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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
Mummelmann said:
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.


Bold: it isnt't.

Underlined: it isn't.



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it would be if michael sam played esports.



 

I'm just here to make fun of darts players..







 

Face the future.. Gamecenter ID: nikkom_nl (oh no he didn't!!) 

Burek said:
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...

no, no, yes, no.

In my view only scrabble clearly and unequivocally fits defintion 3, and like chess and eSports it has the skill and competetive aspects of definition 1. If you believe all 4 clearly fit definition 3 then by all means you can call them sports if you so desire.



“The fundamental cause of the trouble is that in the modern world the stupid are cocksure while the intelligent are full of doubt.” - Bertrand Russell

"When the power of love overcomes the love of power, the world will know peace."

Jimi Hendrix

 

LemonSlice said:
Mummelmann said:
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.


Bold: it isnt't.

Underlined: it isn't.

Except it is. See above definition. If you don't like it take it up with the dictionary people.



“The fundamental cause of the trouble is that in the modern world the stupid are cocksure while the intelligent are full of doubt.” - Bertrand Russell

"When the power of love overcomes the love of power, the world will know peace."

Jimi Hendrix

 

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binary solo said:

Except it is. See above definition. If you don't like it take it up with the dictionary people.


I just checked the Oxford Dictionary of English, Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary, Encyclopedia Brittanica and World Book Encyclopedia. None of them say that chess is a sport.



Chess is NOT a sport. Sports require some form of athleticism, even the lowest sports (like golf) will require a certain level of athleticism. Chess and videogames do not.



I describe myself as a little dose of toxic masculinity.

LemonSlice said:

I just checked the Oxford Dictionary of English, Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary, Encyclopedia Brittanica and World Book Encyclopedia. None of them say that chess is a sport.

IOC says it is. Or did.



Hmm, pie.

Well, most so called "sports" on ESPN aren't real sports either. ;)

GEORGE CARLIN AND SPORTS

To my way of thinking there are really only three sports: baseball, basketball, and football. Everything else is either a game or an activity.

Hockey comes to mind. People think hockey is a sport. It's not. Hockey is three activities taking place at the same time: ice skating, fooling around with a puck, and beating the shit out of somebody. If these guys had more brains then teeth, they'd do these things one at a time. First go ice-skating, then fool around with a puck, then you go to the bar and beat the shit out of somebody. The day would last longer, and these guys would have a lot more fun. Another reason why hockey isn't a sport is that it's not played with a ball. Anything not played with a ball can't be a sport. These are my rules, I make 'em up.

Soccer. Soccer is not a sport because you can't use your arms. Anything where you can't use your arms can't be a sport. Tap dancing isn't a sport. I rest my case.

Running. People think running is a sport. Running isn't a sport because anybody can do it. I can run, you can run. For Christ sakes, my mother can run! You don't see her on the cover of Sports Illustrated, do you?

Swimming. Swimming isn't a sport. Swimming is a way to keep from drowning. That's just common sense. Sailing isn't a sport. Sailing is a way to get somewhere. Riding the bus isn't a sport, why the fuck should sailing be a sport?

Boxing is not a sport either. Boxing is a way to beat the shit out of somebody. In that respect, boxing is actually a more sophisticated way of hockey. In spite of what the police tell you, beating the shit out of somebody is not a sport. When police brutality becomes an Olympic event, fine, then boxing can be a sport.

Bowling. Bowling isn't a sport because you have to rent shoes. Don't forget, these are my rules. I make 'em up.

Billiards. Some people think billiards is a sport, but it can't be, because there's no chance of serious injury. Unless, of course, you welch on a bet in a tough neighborhood. Then, if you wind up with a pool cue stickin' out of your ass, you know you might be the victim of a sports-related injury. But that ain't billiards, that's pool, and that starts with a P, and that rhymes with D, and that brings me to darts.

Darts could have been a sport, because at least there's a chance to put someone's eye out. But, alas, darts will never be a sport, because the whole object of the game is to reach zero, which goes against all sports logic.

Lacrosse is not a sport; lacrosse is a faggoty college activity. I don't care how rough it is, anytime you're running around a field, waving a stick with a little net on the end of it, you're engaged in a faggoty college activity. Period.

Field hockey and fencing. Same thing. Faggoty college shit. Also these activities aren't sports, because you can't gamble on them. Anything you can't gamble on can't be a sport. When was the last time you made a fuckin' fencing bet?

Gymnastics is not a sport because Romanians are good at it. It took me a long time to come up with that rule, but goddammit, I did it.

Polo isn't a sport. Polo is golf on horseback. Without holes. It's a great concept, but not a sport. And as far as water polo is concerned, I hesitate to even mention it, because it's extremely cruel to horses.

Which brings me to hunting. You think hunting is a sport? Ask the deer. The only good thing about hunting is the many fatal accidents on the weekends. And, of course, the permanently disfigured hunters who survive such accidents.

Then you have tennis. Tennis is very trendy and very fruity, but it's not a sport. It's just a way to meet other trendy fruits. Technically, tennis is an advanced form a Ping-Pong. In fact, tennis is Ping-Pong played while standing on the table. Great concept, not a sport.

In fact, all racket games are nothing more the derivatives of Ping-Pong. Even volleyball is, technically, racketless, team Ping-Pong played with an inflated ball and raised net while standing on the table.

And finally welcome to golf. For my full take on golf, I refer you elsewhere in the book, but let it just be said golf is a game that might possibly be fun, if it could be played alone. But it's the vacuous, striving, superficial, male-bonding joiners one has to associate with that makes it such a repulsive pastime. And it is decidedly not a sport. Period.

From George Carlin's book Napalm and Silly Putty



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. 


Golf is, without a doubt, a sport. It requires a precision, timing, and coordination unlike anything else. You swing something that hits a ball just like every other major sport. I honestly don't see how you can say it's not. Fat 60 year olds play tennis too. Is that not a sport? That argument isn't really a valid one, as many different types of people play each sport. Just because it happens to be stereotyped that only old geezers play it in retirement doesn't mean it isn't a sport.



I bet the Wii U would sell more than 15M LTD by the end of 2015. He bet it would sell less. I lost.