Should pro gamers be considered as athletes?

[The Fury]

Snesboy said:
Everyone in this thread is literally killing e-sports. Yes, they are considered athletes by the US government:

http://www.dailydot.com/esports/kim-violet-dong-hwan-recognized-athlete-us-government/

http://www.dailydot.com/esports/choi-polt-song-hyuen-athletes-visa-united-states-starcraft/

Check and mate.

If pro-gamers wish to try and justify their career choice by labeling themselves athletes while they sit on their arse all day, they can but their problem isn't the fact people don't recognise them as athletes, it's that people don't recognise it as a credible career choice. Trying to claim they are athletes is just hurting this. If pro-gaming is to be considered a career (whether in tournaments or youtube videos), the pro-gamers needs to realise it doesn't matter what they are classed as and just be happy to be able to make money from something like playing games.

I'm pretty sure the world Monopoly Champion doesn't consider themselves an athlete.

Besides, the US government doesn't govern the world and according to the US government, a corporation is a person so...