Do you consider Esports a sport?

[Kane99]

Esports gets some hate for having "Sports" in the title, as some would say gaming is not a sport and shouldn't be classified as such. Would you say that Esports should be classified as sports? I personally don't care what you do. I mean, they call hunting a sport, they call golf a sport, and they call all kinds of other things a sport. So why can't gaming, which does require skill, be called a sport? 

Especially, considering that it's a competition between people. I think if it's a competition, it should qualify as a sport. What do you guys think? 

[The Blackangel]

I think it's not considered a sport because it doesn't require physical skill. Tiger woods could play golf on a PS4, but golf nuts would just see him as killing time doing so. Anyone good at NBA 2Kxx games aren't on the roster of the Lakers. We use our hands on a controller, or a mouse and keyboard primarily. You don't have to know how to skate to play NHL games, but you sure as hell do to actually play it IRL. So while gaming does take a hell of a lot of skill in certain areas, it's not considered a sport.

[Kane99]

On 9/9/2020 at 10:10 AM, The Blackangel said:

I think it's not considered a sport because it doesn't require physical skill. Tiger woods could play golf on a PS4, but golf nuts would just see him as killing time doing so. Anyone good at NBA 2Kxx games aren't on the roster of the Lakers. We use our hands on a controller, or a mouse and keyboard primarily. You don't have to know how to skate to play NHL games, but you sure as hell do to actually play it IRL. So while gaming does take a hell of a lot of skill in certain areas, it's not considered a sport.

That's how I feel as well. I don't like calling it a sport, even if it's something that may requite some skill when competing at a high level. 

But, I suppose you gotta call it something, and Esports has a good ring to it. The funny thing is, that esports is becoming more popular than some actual sports, which kind of weirds me out. But I suppose, to each their own. 

[m76]

It's as much a sport as chess or fishing is.  But I suppose to a degree golf is similar as well. It's mostly about talent and skill, not physical preparation.

But it's still more of a sport than so called "professional wrestling" that's a circus, not a sport.

[The Blackangel]

3 hours ago, m76 said:

But it's still more of a sport than so called "professional wrestling" that's a circus, not a sport.

I don't know if I entirely agree with that. While pro wrestling is as choreographed as any ballet, it does take incredible strength and agility. It also takes a convincing ability to act, so as to draw the crowd into a dramatic story line. The feuds, the partnerships, the longstanding stories (Kane and Undertaker) etc. It also takes a hell of a lot of mental fortitude to be on the road 350-360 days a year, and often performing 2-3 times a day. Anyone who hasn't done that has no idea just how exhausted those wrestlers are. Also when they see their families, they have to remember to turn off that persona. Undertaker isn't like that with his family. When he came out as American Badass, that could easily have been the real him. John Cena is a big teddy bear, but I've never seen anyone else lift Big Show onto their shoulders and flip him. I think Cena called that  move the FU at the time.

I haven't watched wrestling for probably 15+ years, so I honestly don't remember. But anyway....

So for those reasons, I personally give pro wrestling sports credit over eSports.

[Kane99]

4 hours ago, m76 said:

It's as much a sport as chess or fishing is.  But I suppose to a degree golf is similar as well. It's mostly about talent and skill, not physical preparation.

But it's still more of a sport than so called "professional wrestling" that's a circus, not a sport.

I can see chess and somewhat fishing as well. I disagree somewhat about the wrestling part. I'd just call it sports entertainment, as that's essentially what it is. Because like The Blackangel said, it takes a lot to be a pro wrestler. It's a lot easier to be a gamer than a wrestler. The constant workouts they have to do, the travel, the constant abuse to their bodies falling on a thin mat almost daily. I know I would never be able to handle that type of job. I would die the first time I jump into a ring lol. But yeah, I'd say sports entertainment, because I think that was Vince McMahon's intention when he calls it exactly that. 

[m76]

19 hours ago, The Blackangel said:

I don't know if I entirely agree with that. While pro wrestling is as choreographed as any ballet, it does take incredible strength and agility. It also takes a convincing ability to act, so as to draw the crowd into a dramatic story line. The feuds, the partnerships, the longstanding stories (Kane and Undertaker) etc. It also takes a hell of a lot of mental fortitude to be on the road 350-360 days a year, and often performing 2-3 times a day. Anyone who hasn't done that has no idea just how exhausted those wrestlers are. Also when they see their families, they have to remember to turn off that persona. Undertaker isn't like that with his family. When he came out as American Badass, that could easily have been the real him. John Cena is a big teddy bear, but I've never seen anyone else lift Big Show onto their shoulders and flip him. I think Cena called that  move the FU at the time.

I haven't watched wrestling for probably 15+ years, so I honestly don't remember. But anyway....

So for those reasons, I personally give pro wrestling sports credit over eSports.

You describe the exact things why it isn't a sport. It's a travelling circus. And I'm not saying that as a diss, I have the utmost respect for circus acrobats, I think they do amazing things for very little money. Wresters on the other hand are comparatively overpaid. I don't like anything that is fake, but that's neither here nor there, that's not why it's not a sport.

If you consider this type of wrestling a sport then you must also consider doing stunts in a movie a sport. Which I'm sure you wouldn't. What difference does it makes whether you do stunts for a camera or a crowd?

What makes something a legit sport for me:

1. It must be competitive (either by judging or by measurable performance)
2. needs years physical preparation to be able to compete at a high level

Pro wrestling fails in the first account as it is staged / fake / choreographed / the feuds are written
ESports fails on the second account, as it doesn't require peak physical performance.

[The Blackangel]

Granted neither are sports. On the wrestling, my point was in response to you having mentioned it. So I just continued with the comparison between the two. But if you dig deep enough into any sport, or potential sport, you can find reasons to discredit it as a sport. So while eSports is a sport to some, the mere notion of it as a sport to others is ludicrous. I personally don't give a half a shit either way. I will never take part, so it matters not to me whether it is or isn't a sport. I just felt compelled to reply to this topic. And I'm interested to see what people say, as I find this topic very interesting.

[Shagger]

I don't think one needs to be an advocate for eSports to know ridiculous the idea is that something has to be athletic to be a sport. There's so many other sports that are not based on an athletic challenge that have been taken seriously for decades, if not centuries, and have a huge following behind them. Golf, Snooker, Darts, Pool, (some forms of) motorsport, to name but a few. Claiming eSports can't be a sport because it's not a test in athletic ability is an ignorant, hypocritical view shared by the truly stupid.

I'm not actually into eSports at all, it's not my sort of thing, but I have enough common sense to recognize it as a team vs team challenge of strategy, coordination and skill, and only the most talented and hard-working succeed in it. So yes, it is definitely a sport. As others have point out with examples like pro wrestling and circus acts, being an athletic challenge doesn't automatically make something a sport either. It's actually very simple, competition is what makes a sport, not the nature of the challenge itself.

Edited September 12, 2020 by Shagger

[The Blackangel]

True, but the sad thing is that in todays world, the stupid vastly outnumber the intelligent.😢

[AndreiMirfi]

I don't consider it a sport, because you just need to concentrate at a game. Don't need to prepare physically for it.

It's just a competition to see who is the best.

[Shagger]

4 minutes ago, AndreiMirfi said:

I don't consider it a sport, because you just need to concentrate at a game. Don't need to prepare physically for it.

It's just a competition to see who is the best.

 

The fact it is a competition is exactly why it's a sport. Competition is what defines a sport as a sport. Just because it's not an athletic challenge, doesn't mean it's not a sport. I'll refer you back to previous post;

 

2 hours ago, Shagger said:

I don't think one needs to be an advocate for eSports to know ridiculous the idea is that something has to be athletic to be a sport. There's so many other sports that are not based on an athletic challenge that have been taken seriously for decades, if not centuries, and have a huge following behind them. Golf, Snooker, Darts, Pool, (some forms of) motorsport, to name but a few. Claiming eSports can't be a sport because it's not a test in athletic ability is an ignorant, hypocritical view shared by the truly stupid.

I'm not actually into eSports at all, it's not my sort of thing, but I have enough common sense to recognize it as a team vs team challenge of strategy, coordination and skill, and only the most talented and hard-working succeed in it. So yes, it is definitely a sport. As others have point out with examples like pro wrestling and circus acts, being an athletic challenge doesn't automatically make something a sport either. It's actually very simple, competition is what makes a sport, not the nature of the challenge itself.

 

Edited September 12, 2020 by Shagger

[m76]

18 hours ago, Shagger said:

I don't think one needs to be an advocate for eSports to know ridiculous the idea is that something has to be athletic to be a sport. There's so many other sports that are not based on an athletic challenge that have been taken seriously for decades, if not centuries, and have a huge following behind them. Golf, Snooker, Darts, Pool, (some forms of) motorsport, to name but a few. Claiming eSports can't be a sport because it's not a test in athletic ability is an ignorant, hypocritical view shared by the truly stupid.

I'm not actually into eSports at all, it's not my sort of thing, but I have enough common sense to recognize it as a team vs team challenge of strategy, coordination and skill, and only the most talented and hard-working succeed in it. So yes, it is definitely a sport. As others have point out with examples like pro wrestling and circus acts, being an athletic challenge doesn't automatically make something a sport either. It's actually very simple, competition is what makes a sport, not the nature of the challenge itself.

You act as a typical bigot "My opinion is the only right one, and everyone who disagrees are "truly stupid" I don't even know why do you throw "hyporcritical" in there , just as a buzz word? I mean it has no meaning in the context. It's one thing that you think I'm truly stupid for not considering esports the same way as I consider an athletic sport, but how is that hypocritical?

[Shagger]

4 hours ago, m76 said:

You act as a typical bigot "My opinion is the only right one, and everyone who disagrees are "truly stupid" I don't even know why do you throw "hyporcritical" in there , just as a buzz word? I mean it has no meaning in the context. It's one thing that you think I'm truly stupid for not considering esports the same way as I consider an athletic sport, but how is that hypocritical?

 

Holy hell. I'm gonna have to do bullet points, because there's so many things wrong in this statement.

 

1. Look up the meaning of the word "bigot" and you'll realize that it applies in no way to anything I said. I don't hold prejudice against people who share your viewpoint, I simply disagree with them, there's no reason to take it that personally. Maybe I shouldn't have implied that people who share that view are stupid and more that it's just a stupid point, so I apologize for that, but I didn't expect anyone to take it to heart like you just did.
2. Watch your tone, especially with the use of the "bigot". There's few things in this world I hate more than prejudice and bigotry, so don't throw term my way again. To be clear, that's coming from me as a man, not a forum mod, so don't expect any reprisal or abuse of power from me, but I believe as both I warrant more respect than that.
3. Don't try to educate me on my use the word "hypocritical" when you incorrectly call me a bigot. Even if what a said was a deliberate and a specific attack on your intelligence, that's not what bigotry is.
4. It is hypocritical to say eSports can't be a sport because it doesn't represent an athletic challenge for reasons I already explained in my post, points that you choose to ignore, and the fact you choose to ignore those points as well as everything else I said is also very hypocritical. So it's not a "buzz word", but thank you for the help in proving that point.
5. The world does not revolve around precious, little you. I wasn't referring to you specially, just calling out how that statement and doesn't make sense. If you read too much into it and end up with your precious little feelings hurt, then that's on you. Grow up.
6. What exactly was the point of that post? There were no counterarguments, no new points made and as aforementioned, you didn't address anything I said. It's just you pretending that I've attacked you in some way, when the truth is I didn't even see your post before I made my own. And even if I did, I wouldn't have quoted it because I was taking a stance against the viewpoint, not you.

 

If you have a point to make, an argument to present, then please do so, but do so like an adult. Playing the victim doesn't make your case stronger.

Edited September 13, 2020 by Shagger

[Crazycrab]

1 hour ago, m76 said:

You act as a typical bigot "My opinion is the only right one, and everyone who disagrees are "truly stupid" I don't even know why do you throw "hyporcritical" in there , just as a buzz word? I mean it has no meaning in the context. It's one thing that you think I'm truly stupid for not considering esports the same way as I consider an athletic sport, but how is that hypocritical?

 

Did you seriously take an opinion about ESports and somehow come out with bigot?  I.... I  have no words.