Other Games Should MLG be a sport?

So my friend and I were debating the other day whether or not eSports should be a worthy of being considered as a sport? What do you guys think should it be a sport or should it not?

 

I'm going to assume that you're referring to esports, and not MLG the meme.
Simply put, yes and no.
There should be a visible difference between things like football (American or European) and League of Legends. A physical sport requires a completely different form of coordination and training than an esport does.
I DO think that it should be considered a sport (after all, StarCraft II is the national sport of South Korea), but I don't think it should be played on ESPN. Rather, organizations should formalize the esport competitive system and air it on different channels, and perhaps charge money for it to be viewed over the Internet.
I loathe it when people say that "oh esports are easy anyone can do them real sports are the real ones." Skill is an inherent necessity in esports as well, albeit in different forms. It takes a lot of coordination to do things like this, for instance:

 

Considering that skill is a factor in MLG and eSports, it could be considered a sport. But in my opinion, it shouldn't. For me, sports are a physical activity. MLG and eSports do have the skill factor, but there is barely any physical movement.

 

Considering how CHESS IS A SPORT
Yes, videogames should also be considered a sport.

 

The top tier iRacing series gives a good payout (upwards if $10,000 USD) and is recognized by many real life motorsports organizations, so yes, other video game based operations could be considered real sports

 

No, A sport should be physically demanding and require skill. And pressing buttons is not skill.

 

It is. It has been featured on "ESPN" several times and has appeared in many sports related magazines.

For example:

Spoiler: Large Image

Spoiler: Large Image

 

Niiiiceeeee...

 

Sports Illustrated also has a swimsuit issue. Does that mean Bikini Modeling is a sport?

 

Well, I think yes, but the argument is very much easier done for no.
sport
spôrt/
noun

1. 1.
   an activity involving physical exertion and skill in which an individual or team competes against another or others for entertainment.
   "team sports such as baseball and soccer"

(Copy and pasted from google search)
It says it is an activity involving skill where individuals or teams compete against eachother for entertainment. Esports are for entertainment, the game itself was first designed only as entertainment. And it is hard to explain this to people who don't physically play the games, but they do take skill. They take fast reactions, quick decision making, teamwork, and proper format, layout, positions, whatever according to the person and what they will do good. Those characteristics apply to both esport and physical sport. Someone who deosn't play the game might think all it is is clicking and yelling into a mic. It really isn't just that.
But, the definition also says a sport involves physical exertion. Hate to break it to ya, but esport do not involve physical exertion. It's all in the brain.
TL;DR What do I think?
esport should be considered a sport. They require the same amount of mental activity and brainwork as any other sport, if not considerably more, and they shouldn't be excluded just because of lack of physical exertion.

 

I think that instead of calling video games a "sport" they should call it a "competition" as a sport refers to something physically demanding where as a competition is a group of people competing with each other. (Just like video games.)

 

Didn't we talk about this on TeamSpeak or something?

 

The age old question of whether eSports are legitimate sports. The definition of a sports is as follows:
(Source: 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.
4.
jest; fun; mirth; pleasantry:
What he said in sport was taken seriously.
5.
mockery; ridicule; derision:
They made sport of him.
6.
an object of derision; laughingstock.
7.
something treated lightly or tossed about like a plaything.

Yes and no sides have an argument, might as well say no, as nobody can come to an agreement.

 

well.. kind of.. since it's also a skill requiring thing, I mean, you can't just start going on CS:GO and be a pro straight away.

 

nailed it.

They are called e-Sports for a reason, the "e" means electronic to make that easier for you, since there is a distinction I have no problem with them beign called like that. Personally I don't enjoy watching them, except some cs:go tournaments and maybe sometimes LoL.
and "Mr" @ItsShadow try and do what faker does in the MOBA scene, or try and hit headshots like those cs:go players are pulling. People practice everyday for years and can't get to a "pro" level". Pressing buttons requires skills, you need perfect eye-hand coordination and INSANE reflexes. Anyway I just wanted to say that, if theire is a distinction between sports and esports I am ok with that.

 

Game Theory - Why ESPN is Wrong About eSports.

 

I know you didn't make this video so this isn't directed at you but these are some terrible points and views.

Just as an example

The amount of views the NBA Finals had compared the League of Legend Finals Views is a TERRIBLE comparison. The NBA is the main basketball league of The United States. Not to mention the Finals were shown on ABC or American Broadcasting Company. The League of Legend finals however were shown on Twitch, a website nearly ANY COUNTRY in the world can have access to. And League of Legends is a game played all over the world and mainly in Europe and Asia and America. So it makes logical sense that a Championship game will have more viewers if it is targets at more people/countries and is broadcasted world wide.

Let me give you a better comparison. In order to really compare an esport to a real sport we need to make sure both are just as equal and unbiased.
So I will keep League of Legends as the represented esport but what Sport is most related to its demographics. Well League of Legends is the largest and most played video game as of now as it is played by 27 million people and all over the world. Soccer or football in other countries is the most popular/played sport in the world and just like league it isn't singled out to one country but it is played by multiple nations.

So if we take the 2013 League of Legends Finals and compare it with the 2014 World Cup we see that the League Finals had 32 million views and the World Cup had 1 billion views. As you can see real sports are much more popular.

This was only one of the many biased opinions he stated in the video. I am sorry but esports should be classified as just that - esports - nothing more and nothing less.

 

I put the video in because it fit the topic. Doesn't mean I agree with it. I don't post my own opinions on most situations, and this wasn't one of the threads I do.

The bottom wasn't my opinion either, just the title because the thumbnail/title on it aren't totally visible.

 

I know. Thats why I said it wasn't direct to you.

 

I understood that. I was just clarifying a little bit more.