Why Does ESPN Care About Esports? – The Lobby

27 Comments

1. bruh if racing and golf are cosidered a sport this shouldn't even be a topic

2. what i wont to know is when its going to be on tv

3. i wonder if smite will ever get a following in esports.

4. sport: physical activity engaged in for pleasure.

   Now, some people think that “physical activity” is a relative term, and sprinting 100 meters is no more a physical activity than lifting one's finger to point at the coke or to click a mouse 5 times in a second. Those people are wrong and ignorant, no offense. “Physical activity” is NOT a relative term; there is a very accurate way of observing a series of movements and determining whether they qualify as “activity” or “sports” or not: heart rate. If a series of movements do not raise your heart rate to at least 50% of your maximum heart rate, which is, as a very rough average, somewhere from 165% to 180% of the resting heart rate of a healthy person, then those series of movements are NOT considered a “sport”. Period. And nothing relative about it, because even if there is a range, anything within the range is yes, and anything under is no. Simple.

   And before someone more ignorant talks about the high heart rate of gamers, the rise in the heart rate must be a direct result of the series of movements, and NOT emotion! Your heart rate can still rise if you're totally still or motionless under certain circumstances and as a result of emotion; now no one calls emotion motion, or mistakes fear for fencing. Think a calm jogger, or a zen-like martial artist; little to no emotion, and still a lot of “physical activity” that raises the heart rate only due to the physical activity. That's…sport.

   Conclusion: The term “eSports” is presumptuous, ignorant, and misleading. A term like “Pro Gaming” or “Pro Competitive Gaming”, even if longer, can be shortened to PCG or whatever, and is much more accurate and representative, rather than being a misrepresentation, delusion, and lying label. If you're selling sugar, call it sugar and not ambrosia.

5. In it for money.

   ESPORTS…. ARE NOT SPORTS. #DealWithIt

6. I personally don't consider esports a sport, even though I'm a gamer. I don't consider it a sport for the same reason I don't really consider golf, bowling, billiards, etc. etc. sports…for something to be considered a sport to me personally, it has to require some degree of athleticism. If you can be every bit as good at an activity at age 50 as you are at age 20, it's tough for me to consider that a sport. I see activities like golf or esports as a skill, and while competitive, there is no athleticism required which makes it tough for me to consider that sport.

   And so while esports may technically fit the definition of sport, I think the reason I mentioned is why many people would have a hard time seeing it as such.

7. Its just a VIDEO game.

8. They don't really.

9. why do they care?Money

10. money

11. Because money

12. ugh 12 minute video when the answer is so obvious. like of course because eSports is pulling in a crap load of money.

13. ugh 12 minute video when the answer is so obvious. like of course because eSports is pulling in a crap load of money.

14. ugh 12 minute video when the answer is so obvious. like of course because eSports is pulling in a crap load of money.

15. ugh 12 minute video when the answer is so obvious. like of course because eSports is pulling in a crap load of money.

16. 12 minute video when the answer is so obvious. like of course because eSports is pulling in a crap load of money.

17. 12 minute video when the answer is so obvious. like of course because eSports is pulling in a crap load of money.

18. 12 minute video when the answer is so obvious. like of course because eSports is pulling in a crap load of money

19. 12 minute video when the answer is so obvious. like of course because eSports is pulling in a crap load of money

20. Basically because esports have grown immensely in a short amount of time and will continue to do so, so ESPN and any other sport sponsorships would be pretty dumb to not get in now.

21. Basically because esports have grown immensely in a short amount of time and will continue to do so, so ESPN and any other sport sponsorships would be pretty dumb to not get in now.

22. $

23. $$$$

24. I follow the CS:GO scene every day and most of the analysts, casters, professional players, news brokers, team coaches and team managers say that they cared about TV broadcasting about 10 years ago when it was first done in the UK because there was little to no money involved in the scene and there was no wide appeal, but now there are couple of million people watching at best and lots of money thrown around so now the TV broadcast networks care about them instead.

25. Because views.

26. because… money

27. No mention of CS:GO's televised Turner League? I thought it would fit into this conversation well.