RFI: British quote or essay on american college football?

I have this very vague memory of reading some bemused british commentator on how incredibly beloved college football is in America. That's about all I got. Any idea what I'm thinking of?

It's funny they'd be bemused, as the fans of US college sports are the most like the ultras and other supporters of English and European football and other sports.

speaking as british i think what's bemusing is that college-level sport is such a big deal. there's no equivalent interest in the uk in non-professional sport, apart from maybe a couple of isolated things like the oxford-cambridge rowing race.

no idea what this particular essay might be though.

hey hurting. this might be it. http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/blog/2009/jan/08/american-college-sports

american college sports (well, fb and bb) might be technically 'non-professional' but the $ involved, TV coverage, merchandising, crowds etc. - for the big conferences they're all basically at the level of a professional sport. which is to say they *are* professional sports, except they athletes don't get paid, which I guess is the definition of professional sports, so they aren't, but ya know, they are.

Don't think that was it tom, but it's still useful for my paper. Thanks!

If anyone else has any good quotes on college football fervor, let me know. I found a couple of good ones in Rammer Jammer Yellow Hammer (which is a fun read).

iatee - correct.

Even I think the enthusiasm for college sports is a little strange, but then I went to tiny school which is best known, sports-wise, for its Division III tennis program.