I said "here"...I've seen nothing but disdain for eSports around these parts and I don't personally care for them so it is a valid question

We should have a rock band sub forum.

"Or is there not enough interest in pro gaming to sustain an active eSports sub-forum? "

Everytime the LCS is on, Twitch has 300,000 to 500,000 viewers from it. While youtube usually has like 1/10th of that.
There should be enough intrest for a active eSports sub forum.

Look at http://www.surrenderat20.net/ , it has news updates about League of Legends (patch notes, public beta changes, art works, skin sales, balance changes to come, champion rotations, interviews ect).

Watching league of legends is the only sport I watch.... even if its only a eSport.

Mainly the EU/NA games, but watch a occasional korean game or two as well, done so for 2years or more.

Gotcha. Well, it still seems like there are people here that care about eSports, but maybe don't say so because of the attitude of some other users towards eSports.

Wow, that's a little extreme. Doesn't sound too healthy or funny. I mean, hobbies are good as long they are just hobbies, that's why I'm not a professional chess player, or a pianist, for example. But that's just me. xD 

So, you don't advocate concert pianist as a career despite it being possibly one of the most prestigious and highly respected music professions? Interesting.

Some of the happiest and most contented people in the world are those who have found a way top make their favourite hobby into their career, and good on them. If I could make sitting on my arse reading fiction all day my career I would....hmmm literary critic, shoot that requires writing too. That's the essence what everyone who is paid to be an artist or sportsperson is. So you're pretty much saying there should be no professional artists or sportspeople, because they are all hobbies and they should stay that way.

A hobby is an activity that one does personally typically for entertainment rather than commercially.

For instance, I play competitive melee at my school, while it is competitive it is still personal.

If I go to a competitve tournament that is organized for free, then it is still personal.

If I go to a tournament with a prize pool, paid entry, or any other entry requirement that involves measurable qualifications, then it is commercial and on a professional level.

For e-sports specifically, the competitors are sponsored, whether teams or individauls are sponsored by a company, they are being paid to play and their registration is paid for. Thus it is analogous to any athlete or sports team. The "e" only means electronic as in the sports take place in an electronic medium, typically video games, because these can be competive.

It is different gambling in that typically, they are paid to perform on that team by sponsors rather than simply making money from bets. Even if a tournament has a prize pool that is still officially organized by the tournament itself.

In a sense e-sport are just a specific category of sports, like Winter Sports or Team Sports.

In my experience, people who hate on others because those others are making money from doing something that the hater also likes doing (but has no chance to make money) means the hater is motivated more by envy than anything else. Who ever heard of a soccer fan hating that a system exists that lets top class soccer players earn money for playing soccer? But lots of video game fans seem to hate that professional eSports is a thing.

Also, my son's friend just got sponsored by COGnitive gaming for Smite.

I watch league of legends, mostly EU LCS and international tournaments, but I'm not sure VGC is a good place to talk about that. A big part (or atleast a very vocal part) of the community is against the very concept of esports.

I consider League of legends, a sport, kinda like how speed-Chess is.
You need to outsmart your oppenents, and make fast decisions on the spot.
Part of it is risk assesment, and part is just calling peoples bluffs (limited vision allows for this)(like a poker game).

Stuff like the jungle paths, various valid starting strategies (that you cant know before hand), rotations, sidelane control, vision control, dragon&barron, various team build strengths/weaknesses, reactive/active play, runepage&item builds,keeping track of enemy buffs/skill cooldowns.... ect ect.

Theres a element of mastery to the champions as well, kinda akin to twitch reaction based shooters, in that sometimes your ability to read your opponents movements, to land certain skillshots, be really fast to react/aim well ect.

When you master all that and the team synergy.... it takes the gameplay to a differnt level.
Theres vast differnces between professional legue of legend and the casual players that play it.

I personally enjoy watching the game played to its upper edges whats humanly possible.