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Forums - Gaming - ESPN boss says eSports is "not a sport"

 

eSports is...

...a sport! 61 31.94%
 
...not a sport! 130 68.06%
 
Total:191
bananaking21 on 08 September 2014
The Fury said:
Porcupine_I said:
Josh: I'm much better at video hockey.
Paul: That's not a sport.
Josh: It requires hand and eye coordination.
Paul: It's not a sport if you don't sweat.
Josh: What about golf? It's a sport and you don't sweat.
Paul: It's not a sport if you let a machine do all the work.
Josh: What about car racing?
Paul: Shut up, Baskin.

Car racing is extremely physical, the forces they guys go through and skills required to handle the car are far superior than Forza. Most F1 drivers are extremely fit as they need to be. Their neck muscles for example are put under huge strain.

As for golf, it is hand eye co-ordination but also physical exertion, power and form. I would not be able to just pick up a golf club and hit the ball as far as someone who plays a lot. Yet I might be able to hit the ball (I play Squash and Badminton on a regular basis, both hand eye sports). They also typically walk around 8 or so km over 18 holes (5 miles).

Sitting on your arse and moving your fingers and thumbs is not physical exertion.

So next time Josh starts asking stupid questions again, you know.

that would be like saying jenga is a sport because it needs you to move arms and torso, as well as having eye to to hand co-ordination. come on man, in gold you stand, swing the golf bat, ride a freaking car and have somebody else hold your shit. fat 60 years olds play it. its in no way a sport, its insulting to all sports and people who play sports to call it a sport. 



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The Fury on 08 September 2014
bananaking21 said:

that would be like saying jenga is a sport because it needs you to move arms and torso, as well as having eye to to hand co-ordination. come on man, in gold you stand, swing the golf bat, ride a freaking car and have somebody else hold your shit. fat 60 years olds play it. its in no way a sport, its insulting to all sports and people who play sports to call it a sport. 

Jenga is a game. Infact Jenga is more a sport than video games are. You are talking about Elite Golfers right there and only them (or maybe stupidly rich people/lazy americans). A random guy who likes golf and plays at his local course does so with his clubs and pulls his clubs along without a caddy and probably walks it all. A pro-gamer does no more movement than I do when playing games. Which is to say none.



Hmm, pie.

bananaking21 on 08 September 2014
The Fury said:
bananaking21 said:

that would be like saying jenga is a sport because it needs you to move arms and torso, as well as having eye to to hand co-ordination. come on man, in gold you stand, swing the golf bat, ride a freaking car and have somebody else hold your shit. fat 60 years olds play it. its in no way a sport, its insulting to all sports and people who play sports to call it a sport. 

Jenga is a game. Infact Jenga is more a sport than video games are. You are talking about Elite Golfers right there and only them (or maybe stupidly rich people/lazy americans). A random guy who likes golf and plays at his local course does so with his clubs and pulls his clubs along without a caddy and probably walks it all. A pro-gamer does no more movement than I do when playing games. Which is to say none.


my arguement is golf isnt a sport.

my posts in this thread also say that video games arent a sport. not even close. 



deskpro2k3 on 08 September 2014

its not a sport.



The Fury on 08 September 2014
bananaking21 said:
The Fury said:
bananaking21 said:

that would be like saying jenga is a sport because it needs you to move arms and torso, as well as having eye to to hand co-ordination. come on man, in gold you stand, swing the golf bat, ride a freaking car and have somebody else hold your shit. fat 60 years olds play it. its in no way a sport, its insulting to all sports and people who play sports to call it a sport. 

Jenga is a game. Infact Jenga is more a sport than video games are. You are talking about Elite Golfers right there and only them (or maybe stupidly rich people/lazy americans). A random guy who likes golf and plays at his local course does so with his clubs and pulls his clubs along without a caddy and probably walks it all. A pro-gamer does no more movement than I do when playing games. Which is to say none.

my arguement is golf isnt a sport.

my posts in this thread also say that video games arent a sport. not even close. 

Fair enough, remove the last sentence about gaming and my point still stands. You know 'Walking' is an athletic sport right?

The Olympics is going to be great. Golf is in but yet Squash still isn't. What do you think of Equestrian Sports then?



Hmm, pie.

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kupomogli on 08 September 2014
bananaking21 said:
they are not. id also like to say that i would in no way consider golf a sport. its a game, a boring one too.

It might be boring to watch, or a boring video game, but it's enjoyable to play irl.



cheshirescat on 08 September 2014
Player2 said:

It isn't, like snooker, curling or bowling.


And darts, let's not forget darts.  If it's something you can do while buried in a pint in at the local pub then it's not a sport.  But I think we should all agree that trick shot pool is sport enough for espn to throw on in dead time.



binary solo on 08 September 2014
cheshirescat said:
I agree, but espn needs to remove poker from their viewing lineup unless they're fine with sounding like hypocrites as that most certainly fits in line with chess and checkers as a "competition". Unfortunately, ratings for those shows are too strong to ignore it would seem.

Well that rather shoots a cruise missile sized hole in his argument then doesn't?

Also, rather than be all subjective about things and my opinion vs other people's opinions, like the ridiculous statement by Bananaking that golf isn't a sport because it's boring to you, let's look to see if the actual, formal objective definition of sport does or doesn't encompass eSports.

Dictionary.com

noun

1. an athletic activity requiring skill or physical prowess and often of a competitive nature, as racing, baseball, tennis, golf, bowling, wrestling, boxing, hunting, fishing, etc.
2. a particular form of this, especially in the out of doors.
3. diversion; recreation; pleasant pastime.
Seems to me eSport easily fits into definition 3, with elements of 1 (requires skill and is of a competetive nature). Ergo eSport is a sport, as are chess, checkers, darts, curling, bowlindg, icedancing, pole dancing...
Q.E.D, thank you, /thread.
But to add further: the origin of sport is disport, from middle english, which meaning is:
verb (used with object)
1. to divert or amuse (oneself).
2. to display (oneself) in a sportive manner:
 
The picnickers disported themselves merrily on the beach.
verb (used without object)
3. to divert oneself; sport.
noun
4. diversion; amusement; play; sport.
On some ways eSport fits better with the origin of the word than the things people think of a sport.
Q.E.D. 2.0


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Burek on 08 September 2014
binary solo said:
cheshirescat said:
I agree, but espn needs to remove poker from their viewing lineup unless they're fine with sounding like hypocrites as that most certainly fits in line with chess and checkers as a "competition". Unfortunately, ratings for those shows are too strong to ignore it would seem.

Well that rather shoots a cruise missile sized hole in his argument then doesn't?

Also, rather than be all subjective about things and my opinion vs other people's opinions, like the ridiculous statement by Bananaking that golf isn't a sport because it's boring to you, let's look to see if the actual, formal objective definition of sport does or doesn't encompass eSports.

Dictionary.com

noun

1. an athletic activity requiring skill or physical prowess and often of a competitive nature, as racing, baseball, tennis, golf, bowling, wrestling, boxing, hunting, fishing, etc.
2. a particular form of this, especially in the out of doors.
3. diversion; recreation; pleasant pastime.
Seems to me eSport easily fits into definition 3, with elements of 1 (requires skill and is of a competetive nature). Ergo eSport is a sport, as are chess, checkers, darts, curling, bowlindg, icedancing, pole dancing...

...hot dog eating, knitting, scrabble, spelling bee...



Mummelmann on 08 September 2014

This again? Chess is also conidered a "sport". I'll repeat what I said in the previous thread on the subject; eSports is a sport if the likes of chess is, but the chess players and pro gamers are not athletes.