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Sports

Collegiate sports for true fans

Super Fan

Seth Mintz

College sports are the pinnacle of athletic competition. And it's not just the big sports like baseball, basketball and football. All collegiate sports are admirable because unlike many pro sports and their stars, they are great for the players and for the fans. 

College sports seem to rule supreme right now. In an age of money, drugs, greed, groupies and all kinds of other problems in pro sports, being able to watch college athletes work hard to make it as a pro or an Olympian is more satisfying than watching the NBA or the NFL. Just try listening to sports talk radio and hear fans again and again decrying pro athletes because of their big salaries and stupid behavior.

Sports are supposed to be fun. With more and more money being tossed at professional players, the common fan has been distanced from athletes. Games are now places for celebrities to be seen and people to mingle with one another (I dare you to go to Toyota Center and tell me I am wrong). For every great play that we see, we seem to get more incident like drugs, spousal abuse or drunken driving. 

While college sports are not immune to scandals and problems, there is little to no ill will toward collegiate players from fans. 

There's an intimacy and a commonality when you watch or attend collegiate games. In person — or even on television — you can see how the fans, the bands and the cheerleaders come together with the coaches and players to make games exciting. 

Intimacy in college sports can mostly be attributed to the facilities that college teams play in. Stadiums such as Cameron Indoor Stadium (Duke), Texas Memorial Stadium (University of Texas) and Kyle Field (Texas A&M) among others have an energy and vibe that is not always evident in the pros. The fans go crazy in these places and raise the level of intensity of the games and players. 

Professional teams might have nicer stadiums, but that does not mean that they are better for all fans. At college stadiums, there are no bars to mingle in and all kinds of other inane distractions that have become prevalent in arenas such as Toyota Center, Reliant Stadium and Minute Maid Park. Sometimes it is just better to relax and watch a game at Cougar Field, Reckling Park or Hofheinz Pavilion.

Even at huge events like the Rose Bowl, where there is tons of media and celebrities, the true fans of USC and Texas stood out. This is how all sporting events should be.

The same can be said for sports such as volleyball, diving, wrestling and all of the other lower-profile college sports. While these sports are not loved by the masses, they have many exuberant fans. Above all else, these games are exciting to watch.

College sports, above all else, are for players who love to compete and for fans who love to cheer.
 

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