finsince82

Arena Football                                                                                                                                       NFL

-Arena Bowl XXI score: 55-33                                                                                      -Super Bowl XLI score: 29-17

*There's more scoring in an arena football game than in a Pistons-Spurs basketball game.

-Excessive shots of Bon Jovi at Philadelphia games                        -Excessive shots of Andy Reid at Philadelphia games

*Ladies, need I say more.

-Average Arena Football ticket: About $22                                                       -Average NFL ticket: About $54

*Saves you money for beer, hotdogs and parking.

-You get to keep any balls that end up in the stands                                     -You have to return balls that end up in the stands

*That's right, free souvenirs. Not to mention arena footballs are much cooler looking.

-Owners/Part owners: Bon Jovi, Deion Sanders, John Elway,                   -Owners: Jerry Jones, Bud Adams, Tom Benson
Tim McGraw, Ron Jaworski, Mike Ditka

*Who are Bud Adams and Tom Benson? Exactly!

-Distance from stands to sideline: In your face!                                          -Distance from stands to sideline: About 32 feet

*It's like hockey without the glass in the way

-Cheerleaders                                                                                                      -Cheerleaders

*OK, so both sides win with this one.

-Los Angeles Avengers                                                   -Las Angeles...Oh wait, the NFL doesn't have a teams in that market

*It's L.A. for crying out loud

-Post game activities: Meet and greet with the fans                            -Post game activities: Interviews with the media

*Kids won't be turned down when asking for autographs or photos of their favorite players

-The New York Dragons have a fire-breathing dragon on their helmet          -The Cleveland Browns have an orange helmet

* I never understood why the Cleveland Browns have an orange helmet

As a baseball fanatic who grew up around nothing but baseball, I have always found it interesting as to why college baseball is not even close to being as mainstream as college football and college basketball.

One could make an argument that college football and college basketball are more popular than their professional counterparts, yet when it comes to recognition, college baseball can't hold MLB's jock. (Pun intended)

What is the reason for this? It's not as if great players don't come from the college ranks.

Well for one thing, it's our fault. That's right, the media pays little attention to college baseball. Unless you are watching the local news and see footage of a local team, how often do you see college baseball highlights on television. If the leading sports networks started to make college baseball a bigger part of their coverage, it would help the popularity of the game; however, I don't blame them for their lack of coverage, because their is currently not a big enough market for the college game.

Another reason for a lack of interest in the college game is the nature of baseball itself. Baseball is such a difficult sport that there is a huge gap between the skill level of college athletes and professionals. If you record a hit 30 percent of the time, you are considered a good player.  If a point guard shot 30 percent from the field in basketball or a quarterback completed 30 percent of his passes in football, they wouldn't be playing very long.

This is the reason baseball has a farm system or better known as the minor leagues (Single-A, AA, AAA). Rarely do you ever see a college athlete on a major league roster after getting drafted. He starts in the minor leagues and has to work his way up, and while some make a quick climb, the majority never make it out of the farm system. In the NFL and NBA draft, the first round picks are not only most certainly going to make the team, but they are expected to be future Pro Bowlers and All-Stars. College baseball players disappear for a few years before resurfacing in the major leagues, while basketball players and football players maintain their popular status.

The influx of talented players from the Caribbean and South America may also be a problem for college baseball. MLB scouts start following these kids when they are 15 years old. They don't think about going to college and who can blame them.

I'm not sure if college baseball will ever gain as many die-hard fans as football and basketball, but I saw a flicker of hope when the MLB Draft was broadcast on televison for the first time in 2007.