huge deal.
I think the Maryland Terrapins are as much followed here as are the Ravens and Redkins, though Baltimore and DC are not in the Northeast, more mid-Atlantic if not Southern. Maryland is a BIG sports school around football and basketball...I went there. The campus basically shuts down for every game and tailgating is also a huge deal.
Maryland is also a consistent national championship contender in soccer, lacrosse, field hockey (2008 NCAA Champions), and probably other sports as well.
I guess my point is that it isn't all that big a deal to follow college AND pro football and/or basketball. So that really doesn't account for the lack of interest in college sports in the Northeast.
Maryland is also a consistent national championship contender in soccer, lacrosse, field hockey (2008 NCAA Champions), and probably other sports as well.
I guess my point is that it isn't all that big a deal to follow college AND pro football and/or basketball. So that really doesn't account for the lack of interest in college sports in the Northeast.
The thing is that this the majority of students and alumni and locals still focus on basketball and football over these sports, even when football and basketball are not going well....
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