Professional Gamers Aren't Athletes?

in #sports7 years ago

I've noticed there is a sort of commotion about professional gamers going on lately. I just wanted to touch on the subject a little and hear what you guys and girls think.

MLG Official Site

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Professional gamers, in the past, have gotten a lot of flack. Even today they don't always have the best of reputations in certain peoples views.

---->Media Learning of E-Sports<-----
In the link here the Youtube channel "Tramah" published a video concerning this very issue and highlights nice clips on the subject.

So where do the professional gamers belong?

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I don't claim to have the answer, but lets just define "athlete" real quick for better understanding.

Merriam Webster Dictionary Definition

Definition of athlete :

  • a person who is trained or skilled in exercises, sports, or games requiring physical strength, agility, or stamina

If we base an athlete off the three character traits given here we may come up with a better perspective. Although there is one thing that strikes me strange on this definition. The word physical comes before the three traits. So, are we thinking of physical strength, physical agility, and physical stamina? I'm not so sure...

Maybe our society has defined athletes in the wrong manner?

I am actually not opposed to removing the word physical from that definition. Being a professional athlete in most sports requires a keen and strategic state of mentality. A great mind can take you really far even without a great body. The most common sports ( baseball, football, soccer, etc.) require both a sound mind and a well performing body.
Yeah sure there are far more professional gamers who aren't fit and make it to the top tier than in other sports. We should consider though, when your body is in ample shape, that blood flows more freely and your mind works better as a result.

The gaming industry is still young and so is the competition. With any sport over time the athletes will improve their abilities to play. Maybe the professional gaming roster will become more fit on average because it is a sport and requires more than what is being put into it now to be at higher skill levels?

Let me know what you think in the comments down below. Please don't forget to shoot me an upvote, I'd appreciate it.

Thanks for reading!

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Sports are entertainment. More precisely, sports athletes are people drones watch to forget their meaningless existence, distract themselves from their lack of usefulness, and to vent their frustrated anger born of envy. Through careful propaganda, the ruling elite cultivates identification of "communities" with a sports organization to cultivate a sense of belonging by the drones for the entertainers.

If the videogame entertainers garner enough drone following, the rulers will quickly move to sponsor these entertainers to identify with a city or a province. "Athelete" is nothing more than someone with acuity in some useless field that can serve to distract drones from becoming too discontented.

I don't see how enjoying watching sports as a pastime is such a bad thing. Seems like a non destructive outlet for relaxation. I can't see calling people drones just for enjoying sports. To each their own I guess.

I like sports! Some fans are a little destructive though. Haha

I agree that sports may have to heavy of an importance in many peoples lives. If society wants to change it is each individuals responsibility to take action no matter the opressing force. We the people can only stand united as long as each person is willing to play their part and stand and hold hands.

Personally I wouldn't define pro gamers as athletes. Just like I wouldn't call a chess player an athlete. I also think pro gamers take their sport a lot more seriously than their conventional counterparts. Pro gamers are expected to practice for much longer hours per day and for much less pay. I think saying they are top tier competitors is probably good, or maybe a new word(or one I don't know) should define games that require heavy mental skill.

Yeah good point. I guess just "pro gamers" could work. Lol

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