I stand by the notion that the National Football League is better than the National Basketball Association. While we are in the first few weeks of the NFL’s season, the excitement has been nothing less than overwhelming for even an experienced NFL fan like me.  Just in the recent weeks of professional football, we have seen a majority of the endings be quite unique and wild. 

There has already been a game that ended in a tie, something that does not happen every season. Some people may say I am biased with my opinion due to the start of football season. However, I would stand by this opinion at any time, even during the peak of the NBA playoffs.

A longer season negates the value of regular season games. Each NBA team plays 82 regular season games while each NFL team’s regular season consists of 17. The difference between the two leagues is substantial in the number of games they play.

When more games are played, there is less value in the results of these games. With only one game a week per team, an NFL game draws more fans because they only get one chance to watch their team play that week.  

An NBA team can have up to four games a week leaving more opportunities for fans to miss games. This translates to lower attendance numbers in NBA arenas. When games mean more, people will show up.

The NBA has so many games that star players have even started to sit out certain games for rest. The only time players get to rest in the NFL is because they are injured. NFL games are too valuable for players to sit out. 

There is much more entertainment value in the way NFL games play out, as well as how they can end. I would love to explain all the ways that the NFL can end, but that would take far too long. However, for the NBA, there are only a handful of ways a game can end.

For one, there are no ties. That means there is always a winner. Also, there are only three methods of scoring in the NBA, a two-point basket, a three-point basket and a one-point free throw. This leaves only three ways for wild endings to happen in the NBA. Wild endings draw viewership as well.

The NFL has field goals, interception and fumble returns for touchdowns, running touchdowns, passing touchdowns, safeties and punt or kick returns for touchdowns. The variation in which these touchdowns happen is almost always unique as well. The amount of scoring opportunities leaves more excitement to be had. The physicality of the NFL creates so much appeal in comparison to the NBA. There is nothing like watching massive grown men knock the absolute crap out of each other. And while yes, that is dangerous, it sure is entertaining to watch.